For the third consecutive month, production output at America’s factories, mines, and utilities has risen in September more than analysts expected. However, analysts have warned that industrial output may slow significantly once federal stimulus money has all been spent and industrial companies must once again rely on their own capital.
September’s increase came largely from increased production of auto vehicles and parts, which was in part due to the government’s Cash for Clunkers program and its impact on the demand for new vehicles. Steel and other industrial sectors also posted increases while General Electric posted growth in its industrial businesses in …read more

Another industry that has been proactively implementing social media as part of their business plan is the Real Estate (RE) industry. The Real Estate industry has found that social media is a great to connect with potential home buyers so that information can be shared with them.
Some of the examples of how the Real Estate industry has been implementing social media are:

ActiveRain.com: ActiveRain is a Bellevue, WA based technology/media company hybrid that operates the largest and most active social network in the real estate space. In June 2006, we launched the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free social network and …read more

First I want to share from an article entitled, “Social-Media Marketing for Restaurants: 10 Tips” that was written by Allison Perlik, Senior Editor — Restaurants and Institutions. One of the key points that Allison shares in this article about using social media is….
Participation in social media demands more active planning than simply signing up for an account and then posting the details of today’s lunch specials or next month’s wine dinner. As with any branding initiative, it’s best to start with a thorough understanding of the strategy’s opportunities and potential pitfalls.

With all the ways that a business owner can use social …read more

 
Recently while watching TV, I came across a commercial that Sprint released which incorporated social media and other “happenings” in the world. While watching the commercial, I saw how Twitter was included and I began wondering how their traffic was affect by this commercial. Knowing that Twitter most likely received many new users from people who saw this commercial, I started wondering how the things happening around us really affect our business world. Here are a few questions:

Do you know what’s going on in your business world?
What are the trends for your industry?
How have you affected those around your business?
What’s …read more

Job Fairs can lead to great job opportunities if you are ready for the opportunities when they show up. Today, I had the privilege to meet some wonderful people at a National Career Fair in Timonium, MD. For three hours I shook hands, reviewed resumes, coached and connected with job seekers. For me as a coach and blogger it was fun. I enjoy meeting people and sharing valuable information that will make the difference between whether someone will get a job in the next 30 to 90 days.

Some of my observations from my power-packed day:
1. Preparation – Many job seekers …read more

One organization that seems to do a good job of sparking innovation in the industry they cover is Plastics News. Not only do they provide an excellent weekly publication that is read industry-wide, they also coordinate excellent conferences that are attended by the top executives in the industry. As a representative for a consulting firm considering new services projects for the industry, I attended their 3 day 2007 conference in San Diego and received exactly what I needed.
What I wanted to understand were the key issues, initiatives and innovations (from both a product and business process perspective) being dealt …read more

With global warming firmly pointed at the US wealth generating industrial machine, federal schemes for regulating carbon producing industries and an emerging carbon trading system impact all companies. CFO magazine lays out the pros and cons of all of this in it’s article on “Carbon Trading“. The message is clearly to be aware and start understanding this area or be left behind having to purchase expensive carbon offsets combined with costly carbon-reducing improvements.
The mind-numbing uncertainty of this area, combined with a need for action, is leaving many confused. On one hand CFO says:
“When federal legislation hits, the clutch of credits …read more