 Times Online |
Obama looks for VP who says more than 'Yes, sir'
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago Even if it meant Bill Clinton, a volatile presence during his wife's campaign, as a surrogate day in and day out? "I would love to have Bill Clinton … Barack Obama and John McCain race to choose a running-mate before … Times Online Obama won't pick VP for funeral duty AFP On Obama's Message RealClearPolitics New York Times Blogs - RhinoTimes.com Greensboro all 232 news articles |
Archive for July, 2008
Obama looks for VP who says more than 'Yes, sir' – The Associated Press
Sunday, July 27th, 2008Smart Green Grid Software Meets the Not-So-Smart Modern Electric Grid
Saturday, July 26th, 2008The green movement is creating new marketplace opportunities as a result of developing new green technology. One technology is smart grid software. Businesses, traditional and emerging, will soon be affected by how this technology will be deployed and adopted as they move into some version of peak load or variable pricing.
The modern electric grid is hardly modern; it has barely changed in seventy-five years. Most electric grid systems today consist of transmission and distribution networks that connect power plants to end users. These systems rely on centralized power generation and feature bottlenecks and choke points where damage to the infrastructure can disrupt service to thousands of customers if not more. Todays electric grids are poorly equipped to handle the demands of the post-modern economy, which due to the ever increasing use of digital devices requires higher load demands and uninterruptible power.
Part of the problem is information–information in current power systems flows only one way, from consumers to the power utilities. The utilities know what the power loads are and where they are, but they struggle to meet power spikes with marginal success. Consumers have no idea (besides learning about it on the nightly news report) what the load demands on the power grid are and thus are unable to make usage decisions based on that information.
The other part of the problem is logistical: Current power systems rely on centralized generating stations that send power over transmission networks to several distribution substations, which then send power over distribution networks to end users. To meet increased peak demand in local areas excess, generators must be kept on standby so they can be brought online as needed. Power, for the most part, cannot be routed from another area to help meet the demand. Since as much as 10% of total power capacity is needed as little as 1% of the time, this means that a large number of small local emergency generators are needed to meet rapidly changing demand (as larger generators take too long to startup).
Smart grid systems are an attempt to address the shortcomings of the current electric grid by changing the flow of information and logistics. The new grid systems use internet connections between power stations, power meters, and appliances ultimately drawing power to make the flow of information about the state of the grid a two-way process between utilities and consumers. This enables consumers to make better decisions about their power usage; which they can even do automatically via the smart power meters.
Smart grid systems change the logistical nature of the grid from the centralized transmission and distribution system to a decentralized network model where excess power can be transmitted from one area to another as needed. Even better is the ability to use energy storage devices in households (such as plug-in hybrids) and power generating devices such as residential solar panels to supply energy back to the grid during hours of peak demand.
The goal of the smart grid system is to increase the reliability and efficiency of the power transmission systems on two fronts: (1) It decentralizes power generation with households that are both clients and suppliers; (2) It improves power consumption. Consumers are now in the driver seat and are better able make more precise decisions about how they consume power.
Test programs of smart grids have been steadily increasing over the last few years. Enel S.p.A. of Italy built a smart grid serving 27 million Italians in 2005. Essentially Enel invented the concept by installing smart meters that enabled two-way communication between the utility and energy consumers. Austin Energy, a Texas power utility, has been working on a similar initiative to replace all its power meters with smart meters by December 2008.
The GridWise Olympic Peninsula project, a study conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, equipped homeowners with digital thermostats and computer controllers on their water heaters and clothes dryers. Participant homeowners were then able to set performance preferences of these devices according to their own preferences. The average household in the study saved over 10% on its yearlong electricity usage. A subset of the program used price-sensitive settings with the price of electricity varying as a function of power load on the grid and the performance of the appliances being set to respond to the price of electricity–these customers saved even more.
