Bureau of Agricultural Research, Philippines: "SNAP hydroponics trademark approved; a milestone for BAR
Leilani C. Domingo-Pelegrina
The approval of the SNAP Hydroponics trademark is considered a milestone for the Intellectual Property Rights Office of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (IPRO-BAR). This is the first certificate awarded to BAR by the IP Philippines from among the IPRs applied for and processed. The certificate bears the Registration Number: 4-2007-006385 and Registration Date: September 15, 2008.
The Simple Nutrient Addition Program (SNAP) Hydroponics is a technology developed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) led by Dr. Primitivo Jose A. Santos and Dr. Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo from a project funded by BAR. The SNAP hydroponics meets the need of a low-cost system of vegetable production specially on lettuce production and is widely adopted by vegetable farmers in the areas of Tagaytay.
The approval of an IPR registration is a tedious process, which may count from months to years. BAR-IPRO applied the SNAP Hydroponics trademark for registration at the IP Philippines in June 2007. BAR-IPRO received from IP Philippines the Registrability Report of the application in October 2007 and was complied for on the same month. In February 2008, BAR-IPRO received a notice from the IP Philippines (Paper No. 4) with the instruction to remit fees for color claim and additional class of the trademark remitting the fees a month after.
Twelve months from the filing date, BAR-IPRO received the Notice of Allowance with the information that the trademark application has been allowed and its publication in the Official Gazette pursuant to Sec. 133.2 of Republic Act No. 8293 has been approved during the last working day of June 2008.
To facilitate the publication of the mark and expedite the release of the Certificate of Registration, BAR-IPRO provided the publication for opposition fee, issuance fee and second publication fee in August 2008. Finally, the trademark was officially registered on 15 September 2008.
Owners (BAR and UPLB co-ownership) will have the exclusive right to use the trademark of SNAP Hydroponics for 10 years or until September 15, 2018, and is renewable thereafter.
BAR's role in IP Management does not end with the registration of IPRs. The bureau also provides assistance for the successful commercialization and transfer of technologies generated by research.
In a meeting with the members of the Technical Working Group for Agriculture of the Filipinnovation on 13 February 2009, it was proposed that SNAP Hydroponics technology be used in creating an alternative source of income for the unemployed and laid-off workers in light industries and science parks in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas. The meeting was chaired by Undersecretary Fortunato T. dela Peña of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with the Governor of the Board of Investments Francisco I. Ferrer, and Head of BAR-IPRO Andrea B. Agillon.
Governor Ferrer expressed his interest in the proposal and said that he will conduct a consultation with the laid off workers and proposed this technology to the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC). He also promised to get the approval of the science parks to lend some areas to the workers, where SNAP hydroponics can be implemented. On her part, Dr. Agillon conveyed BAR's willingness to invite the scientist to give the lecture and provide training to them."
Friday, May 29, 2009
Acta Horticulturae
Acta Horticulturae:
"Abstract:
Hydroponic production in the United States has undergone fairly dramatic changes in recent years. The consumer acceptance of greenhouse grown, and specifically, hydroponic tomatoes, has been phenomenal, with a projected 50% of the fresh tomato market expected to be supplied by greenhouse grown within five years. This is a huge shift away from the tasteless tomatoes offered up by the field growers who make shipping quality the primary factor when determining which varieties of tomatoes to grow. And since consumers are asking for these premium tomatoes, and are willing to pay the premium prices for them, growers are stepping up to the plate to provide them. One of the largest hydroponic growers in the U.S., EuroFresh, is planning significant expansion of their 200 acre plus greenhouse facility to meet this growing demand. Large acreage is being built throughout Mexico and growers in Canada and other countries are gearing up to supply the consumer craving for tomatoes that tast like tomatoes. Other crops too are gaining popularity in the hydroponic arena. Hydroponic lettuces and herbs are becoming more commonplace in supermarkets throughout the U.S. and many small growers are producing small quantities for local sales, offering their product to local grocery stores and farmers markets where they get a high price for what they grow. Organic hydroponic production is another new “niche” that is getting recognition. Systems are being developed that utilize hydroponic methods but meet the Federal Organic Standards (which became law in October of 2002) so as to allow the use of the U.S.D.A. certified organic label on hydroponically grown produce. CropKing Inc., a company specializing in hydroponic growing systems, recently introduced its hydroponic organic growing system for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and will soon be introducing a similar organic hydroponic system for lettuces, herbs, and other leafy crops. By having the organic label growers believe that they’ll be able to focus on an even smaller niche market, but an ever growing and potentially more profitable niche than just hydroponics. Adding the organic label also adds to the retail price, often by 15% to 50%! Brand new crops are being grown hydroponically as well. Microgreens, which are similar to sprouts but are harvested without the roots and which grow several days longer making them larger leaved, and greener, are the latest crop being grown hydroponically and organically. This expensive crop ($1.00 to $1.50 per ounce wholesale!) is currently being found in top quality restaurants but it is beginning to show up in some of the “organic” stores such as Whole Foods. Microgreens are a healthy crop, filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and could eventually capture a share of the $500 million sprout market since they have such intense flavors, unlike sprouts. Finally, although it’s been around for many years, hydroponic forage (green feed for livestock), is getting attention once again… and yes, you guessed it, it’s being grown hydroponically and organically, allowing farmers to offer their beef, lamb, etc., as having been fed organically grown grasses, yet another niche to cater to for the small producer! As improvements in growing technologies and growing systems continue to evolve, and as consumers continue to seek healthier and safer food products, the greenhouse industry and technologies such as hydroponics and organics will continue to grow to meet that ever increasing demand. These new trends in hydroponic crop production promise to keep the industry growing strong well into the future."
"Abstract:
Hydroponic production in the United States has undergone fairly dramatic changes in recent years. The consumer acceptance of greenhouse grown, and specifically, hydroponic tomatoes, has been phenomenal, with a projected 50% of the fresh tomato market expected to be supplied by greenhouse grown within five years. This is a huge shift away from the tasteless tomatoes offered up by the field growers who make shipping quality the primary factor when determining which varieties of tomatoes to grow. And since consumers are asking for these premium tomatoes, and are willing to pay the premium prices for them, growers are stepping up to the plate to provide them. One of the largest hydroponic growers in the U.S., EuroFresh, is planning significant expansion of their 200 acre plus greenhouse facility to meet this growing demand. Large acreage is being built throughout Mexico and growers in Canada and other countries are gearing up to supply the consumer craving for tomatoes that tast like tomatoes. Other crops too are gaining popularity in the hydroponic arena. Hydroponic lettuces and herbs are becoming more commonplace in supermarkets throughout the U.S. and many small growers are producing small quantities for local sales, offering their product to local grocery stores and farmers markets where they get a high price for what they grow. Organic hydroponic production is another new “niche” that is getting recognition. Systems are being developed that utilize hydroponic methods but meet the Federal Organic Standards (which became law in October of 2002) so as to allow the use of the U.S.D.A. certified organic label on hydroponically grown produce. CropKing Inc., a company specializing in hydroponic growing systems, recently introduced its hydroponic organic growing system for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and will soon be introducing a similar organic hydroponic system for lettuces, herbs, and other leafy crops. By having the organic label growers believe that they’ll be able to focus on an even smaller niche market, but an ever growing and potentially more profitable niche than just hydroponics. Adding the organic label also adds to the retail price, often by 15% to 50%! Brand new crops are being grown hydroponically as well. Microgreens, which are similar to sprouts but are harvested without the roots and which grow several days longer making them larger leaved, and greener, are the latest crop being grown hydroponically and organically. This expensive crop ($1.00 to $1.50 per ounce wholesale!) is currently being found in top quality restaurants but it is beginning to show up in some of the “organic” stores such as Whole Foods. Microgreens are a healthy crop, filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and could eventually capture a share of the $500 million sprout market since they have such intense flavors, unlike sprouts. Finally, although it’s been around for many years, hydroponic forage (green feed for livestock), is getting attention once again… and yes, you guessed it, it’s being grown hydroponically and organically, allowing farmers to offer their beef, lamb, etc., as having been fed organically grown grasses, yet another niche to cater to for the small producer! As improvements in growing technologies and growing systems continue to evolve, and as consumers continue to seek healthier and safer food products, the greenhouse industry and technologies such as hydroponics and organics will continue to grow to meet that ever increasing demand. These new trends in hydroponic crop production promise to keep the industry growing strong well into the future."
Monday, May 25, 2009
Welcome to the EDC Website - Eric O. Recto
Welcome to the EDC Website - Eric O. Recto:
Corporate Governance » EDC Board of Directors » Eric O. Recto
Mr. Eric O. Recto, an independent director of EDC, is currently the President and CEO of Petron Corporation, Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc. and Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc. He also sits in the board of several companies, among them, the Philippine National Bank, Maynilad Water Services Inc., and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.
From 2002-2005, Mr. Recto served as Finance Undersecretary raising multilateral and commercial financing for the Philippines, formulating and implementing the country’s economic reform agenda, and managing the government’s privatization program.
Mr. Recto has a Masters in Business Administration from Johnston Graduate School of Management of Cornell University in New York and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Energy Development Corporation
PNOC EDC Building 5, Energy Center, Merritt Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. (+63 2) 893-6001 to 47, 893-1320 to 64
Fax: (+63 2) 840-1575
Home | Sitemap | Contact Us
Copyright © 2007. Energy Development Corporation. All Rights Reserved."
Corporate Governance » EDC Board of Directors » Eric O. Recto
Mr. Eric O. Recto, an independent director of EDC, is currently the President and CEO of Petron Corporation, Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc. and Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc. He also sits in the board of several companies, among them, the Philippine National Bank, Maynilad Water Services Inc., and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.
From 2002-2005, Mr. Recto served as Finance Undersecretary raising multilateral and commercial financing for the Philippines, formulating and implementing the country’s economic reform agenda, and managing the government’s privatization program.
Mr. Recto has a Masters in Business Administration from Johnston Graduate School of Management of Cornell University in New York and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Energy Development Corporation
PNOC EDC Building 5, Energy Center, Merritt Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. (+63 2) 893-6001 to 47, 893-1320 to 64
Fax: (+63 2) 840-1575
Home | Sitemap | Contact Us
Copyright © 2007. Energy Development Corporation. All Rights Reserved."
