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What's the Secret to Achieving Financial Freedom?
Do you have a long-term plan for financial growth? Without a plan, you will have stress. If your plan is high risk, you will have stress. Financial growth should be built on a long-term plan. Most of those who gamble for the quick riches in the stock market or other places live with a stress that makes it hard for them to focus on their business. A plan that looks many years in the future is the way to achieve freedom from financial concern so that decisions are not impacted by current financial needs.
As a business owner, is there anyone who can say that he or she is personally successful without his or her company being successful? Do you know a business owner who could have a failing business and say "I'm successful" or "I'm happy?" I would guess the answer would be no because the owner's business is integral to the owner's happiness.
To have freedom from financial worry, you need the ability to meet financial emergency contingencies. You must not be desperate to make deals that are high risk.
One manufacturer took a contract with a large retailer that resulted in over 50 percent of his revenue coming from the retailer. He financed a major expansion of plant and equipment to serve the retailer. When the retailer switched to another supplier, he was hurt. Why did he take the risk? He did it because he said that it was his chance at big money.
Financial freedom is the ability to buy what you want without worrying about it. This is different for everyone. To some, this means tens of millions of dollars to buy planes. To others, it means taking great trips when you want. This will be determined by what is meaningful to you.
When you look at yourself, do you see a person who is managing his or her life or a person who reacts to challenges and opportunities without a plan for getting you where you want to be? Business owners starting up are rarely debt free. They are generally going to be personally guaranteeing loans for some of their expenses. One thing I constantly hear from business owners who have been in business for 10 or more years is that they would like to eliminate or cap their financing guarantees. They are at a different time in their life.
What do you think money is all about? Is it to bring you financial freedom? To change your relationships with people? Question your belief system about money. If money means the ability to have a mountain home, make it part of your plan. If it means buying a Mercedes, make that a goal.
Pick no more than five material things that are important to you, and make a goal to obtain them. There is nothing wrong with it. Whether they bring you lasting pleasure or not, they may help you to see, once you get them, what actually is important to your feeling of personal success and happiness.
If money was not a factor, imagine yourself in the future. Say you won $10 million in a lottery. How would your life change? Right away, everybody says, "I'd buy this or that," but what about your family involvement? What about your spiritual life and your hobbies? There is no right or wrong answer but there must be honesty.
How often have you heard successful entrepreneurs and professionals say that, if only they had it to do all over again, they would take more time for themselves? Of course, it is much easier wishing you had taken the time to smell the roses during the climb to business success once you have achieved your goals — but those who are still on the road to success should take note. Get to know your passions and start planning for tomorrow.
Allen E. Fishman founded The Alternative Board (TAB), the world's largest franchise system providing advisory board and executive coaching services to business owners, Presidents and CEOs. TAB's worldwide business advisory network operates in over 1,000 cities in the United States, Canada, the UK, Czech Republic, New Zealand and Venezuela.
Fishman is also the author of several books in which he shares his business insights to help business owners, including two best-sellers:
- The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance and Increase Profits
- 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Master: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success (McGraw-Hill, 2006) and
- 9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business (McGraw-Hill 2008).
4 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Delegating
One of the biggest obstacles to growth in a small business arises when the owner is unwilling to delegate. At a certain point, a successful business becomes too large and too complex for one person to manage, regardless of how smart, industrious and passionate that individual is. And while on an intellectual level business owners know when the time has come to loosen their grip, they still have a hard time putting that idea into action. Here are four things to consider that will make delegating an easier pill to swallow:
1. Mistakes Won't Kill You
Attention to detail is a good quality in any business, but when it turns into perfectionism, an intolerance or fear of any error whatsoever, this good quality becomes an enormous handicap.
Owners are sometimes reluctant to delegate because they fear others are more likely to make mistakes. They don't know the business as well. They don't care as much. They aren't as smart. But even if this is true, the only way to gain experience and smarts and passion is to have responsibility.
Very few mistakes are fatal to a business. Very few are irreversible. In fact, many mistakes can be turned into opportunities and every one of them can be a teaching moment. This is the mindset an owner must have in order to delegate comfortably – along with doing a few other things that we will touch on now.
2. Put a System of Checks in Place
Delegation is not an all-or-nothing proposition. For instance, an owner should not completely disengage from the purchasing function simply because he or she has appointed a purchasing manager. This approach has gotten a lot of potentially successful businesses in a great deal of trouble. Instead, the owner should put in place an organized system of regular reviews and spot checks to ensure that work is being executed properly and diligently.
For a manager to get into perfect alignment with an owner—to understand how he or she thinks and what is expected in terms of creativity, initiative and results—can take months or even years. Without regular interactions with the owner over time, any manager is being set up for failure, and by the time the failure is recognized, it may be too late for the manager and the business.
The art of being the owner of a midsized business involves transitioning from managing all of the details to directing all of the details by managing only a few of them. When an owner has this skill there are no limits to how large the business can grow or how successful it becomes.
3. Invest in Training
The smartest of the smart owners surround themselves with people who are even smarter. Moreover, such owners are continuously seeking ways to make their management teams even smarter, with outside training programs, internal mentoring programs, cross-training and scores of other approaches.
If a newly appointed manager is working at "C" efficiency on day one, this is a minor concern. However, if the manager is working at "C" efficiency six months into the job, then this is a serious problem and one that may have been solved—and may still be solved—through training.
4. Delegate to the Right People
Training is not always the answer, because lack of training is not always the problem. Many owners are comfortable delegating only to people they trust which, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Many times, though, the person to whom they entrust an important part of the business lacks the background, skills and raw talent to fill the role adequately.
Trust is certainly a big part of the delegation equation, but business qualifications must also be given a great deal of weight. To prevent putting square pegs into round holes, establish a clear set of qualifications for the position before considering any candidate, no matter how loyal.
The Real Fear
Reflecting on these ideas, it may be apparent that what is to be feared is not delegation but, rather, delegation without tolerance for error, without review, without training and without a sensible hiring/internal promotion strategy. This latter situation is indeed something to be feared — but is entirely avoidable for owners who recognize the pitfalls of a poorly organized approach to building a management team.
Rather than dwell on the (avoidable) downsides of delegation, owners can happily consider its many upsides. When a strong management team is in place, owners gain more time to interact with customers and suppliers, think about the big picture, develop new ideas to make the business thrive, and even take some well-deserved vacation time. All of these activities—even the vacation— serve to make a business prosper year in and year out.
Brad Shorr is the B2B Marketing Director of straightnorth.com, a digital marketing agency near Chicago. With agency and freelance experience, he writes frequently about business and marketing strategy.
6 Succession Planning Tips for Baby Boomers
Unless you're a serial entrepreneur who started a business with the sole motive of selling it, passing the reins of your company to someone else can take an emotional toll. If you happen to also be part of America's largest generation of retiring business owners—the baby boomers—finding the right successor has probably been on your mind in recent years.
Perhaps you're a family business owner deciding how to fairly split assets and responsibility among heirs. In a recent feature for Family Business Magazine, editor Barbara Spector keenly observes some telling statistics from The Alternative Board's survey of small business owners.
"Less than half (43%) of the family business owners who participated in the TAB study say they are satisfied with their succession plan. About a quarter (24%) admitted to being dissatisfied with their plan, and 33% said they don't have a succession plan."
Spector postulates about the 62% of respondents who doubt their business will even remain in the family when they exit, "Perhaps these business owners plan to sell because they doubt their family members are viable successors."
While it's estimated that 80% of businesses worldwide are family-owned, there's a 20% chance yours is not. You may simply be a hard-working sole proprietor seeking a worthy buyer for the company you worked so hard to build. Regardless of who the next owner of your business will be, your focus should be on making decisions now that will set you up for the comfortable retirement you've earned.
Executive business coach John F. Dini is the author of Beating the Boomer Bust, which focuses on the unique challenges faced by retiring baby boomer entrepreneurs. Since he's an expert on succession planning, we asked him the following questions to help provide you with a better exit strategy for your business:
1) What should you consider when choosing a successor?
A successor is often very different from a second in command. For a key employee, you want skills that compliment yours. For a successor, they should be more similar. Often, however, founding owners had the opportunity to learn different aspects of the business as it grew. It may not be reasonable to expect someone who is up to speed in as many areas as the seller currently handles.
2) How can you determine the amount of money you should take when you "cash out"?
Valuation is determined by the industry and the type of buyer. Appraisals are well worth the cost. Many owners lose good opportunities because they value their businesses based on what they need for retirement, what they heard about someone else at a trade show, or because they misunderstand the formulae (for instance, "All small companies sell for five times revenue.") That's simply not true.
3) What documents should be part of a succession plan?
If you are planning an internal succession (to family or employees) you will need new employment agreements, stock buy/sell documentation, probably a promissory note defining conditions of payment and security, and perhaps a non-qualified deferred compensation plan for the seller, the prospective buyer, or both.
4) How can you impart the values and culture of the business you've built to the next generation?
That is a broad leadership question. In relation to succession, understanding why you run the business the way that you do should be a prerequisite to consideration as a successor.
5) How can you begin stepping away from the business during succession planning?
You need not only a financial plan, but a management succession plan. Ideally, each year that you are still involved should have goals for passing on responsibility for portions of the business.
6) What role should you play in the business once you've retired?
As little as possible, and preferably none. Every time you come in the perception of authority shifts. If you trained your successor well, being available as an advisor should be sufficient.
As Mr. Dini points out in his award-winning book, Hunting In A Farmer's World, "Buyers of any type will pay more for a business that has documented systems, skilled management, and a history of executing according to plan without the owner's intervention."
In other words, don't spend too much time working in your business. Rather, begin phasing yourself out of the daily activities as early as possible and with strategic succession planning. After all, wouldn't you rather enjoy your golden years on the golf course or at a resort than worrying about every stressful detail that kept you up at night as the owner?
How Does a Mastermind Group Help Your Business Succeed?
You've heard the saying "great minds think alike," but as a business owner, the solutions to problems that are holding you back are more likely to come from someone who thinks differently than you do. This is why mastermind groups (also known as peer-to-peer mentoring) are such an effective tool to overcome problems in your business.
What is a Mastermind Group?
While the term "mastermind group" has become a trendy business buzzword in recent years, the concept of forming business owner advisory boards to solve problems is as old as tribal history itself. It's widely accepted that the "modern" definition of a mastermind group began with author Napoleon Hill and the release of his Andrew Carnegie-sanctioned correspondence course, The Law of Success in 1928.
Dr. Hill interviewed over 100 of America's most innovative leaders, including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and J. P. Morgan, to discover their secrets for success. One key finding of Hill's research is the phenomena of a mastermind group consciousness or "a mind that is developed through the harmonious cooperation of two or more people who ally themselves for the purpose of accomplishing any given task."
When asked how the mastermind group concept is superior to the problem-solving process of an individual, Dr. Hill expounds, "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the mastermind]."
So when it comes to forming a focused mastermind group or "think tank" for the purpose of helping business owners broaden their decision making perspective, two heads are, indeed, better than one – and naturally boards of multiple business owners will increase the effectiveness of each of the board members.
How Does This Apply to Your Business?
You might be asking yourself how business theories from nearly a century ago are relevant to the dilemmas you face as a business owner in the modern era. The truth is, the same mastermind group techniques that helped America's early industrial entrepreneurs brainstorm their empire-building strategies are just as effective today.
While you may be surrounded by a devoted staff, financial and legal consultants, or perhaps even a trusted business partner, there are times where straight-shooting advice from unbiased experts who've walked in your shoes will cut to the heart of your issue faster.
In two of the TAB articles that preceded this one, we discussed understanding the value of peer boards as well as how to incorporate lateral thinking to stimulate creativity. If you're a veteran business owner you might already appreciate the value of a peer-to-peer mastermind group. If you're new to the entrepreneurial game, you should know that finding creative solutions to business problems could determine whether your private business is one of the 20% that survive or the 80% that "crash and burn" within the first 18 months.
Three Things Mastermind Groups Offer Members:
1) Trusted Advice
What's different about the advice you'll receive in a facilitated business owner advisory board is that the people offering their professional opinions to you have no bias or agenda other than helping you work through your issues. Often the advice you receive from your staff, family or even hired consultants will be colored by their relationship to you.
A properly organized business owner advisory board will be made up of fellow business owners and CEOs who are not in competition with your company and do not have a financial or emotional stake in your future. This creates a pure system of helpful peer coaching that based in reason and experience – and not tainted by the desire for potential favoritism or fear of punishment. Members inspire and encourage one another in an open (but confidential) forum without threat or fear of reprisal.
In other words, in the sanctuary of the group you can open up about real-life problems that are hurting your business without worrying that a competitor will exploit your weakness or that an employee will fear for their future. Because the issues are discussed in a confidential setting, you will benefit from the experience and creativity of your peers who aren't limited by the same biases as your staff or inner circle of friends.
2) New Business Ideas
Group mind works differently than the thought process of a single entrepreneur — no matter how smart he/she is. The synergy that Napoleon Hill wrote about is easier to understand when experienced than it is to describe. But regardless of the special power a collective mind creates, the shear diversity of backgrounds and experiences an organized think tank brings to the brainstorming sessions is enough to open completely new thought processes.
The lateral thinking that is so effective in helping you tackle your own problems is multiplied by the number of professional peer advisors who are sharing their experience and perspective with you. It's likely that one or more members of your mastermind group have already experienced and overcome the obstacles you're currently facing. Although each business is unique, more often than not, the problems that they face are common. The direct coaching from someone who's already worked through a similar problem saves valuable time and stress.
3) Accountability
Meeting regularly means you better be ready to follow up on the promises you made at the last meeting. It comes as a surprise to some that fiercely independent entrepreneurs—who often get into business because they want to be their own boss—are also extremely grateful to have peers hold them accountable for the goals they set in the mastermind group setting.
Some business owners find that after they become the boss, there are few within their organization who will challenge them. This can lead to complacency. But with the support of an organized business owner advisory board, each member is responsible to live up to the level of excellence set by the facilitator and the fellow members. No board member wants to be the one that shows up to a meeting of their peers unprepared.
In fact, a savvy group will know when to jettison a habitually underachieving member from the mastermind group. This small bit of peer pressure is part of what leads to such remarkable improvement in the performance of most board members.
Simply put, your ability to successfully work with a mastermind group will strengthen your leadership skills.
It may sound strange that a business owner's leadership skills are so closely tied to how well they perform as part of a mastermind group. But the lessons a business leader learns in these valuable, regularly scheduled meetings are, in essence, a form of leadership training.
Private business managers place a very high level of importance on their ability to accomplish goals. In fact, a recent survey of business owners conducted by The Alternative Board found that accomplishing goals was the number one task a leader should focus on. Here's how the stats break down:
- 46% identified the most important leadership quality is Accomplishing Goals
- 38% of participants identified Setting a Vision
- 9% selected Establish Rules and Structure
- 7% selected Setting an Example
So it becomes apparent that the benefits business owner advisory board members enjoy also help them become more efficient leaders. The expert advice and outside the box business solutions offered by trusted peers who will hold their fellow members feet to the fire helps the business owner set visions and accomplish goals. These two things are what define superior leadership in the minds of most private business owners.
In addition to receiving advice, each member of the mastermind group is also expected to help their fellow group members solve problems. Taking on the role of a trusted peer advisor strengthens the leadership and coaching skills of every board member. This new skill set is a beneficial byproduct of the think tank process which each member can bring back to their own respective company.
The Unexpected Benefits of Joining a Mastermind Group
While the professional benefits of business owner advisory boards have been discussed at length, it's worth noting that most members also enjoy the social aspect of the meetings. Many business owners are too busy to have much of a social life outside of their work and family. Being part of a mastermind group not only benefits the business by brainstorming solutions, it offers busy CEOs a chance to be social with others of like mind.