For businesses looking to leverage future developments in smart grid technology, it would be worthwhile to review all the power uses in their companies. Gaining an understanding of what power usage can be time shifted as well as coming to an understanding of inventory opportunities to sell power back to the grid will help businesses position themselves to take advantage of green grid technology to lower costs and even gain new revenue streams.
Given that the growing energy crisis is having a dramatic effect on the global economy, there is an urgency to begin planning NOW to help protect your business from rising energy costs.
Bottom line? – Apply this information to improve your profitability, reengineer business models, and strengthen or gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. And apply the free Fiscal Test at http://fiscaldoctor.com/fiscaltest.html.From Gary W Patterson, www.FiscalDoctor.com Copyright 2008
Renewable Energy: The Good, the Bad, and the So-So
Saturday, July 26th, 2008The green movement has created a plethora of buzzwords. One of the more popular phrases is renewable energy. And for good reason. Businesses, traditional and emerging, will soon be affected by how they will respond to the reality of renewable energy depending on where they fall in the supply chain.
Renewable energy is a term that refers to those potential sources of energy that are naturally replenished, which means that using them does not decrease the amount available in the future. This contrasts with nonrenewable sources (fossil-based fuels) that have a limited supply and will eventually be used up. Renewable energy sources include sunlight, hydrosphere/water cycle, geothermal and some types of biomass and biofuels. Think of energy as a source and electricity as an application.
The mechanisms used to generate electricity from these sources vary considerably. For sunlight, there are photovoltaic technologies that generate electricity directly from sunlight. But there are also systems that use the sunlight to heat an intermediate fluid, which is used to turn turbines to generate electricity. There are multiple ways that water can be used to provide electricity, of which the most commonly used is the hydroelectric dam.
Other systems that produce electricity from water include wave power systems that convert the kinetic energy of waves into electricity, tidal power systems that use the kinetic energy of tidal flows in a similar fashion, and systems that take advantage of the temperature differences between surface waters and deeper waters in the ocean to generate electricity. Geothermal systems rely on the heat of the earth’s interior to generate electricity in various ways, depending on the specific nature of the site. Biomass and biofuels consist of fuels derived from plant and other organic matter, which are renewable depending on the sustainability of the agricultural practices that provide the biomass. Examples include ethanol and biodiesel liquid fuels for transportation, and solid biomass from unused portions of other crops for electricity generation.
Presently, renewable energy sources provide only a small fraction of global energy production, and the majority of this is from biomass burning such a wood (which while renewable in the strictest sense is not environmentally friendly) in undeveloped regions of the world. Renewable energy provides less than 1% of the world’s energy production even though its use is expected to grow rapidly amid rising concerns about global warming and the rising price of oil.
The biggest impediment to the widespread use of renewable energy sources in the past has been its price compared to the price of coal, natural gas, and petroleum. At present, wind energy costs $0.04-$0.08 per kWh, while coal costs $0.04 per kWh. Other renewable energy sources are even more expensive, such as solar thermal at $0.12-$0.34 per kWh and solar photovoltaic at $0.25-$1.60 per kWh. Water sources vary in cost from being cheaper than coal to costing three times as much. This cost differential, however, is narrowing as the price of oil rises and new technological innovations are bringing down the prices of renewables.
Looking forward, the increasing likelihood of carbon taxes or emissions trading schemes being implemented in much of the developed world means that the cost of generating electricity from coal, natural gas, and petroleum will rise even more precipitously, which will make renewable energy even more attractive for future development.
The future of renewable energy depends on how government energy policy will develop over the course of the next presidential administration and congress. Will carbon taxes or emissions trading schemes be enacted to limit greenhouse gas emissions? Will green grid technologies become widespread? Will the development of new oil supplies be allowed? All of these possible scenarios will affect the future deployment of renewable energy technologies.
As an example, consider the application of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems. Not only will these systems provide electricity to homes and businesses, but they can even be used to sell energy back to the power utility. Farmers and ranchers can plant wind turbines on land unsuitable for growing crops. The widespread use of smart grid technologies can become a major method of decentralizing power generation.