Business - Ongpins seal strategic deal with SMC - INQUIRER.net
Business - Ongpins seal strategic deal with SMC - INQUIRER.net:
"MANILA, Philippines—A group led by former trade minister Roberto Ongpin gained on Friday a foothold in the San Miguel Corp. by buying out the 19.9-percent stake held by Japan’s Kirin Brewery, completing the group’s entry as a strategic partner in the flagship beer unit of the diversifying conglomerate.
Some 628 million of San Miguel’s “B” shares were crossed at the Philippine Stock Exchange in two tranches at a price of P63 apiece yesterday. The buyer was the Ongpin-led Q-Tech Alliance Holdings Inc.
On the other hand, Kirin also completed its acquisition of the 43.25-percent stake sold by San Miguel in San Miguel Brewery Inc., SMB and its parent company said in their disclosures to the Philippine Stock Exchange. Some 4.48 million SMB shares—representing the last tranche of the stocks sold by San Miguel—were crossed at P8.841 per share, for a total of P39.6 billion.
The completion of Kirin’s deal with San Miguel brought the Japanese brewer’s stake in SMB to a total of 48.3 percent worth P65.78 billion. Proceeds from the sale of its stake in the parent company, thus, partly funded its investment in SMB.
San Miguel, for its part, has retained a 51-percent stake in the brewery. Kirin bought into San Miguel in 2002, long before it decided to diversify outside its core food and beverage businesses.
Aside from Ongpin, the incorporators of Q-Tech are Petron Corp. president Eric Recto who is also the president of Q-Tech, as well as other personalities affiliated with British fund manager Ashmore. Other investors in the fund include Mirzan Mahathir, chair of Crescent Capital Bhd. and eldest son of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
In an interview Friday, Recto said Q-Tech is now preparing the report to be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which requires the disclosure of substantial changes in equity ownership in publicly listed companies.
The completion of Q-Tech’s entry into San Miguel coincided with the announcement of an offer by the conglomerate to swap common shares into higher-yielding preferred shares. But Recto said Q-Tech had invested in the company precisely because it believed in the huge potential of its diversification program.
“Right now, as I’ve already said before, our views on San Miguel are for the long term and we intend to stay as common stockholders,” Recto said."
"MANILA, Philippines—A group led by former trade minister Roberto Ongpin gained on Friday a foothold in the San Miguel Corp. by buying out the 19.9-percent stake held by Japan’s Kirin Brewery, completing the group’s entry as a strategic partner in the flagship beer unit of the diversifying conglomerate.
Some 628 million of San Miguel’s “B” shares were crossed at the Philippine Stock Exchange in two tranches at a price of P63 apiece yesterday. The buyer was the Ongpin-led Q-Tech Alliance Holdings Inc.
On the other hand, Kirin also completed its acquisition of the 43.25-percent stake sold by San Miguel in San Miguel Brewery Inc., SMB and its parent company said in their disclosures to the Philippine Stock Exchange. Some 4.48 million SMB shares—representing the last tranche of the stocks sold by San Miguel—were crossed at P8.841 per share, for a total of P39.6 billion.
The completion of Kirin’s deal with San Miguel brought the Japanese brewer’s stake in SMB to a total of 48.3 percent worth P65.78 billion. Proceeds from the sale of its stake in the parent company, thus, partly funded its investment in SMB.
San Miguel, for its part, has retained a 51-percent stake in the brewery. Kirin bought into San Miguel in 2002, long before it decided to diversify outside its core food and beverage businesses.
Aside from Ongpin, the incorporators of Q-Tech are Petron Corp. president Eric Recto who is also the president of Q-Tech, as well as other personalities affiliated with British fund manager Ashmore. Other investors in the fund include Mirzan Mahathir, chair of Crescent Capital Bhd. and eldest son of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
In an interview Friday, Recto said Q-Tech is now preparing the report to be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which requires the disclosure of substantial changes in equity ownership in publicly listed companies.
The completion of Q-Tech’s entry into San Miguel coincided with the announcement of an offer by the conglomerate to swap common shares into higher-yielding preferred shares. But Recto said Q-Tech had invested in the company precisely because it believed in the huge potential of its diversification program.
“Right now, as I’ve already said before, our views on San Miguel are for the long term and we intend to stay as common stockholders,” Recto said."
BusinessWorld Online: Petron directors, Qtel subsidiary incorporate holding company
BusinessWorld Online: Petron directors, Qtel subsidiary incorporate holding company:
"Petron directors, Qtel subsidiary incorporate holding company
THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the incorporation of a holding company, a stockholder of which is a unit of the firm with which San Miguel Corp. is partnering as it ventures into the telecommunication business.
Senior executives of Qatar Telecom QSC met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Arab state in December to review potential areas of cooperation in broadband Internet technology in the Philippines.
The new company, called Q-Tech Alliance Holdings, Inc., has a capital stock of P1 billion, a quarter of which had been subscribed to but only P62.5 million paid for, documents showed.
Q-Tech’s investors included Bahraini firm QTel Al Sadd Holding SPC, which bought P25 million worth of shares."
"Petron directors, Qtel subsidiary incorporate holding company
THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the incorporation of a holding company, a stockholder of which is a unit of the firm with which San Miguel Corp. is partnering as it ventures into the telecommunication business.
Senior executives of Qatar Telecom QSC met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Arab state in December to review potential areas of cooperation in broadband Internet technology in the Philippines.
The new company, called Q-Tech Alliance Holdings, Inc., has a capital stock of P1 billion, a quarter of which had been subscribed to but only P62.5 million paid for, documents showed.
Q-Tech’s investors included Bahraini firm QTel Al Sadd Holding SPC, which bought P25 million worth of shares."
The Manila Times Internet Edition | TOP STORIES > Kirin to pay $1.2B for SMB
The Manila Times Internet Edition | TOP STORIES
Kirin to pay $1.2B for SMB:
"In separate statement, Kirin said it would sell its 19.9 percent shareholdings in San Miguel Corp. for P63 per share, or a total of P39.6 billion to local investment management firm Q-Tech Alliance Holdings, led by Eric Recto of the Ashmore Group. Ashmore is talking with San Miguel Corp. about selling a majority stake in Petron Corp.
Q-Tech’s investors are Bahraini firm QTel Al Sadd Holding SPC (P25 million), Roberto Ongpin (P75 million), Eric Recto (P50 million), Malaysian Mirzan Mahatir and Australian Seumas James Dawes (P37.5 million each), and lawyer Alexander Poblador (P25 million)."
Kirin to pay $1.2B for SMB:
"In separate statement, Kirin said it would sell its 19.9 percent shareholdings in San Miguel Corp. for P63 per share, or a total of P39.6 billion to local investment management firm Q-Tech Alliance Holdings, led by Eric Recto of the Ashmore Group. Ashmore is talking with San Miguel Corp. about selling a majority stake in Petron Corp.
Q-Tech’s investors are Bahraini firm QTel Al Sadd Holding SPC (P25 million), Roberto Ongpin (P75 million), Eric Recto (P50 million), Malaysian Mirzan Mahatir and Australian Seumas James Dawes (P37.5 million each), and lawyer Alexander Poblador (P25 million)."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Nature Conservancy - Coral Triangle Center
The Nature Conservancy - Coral Triangle Center:
"Spanning eastern Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands (see the map), the Coral Triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity and one of the world’s top priorities for marine conservation. This extraordinary expanse of ocean covers an area of 2.3 million square miles (5.7 million km2), the equivalent to half of the entire United States. It is home to over 600 reef-building coral species, or 75% of all species known to science, and more than 3,000 species of reef fish. Over 150 million people live within the Coral Triangle, of which an estimated 2.25 million fishers are dependant on marine resources for their livelihoods. Applying the latest science, The Nature Conservancy is working with a range of partners to protect the coastal and marine ecosystems of this vast area by addressing key threats, such as over-fishing, destructive fishing, and mass coral bleaching.
The importance of coral reefs
Coral reefs are productive and diverse ecosystems that cover a mere 0.2% of the ocean floor, yet support an estimated 25% of all marine life. The global asset value of coral reefs has been estimated at nearly US$800 billion over a 50-year timeframe. More than 500 million people depend upon reef resources, and one billion people worldwide are direct beneficiaries of coral reef goods and services.
Threats to coral reefs
In the landmark report ‘Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia’, the World Resources Institute estimates that 88% of Southeast Asia’s reefs are threatened. Among the various types of threats, over-fishing and destructive fishing are the most pervasive. Another key threat is the increased frequency of mass coral bleaching events. We only begin to understand the importance of this phenomenon, which is related to climate change.
Over-fishing means that fishers extract more fish than nature can produce over the long term. Besides decreasing the profitability and long-term prospects of the fisheries sector, over-fishing results in the extirpation of highly-valued species such as grouper and Napoleon wrasse. Fisheries experts from Indonesia find that the large majority of Indonesia’s fisheries are over- or fully exploited, which means that any expansion of the fishing fleet is ill-advised. Sadly, over-fishing is exacerbated by perverse subsidies that enable the fishing sector to continue fishing already over-exploited stocks.
Destructive fishing not only contributes to over-fishing, it also destroys the habitat on which exploited fish depend. Blast fishing, either with home-made or industrial explosives, is perhaps the best known example of destructive fishing. Other examples are bottom trawling, fishing with poisons, and fishing with certain kinds of fish traps. The loss of income due to blast fishing in Indonesia over the last 25 years is approximately US$3.8 billion. Global warming is already making a significant impact on marine biodiversity and the lives of those who depend on the reefs for income. A major threat to coral reefs comes from the periodic mass bleaching of corals caused by increased temperatures in the seas. In the 1998 El Nino weather event, 75% of reefs worldwide bleached and 16% died. Coral bleaching is predicted to become an annual event within 25-50 years."
"Spanning eastern Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands (see the map), the Coral Triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity and one of the world’s top priorities for marine conservation. This extraordinary expanse of ocean covers an area of 2.3 million square miles (5.7 million km2), the equivalent to half of the entire United States. It is home to over 600 reef-building coral species, or 75% of all species known to science, and more than 3,000 species of reef fish. Over 150 million people live within the Coral Triangle, of which an estimated 2.25 million fishers are dependant on marine resources for their livelihoods. Applying the latest science, The Nature Conservancy is working with a range of partners to protect the coastal and marine ecosystems of this vast area by addressing key threats, such as over-fishing, destructive fishing, and mass coral bleaching.
The importance of coral reefs
Coral reefs are productive and diverse ecosystems that cover a mere 0.2% of the ocean floor, yet support an estimated 25% of all marine life. The global asset value of coral reefs has been estimated at nearly US$800 billion over a 50-year timeframe. More than 500 million people depend upon reef resources, and one billion people worldwide are direct beneficiaries of coral reef goods and services.