It can be lonely at the top, and business owner advisory boards offer that additional perk of being a support group for business leaders. Traditionally, C-suite executives and business owners feel more comfortable around people that share their passion and understand the unique challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Networking is not the focus of these group meetings, but members have been known to benefit in secondary ways such as finding partners for new ventures, exchanging leads and possibly sending additional business to one another through mutually beneficial alliances.
In Conclusion
Now that you have a better understanding of how a mastermind group can help you gain a competitive advantage in your industry, you might be wondering how to find the business owner advisory board that's right for you. Since you'll be sharing sensitive, personal information vital to the future of your company one major concern you should have is the reliability and reputation of the organization you join. Beware of fly-by-night groups that may just be trying to capitalize on the recent popularity of peer-to-peer network groups.
The Alternative Board (TAB) was formed in 1990 by best-selling business author Allen Fishman who was the president and co-owner of a consumer electronics chain, which after attaining great success became a NASDAQ-traded public entity. TAB not only pioneered many of the techniques other business owner advisory boards use today, but has perfected a system of unique proprietary business tools that have helped over 15,000 business owners around the world achieve greater success.
The certified executive business coaches who facilitate TAB board meetings are among the most successful business advisors in the world. What makes The Alternative Board's system unique is a combination of facilitated peer advice sessions as well as private one-on-one consultations between each business owner and their TAB advisor. This additional coaching strengthens the individual plans outlined in the mastermind group setting.
If you feel you're ready to experience the transformative power that mastermind groups bring to thousands of successful TAB members worldwide, click here to find out where the closest business owner advisory board is to your business.
The 1 Thing Forbes, Inc. and Fast Company Agree On: Mastermind Groups Work
With the daily onslaught of information being thrown at business owners, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when it comes to deciding which expert sources offer the most credible advice. Adding to the confusion, several news outlets offer completely contradictory advice from that of their peers and often, maddeningly, publish conflicting advice from one post to the next within their own blog!
It's refreshing to find a bit of helpful advice that business journalists across the board seem to unanimously agree on. One such piece of rare advice is that mastermind groups help business owners achieve greater success by holding members accountable. Let's explore how three different news outlets view the subject of mastermind groups.
For the purposes of this article, we'll look at three of the top business magazines, each with its own distinct flavor that appeals to different demographics:
- Forbes – the established authority on business since 1917, popular with Baby Boomers, famous for their annual list of billionaires
- Inc. - came onto the scene in 1979, serves as the Gen X of biz rags, trusted by older entrepreneurs but respected by younger ones
- Fast Company – the feisty upstart that launched in 1995, focuses on innovation and appeals to Millennials
On October 21, 2013 Forbes published an article by CEO Chic founder, Stephanie Burns, called "7 Reasons To Join A Mastermind Group." In less than a year, Stephanie's post has been viewed 17,000 times and shared over 500 times on Facebook alone. This speaks volumes to the resurgent popularity of mastermind groups in the entrepreneurial community.
Although it was ranked second on her top seven list, it's worth pointing out the lure of "Advisement." Even business owners who have achieved their dream of running a company may find it lonely at the top once they're looking at the business from the executive vantage point.
Ms. Burns explains, "Once you are involved in a mastermind, that feeling of 'being alone' while running your business is gone. The other members of the group turn into business advisors of sorts and vice versa." This symbiotic bond leads to a sense of accountability for the members, each relying on the other for the group to succeed overall.
Rewind a couple more years to 2011 and observe a post at Inc.com called "How Accountability Creates Success." While the article is not solely focused on mastermind groups, as the title suggests, author Marla Tabaka credits peer advisory boards as being a primary catalyst in the success of their members.
"Successful business owners most often engage a coach and/or participate in Mastermind groups or the like. There are so many benefits to these relationships that I can't even go into them all, but one that seems to be a common denominator for many entrepreneurs is the accountability factor."
Finally, esteemed business scribe Gwen Moran recently wrote a feature for Fast Company entitled, "Why You Should Build A Mastermind Group." In this article she interviews Bill Hibbler, founder and CEO of the marketing agency Gigtime Media.
Hibbler is quick to point out that a key factor in the success of mastermind groups is accountability. "In addition to having the right mix of people who are willing to go above and beyond to help each other, members need to be committed and hold each other accountable."
This insistence on group member accountability is explained further in TAB's post, "How Does a Mastermind Group Help Your Business Succeed?" An outsider may think that the last thing a stressed-out business owner wants is more peer pressure to accomplish set goals. However, the opposite is generally true. The extra nudge a CEO gets from their board members or executive business coach is seen as a welcome reminder to stay on task and achieve the results that led them to the group in the first place.
If you're a business owner or CEO experiencing that "lonely at the top" feeling or simply want to explore a proven method to expand your company's horizons, joining a TAB board might be a good fit for you. Established in 1990, TAB has helped over 15,000 business owners achieve greater success. To find out if you qualify for membership and where the nearest certified TAB board is to you, click here.
Incorporate Lateral Thinking to Stimulate Creativity
When you are up against a problem that appears unsolvable, try using a concept called "lateral thinking" to break out of your usual way of thinking. By crossing sideways out of your normal patterns of thought, you will make connections with unrelated patterns that will allow you to develop new ideas.
In order to solve certain challenges, you must deviate from the limited and automatic thinking that is locked into your brain. Based upon certain information that is stored in the human brain, when we process so many things we tend to automatically do them without engaging in an actual thought process. This is a repetitive response that affects more than just physical movement—it is also a mental response. Hence, most people never even get their creative juices flowing because of this automatic, habitual thinking which blocks their creative ideas.
The minds of truly creative people are constantly alive and always yielding dividends. Sometimes lateral thinking will carry you beyond the logical into what may appear to be the absurd. Don't resist or automatically eliminate an idea because it appears "crazy." Rather, allow your mind to wander and leave it free to explore untraditional realms. Some seemingly outlandish ideas have been the foundations for many successful actions.
When you are in the conceptualization mode you need to be fully absorbed by it. Creative thinking can be totally thrown off by something as simple as a phone call or someone asking where a file is—basically, the simple distractions that business owners face daily. The solution to these distractions is to do your conceptual thinking when you are away from the office or from your home. Take yourself someplace you enjoy and let your mind go free.
There is no fast and firm rule for conceptualization, in fact, we all conceptualize differently. The key is to understand how you best conceptualize. Take your time. The basic entrepreneurial nature is to try to implement ideas and changes as fast as possible. Time will allow you the space you need for full conceptualization, which will result in better solutions.
Allen E. Fishman founded The Alternative Board® (TAB), the world's largest franchise system providing advisory board and executive coaching services to business owners, Presidents and CEOs. TAB's worldwide business advisory network operates in over 1,000 cities in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Venezuela.
Fishman is also the author of several books in which he shares his business insights to help business owners, including best-sellers:
The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance and Increase Profits
7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Master: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success (McGraw-Hill, 2006)
9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business (McGraw-Hill 2008)
Understanding the Value of Peer Boards
You may feel your business has reached a growth plateau. Where do you turn to help improve and better manage the business? Perhaps you consult family members, an accountant or lawyer—or worse—make important business decisions alone.
An article by USA Today's Ask an Expert, Steve Strauss, details the history and importance of "Mastermind groups" for business success. Mastermind groups channel the power of peer advice, a tool that has been growing in popularity with business owners. The business owner meets with peers who have been in similar situations, allowing them to tap into each other's past experiences, mistakes and expertise. Peers act as a group of advisors who help the owner work on their business, preventing mistakes and learning new techniques to help their business become more successful and profitable.
The result is objective and candid advice created by a "think tank" atmosphere owners cannot create by themselves. The board provides a safe, confidential place for owners to air problems. Advice received during meetings saves time because the business doesn't have to reinvent the wheel.
Another major benefit of peer boards is that the business owner finds practical solutions to problems and learns how to approach new opportunities. Their peers hold them accountable for following through on ideas and goals for their business and become an extension of the business's management team who cares about the success of the business.
Monthly meetings allow board members to bond, develop relationships with similar-sized companies and get to know one another's business. Essentially, the board members motivate each other to accomplish goals and solve issues discussed at meetings.
Business owners face human resources, sales productivity, marketing strategies and making payroll issues, all of which are typical topics at a peer advice meeting. Boards are made up of non-competing members so no member is locked into industry thinking, which helps open members' eyes to new ideas and possibilities because the areas of expertise include those in which a member normally wouldn't have access. Peer advisory groups are not comprised of individuals that all think the same way. Rather, they provide insights to areas where the owner may not have experience, training or expertise. These boards are generally large enough to be effective, yet small enough to work on each member's specific needs.
The support received from becoming a part of a regular peer meeting also allows the owner to set goals for long term planning. The long term planning takes the owner out of managing day-to-day tasks so they can focus on more important strategic goals for the company. On their own, owners may find themselves involved in fixing individual problems or planning using the "idea of the week." Peer advisory boards can help the owner organize and lead the business to improved growth and efficiency.
Members of groups must be willing to make the time investment, put his/her business issues on the table and share his/her knowledge with other members. The valuable advice given in peer advisory meetings is real-life—not theory—and shows the power that is created when business owners work together.
Can You Find Your Future in a Failing Business?
Most entrepreneurs, unless they possess the special skills to turn around a troubled business, do much better starting a new business. However, for that special breed of aggressive entrepreneur who has some expertise in "finding" assets in troubled businesses and turning them around, buying a flagging business can bring both profit and excitement.
What motivates these individuals to take the wheel of someone else's sinking ship? Certainly, one can enter the market for turnaround opportunities with fewer assets and far less competition, though in these situations the risk at stake is often far less than the risk taken. Motivation often comes from the risk itself—the love of the challenge. These risk takers see possibility where others only see problems. They have a vision few can see, yet they walk with their feet on the ground. Often, these gutsy individuals leave safe, high-paying jobs to pursue their ideas for bringing a failing business up to speed in the current marketplace.
It takes some degree of understanding a business to be able to determine whether your ideas for its potential are valid. Possessing the ego power and confidence to make a winning play in what has been, up to now, a losing game is essential. Many highly successful entrepreneurs are renowned for their "rescues"—not all are brilliant entrepreneurs. Instead, they surround themselves with people who possess the needed skills, and then get out of their way.
When considering taking on a failing business, take into account the following:
- Does your particular experience, ability or drive give you an advantage over most others?
- Can you attain something greater from that unprofitable company than you could by using a safer route?
- Can you afford to make an investment in something that might fail?
If the idea of courting the uncertainty of risky business brings out the thrill seeker in you, always exercise good judgment, accept risk and seize upon the quest for adventure and the thrill of high-throttle stakes. Above all, believe in yourself and the potential of your ideas, and you have taken your first steps towards success.
Allen E. Fishman founded The Alternative Board® (TAB), the world's largest franchise system providing advisory board and executive coaching services to business owners, Presidents and CEOs. TAB's worldwide business advisory network operates in over 1,000 cities in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Venezuela.
Fishman is also the author of several books in which he shares his business insights to help business owners, including two best-sellers:
The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance and Increase Profits,
7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Master: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success (McGraw-Hill, 2006) and
9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business (McGraw-Hill 2008).
Five Keys to Controlled Business Growth
When you first decided to start your own company, you most likely did a lot of research using various outlets such as reading books on becoming an entrepreneur, taking a few classes about starting your own company, talking to other successful entrepreneurs, etc. Now that your company is established and you are growing, you are probably concerned with one question, "How do I stay on top of my growing company?"
When I first started at The Alternative Board, the company was experiencing pressure to stay on top of being in high demand. I was chosen and brought in to take control over company operations and capitalize on the business growth. By following industry best practices and doing a little "housekeeping," the company prevented a potential downfall and is now able to handle a thriving environment.
There are many lessons I've learned and employed to get TAB where it is today. As your company is experiencing high growth, keep these five lessons in mind:
- Keep track of your budget. Never let go of the concept and importance of strong budgeting. Without the process of checks and balances, you could find yourself being very wasteful on where you spend your money. This most often happens during periods of strong growth, when you make more extreme financial decisions because you are bringing in more money.
- Know your competitors. What are you doing that differentiates your company from your competitors? You need to make sure your value proposition provides a strong value to your clients while continuing to contribute to your company. Stay on top of what your competitors are doing. Are they currently doing something you never considered, or are they doing something you know your company could do better? Do you need to enhance any of the products you offer to clients, or do you have the resources to develop new products? Consider their mistakes as well—how can you learn from your competitors' mistakes so your company can avoid making them?
- Always market. Evaluate your marketing plan on a regular basis. Often times you are gaining a lot of growth due to an integrated mix of marketing tactics, but there may be some tactics that may be wasteful or less effective. Stay on top of what is working and what is not. By having key performance metrics, you will be able to measure the specific tactics that are showing results.
- Communicate with and reward your employees. Reward your staff for helping to bring about this time of strong growth. Make sure they are well aware of how vital their daily contributions are to the company's success. Also, make sure you are communicating with your staff about how they feel during this growing period. Are they comfortable with handling a larger workload? Are they feeling overwhelmed or stressed out? How does your team feel about existing in rapid growth—do they enjoy it as much as you do? What can you do to help them with the additional stress that inevitably comes along with strong growth?
- Resist the urge to become complacent. When you are experiencing times of strong growth and things are going very well, it is easy to let yourself or your top executives sit back and become "fat and happy." Once you start believing your own press, it's easy to start spiraling down in the opposite direction. Your journey to the top never stops growing. Just because your company is doing well right now doesn't mean it always will.
Jason Zickerman is CEO of The Alternative Board (TAB), the world's largest franchise system providing advisory board and executive coaching services to business owners, presidents and CEOs.
Solving Family Business Conflicts Before They're Out of Control
The strong personalities and wills that make family businesses successful are also the roots of family conflicts. Too many of these conflicts have been allowed to grow out of control and have wound up in litigation, causing major rifts in families as well as in the businesses. They usually cause major strain on family relationships through one party buying out another or by family members continuing to work with each other in an atmosphere of tension.
Often I have heard comments such as, "My sister wants to keep our company small and is fighting a controlled growth," or "Dad won't let go of the control," or "My brother and I are paid the same and he doesn't carry his weight."
Family members usually have different levels of involvement and will rarely agree on what those levels are, or how to set fair compensation for different levels of involvement. Are the perks reasonable? What about the children of the non-active family member? Should the business be required to give them good jobs as well? Can it afford to? These conflicts get much worse if a divorce takes place.
One way to avoid lawsuits is to agree to binding arbitration. This means that you let a third party decide who is right after the party hears arguments and sees evidence from both sides.
Another alternative dispute resolution approach is the so-called "rent-a-judge" method. Family members hire a judge who gives a binding or, depending upon the wishes of the parties, a non-binding opinion.
Some family disputes are being solved by using a confidential-non-binding process in which the attorneys representing the family members give condensed arguments to an expert advisor. This process—called a mini-trial—lets family members look at the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and facilitates a settlement through the exchange of information.
Of course, the best solution is always to try to avoid disputes of this scale altogether by structuring the ownership and responsibilities in a family business to suit the abilities and personalities of the family members involved. The sad reality is that these disputes are inevitable. When they do occur, the key is to acknowledge and address them right away, usually through an objective third party. The sooner you can act on a problem in your family-run business, the better your chances of avoiding the knockdown drag-out family feuds that cause the downfall of many businesses and the disruption of many families in business.
Allen E. Fishman founded The Alternative Board (TAB), the world's largest franchise system providing advisory board and executive coaching services to business owners, Presidents and CEOs.
Fishman is also the author of several books in which he shares his business insights to help business owners, including two best-sellers:
- The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance and Increase Profits,
- 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Masters: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success (McGraw-Hill, 2006)
- 9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business (McGraw-Hill 2008).