Similarly, if emissions trading schemes are enacted, then the rising cost of carbon-producing energy sources will force a shift to renewable energy technologies for large portions of our energy needs. This is deemed so likely that many believe that renewable energy technologies will be the next major industrial boom, similar to the computer technology revolution of the 1980s and the internet revolution of the late 1990s. Increasingly, large quantities of venture capital are pouring into renewable energy companies in expectation of just such an outcome.
How you position your firm to take advantage of the probable boom in renewable energy depends on your business’s energy needs and usage. If green grid technology becomes widespread, the opportunity presents itself to businesses to become both an electricity consumer and a supplier. If carbon taxes or emissions trading systems drive the move away from petroleum transport fuels to biomass transport fuels, it is important to be prepared for that as well.
As the renewable energy debate gains momentum, NOW is the time to prepare for its eventual inevitability to help protect your business from rising energy and transportation costs.
Bottom line? – Apply this information to improve your profitability, reengineer business models, and strengthen or gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. And apply the free Fiscal Test at http://fiscaldoctor.com/fiscaltest.html.From Gary W Patterson, www.FiscalDoctor.com Copyright 2008
Intelligent Green Software: Consumers Take Control!
Saturday, July 26th, 2008The green movement has created new marketplace opportunities with the emergence of intelligent green software. Industries, traditional and emerging, will soon be affected by the adoption or disregard of such technology as they move into some version of energy peak load or variable electrical pricing (where the current price is determined by the power load on the grid).
In the not-so-distant future, companies will need to prepare for the application of intelligent green software that will automatically manage specific aspects of production, distribution and consumption of electricity. This technology will enable energy customers (whether they are industrial, commercial or residential) to make smart decisions about their energy usage to cut electric bills and electricity consumption to just what they need. The good news is that this technology will not only help foster the production of efficient, smart appliances, but it will also encourage consumers to become more energy conscious and therefore more energy efficient.
The basic premise is simple. There will be devices that will automatically turn certain appliances on and off under conditions specified by the consumer. If you combine this with variable pricing in electricity and allow consumers to make decisions about which appliances to run based on the cost of running them, then you have a potential for consumer cost savings as well as power consumption reduction.
Such relatively simple devices are a significant part of smart grid technology proposals, though some proposals go even further. Some propose that the devices be used for energy suppliers as well as energy consumers. In the smart grid context, such devices can be powerful leveraging tools for consumers, enabling them to sell back power to the utilities if they have generating capacity themselves (such as from rooftop solar panels) or if they use plug-in hybrid cars.
These devices may even give consumers the capability of arranging with the utilities to buy power at a low price when the load on the grid is low, and sell it back to the utility at a higher price when the load on the grid has risen. Interestingly this benefits the utilities, since widespread adoption of such measures can save them building new plants to meet peak capacity needs.
Surprisingly, much of this technology has already been developed. It simply needs to be deployed. Test programs have shown consistent success, such as the GridWise Olympic Peninsula project, a study done by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. In this study, households were given digital thermostats and computer-controlled water heaters and dryers. The participants would then set the power usage of the devices based on the price of electricity at any given moment. For example, they would set the target temperature for their house, an acceptable range of variation, and their price tolerance (to the changing price of electricity). Every few minutes the devices would adjust their power usage based on the current price of electricity.
The test found that these households saved more than 10% on their yearlong electricity costs. But what energy policy planners found to be most revealing was not so much that the residents were able to reduce their consumption and save money but more surprisingly how the devices encouraged participants to alter their attitude and behavior to decrease their consumption because they now had the tool to actively monitor their consumption. This reinforces the notion that feedback is the best motivator to get people to change their habits. Weighing oneself on a scale is a perfect example of how a device can motivate people to lose weight.
From the electric utility’s point of view, new startups like Grid Net are working to develop the software that will make full smart grid systems a reality. The software systems being developed for use by the power utilities take advantage of modern computing and networking technologies to increase the information available to utilities about the state of the power grid.