Threats to coral reefs
In the landmark report ‘Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia’, the World Resources Institute estimates that 88% of Southeast Asia’s reefs are threatened. Among the various types of threats, over-fishing and destructive fishing are the most pervasive. Another key threat is the increased frequency of mass coral bleaching events. We only begin to understand the importance of this phenomenon, which is related to climate change.
Over-fishing means that fishers extract more fish than nature can produce over the long term. Besides decreasing the profitability and long-term prospects of the fisheries sector, over-fishing results in the extirpation of highly-valued species such as grouper and Napoleon wrasse. Fisheries experts from Indonesia find that the large majority of Indonesia’s fisheries are over- or fully exploited, which means that any expansion of the fishing fleet is ill-advised. Sadly, over-fishing is exacerbated by perverse subsidies that enable the fishing sector to continue fishing already over-exploited stocks.
Destructive fishing not only contributes to over-fishing, it also destroys the habitat on which exploited fish depend. Blast fishing, either with home-made or industrial explosives, is perhaps the best known example of destructive fishing. Other examples are bottom trawling, fishing with poisons, and fishing with certain kinds of fish traps. The loss of income due to blast fishing in Indonesia over the last 25 years is approximately US$3.8 billion. Global warming is already making a significant impact on marine biodiversity and the lives of those who depend on the reefs for income. A major threat to coral reefs comes from the periodic mass bleaching of corals caused by increased temperatures in the seas. In the 1998 El Nino weather event, 75% of reefs worldwide bleached and 16% died. Coral bleaching is predicted to become an annual event within 25-50 years."
Google Earth Gallery
Google Earth Gallery: "Coral Reef Monitoring
WorldFish Center ReefBase Project
It is estimated that coral reefs cover around 284,000 square kilometers providing a habitat for thousands of species to live. Global warming poses a major threat to these massive living structures and in this file you can explore the state of coral reefs around the world, seeing their distribution and concerns facing their future existance."
WorldFish Center ReefBase Project
It is estimated that coral reefs cover around 284,000 square kilometers providing a habitat for thousands of species to live. Global warming poses a major threat to these massive living structures and in this file you can explore the state of coral reefs around the world, seeing their distribution and concerns facing their future existance."
Saturday, May 23, 2009
UK Financial Investments Limited - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
UK Financial Investments Limited - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "UK Financial Investments Ltd is a company set up by Her Majesty's Government to manage its shareholding in banks subscribing to its recapitalisation fund. They include Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Northern Rock and part of Bradford & Bingley. The Government will be underwriting capital investments for RBS and Lloyds Banking Group (which includes HBOS), totalling £37 billion."
Pearson: Glen Moreno
Pearson: Glen Moreno:
"Glen Moreno
Chairman
Pearson
Glen Moreno, 65, was appointed chairman of Pearson in October 2005. He is also the senior independent director of Man Group plc and has been a non-executive director there since 1994. He is a director of Fidelity International and chairman of its Audit Committee.
From 1987 to 1991 he was chief executive of Fidelity International, one of the world's most successful investment and financial information companies, recruited to lead its international expansion. Before that, he spent 18 years at Citigroup in Europe and Asia.
Citigroup, 1969 - 1987
Over an 18-year career, Moreno held senior positions at Citigroup in Europe and Asia. During that period Citigroup became the leading international bank in Europe, developed a significant Australian business and expanded in South East Asia and India. In the early 1980s he moved to London as a member of Citigroup's Policy Committee and as group executive for investment banking, responsible for corporate finance and trading operations.
Fidelity International, 1987 - 1991
Moreno was recruited by Fidelity's owner Ned Johnson to lead the company's programme of international expansion. With his successor, Barry Bateman, he launched the company's hallmark global product range, Fidelity Funds.
Other roles
Since retiring as chief executive of Fidelity International in 1991, Moreno has held a number of roles in large international businesses. He remains a director of Fidelity International, and chairs its Audit Committee.
He has been a non-executive director of Man Group plc, the FTSE100 financial services group, since 1994, and is now the senior independent director. There he was involved in the successful demerger of Man's traditional commodities trading businesses to focus on investment management and brokerage.
He was a trustee to The Prince of Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein Global Trusts, which combines the family's banking and investment activities. LGT is a successful private banking and wealth management business in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He retired from this role in April 2008.
He is also a governor of The Ditchley Foundation, founded in 1958 to advance Anglo-American links, which has since broadened to involve nations from all over the world.
An American national, he divides his time between the US and the UK."
"Glen Moreno
Chairman
Pearson
Glen Moreno, 65, was appointed chairman of Pearson in October 2005. He is also the senior independent director of Man Group plc and has been a non-executive director there since 1994. He is a director of Fidelity International and chairman of its Audit Committee.
From 1987 to 1991 he was chief executive of Fidelity International, one of the world's most successful investment and financial information companies, recruited to lead its international expansion. Before that, he spent 18 years at Citigroup in Europe and Asia.
Citigroup, 1969 - 1987
Over an 18-year career, Moreno held senior positions at Citigroup in Europe and Asia. During that period Citigroup became the leading international bank in Europe, developed a significant Australian business and expanded in South East Asia and India. In the early 1980s he moved to London as a member of Citigroup's Policy Committee and as group executive for investment banking, responsible for corporate finance and trading operations.
Fidelity International, 1987 - 1991
Moreno was recruited by Fidelity's owner Ned Johnson to lead the company's programme of international expansion. With his successor, Barry Bateman, he launched the company's hallmark global product range, Fidelity Funds.
Other roles
Since retiring as chief executive of Fidelity International in 1991, Moreno has held a number of roles in large international businesses. He remains a director of Fidelity International, and chairs its Audit Committee.
He has been a non-executive director of Man Group plc, the FTSE100 financial services group, since 1994, and is now the senior independent director. There he was involved in the successful demerger of Man's traditional commodities trading businesses to focus on investment management and brokerage.
He was a trustee to The Prince of Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein Global Trusts, which combines the family's banking and investment activities. LGT is a successful private banking and wealth management business in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He retired from this role in April 2008.
He is also a governor of The Ditchley Foundation, founded in 1958 to advance Anglo-American links, which has since broadened to involve nations from all over the world.
An American national, he divides his time between the US and the UK."
Profile: Glen Moreno, the financier who changed sides | Business | The Guardian
Profile: Glen Moreno, the financier who changed sides | Business | The Guardian: "Few in Britain had heard of the California-born financier Glen Moreno before he became chairman of Pearson, the media group which owns the FT, in 2005. After Stanford University and Harvard law school, Moreno, spent 18 years at Citigroup in Europe and Asia moving to London as group executive for investment banking, responsible for corporate finance and trading operations.
From 1987 to 1991 he was chief executive of the fund management group Fidelity International and was largely responsible for its rapid growth. He is also a senior independent director of Man Group, the FTSE100 financial services group.
At the time of his £450,0000-a-year appointment at Pearson, critics attacked Moreno's lack of experience in the field of education. But his wife, sister and mother are teachers, and that was said to give him a 'particular sympathy' to the education business, a key part of Pearson.
Since his appointment last month as chairman of the body that oversees the government's £37bn shareholding in Britain's bailed-out banks, it has emerged he was paid hundreds of thousands of pounds during a nine-year association with Liechtenstein Global Trust, a private bank. LGT, owned by the Liechtenstein royal family, became the subject of scandal last year over allegations that it aided tax evasion among clients. Moreno quit as a trustee last April, two months after it was reported that financial details of thousands of clients had been passed to German authorities."
From 1987 to 1991 he was chief executive of the fund management group Fidelity International and was largely responsible for its rapid growth. He is also a senior independent director of Man Group, the FTSE100 financial services group.
At the time of his £450,0000-a-year appointment at Pearson, critics attacked Moreno's lack of experience in the field of education. But his wife, sister and mother are teachers, and that was said to give him a 'particular sympathy' to the education business, a key part of Pearson.
Since his appointment last month as chairman of the body that oversees the government's £37bn shareholding in Britain's bailed-out banks, it has emerged he was paid hundreds of thousands of pounds during a nine-year association with Liechtenstein Global Trust, a private bank. LGT, owned by the Liechtenstein royal family, became the subject of scandal last year over allegations that it aided tax evasion among clients. Moreno quit as a trustee last April, two months after it was reported that financial details of thousands of clients had been passed to German authorities."
China and the G20: China takes centre stage | The Economist
China and the G20: China takes centre stage | The Economist:
"In another article, Mr Zhou suggested the creation of a new international reserve currency, managed by the IMF, to replace the dollar. Western officials have given that a lukewarm response, but there has been greater interest in China’s proposals for a restructuring of voting rights at the IMF to allow developing nations more say. With almost $2 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, China is seen by Western countries as a big potential lender to the IMF, and thus to countries in need of financial rescue."
"In another article, Mr Zhou suggested the creation of a new international reserve currency, managed by the IMF, to replace the dollar. Western officials have given that a lukewarm response, but there has been greater interest in China’s proposals for a restructuring of voting rights at the IMF to allow developing nations more say. With almost $2 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, China is seen by Western countries as a big potential lender to the IMF, and thus to countries in need of financial rescue."
Bancor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bancor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The bancor was a World Currency Unit that was proposed by John Maynard Keynes, as leader of the British delegation and chairman of the World Bank commission, in the negotiations that established the Bretton Woods system, but was never implemented.[1]
It was to be initially fixed in terms of 30 commodities, of which one would be gold. It would stabilize the average prices of commodities, and with them the international medium of exchange and a store of value. Central to Keynes' proposal was to tax countries' current account surpluses, encouraging domestic demand and promoting global trade balance.[2]
The Americans made a comparable plan for reform that included a world currency called the unitas. At Bretton Woods in 1944 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt told U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr. to prepare for an international currency to be implemented after World War II. Harry Dexter White at the U.S. Treasury formulated plans for the unitas.
In practice, until the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, gold itself filled this role, with the U.S. dollar fixed to gold and many other currencies fixed to either the U.S. dollar or directly to gold.
There have been variations on the model of the bancor recently, such to have bancors for regional trade organizations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), etc. In this model the commodities that would be placed into the pool would be limited to a fixed number of the currencies of the partner nations, and this would be done on an annual basis with agreement on prerequisites for withdrawal."