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Comandante hand grinders
I'm back home after the Melbourne International Coffee Expo and WBC, and WAC, and DrBC (drunken brewers cup) phew! Just want to talk quickly about something awesome. These hand grinders. I'm a heavy user of hand-grinders, I take my porlex everywhere, I even brew on the plane.
I bumped in to Comandante at the show, not only are these guys excited, and awesome, but they are super keen to show their wares. This grinder is seriously next-level.
Think precision components, precision fit, and flawless operation. Steel, race bearings, classy design, amazingly easy to use.
The first thing I notices is the handle has a LONG shaft coupling. No more wobbly handles! Then the magnetically attached timber handle knob, which can stow away inside the grinder. Bean hopper lid, removable grinds canister/jar, all steel construction.
Secondly, I picked it up and could spin the grinder whilst holding the handle, seriously, like skateboard wheels. You could paint walls with this thing.
Feels so solid, well made, and just exceptional to look at. The burrs are hardened steel with optional titanium coming. The adjustment is so extremely precise it's almost a fantasy. Lovely notched adjustments on an amazingly engineered main shaft (on the C20 in the bean hopper) and traditional notched adjustments on the C40 (under the burr).
The C40 is the bigger of the two models, it's 'fatter', has a stunning timber veneer wrapped around the housing (choice of timbers coming) and laser etched "Comandante" logo. Solid timber handle grip (custom sizes to suit your hand/grip will be available), large 40gm capacity hopper, 40gm capacity 'glass' and threaded grinds container (jar).
The C20 is the smaller, thinner, all-steel-looking unit (looks kind of like a grenade of some sort), easy to grip and operate. SAME burr set as will be avail in the C40, almost everything the same, except the burr adjustment is in the top under the hopper lid, an easy to adjust collar with amazing notched feel. No screwy settings here. I know what you are wondering…. and yes… it fits inside the aeropress (like a porlex does).
The bottom grinds canister just slides inside and is easily removed after grinding.
Actual grinding on these is a pleasure, I tried both and was shocked at how much easier it was than any other hand grinder I've used (yeah I've used a LIDO too). As you grind you can hear and 'feel' the cutting, rather than just a bunch of breaking/smashing/crushing like on a porlex or similar ceramic burr hand grinder.
I'm really very excited for these guys. Their product is exceptional. For someone that is very much in to attention to detail and quality, you won't go further than these grinders.
Price was labelled as around $120. Twice as much as the current plastic, wobbly, ceramic burr grinders on the market, or maybe as much as two (2) kg of roasted specialty coffee.
They will be available from Proud Mary in Australia in around six weeks. First shipment will be around 1000 units, I do not expect to see them on shelves for very long.
If you are in Perth and are keen, get in touch, perhaps we can organise a group buy.
More avail from their site: http://comandantegrinder.com/
and their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ComandanteGrinder
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As one of only six polytechnic universities nationwide, the hallmark of Cal Poly Pomona is the learn-by-doing philosophy, directly stemming from its polytechnic mission. By blending theory and practice in all its disciplines, the university recognizes that the students solving classroom problems today will be the employees solving the real-world problems tomorrow. Students are afforded opportunities to apply their knowledge in hands-on projects, collaborate with faculty members on research, and participate in valuable internships and service-learning programs.
The College offers a graduate degree in Regenerative Studies; undergraduate and graduate degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning; and undergraduate degrees in Art and Graphic Design. The five departments in the college are listed below, along with the college's interdisciplinary research center:
The College of Environmental Design (ENV) connects people, places and the environment in an effort to improve communities and resolve pressing problems facing society. With a unique integration of the arts, architecture, landscape architecture, regenerative studies, and urban and regional planning, as well as a "learn by doing" approach grounded in the polytechnic tradition, ENV is a leader in design excellence and innovative problem-solving for communities in Southern California and around the globe. This leadership is demonstrated by ENV's nationally-ranked educational programs and award-winning research, scholarship, creative activities, and outreach.
College Strategic Plan (Adopted February, 2009)