The ultimate goal is to build power grids that can manage their own load spikes automatically, with spare generators being brought online via software triggers (say when the alternating current frequency dips below a certain level, which is a sign of high load on the grid), or power being transferred from other parts of the grid to meet demand in nearby areas, all without human intervention).
At present, few of these software technologies are deployed or even easily purchasable. While in some cases, the technology is well understood and well developed (e.g., software to power down appliances when the electrical grid is under heavy load), it is not widely available yet for those who want to use it now.
What smart green software is pointing to is the urgency to begin planning NOW for this inevitability to help protect industries and consumers from rising energy costs.
Bottom line? Apply this information to improve your profitability, reengineer business models, and strengthen or gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. And apply the free Fiscal Test at http://fiscaldoctor.com/fiscaltest.html.From Gary W Patterson, www.FiscalDoctor.com Copyright 2008
Acquisitions: Consider the Potential of Other Operations When Included in Your Company’s Business
Friday, July 25th, 2008The most dynamic and highest potential business models are ones that enable other enterprises to achieve extraordinary results by crossing the boundary from being an independent producer to becoming part of the company, whether through acquisition or joint ventures. Many specialized distribution businesses provide business models that make this possible. Study this subject well, because it is a secret of creating vastly more growth and more fundamental business model enhancements.
Let’s take a look at Sybron Dental Specialties. The firm provides many innovative products used by dentists to serve their patients. Most of these products were added by acquisition. Often the new offerings were developed in start-up partnerships between innovative dentists and people with product development skills. Such start-up companies have low volume, and high distribution costs. Often, they were too small to be able to afford much marketing.
When Sybron discovers a promising new product being offered by such an uneconomically-sized firm, Sybron often purchases the company. Being part of Sybron gives the product more credibility, so sales increase. On the larger volume, production processes can be improved and scaled up.
Being part of Sybron’s distribution network also reduces the costs of getting the product from the manufacturing facility to the dentist. As a result, Sybron can turn a marginally profitable, small market share product into an industry-leading product with vastly lower costs and prices within a short period of time.
Sybron’s leaders know thousands of dentists on a first-name basis and spend lots of time sharing ideas with those dental professionals. That frequent and extensive contact increases the likelihood that the company will hear about more promising new companies and products and that Sybron can share helpful information about the improvements it makes to those offerings after acquiring them.
Beckman Coulter was formed by the merger of two companies with complementary product lines in the bio-medical testing industry. While many companies would have primarily examined the opportunity to reduce costs by consolidating headquarters, sales activities, and manufacturing, Beckman Coulter’s CEO, Jack Wareham, saw those areas as only the beginning of the cost-reduction possibilities.
Mr. Wareham had headed Beckman Instruments, Inc. before the merger. That firm was well known for its expertise in simplifying and automating tests to make them more reliable and less costly. He dreamed of putting all of the Beckman and Coulter tests into the same automated processes.
Such automation equipment is now being offered, and provides the lab with broader testing capabilities in ways that reduce both Beckman Coulter’s costs and the costs of the laboratory running the tests. At the same time, physicians and patients get their tests done faster and more reliably.
Not content with that cost improvement, Mr. Wareham focused the combined operations on creating a linked set of technologies and tests that begin with fundamental medical research and end up in patient diagnosis and treatment. By having the biological measurements be conducted by consistent processes and chemical reagents, diseases can be more easily and inexpensively studied, diagnosed, and treated.
An example comes in the company’s technology for detecting prostate cancer (the PSA and free PSA test). Once a tedious manual test, the test is now automatically processed on the firm’s analyzer in 15 minutes. As a result, many lives will be saved while medical costs drop. By expanding the company’s line of testing through acquisition, Beckman Coulter is now in a position to provide these sorts of benefits as the new generations of genetic and protein-based tests are developed.
Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions and receive tips by e-mail by registering for free athttp://www.2000percentsolution.com .
What is a Regulation D Offering and How Does it Apply to You the Small Business Person?