It was to be initially fixed in terms of 30 commodities, of which one would be gold. It would stabilize the average prices of commodities, and with them the international medium of exchange and a store of value. Central to Keynes' proposal was to tax countries' current account surpluses, encouraging domestic demand and promoting global trade balance.[2]
The Americans made a comparable plan for reform that included a world currency called the unitas. At Bretton Woods in 1944 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt told U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr. to prepare for an international currency to be implemented after World War II. Harry Dexter White at the U.S. Treasury formulated plans for the unitas.
In practice, until the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, gold itself filled this role, with the U.S. dollar fixed to gold and many other currencies fixed to either the U.S. dollar or directly to gold.
There have been variations on the model of the bancor recently, such to have bancors for regional trade organizations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), etc. In this model the commodities that would be placed into the pool would be limited to a fixed number of the currencies of the partner nations, and this would be done on an annual basis with agreement on prerequisites for withdrawal."
Credit Card Meltdown Hits Banks
Credit Card Meltdown Hits Banks: "Next up for ailing mega-banks: a credit card meltdown. No surprise here, really; Americans have overused credit cards for years, trusting always in unending economic expansion and plentiful employment to guarantee their ability to service consumer debt.
All that, of course, has changed dramatically over the last year and a half, with millions of Americans suddenly out of work and trying to service huge, high-interest credit card debts with no income and no savings. Credit card defaults are soaring, and much worse is to come, according to the government’s recently disclosed bank stress tests. By the end of 2010, says the government, America’s 19 largest banks can expect to lose as much as $82.4 billion in credit card defaults.
Yet this figure, dire as it seems, may be a considerable understatement. If unemployment comes to exceed 10 percent, as seems likely, credit card losses at banks like JP Morgan, Citigroup, Capital One Financial, and Bank of America may be well above 20 percent. And for the entire credit card industry, extending far beyond the stress-tested 19 banks, losses may approach $200 billion by 2010."
All that, of course, has changed dramatically over the last year and a half, with millions of Americans suddenly out of work and trying to service huge, high-interest credit card debts with no income and no savings. Credit card defaults are soaring, and much worse is to come, according to the government’s recently disclosed bank stress tests. By the end of 2010, says the government, America’s 19 largest banks can expect to lose as much as $82.4 billion in credit card defaults.
Yet this figure, dire as it seems, may be a considerable understatement. If unemployment comes to exceed 10 percent, as seems likely, credit card losses at banks like JP Morgan, Citigroup, Capital One Financial, and Bank of America may be well above 20 percent. And for the entire credit card industry, extending far beyond the stress-tested 19 banks, losses may approach $200 billion by 2010."
Dumping the Dollar for Global Currency
Dumping the Dollar for Global Currency:
"Will the Obama spend-a-rama finish off the dollar as the world's reserve currency? It well may, and sooner than most people think. Any day now we may wake up to headlines announcing that the International Monetary Fund's SDR (Special Drawing Rights) is being adopted as the new global currency.
That, of course, was the revolutionary plan adopted by the finance ministers, central bankers, and heads of state at the London G20 Summit in April. But you didn't read about it in the financial pages or see it reported in the extensive (surface) coverage of the summit meeting. One of the few reporters to reveal the real news of the conference was Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of Britain's Telegraph.
The headline of his April 7 report read, 'The G20 moves the world a step closer to a global currency,' while the subtitle ominously told the rest of the story: 'The world is a step closer to a global currency, backed by a global central bank, running monetary policy for all humanity.'
Evans-Pritchard expounds with these details:
A single clause in Point 19 of the communiqué issued by the G20 leaders amounts to revolution in the global financial order. 'We have agreed to support a general SDR allocation which will inject $250bn (£170bn) into the world economy and increase global liquidity,' it said. SDRs are Special Drawing Rights, a synthetic paper currency issued by the International Monetary Fund that has lain dormant for half a century.
In effect, the G20 leaders have activated the IMF's power to create money and begin global 'quantitative easing.' In doing so, they are putting a de facto world currency into play. It is outside the control of any sovereign body. Conspiracy theorists will love it.
Three weeks after the G20 confab, on April 25, following the IMF's annual spring meeting in Washington, D.C., IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn announced the IMF would begin selling bonds as a way to raise additional funds, ostensibly to lend to struggling nations. Although issuing bonds has been discussed previously, the IMF has never before taken such a step.
China, Brazil, Russia, and other countries have been pushing this 'solution' for the past several months, and we can expect the anointed financial gurus to begin churning this idea ever more frequently to prep opinion molders for the planned currency switcheroo.
Thus, we see articles appearing such as this one entitled, 'The dollar's last days as the dominant reserve currency?' by Onno Wijnholds on May 20 in the European Voice. Now, J. Onno de Beaufort Wijnholds is far from being a household name, but in the rarefied atmosphere of global finance, the Dutchman is well known. A former executive director of the International Monetary Fund and a former permanent representative of the European Central Bank in the United States, he is a regular at the concalves of the financial elites. Wijnholds writes:
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, recently suggested that replacing the dollar with the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) special drawing rights (SDR) as the dominant reserve currency would bring greater stability to the global financial system.
The idea of a supranational reserve currency is also, it appears, supported by Russia and other emerging markets. And a United Nations advisory committee has argued for a new global reserve currency, possibly one based on the SDR.
Somewhat quicker out of the gate was C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Bergsten, a protégé of Henry Kissinger, was a Treasury official in the Carter administration and a senior fellow at Brookings, the Carnegie Endowment, and the Council on Foreign Relations. On April 8, the Financial Times ran an op-ed by Bergsten entitled, 'We Should Listen to Beijing's Currency Idea.' In it, he wrote:
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, has suggested creating a 'super-sovereign reserve currency' to replace the dollar over the long run. He would sharply enhance the global role of special drawing rights (SDRs), the international asset created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the late 1960s and just given an enormous boost by the decision of the Group of 20 to expand its issuance by $250 billion (€189 billion, £171 billion). These are the first big proposals for international monetary reform from China or indeed any emerging-market economy and deserve to be taken seriously for that reason alone.
Several other Asian countries, Brazil, and Russia have expressed support for Mr. Zhou's ideas. The United States and several other governments, however, have been quick to reject them, reaffirming their confidence in the central global role of the dollar.
However, while Bergsten, Wijnhold, and other globalists refer to the move toward the SDR global currency as Beijing's idea, that is more than a bit disingenuous. In truth, as Bergsten admits later on in his op-ed, the communist economists in Beijing merely adopted the proposal as he had put it forward in the Financial Times back in December of 2007 ('How to Solve the Problem of the Dollar').
Even that admission, though, concealed the fact that Bergsten has been pushing for global economic management by elites for decades. Twenty years ago, in a 1989 interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Bergsten asserted: 'The world economy is in trouble unless there is some central steering mechanism.' And in his articles, speeches, and books, he has made it plain that he and his fellow 'wise men' should be entrusted with that steering.
One of those fellow globalist elites is Richard N. Cooper Maurits C. Boas, professor of international economics at Harvard, like Bergsten a former high-level Treasury official, and a leading light in the CFR brain trust. In a 1984 piece for the CFR journal Foreign Affairs entitled 'A Monetary System for the Future,' Dr. Cooper baldly proclaimed:
I suggest a radical alternative scheme for the next century: the creation of a common currency for all of the industrial democracies, with a common monetary policy and a joint Bank of Issue to determine that monetary policy.
Cooper went on to acknowledge that 'a single currency is possible only if there is in effect a single monetary policy, and a single authority issuing the currency and directing the monetary policy.'
'How can independent states accomplish that?' he asked rhetorically. Naturally, he had the answer: 'They need to turn over the determination of monetary policy to a supranational body.' The IMF.
Global monetary control, as proposed by Cooper, Bergsten, Zhou Xiaochuan, et al., would lead rapidly and ineluctably to global political control: world government. Is that the plan behind the rush to destroy what's left of the dollar's value? It certainly seems so to this writer.
Related articles:
Global Fusion: The G20, IMF, and World Government
G20 Pledges Supersized IMF
'Conspiracy Theorists' Not So Crazy After All
Global-currency Call Gets Nod From Geithner, Others"
"Will the Obama spend-a-rama finish off the dollar as the world's reserve currency? It well may, and sooner than most people think. Any day now we may wake up to headlines announcing that the International Monetary Fund's SDR (Special Drawing Rights) is being adopted as the new global currency.
That, of course, was the revolutionary plan adopted by the finance ministers, central bankers, and heads of state at the London G20 Summit in April. But you didn't read about it in the financial pages or see it reported in the extensive (surface) coverage of the summit meeting. One of the few reporters to reveal the real news of the conference was Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of Britain's Telegraph.
The headline of his April 7 report read, 'The G20 moves the world a step closer to a global currency,' while the subtitle ominously told the rest of the story: 'The world is a step closer to a global currency, backed by a global central bank, running monetary policy for all humanity.'
Evans-Pritchard expounds with these details:
A single clause in Point 19 of the communiqué issued by the G20 leaders amounts to revolution in the global financial order. 'We have agreed to support a general SDR allocation which will inject $250bn (£170bn) into the world economy and increase global liquidity,' it said. SDRs are Special Drawing Rights, a synthetic paper currency issued by the International Monetary Fund that has lain dormant for half a century.
In effect, the G20 leaders have activated the IMF's power to create money and begin global 'quantitative easing.' In doing so, they are putting a de facto world currency into play. It is outside the control of any sovereign body. Conspiracy theorists will love it.
Three weeks after the G20 confab, on April 25, following the IMF's annual spring meeting in Washington, D.C., IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn announced the IMF would begin selling bonds as a way to raise additional funds, ostensibly to lend to struggling nations. Although issuing bonds has been discussed previously, the IMF has never before taken such a step.
China, Brazil, Russia, and other countries have been pushing this 'solution' for the past several months, and we can expect the anointed financial gurus to begin churning this idea ever more frequently to prep opinion molders for the planned currency switcheroo.
Thus, we see articles appearing such as this one entitled, 'The dollar's last days as the dominant reserve currency?' by Onno Wijnholds on May 20 in the European Voice. Now, J. Onno de Beaufort Wijnholds is far from being a household name, but in the rarefied atmosphere of global finance, the Dutchman is well known. A former executive director of the International Monetary Fund and a former permanent representative of the European Central Bank in the United States, he is a regular at the concalves of the financial elites. Wijnholds writes:
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, recently suggested that replacing the dollar with the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) special drawing rights (SDR) as the dominant reserve currency would bring greater stability to the global financial system.