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Malaysian athletes wear black armbands at Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
Jul 24, 2014, 11:48 AM EDT
The Malaysia Airlines tragedy was remembered at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Glasgow on Wednesday night.
The Malaysian athlete delegation entered Celtic Park wearing black armbands for the Parade of Nations. A moment of silence was also held.
Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, said almost a third of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over Ukraine on July 17, were citizens of the Commonwealth.
"Please rise now, please stand, as we observe a moment's silence to express our condolences and above all our solidarity with the loved ones of all of those of every nationality who lost their lives," Salmond said during the ceremony.
The Commonwealth Games Federation president, Prince Imran, is Malaysian.
Dutch cyclist nearly flew on both Malaysia Airlines flights
Michael Phelps arrested on DUI charges
Sep 30, 2014, 4:18 PM EDT
The 22-time Olympic medalist was pulled over in Maryland overnight.
U.S. women's basketball team beats Angola by 75 points
Sep 30, 2014, 4:07 PM EDT
U.S.' previous biggest blowout was 70 points over Senegal.
World Gymnastics Championships broadcast schedule
Sep 30, 2014, 2:44 PM EDT
Competition for the U.S. begins Saturday.
Lauryn Williams 'playing with the idea' of bobsled this season
Sep 30, 2014, 1:25 PM EDT
Summer and Winter Olympian previously said she was all but retired.
Lindsey Vonn set for first skiing in 10 months, named 2016 Youth Olympics ambassador
Sep 30, 2014, 11:35 AM EDT
Vancouver downhill champion expected to ski in Austria on Wednesday.
Patrick Chan eyes return to competition in 2015-16
Sep 30, 2014, 11:02 AM EDT
Canadian joins long list of skaters sitting out this season.
Katinka Hosszu wins record 10 golds in 2 days at FINA World Cup
Sep 30, 2014, 10:45 AM EDT
Hungarian matched her Monday output on Tuesday but lacked top competition.
Mikaela Shiffrin gets her own street in Vail
Sep 30, 2014, 10:23 AM EDT
Olympic slalom champion also gave an update on her 2014-15 plans.
Talk of a sub-two-hour marathon
Sep 29, 2014, 1:16 PM EDT
Dennis Kimetto's record-smashing win in Berlin brings the barrier into closer view.
Katinka Hosszu wins 5 events in one night at FINA World Cup
Sep 29, 2014, 11:14 AM EDT
They call her the "Iron Lady" of swimming.
ISU wants synchronized figure skating in Winter Olympics
Sep 29, 2014, 10:51 AM EDT
ISU asks for synchronized skating and a new speed skating event for 2018.
Yevgeny Plushenko wants to prove he 'is not a coward'
Sep 29, 2014, 10:27 AM EDT
Plushenko received criticism for withdrawing at Sochi Olympics.
U.S. pulls away from Serbia, makes World Championships quarterfinals
Sep 28, 2014, 4:05 PM EDT
Serbia led 57-56 in the third quarter.
Dennis Kimetto breaks world record at Berlin Marathon (video)
Sep 28, 2014, 5:40 AM EDT
Third Kenyan in four years to break the record in Berlin.
Kazakhstan women's golfers finish +147, +155 at Asian Games
Sep 28, 2014, 4:31 AM EDT
All four rounds in the 100s.
Sarah Hendrickson on podium in international ski jumping return
Sep 28, 2014, 4:30 AM EDT
World champion finishes behind Japanese rival.
Brittney Griner leads U.S. past early China test in Worlds opener
Sep 27, 2014, 4:17 PM EDT
Griner played her first game in a Team USA uniform in three years.
Gracie Gold third at Nebelhorn Trophy
Sep 27, 2014, 8:33 AM EDT
U.S. champion shaky in season debut.
Jason Brown wins Nebelhorn Trophy
Sep 26, 2014, 4:39 PM EDT
First senior international victory for the U.S. Olympian.
Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross eliminated in final tournament of 2014
Sep 26, 2014, 4:11 PM EDT
Walsh/Ross go into 2015 with no match experience against upstart Brazilian threat.
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Five Ways to Find Healing from Your Past
- Monday, March 12, 2012
God's Word doesn't return "void." In other words, allowing God's truths and promises to saturate our lives give us the very defense and offensive we need to press on positively to the future God has prepared for us. God will take those implanted seeds of truth to accomplish His purpose for our lives.
4. Forgive as Jesus has forgiven you.
If you desire – and expect – God's grace and forgiveness to remain active in your life, you must learn to not only forgive others, but also yourself. When I temporarily slip back into an "Oh, me!" mentality, I find comfort and grace in reversing to an "Ah, Lord," declaration. "Ah, Lord, if you have forgiven me so completely, what right do I have not to forgive others – or even myself?" (Forgive, as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 NIV). His grace enables us to do what we can't do alone: forgive.
You've heard, "To err is human; to forgive is divine." I would add, "to not forgive is to trample down God's grace and render it useless in our lives." I love Proverbs 24:16 (NLT): The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. Everyone errs. But with God's grace, we can all start over.
Perhaps we could also add, "To err is human, but not to learn from it (our errors), is foolish." Be patient with yourself. Get an "accountability partner" – someone you trust who can check in with you often and help keep you moving in the right direction. You can step in the same hole only so many times. Sooner or later you'll need to take a new path. Receive God's infinite, complete forgiveness as a gift; then give Him the gift of belief and trust: that He still has good plans, a hope and a future for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
5. Keep moving forward by anticipating something today and something tomorrow.
My father used to say, "Have something to do today, something to do tomorrow." I don't know about you, but there's always something to do at my house – or in my life – but not always what I anticipate doing. Yet even in the midst of the mundane, it helps to change my outlook by focusing on something I can look forward to today, and something I can look forward to tomorrow. That something may be as ambitious as writing 2500 words, or as practical as planting new garden flowers. It could be as simple as "coffee with Jesus," moments when I can mix the aroma of fresh java with the perfume of God's presence and time in His Word, or simply having lunch with a good friend.
Find joy in what you do, and in doing for others. Putting our past behind is a constant action; but so is pressing on. Consider a reachable goal like Mother Teresa's: "Doing small things with great love" – even while she worked in the midst of extreme poverty and adverse circumstances.
Recently, I read of two women and their noteworthy goals. One had just completed hers: writing 365 thank you notes in the previous year – one per day. The other woman chose a simple goal for 2012: "Be kind." Great "somethings" to look forward to!
Busy Activity vs. Balanced Work
Discern the difference between busy activity and balanced work. Coping with a painful past can include hiding ourselves behind a facade of endless activity. We can try to cover our pain by eliminating any time to think, rest, or refresh. But band-aids don't bring inner healing. They only cover the scars or open wounds. Balanced Work is a meaningful and intentional fulfilling of God's purpose for our lives – that doesn't crowd out right priorities.
These are only a few ways to help you find healing from the past. Accepting the truth that God has already covered your past will help eliminate any of your own painful coping methods. But it means trusting God daily with the details of your life. He will bless your todays and reinforce your tomorrows if you live in anticipation of God's plans for you. He is the only One who can truly help you put the past behind and press on toward the future.
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Honey Boo Boo
Best Halloween Costumes Of 2012
Step away from the prepackaged Halloween costumes in a box. Get a bit creative and find some inspiration from today's pop culture. Here are a few great costume ideas to get your Halloween creativity going.