Friday, July 25th, 2008What is a Regulation D Offering? This is a simple question with a not so simple answer. Basically, a regulation D offering allows a small business person the opportunity to raise capital and sell parts of the business without having to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registering with the SEC can be an expensive and time consuming process, something that small businesses in need of capital probably do not have available to them. The question should not really be what is a regulation D offering, rather why would someone want to go through with one.
Answering What is a Regulation D Offering
When the Securities Act of 1933 was put into place it was an attempt to document and control and offers to sell securities. What this act did not take into account was how it would affect smaller corporations and businesses that could not afford, either with time or money, registering with the SEC. Regulation D came into place to make it easier for smaller companies to raise capital for their businesses.
A regulation D allows the small business owner to easily and quickly acquire funds without interference from the federal government. There are stringent regulations on what is regulation D offering, most of which correspond to the amount of capital being acquired. Regulation D offerings are limited to less than five million dollars and must have less than thirty five investors.
In order to file a regulation D a company must fill out a form D immediately after they first sell their securities. You should know what is a regulation D offering before you begin getting capital to ensure that you are following proper federal regulations. Contact the SEC’s office of Investor Education and Advocacy at 202-551-8090 or send an email to publicinfo@sec.gov to find the answer to your question. They can most fully assist you to determine whether you qualify and can apply for a Regulation D Offering.
In addition, check with your local state securities regulator to see if there is anything additional that is required by the state. Their address number and telephone number by contacting the North American Securities Administrators Association at 202-737-0900 or by going to their website.
In addition, most of this information is freely available in your local phonebook. Check the government section and you should be able to your state contact information. Follow these steps to ensure that your company is in compliance. Hopefully this has answered your question as to what is a Regulation D Offering.
Kathryn R. Landry is a business writer for TIC Advisors, Inc . A company that can give you the most complete information on a 1031 exchange or TIC property ownership.
The Pros And Cons Of Temporary Labor
Friday, July 25th, 2008Often in business you run into labor shortages. Your business is expanding at a rapid pace. Maybe you’ve won the bidding on a large job. Whatever the reason you are in the position of needing more help and quickly. The question is whether hiring some form of temporary labor is the right thing to do for your company? Well to figure out the answer to that question you need to know some of the pros and cons of hiring temporary labor.
So let’s start with some of the benefits of using temporary labor. One is the ease of finding an agency that can be used to facilitate hiring the workers you need. There are plenty of agencies out there that help to supply workers to companies in need. Many of them even specialize in workers for different industries. If you are in need of an accountant you can find one. Do you need clerical help, warehouse workers, or delivery drivers? Well you can find all of them too. So finding the help you need won’t necessarily be that hard of a task.
Another advantage is that the people that are hired through a temp agency are interviewed and their references checked. That way they can make sure that person is the best qualified for your businesses needs. Also when you no longer need them you can inform the agency and let them go. If the time comes that you need someone else you can go back to the agency and request that someone be sent out. Also if you find that the person that was sent to you is not suited for your work environment or that you are just not comfortable with them you can ask for a replacement.
Okay so now that we know some of the pros what’s the downside of it all? Well for starters the cost. Now for certain positions this is not a problem. A good accountant can be worth every penny. But what if you need a warehouse worker? You could find that your temp workers will cost your company more than your regular workers do. Because you are not paying the worker directly. They receive their wages from the agency. The agency sends you their bill. But just like most other things involving money everyone needs their cut. The employee needs to be paid, the agency needs to make money, insurance on the worker needs to be covered, taxes have to be paid, and whatever other expenses are associated with the worker.
Another factor to consider is what happens if you find a worker you’d like to hire full time. Often they have a contract with their agency. The contracts are usually for a set period of time. You can either employ the worker until the contract runs out and then hire them or many of their contracts have buyout options. Which means you can purchase the contract of the employee from the agency. The problem with the second option is that the buyout price can run in the thousands of dollars depending on how much time is left on the contract.