The idea of a supranational reserve currency is also, it appears, supported by Russia and other emerging markets. And a United Nations advisory committee has argued for a new global reserve currency, possibly one based on the SDR.
Somewhat quicker out of the gate was C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Bergsten, a protégé of Henry Kissinger, was a Treasury official in the Carter administration and a senior fellow at Brookings, the Carnegie Endowment, and the Council on Foreign Relations. On April 8, the Financial Times ran an op-ed by Bergsten entitled, 'We Should Listen to Beijing's Currency Idea.' In it, he wrote:
Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, has suggested creating a 'super-sovereign reserve currency' to replace the dollar over the long run. He would sharply enhance the global role of special drawing rights (SDRs), the international asset created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the late 1960s and just given an enormous boost by the decision of the Group of 20 to expand its issuance by $250 billion (€189 billion, £171 billion). These are the first big proposals for international monetary reform from China or indeed any emerging-market economy and deserve to be taken seriously for that reason alone.
Several other Asian countries, Brazil, and Russia have expressed support for Mr. Zhou's ideas. The United States and several other governments, however, have been quick to reject them, reaffirming their confidence in the central global role of the dollar.
However, while Bergsten, Wijnhold, and other globalists refer to the move toward the SDR global currency as Beijing's idea, that is more than a bit disingenuous. In truth, as Bergsten admits later on in his op-ed, the communist economists in Beijing merely adopted the proposal as he had put it forward in the Financial Times back in December of 2007 ('How to Solve the Problem of the Dollar').
Even that admission, though, concealed the fact that Bergsten has been pushing for global economic management by elites for decades. Twenty years ago, in a 1989 interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Bergsten asserted: 'The world economy is in trouble unless there is some central steering mechanism.' And in his articles, speeches, and books, he has made it plain that he and his fellow 'wise men' should be entrusted with that steering.
One of those fellow globalist elites is Richard N. Cooper Maurits C. Boas, professor of international economics at Harvard, like Bergsten a former high-level Treasury official, and a leading light in the CFR brain trust. In a 1984 piece for the CFR journal Foreign Affairs entitled 'A Monetary System for the Future,' Dr. Cooper baldly proclaimed:
I suggest a radical alternative scheme for the next century: the creation of a common currency for all of the industrial democracies, with a common monetary policy and a joint Bank of Issue to determine that monetary policy.
Cooper went on to acknowledge that 'a single currency is possible only if there is in effect a single monetary policy, and a single authority issuing the currency and directing the monetary policy.'
'How can independent states accomplish that?' he asked rhetorically. Naturally, he had the answer: 'They need to turn over the determination of monetary policy to a supranational body.' The IMF.
Global monetary control, as proposed by Cooper, Bergsten, Zhou Xiaochuan, et al., would lead rapidly and ineluctably to global political control: world government. Is that the plan behind the rush to destroy what's left of the dollar's value? It certainly seems so to this writer.
Related articles:
Global Fusion: The G20, IMF, and World Government
G20 Pledges Supersized IMF
'Conspiracy Theorists' Not So Crazy After All
Global-currency Call Gets Nod From Geithner, Others"
Bank of China to set up Brazilian branch
Bank of China to set up Brazilian branch:
"May. 22, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Bank of China (BOC)<601988><3988>, the world's third largest bank by market value, will establish its first branch in Brazil in two or three months, the China Daily reported on Thursday.
BOC said that it is willing to carry out business in accordance with the agreed policy after the two countries' central banks reach an agreement.
The move is part of the two countries' plan of using their own currencies in trade transactions, according to the bank's statement.
The Chinese and Brazilian governments started discussing replacing the U.S. dollar with the RMB and the real as trade settlement currencies at the G20 summit in London last month.
BOC launched its first representative office in Brazil in the late 1990s and received approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) in 2007 and the Central Bank of Brazil to set up a Brazilian branch in 2008.
BOC said that it has completed the preparation work and is waiting for the final assessment by the country's central bank according to the regulations of Brazil.
Copyright © 2009 www.chinaknowledge.com"
"May. 22, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Bank of China (BOC)<601988><3988>, the world's third largest bank by market value, will establish its first branch in Brazil in two or three months, the China Daily reported on Thursday.
BOC said that it is willing to carry out business in accordance with the agreed policy after the two countries' central banks reach an agreement.
The move is part of the two countries' plan of using their own currencies in trade transactions, according to the bank's statement.
The Chinese and Brazilian governments started discussing replacing the U.S. dollar with the RMB and the real as trade settlement currencies at the G20 summit in London last month.
BOC launched its first representative office in Brazil in the late 1990s and received approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) in 2007 and the Central Bank of Brazil to set up a Brazilian branch in 2008.
BOC said that it has completed the preparation work and is waiting for the final assessment by the country's central bank according to the regulations of Brazil.
Copyright © 2009 www.chinaknowledge.com"
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Project Gallery
Project Gallery:
ARKISPECS
"This section of www.arkispecs.com is dedicated to showcasing the works and capabilities of the Filipino building professional, proving once more that the Filipino talent is indeed world class.
If you would like your work to be showcased in this gallery, simply click here to submit your projects."
ARKISPECS
"This section of www.arkispecs.com is dedicated to showcasing the works and capabilities of the Filipino building professional, proving once more that the Filipino talent is indeed world class.
If you would like your work to be showcased in this gallery, simply click here to submit your projects."
BW Research: Popular Economics
BW Research: Popular Economics:
"BY GLORIA KRISANA L. GALLEZO, Researcher
Financial globalization and market instability
'The business of banking is fraught with dangers, arising principally from the instability in the world economy and from human error or misjudgment. Like any other enterprise, a bank may be overtaken by events or may be governed unwisely,' Sir John Clapham, The Bank of England — A History, 1944
As markets worldwide wobble from the financial woes that the US subprime crisis has brought, it reminds us the reality that banks, like any depositary institution, are indeed inherently unstable. Peter Wallace of American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) wrote 'The reasoning behind this claim is that because these institutions take deposits that are withdrawable on demand, they are subject to panic ’runs’ that may bring down otherwise solvent institutions.' Thus, ensuring safety and stability of financial institutions alone gives us the most important rationale for regulating banks. This leads us however to question, 'why banks still fail despite being one of the highly regulated enterprises?'
A report by the HM Treasury, United Kingdom’s economics and finance ministry, in May last year titled 'Embracing Globalisation' gives us a clue to the answer by simply pointing to the complexities brought by financial globalization defined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the 'extent to which the world economies are linked through cross-border financial holdings.'
Added to financial market instability, modern-day banks are confronted with more pressing challenges as world economies increasingly experience an ’unparalleled level of financial integration’ with advanced economies experiencing the greatest degree of integration, and now, experiencing the greatest shock of the financial crisis.
By having the greatest degree of integration, advanced economies took a full advantage of economic growth as brought by improved allocated efficiency of capital, intensified internal competition, spread of technology and managerial expertise, spurred development of secondary market liquidity, and reduced economic inefficiencies. Majority of them as well benefited from spurred financial sector, stable macroeconomic frameworks and institutional improvements and total factor productivity growth, until recently when the subprime crisis in the US turned into a full blown global financial crisis. This leads us to another question, 'Is financial globalization, a curse or a blessing?
Understanding Financial Globalization
Financial globalization involves two closely related processes according to HM Treasury. These are (1) the reduction in official barriers to cross-border flows of capital (i.e. official policy towards capital mobility) and (2) the increase in cross-border holdings of financial assets and liabilities (i.e. the actual extent to which capital is flowing between different economies.
Assessing the extent of this phenomenon on the other hand involves considering both the de jure and de facto measurements. The former refers to the level of government restrictions on capital mobility (capital inflows and outflows) while the latter pertains to returns or volume-based measures to highlight changes to external balance sheets or the equalization of asset price across borders.
The first Age of Financial Globalization was between 1870 and 1913 as marked by technological innovations including the introduction of international telegraph links and financing needs of the frontier economies (i.e. railways).
However, HM Treasury reported that compared to this period, today’s level of financial integration is higher as characterized by increased international trade and capital flows, and a shift of the direction of capital flows. 'Unlike today, when net capital flows are unusually running ’uphill’ from the emerging markets to the advanced economies, this period [First Age] was characterized by capital flowing from Europe to emerging economies,' HM Treasury explained.
The period ended with the outbreak of the World War I, and the Great Depression combined with the introduction of rigid capital controls. Early 1990s however proved to be a new beginning of financial integration, even surpassing what was experienced in the First Age. Since early 1990s, the world is continuously experiencing significant increases in the value of assets and liabilities, number of countries having financial assets whose value exceeds their respective Gross Development Products (GDP), and volume of cross-border portfolio investments.
Nonetheless, the fact that there is an 'unparalleled level of financial integration' should not be discounted, with the advanced economies experiencing the greatest degree while the least developed economies have so far been the least affected.
Factors cited by the HM Treasury that caused advanced economies to experience a rapid rise in integration are higher level of de jure financial openness; the development and spread of common reporting standards; and significant improvements in regulation, transparency and general governance.
While least developed economies on the other hand are characterized by the prevalence of capital controls that are only partially effective and inability to attract capital flows because of undeveloped domestic financial system, weaker institutions and poor financial governance.
Finacial Market (In)stability
Financial globalization presents opportunities for economic growth and stability, it however increases instability in financial markets. Concerns regarding the stability of financial market in the midst of increasing financial integration are driven by three reasons. First, financial markets according to HM Treasury have increased in importance relative to the real economy as marked by increased value of assets traded on the capital markets of major industrial countries relative to their respective GDPs as well as the increased financial sector’s share of economy-wide value added.
Second, financial markets and financial institutions around the world are now much more inter-linked and hence a reduction in home biases among institutional and private investors, who seek to diversify their risks. And third, recent decades have witnessed a transfer of risk to the household sector in advanced economies. As such, having an unstable financial market could surpass the economic opportunities that financial globalization presents because of the potential impact that financial instability could bring to the real economy.
HM Treasury said that there are a number of channels through which financial globalization should have enhanced stability. Examples of which are: enabling visitors to manage better their own risks by diversifying their portfolios into foreign assets; improving market liquidity through increased set of financial agents active in a given market; improving funding liquidity through easy access to finance firms; ensuring that financial risk is allocated to those best equipped to hold it; and diluting the impact of financial crisis around different markets.