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Provided by The United Family
Today The United Family™ and General Mills kicked off the Box Tops for Education program, allowing guests to support local schools by purchasing groceries and back to school goods. The program will run through Sept. 30.
"As school budgets continue to be cut, we understand how vital it is to support local schools in our trade areas," said Shelby Crews, community relations manager for The United Family. "Purchasing any of the more than 240 participating Box Tops for Education products is an easy, convenient way we offer guests the opportunity to help their schools succeed."
All United Supermarkets, Market Street and Amigos guests who purchase five participating Box Tops for Education products will receive 20 bonus Box Tops via rebate. Additionally, General Mills will provide participating guests with the opportunity to enter a drawing for a chance to win a $250 store gift card, and their desired school will be entered for a chance to win an additional 5,000 bonus Box Tops.
General Mills pays 10 cents per Box Top coupon redeemed for up to $20,000 per school, per year. Since its inception in 1996, Box Tops for Education has donated more than $525 million to American schools.
For more information regarding The United Family's participation in Box Tops for Education, visit www.unitedtexas.com.
About The United Family™
Now in its 97th year of operation, United Supermarkets, LLC, d.b.a. The United Family™, is a Texas-based grocery chain with stores in 30 markets across north and west Texas. A self-distributing company with its headquarters in Lubbock and distribution centers in Lubbock and Roanoke, The United Family currently operates 50 traditional, specialty and Hispanic grocery stores under three unique banners, United Supermarkets, Market Street, and Amigos, along with 7 convenience stores and 26 fuel centers under its United Express banner. United also operates two divisions, R.C. Taylor Distributing and Praters, and one wholly owned subsidiary,
Llano Logistics, which operates the company's two distribution centers in Lubbock and Roanoke, Texas. For more information, please visit: www.unitedtexas.com.
About Box Tops for
America's schools have earned more than $525 million through Box Tops for Education since the program started in 1996. Thousands of schools have used that cash to purchase items such as computers, library books, art supplies and playground equipment. Schools can earn up to $20,000 per year to spend on anything they choose, by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products and earning eBox Tops online. To learn more about the program, visit btfe.com.
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Anonymous3224 Wrote:
Dec 12, 2012 1:44 AM
I was heading over to Ballston Common Mall in Arlington right as the rally was letting out, and the crowd on Metro's Orange Line was HUGE. It looked like rush hour. Sure didn't sound like it, though--nobody talks on the "Orange Crush" during rush hour, but this crowd was chatting up a storm, and happier than Capitals fans after an Alexander Ovechkin hat trick. This is one Washingtonian who wouldn't mind seeing Beck holding rallies here every week. His crowd left our city better than they found it. Beats the heck out of the rat infestation we got out of the Occutards.,,


