How to take your business global; All from the comfort of your home, by an entrepreneur now turning over $3 million a year.

How to take your business global

March 10, 2014

Jellaine Ross

All from the comfort of your home, by an entrepreneur now turning over $3 million a year. Read more of this post

Kumar Mangalam Birla on the Principles and Practices of the Aditya Birla Group

Kumar Mangalam Birla on the Principles and Practices of the Aditya Birla Group

by Sourav Majumdar | Mar 12, 2014

No other business group spells Marwari enterprise and success as much as the Aditya Birla group. The man at the helm, Kumar Mangalam Birla, explains the principles and practices that have shaped its success Read more of this post

Using Nostalgia for an improved brand communication strategy; Brands use nostalgic theme to expand their target market and create a link between generations

Using Nostalgia for an improved brand communication strategy

by Aurelie Kessous | Mar 12, 2014

Brands use nostalgic theme to expand their target market and create a link between generations

Today, many brands are jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon. This retro trend has become an international phenomenon and is affecting the entire marketing mix. Some brands have developed products evoking nostalgic flavor of childhood memories. In the food industry, for example, Chuao chocolatier has recently introduced a Rocky Road bar that contains salted almonds and vegan marshmallows. Other brands have chosen to re-run their best historical ads, such as the detergent brand Persil, for its 100th anniversary to capitalize on its longevity accompanying consumers in their lives from the “good old days” until now, thus enhancing brand credibility and authenticity. Finally, a nostalgic atmosphere can be achieved through the interior design. Jack Daniel’s whiskey has come up with a classic cool with a special edition to mark Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday. Launched last December at Las Vegas’ airport with interactive stations for tasting, viewing and listening to all things Frank Sinatra did, the initiative expanded to 200 airports, coinciding with the evocative “Legend” campaign. Read more of this post

Scientists Have Discovered Genghis Khan’s Secret Weapon

Scientists Have Discovered Genghis Khan’s Secret Weapon

LESLIE BAEHR SCIENCE  MAR. 12, 2014, 12:37 AM

In 2010, two scientists researching wildfires in Mongolia’s Khangai Mountains stumbled upon the secret that led to the largest connected land empire in history: the Mongolian Empire. Read more of this post

Can You See the Opportunity Right in Front of You?

Can You See the Opportunity Right in Front of You?

by Warren Berger  |   12:00 PM March 12, 2014

Do you find your household thermostat to be endlessly fascinating? How about that smoke alarm installed in your basement — spend much time gazing at it with wonder? Tony Fadell did. The founder of Nest has had a lifelong penchant for looking at mundane everyday household devices and wondering Why hasn’t somebody improved this thing? That tendency led him to reinvent the aforementioned gadgets — and recently resulted in a $3 billion payday, when Nest was acquired earlier this year by Google. Read more of this post

Surviving a Start-Up’s Transition from Projects to Processes

Surviving a Start-Up’s Transition from Projects to Processes

by Derek Lidow  |   11:00 AM March 12, 2014

“Why change my leadership style? It got us to this point, where we’ve established a real beachhead in our market.”

These are the famous last words of many an entrepreneur. Failing to realize that critical transition points in the growth of an enterprise require leaders to shift emphasis, they blindly stick with what has been working up to that point. The company stalls. Confusion grows among key team members, investors, customers and suppliers.  And, ultimately, the failure to understand the demands of the transition lead to the failure of the company itself. Read more of this post

Let Your Team Help You Manage Your Time

Let Your Team Help You Manage Your Time

by John Beeson  |   8:00 AM March 11, 2014

Good managers study time management techniques. They analyze their calendars and prioritize their to-do lists in an effort to eke out a few percentage points of extra personal productivity — which is all to the good. Great managers, by contrast, realize a fundamental fact: their time, not budget or staffing levels, is their scarcest resource and their team must be staffed and organized in a way that will maximize their own, personal impact. Read more of this post

The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool

The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool

by Harrison Monarth  |   9:00 AM March 11, 2014

It’s not often that you hear Budweiser and Shakespeare mentioned in the same breath. But according to new research from Johns Hopkins University, the Bard’s deft application of storytelling techniques featured prominently in the beer company’s Super Bowl commercial. Read more of this post

Should Big Companies Give Up on Innovation?

Should Big Companies Give Up on Innovation?

by Scott Anthony  |   10:00 AM March 11, 2014

“Why bother?”

It’s a common question thrown at me by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, or the more cynically minded corporate leaders. Read more of this post

How to Have a Eureka Moment

How to Have a Eureka Moment

by David Burkus  |   1:00 PM March 11, 2014

In the ancient world, the Greeks believed that all great insights came from one of nine muses, divine sisters who brought inspiration to mere mortals. In the modern world, few people still believe in the muses, but we all still love to hear stories of sudden inspiration. Like Newton and the apple, or Archimedes and the bathtub (both another type of myth), we’re eager to hear and to share stories about flashes of insight. Read more of this post

Assess Your CEO’s Strategic Fit Over Time

Assess Your CEO’s Strategic Fit Over Time

by Marc Effron and Miriam Ort  |   9:00 AM March 12, 2014

Roger Federer can arguably be considered the greatest tennis player of all time, having won 16 Grand Slam titles—and yet he lost every French Open Championship he played against Rafael Nadal.  Few would suggest that Nadal was a better overall tennis player. But on the clay courts of Paris’ Roland Garros stadium, he was the best player. And even though no one would deny Roger Federer’s overall tennis prowess, no one expects that he would win in every conceivable situation. So why do we assume that our CEOs will? Read more of this post

Bill Gross’ $200m pay ‘not appropriate’, says PIMCO trustee; William Popejoy blasts boss of world’s largest bond fund, saying Bill Gross’ salary could pay for 2,000 teachers

Bill Gross’ $200m pay ‘not appropriate’, says PIMCO trustee

William Popejoy blasts boss of world’s largest bond fund, saying Bill Gross’ salary could pay for 2,000 teachers

By Katherine Rushton

4:50PM GMT 11 Mar 2014

Bill Gross is under pressure on a new front, after one of the trustees of his Pacific Investment Management Company said he is overpaid. Read more of this post