The agency, however, warned that financial globalization could also increase systematic risk in the financial system through contagion between financial centers and markets. The HM Treasury pointed four means by which the contagion can occur. These are through enhancing information asymmetries between the distributor and purchaser of risk, increasing the correlation of asset prices across borders, exposing financial systems to cross-border spill-overs via capital markets or bank balance sheets, and exposing emerging economies to rapid surges and withdrawals of foreign capitals which could lead to volatility in exchange rate and asset price bubbles.
Considering these potential risks, the HM Treasury emphasized that 'financial globalization can deliver significant benefits if the appropriate regulatory and supervisory framework is in place'
Sources:
— 'Embracing Financial Globalisation,' HM Treasury Report, May 30, 2008.
— 'The Bank of England - A History,' Sir John Clapham, 1944.
'Why Regulate Banks?' Peter Wallace, August 2005."
"BY GLORIA KRISANA L. GALLEZO, Researcher
Financial globalization and market instability
'The business of banking is fraught with dangers, arising principally from the instability in the world economy and from human error or misjudgment. Like any other enterprise, a bank may be overtaken by events or may be governed unwisely,' Sir John Clapham, The Bank of England — A History, 1944
As markets worldwide wobble from the financial woes that the US subprime crisis has brought, it reminds us the reality that banks, like any depositary institution, are indeed inherently unstable. Peter Wallace of American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) wrote 'The reasoning behind this claim is that because these institutions take deposits that are withdrawable on demand, they are subject to panic ’runs’ that may bring down otherwise solvent institutions.' Thus, ensuring safety and stability of financial institutions alone gives us the most important rationale for regulating banks. This leads us however to question, 'why banks still fail despite being one of the highly regulated enterprises?'
A report by the HM Treasury, United Kingdom’s economics and finance ministry, in May last year titled 'Embracing Globalisation' gives us a clue to the answer by simply pointing to the complexities brought by financial globalization defined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the 'extent to which the world economies are linked through cross-border financial holdings.'
Added to financial market instability, modern-day banks are confronted with more pressing challenges as world economies increasingly experience an ’unparalleled level of financial integration’ with advanced economies experiencing the greatest degree of integration, and now, experiencing the greatest shock of the financial crisis.
By having the greatest degree of integration, advanced economies took a full advantage of economic growth as brought by improved allocated efficiency of capital, intensified internal competition, spread of technology and managerial expertise, spurred development of secondary market liquidity, and reduced economic inefficiencies. Majority of them as well benefited from spurred financial sector, stable macroeconomic frameworks and institutional improvements and total factor productivity growth, until recently when the subprime crisis in the US turned into a full blown global financial crisis. This leads us to another question, 'Is financial globalization, a curse or a blessing?
Understanding Financial Globalization
Financial globalization involves two closely related processes according to HM Treasury. These are (1) the reduction in official barriers to cross-border flows of capital (i.e. official policy towards capital mobility) and (2) the increase in cross-border holdings of financial assets and liabilities (i.e. the actual extent to which capital is flowing between different economies.
Assessing the extent of this phenomenon on the other hand involves considering both the de jure and de facto measurements. The former refers to the level of government restrictions on capital mobility (capital inflows and outflows) while the latter pertains to returns or volume-based measures to highlight changes to external balance sheets or the equalization of asset price across borders.
The first Age of Financial Globalization was between 1870 and 1913 as marked by technological innovations including the introduction of international telegraph links and financing needs of the frontier economies (i.e. railways).
However, HM Treasury reported that compared to this period, today’s level of financial integration is higher as characterized by increased international trade and capital flows, and a shift of the direction of capital flows. 'Unlike today, when net capital flows are unusually running ’uphill’ from the emerging markets to the advanced economies, this period [First Age] was characterized by capital flowing from Europe to emerging economies,' HM Treasury explained.
The period ended with the outbreak of the World War I, and the Great Depression combined with the introduction of rigid capital controls. Early 1990s however proved to be a new beginning of financial integration, even surpassing what was experienced in the First Age. Since early 1990s, the world is continuously experiencing significant increases in the value of assets and liabilities, number of countries having financial assets whose value exceeds their respective Gross Development Products (GDP), and volume of cross-border portfolio investments.
Nonetheless, the fact that there is an 'unparalleled level of financial integration' should not be discounted, with the advanced economies experiencing the greatest degree while the least developed economies have so far been the least affected.
Factors cited by the HM Treasury that caused advanced economies to experience a rapid rise in integration are higher level of de jure financial openness; the development and spread of common reporting standards; and significant improvements in regulation, transparency and general governance.
While least developed economies on the other hand are characterized by the prevalence of capital controls that are only partially effective and inability to attract capital flows because of undeveloped domestic financial system, weaker institutions and poor financial governance.
Finacial Market (In)stability
Financial globalization presents opportunities for economic growth and stability, it however increases instability in financial markets. Concerns regarding the stability of financial market in the midst of increasing financial integration are driven by three reasons. First, financial markets according to HM Treasury have increased in importance relative to the real economy as marked by increased value of assets traded on the capital markets of major industrial countries relative to their respective GDPs as well as the increased financial sector’s share of economy-wide value added.
Second, financial markets and financial institutions around the world are now much more inter-linked and hence a reduction in home biases among institutional and private investors, who seek to diversify their risks. And third, recent decades have witnessed a transfer of risk to the household sector in advanced economies. As such, having an unstable financial market could surpass the economic opportunities that financial globalization presents because of the potential impact that financial instability could bring to the real economy.
HM Treasury said that there are a number of channels through which financial globalization should have enhanced stability. Examples of which are: enabling visitors to manage better their own risks by diversifying their portfolios into foreign assets; improving market liquidity through increased set of financial agents active in a given market; improving funding liquidity through easy access to finance firms; ensuring that financial risk is allocated to those best equipped to hold it; and diluting the impact of financial crisis around different markets.
The agency, however, warned that financial globalization could also increase systematic risk in the financial system through contagion between financial centers and markets. The HM Treasury pointed four means by which the contagion can occur. These are through enhancing information asymmetries between the distributor and purchaser of risk, increasing the correlation of asset prices across borders, exposing financial systems to cross-border spill-overs via capital markets or bank balance sheets, and exposing emerging economies to rapid surges and withdrawals of foreign capitals which could lead to volatility in exchange rate and asset price bubbles.
Considering these potential risks, the HM Treasury emphasized that 'financial globalization can deliver significant benefits if the appropriate regulatory and supervisory framework is in place'
Sources:
— 'Embracing Financial Globalisation,' HM Treasury Report, May 30, 2008.
— 'The Bank of England - A History,' Sir John Clapham, 1944.
'Why Regulate Banks?' Peter Wallace, August 2005."
BW Research: Popular Economics
BW Research: Popular Economics:
"The benefits of conditional cash transfers
BY BENJAMIN V. BUCO, JR., Researcher
“GIVE a man a fish and he will eat for one day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime,” so goes a popular proverb.
While the practicality of the above-mentioned piece of wisdom is uncontestable, more and more governments around the globe are now finding it necessary to hand out “fishes” or money, literally, to their people every day, in an effort to help them rise out of poverty. This scheme of giving out hard cash to poor families is called a conditional cash transfer (CCT).
The idea of CCTs was pioneered in Latin America and is now gaining footholds across Africa and Asia. The first country to implement a CCT program was Mexico.
Originally called Programa de Educación, Salud y Alimentación (now called Opportunidades), the CCT program started in 1997 and is aimed at handing out hard cash to extremely poor Mexicans, around 5 million of them. Brazil, meanwhile, has the Programa Nacional de Bolsa Escola and Programa de Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil, (PETI), while, Jamaica has the Program of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH)
“Virtually every country in Latin America has such a program. Elsewhere, there are large-scale programs in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Turkey, and pilot programs in Cambodia, Malawi, Morocco, Pakistan, and South Africa, among others,” said the World Bank.
But why the growing popularity of CCTs?
The World Bank explains: “CCTs have been hailed as a way of reducing inequality, especially in the very unequal countries in Latin America; helping households break out of a vicious cycle whereby poverty is transmitted from one generation to another; promoting child health, nutrition, and schooling; and helping countries meet the millennium development goals.”"
"The benefits of conditional cash transfers
BY BENJAMIN V. BUCO, JR., Researcher
“GIVE a man a fish and he will eat for one day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime,” so goes a popular proverb.
While the practicality of the above-mentioned piece of wisdom is uncontestable, more and more governments around the globe are now finding it necessary to hand out “fishes” or money, literally, to their people every day, in an effort to help them rise out of poverty. This scheme of giving out hard cash to poor families is called a conditional cash transfer (CCT).
The idea of CCTs was pioneered in Latin America and is now gaining footholds across Africa and Asia. The first country to implement a CCT program was Mexico.
Originally called Programa de Educación, Salud y Alimentación (now called Opportunidades), the CCT program started in 1997 and is aimed at handing out hard cash to extremely poor Mexicans, around 5 million of them. Brazil, meanwhile, has the Programa Nacional de Bolsa Escola and Programa de Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil, (PETI), while, Jamaica has the Program of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH)
“Virtually every country in Latin America has such a program. Elsewhere, there are large-scale programs in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Turkey, and pilot programs in Cambodia, Malawi, Morocco, Pakistan, and South Africa, among others,” said the World Bank.
But why the growing popularity of CCTs?
The World Bank explains: “CCTs have been hailed as a way of reducing inequality, especially in the very unequal countries in Latin America; helping households break out of a vicious cycle whereby poverty is transmitted from one generation to another; promoting child health, nutrition, and schooling; and helping countries meet the millennium development goals.”"
BW Research: Popular Economics
BW Research: Popular Economics: "
# Countering the global downturn via effective business planning (050809)
# Diversifying the agriculture sector (050109)
# The economics of the state entering the bedroom (042409)
# The benefits of conditional cash transfers (041009)
# Counting the poor (040309)
# The Modern Filipino diaspora (032709)
# The internal revenue allotment (032009)
# Building an ASEAN Economic Community (031309)
# Empowering women (022709)
# The economics of public-private partnerships (021309)
# Depression economics (013009)
# The economics of foreign aid (011609)
# Financial globalization and market instability (010909)"
# Countering the global downturn via effective business planning (050809)
# Diversifying the agriculture sector (050109)
# The economics of the state entering the bedroom (042409)
# The benefits of conditional cash transfers (041009)
# Counting the poor (040309)
# The Modern Filipino diaspora (032709)
# The internal revenue allotment (032009)
# Building an ASEAN Economic Community (031309)
# Empowering women (022709)
# The economics of public-private partnerships (021309)
# Depression economics (013009)
# The economics of foreign aid (011609)
# Financial globalization and market instability (010909)"
BW Research: Popular Economics
BW Research: Popular Economics: "BY DANIEL ANNE B. NEPOMUCENO, Researcher
Countering the global downturn via effective business planning
THE GLOBAL financial crisis has dramatically affected many industries around the world.