So whether you choose to go the route of hiring temporary labor or not is up to you. You just need to do some research first. Check into the labor companies in your area. Find out the various costs associated with the type of worker you are looking for. You’ll find there are plenty of agencies and workers out there for you to choose from.
Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out http://www.smallbusinessdelivered.com
Do Not Let Your Business Become Your Life!
Friday, July 25th, 2008We often forget about ourselves because of how hectic our lives have become. So many things need to be accomplished each day and there never seems to be enough time to do it all. Eventually you find yourself working later and later. Then you start putting in time on the weekends. Eventually you are at work more than you are at home. Your business has become your life.
It doesn’t need to be this way though. Not if you lay down some ground rules for yourself. If you have a family they will appreciate having you home. You can’t neglect the rest of your life just because of your responsibilities as a small business owner. You have a responsibility to yourself and the other people in your life. That is something you should never forget no matter how hectic your working life become.
So what kind of ground rules do you need? Well for starters the number of hours you put in at work need to be set. Now we know a forty hour work week is not going to be a reality but you can try to limit yourself to something less than seventy or eighty hours. Try to set yourself a time that you need to be out of the office and on your way home each night. If you have a family try to make it a point to be home in time to have dinner with them. If you need to put some time in on the weekend make sure to limit yourself. If you have to go do it early then leave by noon. Get out and do things. Enjoy your weekend. Your business will still be there Monday morning.
So what if you are the kind of person that takes your work home with you. Well that is a decision for you to make. But you need to ask yourself whether it would be more productive for you to take it home or could it possibly wait until tomorrow. More times than not it can wait until the next day and then you can give the task the attention it needs. Home is full of distractions. And when you are at home you need to be doing other things. Even if you don’t have a family to go home to you need to take the time to give yourself a mental break.
Everyone needs to take time out from what you do. If not you are going to burn yourself out. And that will not be good for you or your company. Regularly taking a break is good for you both mentally and physically. Too many people work themselves into the ground. You don’t want to be that type of person.
What else can you do to have a life outside of your work? Take a vacation! People that run their own businesses go years without finding the time to go on vacation. Occasionally we need to get away from it all if you ever want to be able to recharge your batteries. Yes it can be a hard thing to do. You either have to shut things down for a few days or trust someone else to hold down the fort while you are gone. Whatever it takes everyone needs to take a few days off. Not just a few hours or a couple of days. You need a real vacation. A week in a land of paradise is preferable.
Remember that taking care of yourself is not just good for you it can be good for your company and even the people that work for you. Not to mention your family if you have one to go home to. Everyone needs time to themselves and time to spend with others besides those you work with. So no matter what you do not want your business to become your life!
Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out http://www.smallbusinessdelivered.com
Analyzing the Democrats most frequently mentioned as running mates … – Dallas Morning News
Friday, July 25th, 2008 Voice of America |
Analyzing the Democrats most frequently mentioned as running mates …
Dallas Morning News, TX - 10 hours ago Bill Clinton was a loose cannon in the primaries, and there's still bad blood in the Obama camp over some of the things he said. Clinton-haters are itching … Nevada political update: 3rd District a ?toss up? Las Vegas Sun Consultants Urge Smarter Ethnic Targeting Campaigns & Elections Interest in US polls mounts GulfNews The Associated Press - CNN all 276 news articles |
The Web Watcher: George W Bush; Trap-jaw ants take flight – Times Online
Thursday, July 24th, 2008 NEWS.com.au |
The Web Watcher: George W Bush; Trap-jaw ants take flight
Times Online, UK - 22 hours ago In a leaked video from a fundraising dinner, Bush first gives the guests his considered, intellectual view of the credit crunch. ?There?s no question about … George Bush explains America's fiscal woes: Wall Street got drunk guardian.co.uk George W Bush: Wall Street 'got drunk' and now has a hangover Telegraph.co.uk On mobile, George Bush's credit crunch analysis: 'Wall Street got … Channel 4 News TransWorldNews (press release) - Indecision 2008 (satire) all 476 news articles |