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It's not often the heavy lifting is done after a challenging 6.5 mile run. But that was the case on Christmas Eve morning. The run itself was tremendous. Cold start from my friend Scott Spence's house in Groton – it's always five degrees colder in Groton – but great course, especially when we turned onto Groton Conservation Land. Very scenic and great company – Scott, Carlos Borges, John Piekos, Andrew Cook, Patrick Cook, Ryan Scanlon and Tommy Scanlon. The huffing and puffing started after the run, when we moved a 700-pound stone into Scott's house to enhance his fireplace. Wow. Talk about feeling the burn. My chiropractor, John Donovan, will be seeing me soon. Now I won't feel so bad when I overeat over the next two days. Merry Christmas!
- Barry Scanlon


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28 7 / 2013
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Via Alexia T.Zuck bares all. Or at least his t-shirt. Click to enlarge. Facebook's young billionaire-in-charge, Mark Zuckerburg, is currently speaking in a discussion at All Things Digital's D8 conference, where -- as reported first by SF Weekly's Alexia Tsotsis -- Mark Zuckerburg took off hi ... More >>
We will, in the closing days of this wretched decade, list the Top Ten reasons why it sucked. We're behind schedule, so here are four for the price of one. Previous reasons: social media ruined the internet, artists joined the farm league, New York turned into America, guilty pleasures witho ... More >>


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New Look Hockey Prospectus is available with new Premium Content!Limited time offer: $9.99 for an entire year!
Week ending on Friday, February 24 2012.
Thursday, February 23
by Ryan Wagman
With the trade deadline looming on Monday, a flurry of minor deals over the past week gives us a glimpse into how a few of the teams are positioning themselves.
Wednesday, February 22
by Tom Awad and ESPN Insider
The top five skaters all keep their spots this week, while two new goalies appear.
by Ryan Wagman and ESPN Insider
Jeff Carter to the Stars, plus trade ideas for the Ducks, Kings, Coyotes and Sharks.
Tuesday, February 21
by Kent Wilson and ESPN Insider
The Canucks could use some muscle on defense so Sabres' Gaustad is a good fit.
Monday, February 20
by Timo Seppa
Selanne on the Ducks' turnaround, trade talk, and how long his legendary career might continue.


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The SBHC State Program Office (SPO) is pleased to announce the release of a 2014-2015 SBHC Request for Proposal (RFP) for planning grant awards in 1-4 new planning communities. These monies will be awarded to Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs) based on a competitive proposal review process conducted by the SPO. Awards must be used to initiate sustainable partnerships within the community, prepare the SBHC site, develop protocols, hire staff, and purchase clinic supplies. The total number of awards to LPHAs will depend on the total number of successful applicants, to be determined by the SPO, and the continued availability of funds.
We will be accepting applications for Phase I and Advance Phase planning grants, however we will prioritize Advance Phase planning proposals during this funding cycle.
SPO will also be hosting two Q&A calls in an open forum format to answer questions related to this grant opportunity. To participate by telephone, call 1.877.848.7030 and enter participant code 148921 on the following dates:
August 4th: 2:00PM - 2:30PM
August 27th: 11:00AM -11:30AM
Proposals are due by 5PM on September 9, 2014. Please see the attached RFP for more details. For more information, please contact Kate O'Donnell: firstname.lastname@example.com or 971.673.1054.
Total counties requesting funding: 16
Total counties awarded funding: 16
New SBHC mental health FTE supported: 26.0
Number of SBHCs integrating new mental health screening frameworks: 13
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|2014 Outdoor World Rankings
|There are 91,235 2014 performances in this system
|Meet Results
|These rankings are incomplete. Please bear with me as finding and compiling results is a massive undertaking for the first time so it will take time to gather all the appropriate results. Wind readings will be displayed in lists on appropriate events and performances with excessive wind readings will not appear on the official rankings lists (This feature is planned but not complete).
There are 0 results for this meet
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Página de discusión de WiPe
- (nl - 2014/08/04) Roble común en el estate Hilverbeek, 's-Graveland, Países Bajos
- (en - 2014/07/29) Yew trees close to St. Georges' church in Crowhurst
- (nl - 2014/06/27) Tejo común en el cementario de Bouquetot, Bouquetot, Francia
- (nl - 2014/06/14) Tejo común en el cementerio Église Saint-Pierre, Larré, Francia
- (en - 2014/02/02) MonumentalTrees.com · an inventory of big and old trees worldwide
- (en - 2014/01/17) Tejo común en Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, Países Bajos
- (en - 2013/12/03) Monumental trees in the garden of Mount Usher in Ashford
- (en - 2013/11/18) Image loading faster
- (en - 2013/11/11) Roble albar en Blijdensteinpark, Enschede, Países Bajos
- (en - 2013/10/27) Need help to identify
Ik heb de naam van de kerk toegevoegd. Ik hoop dat je dat niet erg vindt.
I write to update you on the latest developments concerning the felling of one of Britains most important heritage trees. The tree was a 187 year old cedar of Lebanon known as The Duke of Wellington Cedar, and it was felled by one of our most respected institutions, The National Trust (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/).
I accept that Britain is far from home for many of you, so please press delete now if you are not interested. However, if you would like to see more, then view a video here which provides some more background and shows one of the trees being felled:
I visited the property while the felling was under way and recorded a video that can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BypBkilAHcI&feature=youtu.be.
Additionally, in order to provide a more factual, balanced and technically credible perspective, I have prepared and published a briefing note that can be accessed at http://www.barrelltreecare.co.uk/pdfs/BTC88-BriefingNote-Complete-080114.pdf.
You can read more about on this blog:
You can also see the National Trust response and public comments at:
For those of us concerned with protecting heritage trees, what is of interest in this case is how we have managed to utilize modern media through the video and YouTube to organize the substantial support necessary to give us a credible platform to complain about the behaviour of a very big organisation. The National Trust is a 4 million strong member organisation and one of the biggest landowners in Europe, so it does not readily listen to lone voices. However, through this video and the voting mechanism that allows likes and dislikes to be recorded, we have generated nearly 5,000 hits so far, which is uneard of in Britain.
We have used this mandate to write to The Trust with a view to preventing future losses of these irreplaceable living heritage assets. It remains to be seen how successful this will be, but it would be great if you could lend your support by viewing and voting on the video.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that you will be able join me in giving heritage trees a voice. You can keep up to date with events as they unfold through my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heritage-Tree-Management/573985506028429.
Many thanks
Jeremy Barrell
We had already remarked the felling of these Cedars, see:http://www.monumentaltrees.com/nl/overleg/115#-23935 (start was in Dutch). Actually that was because of your action on Youtube.
Also the trees were already with photos on this website.
There are some English men very active at this website, among who Owen Johnson of the Tree Register of the British Isles and several Dutch and Flemish guys have visited the UK often and put information and photos of trees at this website.
I was at Kingston Lacy in July last summer and am very dissapointent these great trees have been cut now. My wife and I rested some time under the Duke of Wellington Cedar and never had the feeling this was a risky tree.
Also it is very distrusting that the National Trust has done this, it seems to give a precedent for many landowners to cut trees wich could give some risk.
Very good you have started this action and I hope it will get a lot of attention and awareness of the people as well as the National Trust and other landowners. Did you get responce from official organisations wich deal with the conservation of trees and landscapes?
I asked Owen Johnson and David Alderman of the Tree Register by E-mail about their opinion on the felling of the Cedars, but till now they did not respond.
I wish you a lot of success with your battle for a better preservation of monumental and heritage trees!
Best regards,
Jeroen Philippona
Contact person of the Dutch "Bomenstichting" (Tree Foundation of the Netherlands).
Thank you for your quick response. I was not sure if you knew that the tree had been felled, especially as you had such good photogrpahs on your website of it.
The video has now had nearly 5,000 views and we are trying to use this support to engage with The National Trust to see if we can get it to agree a more appropriate management approach to other important trees it owns, but it is not responding at the moment. We will continue to try, and I will keep you updated on pgoress, but in the meantime, the more people that view the video and support it, the stronger our argument to The Trust that is should take notice.
Thank you for your support and for the great work you are doing with your website.
Keep up the good work. It's a shame they did put down a tree like this one.
If you can't trust the National Trust?
Greetings from Holland, Han van Meegeren
Thank you for your support. The Dutch have been very interested in this tree, which is great to see. Regarding organisations taking a lead in complaining to the National Trust, it is always more difficult for them to speak out because they need the support of their members and not all will be in agreement with my position. It seems that individuals need to lead the way and hopefully any support that we can gather will draw in wider support from organisations. It should also be remembered that the National Trust do very good work generally, but something clearly went wrong in this case. I have written to the Director General and Chairman, and we need to see if there is a positive response. This tree is now lost, and our focus now needs to be on making sure other great trees are not lost in the same way. I think we can do it, but it will take time and support from around the world. So thank you all for your support and we will keep working on this.
Creating the Crucius garden was subsidized and they had to realize it in specific time. That why they couldn't make any preparations and had to transplace the tree too early. To keep it alive they had to lop it.
When I look at the photo, I get the idea that the area provided for the roots is rather small. I have no idea what space is provided under the graveln but the soil that I can see is even rather small for a rootball during transplantation.
This corresponds with the big Chinese Fir, great speciman, never seen one remotely near this size. What will be the potential tallest height in the UK?
today I made the loading of the image pages faster.
Individual photos (the pages with the rating on and other image details) should now load faster, which should make it more fun to browse through the photos.
Kind regards,
I have found that the site crashes most frequently when I have recorded a new tree at a new site and, instead of getting the new site's webpage, I get a '404' error message: 'The requested URL was not found on this server'. I don't know if this is an issue that can be fixed, or if it is a communications failure with Google Maps. The only way around this I can find is to press the 'go back' button, enter the tree again, and then I get the new site's webpage showing the same tree entered twice with successive identification numbers (I then delete one of these). I am sorry if this technical English is not easy to understand!
If anyone can suggest an easier way of escaping the crash, I'd be interested to hear.
this sounds like an easy error to fix. I tried to reproduce the error by registering a new tree at a new site, but "sadly" everything went fine.
If you would encounter this again, could you be so kind to send me the url of the 404 page and the location where you were trying to add a tree? I prefer technical English :) - the more details, the better - as often most of my time is spent trying to find out what somebody meant with "adding the tree didn't work", instead of fixing it and making sure it cannot happen again. Urls are the best way.
Kind regards,
I had this problem before. I tried to register a new tree and got the same error
404 Not Found
The requested URL /nl/fra/querqueville/7644_eglisenotredameetchapellesaintgermain/ was not found on this server.
the URL is
I also have the same problem when adding a new place here. When I got the not found error, the tree added is visible on the recent changes page. I used to go there, click the tree just added at a new place and then continue adding measurements and photos. When adding a second tree, so without creating a new place, there is no problem.
Kind regards,
Dank voor je reactie. Boeiend verhaal met dit type eiken, zie ook de linken bij mijn reactie elders. De Q. x schochiana staat nu op mijn 'Trees To Visit' lijstje. In NL heb ik er 3 gevonden, 2 die op al MT staan en 1 in Delft, http://arboretum-heempark-delft.nl/Zoek_resultaten/detail.asp?ID=52.
Groet, Maarten
Perhaps the most likely tree is Pinus cembra.
You can also browse their collections and compare the wood of your cross with the images on this sites.