Many workers are still jobless and a number of small and large scale businesses are doing their best to revive their operations, while others remain under the deep thickets of the global downturn.
In a report entitled 'Business Planning: Navigating the Global Downturn,' Grant Thornton International examined the strategies that privately held businesses can utilize to make big decisions that would help them survive the economic downturn in the longer term with the aid of good business planning.
Privately held businesses include entrepreneurs, family businesses and non-listed entities.
'There is no better time than now to take a hard look at your businesses and make changes in the short- and medium-term strategy, wherever required,' Monish Chatrath from Grant Thornton India said.
'Organizations, processes and supply chains that have become bloated with inefficiencies that were ignored whilst profits continued to come in, will now have to be made more productive, more efficient and fundamentally more lean,' Mr. Chatrath added.
The report includes responses of over 7,200 privately held businesses across 36 economies regarding the most successful initiative they have put in place in order to increase business profitability amid the global financial crunch.
Results of the study reveal that product innovation was regarded as the most successful tool with 20% of businesses surveyed citing this measure.
'Innovation in the current climate is about making processes more efficient. A lot of companies are trying to work smarter as they plan ahead,' said Frank Ponsioen from Grant Thornton Netherlands.
According to Grant Thornton, during the downturn, budgets on innovation processes are perhaps the first to be cut. However, based on the results of the study, companies may consider less radical cuts to innovation budgets to safeguard future competitiveness and to position themselves strategically from the future upturn.
Companies may consider the following innovation processes in order to survive the downturn: seeking opportunities in the economic dislocation, ringing fence resources for innovation, tailoring products and services to current market conditions, being open to ideas, carefully managing your risks, considering collaboration with customers and suppliers to develop new ideas and examining innovative processes and business models, as well as products to improve efficiency.
Next to innovation is cost cutting with 18% of the respondents considering this as an effective key to make their way out of recession.
The difficulty for many businesses is to identify which costs to cut without compromising their strengths. About 27% of privately held businesses expect to cut costs by reducing their workforce in the coming year while 24% anticipate that pay levels of employees may stay the same or at worst, decrease.
In line with this, Mr. Ponsioen notes that if a business needs to cut staffing levels they need to communicate clearly, be transparent and move quickly.
'They should identify, manage and retain their top talent using incentives and personal development plans and be cautious in unnecessary cutting of talents,' he advised.
The third to strategy that business could utilize is pricing, which was cited by 13% of privately, held businesses as being their most successful profitable initiative.
Furthermore, others consider having a new management structure and productivity review, (both cited by 12% of the respondents), strategic investment (11%), expansion of workforce, brand re-design and outsourcing (3%), use of external advisors (1%), while 4% remained undecided.
Optimism and Pessimism Barometer
The same study from Grant Thornton shows how privately held businesses have been hit hard by contractions in demand and lack of available credit which in turn pulled down overall business confidence, Alex MacBeath, global leader of the privately held business services of the Grant Thornton International said.
The net balance of optimistic versus pessimistic privately held businesses about their economy over the coming 12 months stood at -16%.
'The figure was a record negative level in the history of the Grant Thornton optimism/pessimism barometer,' the firm noted.
The most positive and not seeing a bleak future because of the traces of the global financial crisis was India with a score of 83%, followed by Botswana (81%) and Philippines (63%).
Other countries showing optimism in the future were Brazil (50%), Armenia (46%), South Africa (35%), Vietnam (31%), Mainland China (30%), Singapore (11%), Australia (11%) and Canada (3%).
Notably, the results of the barometer showed differences in attitude among mature economies.
'Of the four largest trading nations, businesses in the US and Mainland China, which together contribute over 32% of global GDP, scored their optimism at -34% and 30%, respectively,' the report said.
Similarly, Japan and India, which collectively contributed over 11% of global GDP, scored their optimism at -85% and 83%, respectively.
Respondents claimed that reduced demand and the lack of available credit emerged as two reasons for the bleak mood."
Countering the global downturn via effective business planning
THE GLOBAL financial crisis has dramatically affected many industries around the world.
Many workers are still jobless and a number of small and large scale businesses are doing their best to revive their operations, while others remain under the deep thickets of the global downturn.
In a report entitled 'Business Planning: Navigating the Global Downturn,' Grant Thornton International examined the strategies that privately held businesses can utilize to make big decisions that would help them survive the economic downturn in the longer term with the aid of good business planning.
Privately held businesses include entrepreneurs, family businesses and non-listed entities.
'There is no better time than now to take a hard look at your businesses and make changes in the short- and medium-term strategy, wherever required,' Monish Chatrath from Grant Thornton India said.
'Organizations, processes and supply chains that have become bloated with inefficiencies that were ignored whilst profits continued to come in, will now have to be made more productive, more efficient and fundamentally more lean,' Mr. Chatrath added.
The report includes responses of over 7,200 privately held businesses across 36 economies regarding the most successful initiative they have put in place in order to increase business profitability amid the global financial crunch.
Results of the study reveal that product innovation was regarded as the most successful tool with 20% of businesses surveyed citing this measure.
'Innovation in the current climate is about making processes more efficient. A lot of companies are trying to work smarter as they plan ahead,' said Frank Ponsioen from Grant Thornton Netherlands.
According to Grant Thornton, during the downturn, budgets on innovation processes are perhaps the first to be cut. However, based on the results of the study, companies may consider less radical cuts to innovation budgets to safeguard future competitiveness and to position themselves strategically from the future upturn.
Companies may consider the following innovation processes in order to survive the downturn: seeking opportunities in the economic dislocation, ringing fence resources for innovation, tailoring products and services to current market conditions, being open to ideas, carefully managing your risks, considering collaboration with customers and suppliers to develop new ideas and examining innovative processes and business models, as well as products to improve efficiency.
Next to innovation is cost cutting with 18% of the respondents considering this as an effective key to make their way out of recession.
The difficulty for many businesses is to identify which costs to cut without compromising their strengths. About 27% of privately held businesses expect to cut costs by reducing their workforce in the coming year while 24% anticipate that pay levels of employees may stay the same or at worst, decrease.
In line with this, Mr. Ponsioen notes that if a business needs to cut staffing levels they need to communicate clearly, be transparent and move quickly.
'They should identify, manage and retain their top talent using incentives and personal development plans and be cautious in unnecessary cutting of talents,' he advised.
The third to strategy that business could utilize is pricing, which was cited by 13% of privately, held businesses as being their most successful profitable initiative.
Furthermore, others consider having a new management structure and productivity review, (both cited by 12% of the respondents), strategic investment (11%), expansion of workforce, brand re-design and outsourcing (3%), use of external advisors (1%), while 4% remained undecided.
Optimism and Pessimism Barometer
The same study from Grant Thornton shows how privately held businesses have been hit hard by contractions in demand and lack of available credit which in turn pulled down overall business confidence, Alex MacBeath, global leader of the privately held business services of the Grant Thornton International said.
The net balance of optimistic versus pessimistic privately held businesses about their economy over the coming 12 months stood at -16%.
'The figure was a record negative level in the history of the Grant Thornton optimism/pessimism barometer,' the firm noted.
The most positive and not seeing a bleak future because of the traces of the global financial crisis was India with a score of 83%, followed by Botswana (81%) and Philippines (63%).
Other countries showing optimism in the future were Brazil (50%), Armenia (46%), South Africa (35%), Vietnam (31%), Mainland China (30%), Singapore (11%), Australia (11%) and Canada (3%).
Notably, the results of the barometer showed differences in attitude among mature economies.
'Of the four largest trading nations, businesses in the US and Mainland China, which together contribute over 32% of global GDP, scored their optimism at -34% and 30%, respectively,' the report said.
Similarly, Japan and India, which collectively contributed over 11% of global GDP, scored their optimism at -85% and 83%, respectively.
Respondents claimed that reduced demand and the lack of available credit emerged as two reasons for the bleak mood."
BusinessWorld Online: US corn farmers in muddy race with Mother Nature
BusinessWorld Online: US corn farmers in muddy race with Mother Nature:
"OPHIR TOWNSHIP, ILLINOIS — Farmer Monty Whipple held the problem of the eastern US corn belt in the palm of his hand: a ball of mud, densely compacted.
His nearly 400-acre farm, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago in LaSalle County, was filled with mud.
Several fields less than a mile down the country road had as much as a foot of standing water.
Farmers in the Midwest prefer to have their corn crop planted by now. The rule of thumb is that for each day planted after May 15, a bushel of corn is lost per acre.
But a tractor in the mud will either get stuck or compress the soil enough to prevent seeds from setting.
'In the back of your mind you’re thinking, ’If I don’t plant it today, it’s going to be another week,’' Mr. Whipple, 58, said during an interview last week.
'They say farming is nothing but a big gamble — gambling on prices, gambling on the weather,' Mr. Whipple said as he threw the ball of mud into a field that stretched to the horizon. 'In the long run, you make a good living at it.'
Illinois and Iowa are the two top corn-producing states in the US, the largest corn producer in the world.
This planting season, the weather has split the Corn Belt in half along the Mississippi River.
In the west, 81% of Iowa’s crop was in the ground as of last week. In the east, only 10% of Illinois’ corn had been planted, 11% in Indiana, 22% in Ohio, according to the US Agriculture Department.
Frequent and heavy rains have slowed progress this spring. Farmers in the eastern Corn Belt now face smaller corn yields or the option of planting faster-growing soybeans instead.
Still, US farmers this year are forecast to plant the third-largest corn crop on record at 12.09 billion bushels.
'It certainly looks like a break in the weather is coming. It could be the driest week for the central crop belt for this growing season so far,' said Mike Palmerino, a DTN Meteorlogix forecaster.
Many fields will need several day’s worth of dry, sunny weather to before farmers can plant, and it may be Wednesday or later before farmers can get back into the fields.
'This next week will tell a lot,' said Mr. Whipple, speaking while taking a break between sharpening the blade for his riding lawn mower and delivering a truckload of last year’s crop to a grain elevator.
'We are never comfortable until [the corn is] in the bin.' — Reuters"
"OPHIR TOWNSHIP, ILLINOIS — Farmer Monty Whipple held the problem of the eastern US corn belt in the palm of his hand: a ball of mud, densely compacted.