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Book your room at Comfort Inn Pocatello
Room, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Suite, 1 Queen Bed with Sofabed, Non SmokingMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Pocatello hotel with an indoor pool
Situated in the city center, this hotel is close to Portneuf Medical Center, Holt Arena, and Idaho State University. Local attractions also include L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Hotel Features
At Comfort Inn Pocatello, recreational amenities include an indoor pool and a spa tub. The hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access and free self parking.
Room Amenities
Televisions come with cable channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, air conditioning, and safes.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
Comfort Inn Pocatello features an indoor pool and a spa tub. High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. A complimentary breakfast is offered. This Pocatello hotel also offers coffee/tea in the lobby, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- Spa tub
- Free breakfast
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- 24-hour front desk
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Coffee/tea in lobby
- Indoor pool
- Total number of rooms - 52
- Number of floors - 2
- Free self parking
- Free Wi-Fi
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
Park your car
Free self parking
In your room
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Phone
- Complimentary weekday newspaper
- Desk
- Cable TV service
- In-room safe
- Free Wi-Fi
Eat and drink
Guests are offered a complimentary buffet breakfast.
An indoor pool and a spa tub are on site.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- In-room accessibility
The fine print for Comfort Inn Pocatello
When you arrive
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
When you leave
Check-out time is 11 AM
Your pets
Pets allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 2
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Pet fee: USD 10.00 per pet, per night


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NIO Framework
First Release Candidate of Grizzly 2.0.0
The first release candidate of Grizzly 2.0.0 is out now.
Grizzly 2.0 RC1 artifacts currently available include the core Grizzly runtime; the Web Sockets implementation based on http module; and a HTTP protocol implementation containing HTTP Filters and utility classes.
Grizzly is a NIO and web framework for developers building sever applications using NIO.


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Viarco ArtGraf artist pencils
Viarco, a small traditional pencil manufacturer in Portugal, continues to innovate.
The ArtGraf pencils are a pair of 22cm black and white pencils. The matte black finished "Soft Black" is a carbon based pencil, while the glossy white finished "Water-Soluble" is, as the name states, a water soluble pencil.
The format and presentation are unique and compelling, yet modest. Pencils of this dimension are truly unusual (a standard pencil is about 17.5cm) , and the combination of the two artist specialty formulas results in a very nice product.
The specific formulas may be a matter of prefence (I found the Caran d'Ache water soluble pencils easier to use as a beginner), but it is hard to imagine than anyone who likes graphite based artistic media would not be impressed by a gift of ArtGraf pencils.
5 comments to Viarco ArtGraf artist pencils
Copyright © 2005-2013 pencil talk | pencil reviews and discussion - All Rights Reserved


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Try our Advanced Book Search
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Search books by title, genre, publication month, publication year, and rating or search by any combination of these options (i.e. all Mysteries published in January 2001 with 4.5 rating).
If you want to search for a name or phase, include quotation marks around your search term (example: "Deborah Smith")
Visitor login is required to post a review and comment on the blog and other interactive features on the site. Use your same username and password to register for the RT Forums.
Genre: Series, Harlequin Romance, Current Series Imprints
Alone because her now-married sisters are living in Europe, artist Piper Duchess decides to concentrate on her career. No sooner is her decision made than writer Nic de Pastrano reappears in her life, reminding her what giving up on love really means. Nic proposes To Marry for Duty (2), to stop his father's matchmaking forever. Being with Nic is torture, but being without him is worse, so Piper gives in. Rebecca Winters concludes her Husband Fund trilogy with outspoken Piper's tale. She's a breath of fresh air, but the plot is overly convoluted and the bad guys stereotypes.
Reviewed By: Catherine Witmer
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: March 2005


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Search all The Green Companies Apartments For Rent in Greenacres, Florida
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ForRent.com, an apartment finder service, makes your The Green Companies apartment rental search in Greenacres, Florida easy. Let us guide your search from the apartments for rent listings provided. To narrow down your search, select from the links below.
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The Towers of Dadeland
- Ten ft. ceilings
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Over the long run immigration flows tend to increase the size of the working class, but also affect the labor supply which can modulate wage conditions.
Will State Legislators Continue to Pull the Plug on Restrictive Immigration Measures?
Some States "Just Say No" to Harmful Immigration Enforcement Laws
Mandatory E-Verify Is Not All It's Cracked Up to Be
States Contemplating Enforcement Legislation Continue to Walk the Line
Seth Hoy: Sadly, however, state legislators seem determined to act against their state's best interests and move forward on restrictive immigration laws, which have been proven time and time again to hurt small businesses, law enforcement and the pocket books of the constituents they claim to represent.
Dear Mr. Smith, Your Pants Are on Fire: Sincerely, the Facts
Steve King Bitter Over Immigration Subcommittee Snub
Inch by Inch, Hearing by Hearing: A Look Ahead at the GOP's Immigration Agenda
Census Shows Population Gains Due to Growing Latino Population
Michele Waslin: States considering anti-immigrant legislation will have to reconsider whether forcing out immigrants is worth potentially losing a Congressional seat, federal funding for schools, roads, and infrastructure, and its reputation.
Will Local Lawmakers Take the Immigration Enforcement Bait?
New DHS Data Highlights Benefits of Integration Requirements
A Look Into Lamar Smith's Anti-Immigrant Agenda
Young Immigrant Breaks Down While Sharing Her 'Greatest Fear' With Obama
Andrea Nill: The Obama administration can do something about processing backlogs, however it's up to Congress to reform the immigration system.Currently, the visa system is currently outdated by over twenty years and does not meet the needs or demands of a 21st century globalized economy — let alone immigrant families.
Van Jones Affirms That Immigrants Lead a Greener Life
Senators Menendez and Leahy Introduce the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010
While this bill provides a strong starting point for Congress to honestly debate meaningful immigration reforms, many wonder whether obstructionists in Congress will continue to use immigration as a political piñata in the name of election politics or put partisanship aside and fix our broken immigration system.
Fueling Flames of Dissent Around Illegal Immigration: If Colin Powell Can't Call It, Nobody Can
Anthony Samad: Colin Powell called on his party to break out of its anti-immigration bag and provide some policy solutions to a difference kind of crisis in our country. But he didn't know exactly what those solutions would be.
Balancing Family Immigration with Our Economic Needs
Miss Universe 2009 Secures A U.S. Green Card
Florida Legislators Oppose Proposed Anti-Immigration Legislation
SB1070-Inspired Activity Continues in the States
Reframing the Birthright Citizenship Debate with Facts
Chamber Of Commerce Speaks Up on Immigration
Obama Administration Considers Bypassing Congress on Immigration Reform
E-Verify Gets It Wrong, Again
Michele Waslin: Those inaccuracy rates are huge because they mean that U.S. citizens and other legal workers are losing their jobs because E-Verify made a mistake—and, consequently, that unauthorized workers are working because E-Verify made a mistake. Of course, many more unauthorized workers are working "off the books" and never getting checked by E-Verify.


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Academic Resource
Welcome to the TypeCulture Academic Resource - an educational aid for students, educators and professionals who are seeking information about the history, design, manufacture and use of typefaces.
I am pleased to offer this resource; I have long sought after a compendium of reliable information about type and typography for my students. While there are a number of good websites that contain a wealth of links, some of which are included here, the thoroughness and accuracy of other sources often leave much to be desired. So I offer this as a reliable resource for finding out more about type.
I heartily welcome your contributions, corrections and constructive criticism.
Mark Jamra
Articles & Essays
A collection of writings about typography and type design.
A collection of videos and short documentaries about type, typography and technology.
Research Directory
The starting point for on-line research into type - clear, well-organized and easy to use.
Education Extras
Proceedings and results of letterform design workshops, design seminars and explorations into type design & typography.
TypeCulture Movies Back Online
Our movies are back! Updated and with a larger aspect ratio, they're ready to be projected to an entire classroom.
Join Us On Facebook!
Just a reminder: all TypeCulture news items (both the significant and the less significant), as well as interesting type-related stories and online discoveries (with links and pictures!) can be found on the TypeCulture Facebook page.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I love the people saying "people will breeze though 20-60"...
You do know its only 15% off? Maybe make that 20% if you count all the extra XP from quests.
So if it takes the first time player 10 days /played (or more) to get to 60, your really only knocking 2 days off that. Not really gonna affect your playing ability. Most people can be good in their level instances from around 30, so this really isn't going to make a difference.
I'm currently a Lvl. 33 lock, and I'm running all over the place finishing quests off, when I really don't know wheres my next compact area to pick lots of quests up, so the new town and 60+ quests is going to be a big welcome for me!


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LISBON, Ohio - School teachers have authorized their union to call a strike on the first day of classes this fall.
A news release from the Beaver Local Education Association says a year of negotiations have failed to produce a satisfactory contract proposal.
Now, the group says their bargaining team is serving a 10-day strike notice.
The union says it's 130 members made concessions during the previous negotiations.
The superintendent has not returned our call for comment.


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It was refreshing to see a player reach for a helmet instead of just putting on a baseball hat when the pick was announced.
It was refreshing to see a player reach for a helmet instead of just putting on a baseball hat when the pick was announced.
sorry, if they are NOT on your stinking cheating douchebag team, they rate an X
Unless Billy the Whiffer is drafting for OTHER TEAMS, other team's later success or non-success are FAILURES FOR BILLY THE WHIFFER AND HIS CHEATERS.
but your fix is actually good since it PROVES Belicheat sucks at drafting
What's funny is none of the Jet fans here can give a backround on ANY of the Patriot picks.....they don't even know when they're posting a compilation of picks from another team and not the Pats !
During those draft periods, how many AFCC and Lombardi's did the Patriots win?
THAT should be the criteria that a team is judged by.....Jets have outdrafted the Pats for a decade now and have nada to show for it......except a laydown invite to an 8-8 team for the post season.
Maybe this is the year...or the SOJ chant will be heard throughout the NFL....
Just Do It
please just GTF away, for chrissake...
you are completely beyond stupid and every one of your idiotic posts brings down the level of JI to your beloved WC smack sewer.
please go away
we are going to have to contact Faux Jet's Alzheimer's Unit at his Nursing Home and have them remove the old codger's internet privileges
would you please just go away
you are an embarrassment
I demand that the ban hammer be deployed.
This thread is hilarious
I do have have to admit, I found the first page and a half of this thread PURE GOLD. I won't quote from a thread necro but a particular Pats fan was crucified on these pages for saying what a good pick it was while every knowledgable Jets fan called him an idiot. Priceless in hindsight.
Thread chock full of lolz from the resident geniuses.


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Another cut scene from DH1
Well I don't get that why would he ask that?
I feel so bad for Petunia. She wanted it. She wanted bad. As bad as any of us want it. It's no wonder she grew up...
That is pretty messed up though lol
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CSIRO aims to establish and build relationships with members of the community. We welcome people of all ages to come and explore our facilities, holiday programs and public events.
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CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.
Large-scale, long-term, multidisciplinary science to address Australia's major national challenges and opportunities.
CSIRO manages national facilities and collections that are opened to researchers around Australia and overseas.
Dr Ian Oppermann, Director, Digital Productivity and Services Flagship
Dr Ian Oppermann is Director of the Digital Productivity and Services Flagship. The flagship is a $40 million research initiative from CSIRO to help improve the way services are delivered in health, financial and government sectors and to help organisations make the most of national broadband infrastructure.
In this article
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Dr Ian Oppermann heads up Australia's leading multidisciplinary ICT and services research activity, targeting productivity growth in Australia through frontier services innovation and by unlocking the value of a national broadband infrastructure.
As Director of the Digital Productivity and Services Flagship Dr Oppermann oversees ICT and services research in:
Dr Ian Oppermann is bringing his extensive international experience to bear in his role as Director of the Digital Productivity and Services Flagship.
His role involves driving:
His research interests include:
Outside CSIRO, Dr Oppermann is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the IEEE International Conference on Ultra Wideband (ICUWB), a position he has held since 2004, and was most recently the chairman of the IEEE Personal Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications Conference (PIMRC) in 2012. IEEE is a professional engineering body.
Dr Oppermann has contributed to 6 books as editor or chapter author, authored or co-authored approximately 30 journal and 90 conference papers. Dr Oppermann has a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering from Sydney University and an MBA from the University of London. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Oppermann took up the role as Director of the Digital Productivity and Services Flagship in July 2012, bringing with him extensive international experience and a track record of successful industry engagements as Director of CSIRO's ICT Centre.
Dr Oppermann lead CSIRO's ICT Centre from 2010-2012. The ICT Centre addresses major scientific challenges in Wireless Communications, Robotics, Information Theory, environmental sensing and eHealth.
Prior to joining CSIRO in 2010, Dr Oppermann headed Sales Partnering for Nokia Siemens Networks' software business, and was Director of Radio Access Performance Business at Nokia.
In this role his responsibilities included:
Dr Oppermann's previous roles include:
Dr Oppermann has been awarded a:
Dr Oppermann has co-authored several technical books, authored or co-authored more than 120 papers in technical journals or conference proceedings and edited the special editions of several leading scientific publications. He continues to publish in the scientific and business press.
Dr Oppermann has been General and Technical Chairman of such major conferences as:
From 2002-05 he was Assistant Marketing Director of the Wireless World Research Forum, an industry body that looks to define the direction of wireless communication research beyond the third generation.
Dr Oppermann's skills in teaching have been recognised with two excellence in Teaching awards from Sydney University. In 2011, Dr Oppermann received a Leadership award from the Australian Davos Connection (ADC) Forum.
Dr Oppermann holds the following positions:
Dr Oppermann was also a Member of the Australia Radio Telescope National Facility Steering Committee from 2010-2012.
Dr Oppermann was also Chairman of the IEEE Communications Society, Finland Chapter from 2002-2005.
Read more about CSIRO ICT Centre.
Name: Dr Ian Oppermann
Title: Director, Digital Productivity and Services Flagship
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