His nearly 400-acre farm, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago in LaSalle County, was filled with mud.
Several fields less than a mile down the country road had as much as a foot of standing water.
Farmers in the Midwest prefer to have their corn crop planted by now. The rule of thumb is that for each day planted after May 15, a bushel of corn is lost per acre.
But a tractor in the mud will either get stuck or compress the soil enough to prevent seeds from setting.
'In the back of your mind you’re thinking, ’If I don’t plant it today, it’s going to be another week,’' Mr. Whipple, 58, said during an interview last week.
'They say farming is nothing but a big gamble — gambling on prices, gambling on the weather,' Mr. Whipple said as he threw the ball of mud into a field that stretched to the horizon. 'In the long run, you make a good living at it.'
Illinois and Iowa are the two top corn-producing states in the US, the largest corn producer in the world.
This planting season, the weather has split the Corn Belt in half along the Mississippi River.
In the west, 81% of Iowa’s crop was in the ground as of last week. In the east, only 10% of Illinois’ corn had been planted, 11% in Indiana, 22% in Ohio, according to the US Agriculture Department.
Frequent and heavy rains have slowed progress this spring. Farmers in the eastern Corn Belt now face smaller corn yields or the option of planting faster-growing soybeans instead.
Still, US farmers this year are forecast to plant the third-largest corn crop on record at 12.09 billion bushels.
'It certainly looks like a break in the weather is coming. It could be the driest week for the central crop belt for this growing season so far,' said Mike Palmerino, a DTN Meteorlogix forecaster.
Many fields will need several day’s worth of dry, sunny weather to before farmers can plant, and it may be Wednesday or later before farmers can get back into the fields.
'This next week will tell a lot,' said Mr. Whipple, speaking while taking a break between sharpening the blade for his riding lawn mower and delivering a truckload of last year’s crop to a grain elevator.
'We are never comfortable until [the corn is] in the bin.' — Reuters"
BusinessWorld Online: The pros and cons of free-range chicken
BusinessWorld Online: The pros and cons of free-range chicken:
"A type of chicken raised in a countryside-like setting has captured a niche market consisting of the upper class, the health-conscious and the gourmets.
First imported from France in 1997, free range (F1) chicken has captured the hearts — and stomachs — of a select group of people who want to veer away from the conventional broiler chicken.
'The chefs, consumers and health buffs like it,' Erwin Joseph S. Cruz, owner of Happy Farmers Poultry Enterprise and a specialist in raising F1 chicken, said in the vernacular.
'The middle class is [gradually] accepting it. The question now is how it will go to the mainstream in economies of scale,' he added.
F1 chicken, imported from Grimaud Freres of France, is usually raised in a country-like farm, much like our 'native' chickens.
Compared with the conventional broiler chickens that flood the market, high quality certified F1 chicken is known to be more resistant to bacterial and viral infections resulting in less mortality and higher livability.
'White chicken is prone to diseases. And it eventually forces the farmer to use medicines. Free range chickens do not have hormones and antibiotics in their bodies,' he said.
As a means of encouragement to poultry farmers, F1 chicken meat is sold in the markets at a premium price of P250-P300 per kilogram, more than twice the price of white chicken at P120 per kilo.
F1 chicken also has 70% less fat, more Omega-3 nutrients and more antioxidants compared with white chicken.
Meanwhile, eggs of F1 chicken contain higher folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene, with a third less cholesterol content and a quarter less saturated fat compared with white chicken eggs.
'You no longer need to feed animals with synthetic vitamins,' Mr. Cruz said.
However, the steep pricing limits the growth of the industry.
'There are many barriers in pricing because of the length of the growth and the premium feeds like Class-A corn,' Mr. Cruz said.
F1 chickens are raised for 60-81 days, two times longer than for white chickens (30-32 days). According to European standards, an F1 chicken should have at least one square meter of lot to range in.
Having the freedom to range, the chickens consume less feeds on a daily basis as they also feed on earthworms, corn, tomatoes, grass and leftover rice.
Farmers Choice, a certified distributor of day-old F1 chicks, is connected with three major farms namely the Villegas Hobby Farm in Malvar, Batangas, the Ramas Farm in Maragondon, Cavite, and Antonio’s Farm in Antipolo, Rizal. All three sell F1 chicken meat.
Earlier this year, poultry meat producer Bounty Farms, Inc. said it imported F1 chickens from Hubbard in France.
Bounty Fresh will raise around 10,000 free-range chicken in central and southern Luzon."
"A type of chicken raised in a countryside-like setting has captured a niche market consisting of the upper class, the health-conscious and the gourmets.
First imported from France in 1997, free range (F1) chicken has captured the hearts — and stomachs — of a select group of people who want to veer away from the conventional broiler chicken.
'The chefs, consumers and health buffs like it,' Erwin Joseph S. Cruz, owner of Happy Farmers Poultry Enterprise and a specialist in raising F1 chicken, said in the vernacular.
'The middle class is [gradually] accepting it. The question now is how it will go to the mainstream in economies of scale,' he added.
F1 chicken, imported from Grimaud Freres of France, is usually raised in a country-like farm, much like our 'native' chickens.
Compared with the conventional broiler chickens that flood the market, high quality certified F1 chicken is known to be more resistant to bacterial and viral infections resulting in less mortality and higher livability.
'White chicken is prone to diseases. And it eventually forces the farmer to use medicines. Free range chickens do not have hormones and antibiotics in their bodies,' he said.
As a means of encouragement to poultry farmers, F1 chicken meat is sold in the markets at a premium price of P250-P300 per kilogram, more than twice the price of white chicken at P120 per kilo.
F1 chicken also has 70% less fat, more Omega-3 nutrients and more antioxidants compared with white chicken.
Meanwhile, eggs of F1 chicken contain higher folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E and seven times more beta-carotene, with a third less cholesterol content and a quarter less saturated fat compared with white chicken eggs.
'You no longer need to feed animals with synthetic vitamins,' Mr. Cruz said.
However, the steep pricing limits the growth of the industry.
'There are many barriers in pricing because of the length of the growth and the premium feeds like Class-A corn,' Mr. Cruz said.
F1 chickens are raised for 60-81 days, two times longer than for white chickens (30-32 days). According to European standards, an F1 chicken should have at least one square meter of lot to range in.
Having the freedom to range, the chickens consume less feeds on a daily basis as they also feed on earthworms, corn, tomatoes, grass and leftover rice.
Farmers Choice, a certified distributor of day-old F1 chicks, is connected with three major farms namely the Villegas Hobby Farm in Malvar, Batangas, the Ramas Farm in Maragondon, Cavite, and Antonio’s Farm in Antipolo, Rizal. All three sell F1 chicken meat.
Earlier this year, poultry meat producer Bounty Farms, Inc. said it imported F1 chickens from Hubbard in France.
Bounty Fresh will raise around 10,000 free-range chicken in central and southern Luzon."
Frequently Asked Questions on PayEasy Cart
Frequently Asked Questions on PayEasy Cart: "What are the limitations of using the Cart?
The Cart is designed for use of small and micro enterprises who want to take their existing website to the next level. These merchants typically carry only a small catalog of ten (10) types of items or less in their online store, and expect to only do about PHP100,000 (USD2,000) of online sales per month. Because this is a generic shopping cart implementation, the merchant cannot fully control the look-and-feel of the shopping process. However, the merchant logo and name will consistently appear on the Cart interface to assure the buyer that he is still buying the item from the merchant.
Since the Cart emails the completed transaction details to the merchant, this assumes that a person at the merchant side will manually process the order during business hours. It is therefore not possible to use this service for selling items that require real-time fulfillment. Examples of such service include: dispensing of electronic PIN's for phone/internet/gaming cards online and realtime; or issuing of Digital Rights Management (DRM) licenses for music downloads online and realtime.
The Cart can perform three simple types of shipping computation: Fixed, Weight or Price. Under the Fixed computation method, the same shipping amount is charged regardless of the number of items placed into the cart. For the Weight method, the weight of the individual items in the cart is added and multiplied by the rate provided by the merchant. For the Price method, the prices of the individual items in the cart are added and multiplied by the rate provided by the merchant. Under all three cases, the merchant can provide a local and an international rate. The Cart will determine which rate to use based on the shipping address specified by the buyer"
The Cart is designed for use of small and micro enterprises who want to take their existing website to the next level. These merchants typically carry only a small catalog of ten (10) types of items or less in their online store, and expect to only do about PHP100,000 (USD2,000) of online sales per month. Because this is a generic shopping cart implementation, the merchant cannot fully control the look-and-feel of the shopping process. However, the merchant logo and name will consistently appear on the Cart interface to assure the buyer that he is still buying the item from the merchant.
Since the Cart emails the completed transaction details to the merchant, this assumes that a person at the merchant side will manually process the order during business hours. It is therefore not possible to use this service for selling items that require real-time fulfillment. Examples of such service include: dispensing of electronic PIN's for phone/internet/gaming cards online and realtime; or issuing of Digital Rights Management (DRM) licenses for music downloads online and realtime.
The Cart can perform three simple types of shipping computation: Fixed, Weight or Price. Under the Fixed computation method, the same shipping amount is charged regardless of the number of items placed into the cart. For the Weight method, the weight of the individual items in the cart is added and multiplied by the rate provided by the merchant. For the Price method, the prices of the individual items in the cart are added and multiplied by the rate provided by the merchant. Under all three cases, the merchant can provide a local and an international rate. The Cart will determine which rate to use based on the shipping address specified by the buyer"
Start your own small business - money making job - run your own business
Start your own small business - money making job - run your own business:
"Business Plans
The Business Plans have been designed and customized specifically for each particular business opportunity. Each Business Plan instruction file has been professional prepared and written with an expanded table of contents for easy access to all of the valuable information contained in each section.
General Business Plans
The Business Plan for Small Business
The Business Plan for Your Franchise Operation
Retail Store Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Arcade Operation
The Business Plan for Your Art Gallery
The Business Plan for Your Asian Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Auto Body Shop
The Business Plan for Your Auto Repair Shop
The Business Plan for Your Automobile Dealership
The Business Plan for Your Bakery
The Business Plan for Your Bar or Tavern
The Business Plan for Your Barbecue Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Beauty Salon
The Business Plan for Your Bicycle Shop
The Business Plan for Your Bistro Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Book Store
The Business Plan for Your Bowling Center
The Business Plan for Your Bridal Shop
The Business Plan for Your Buffet Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Cafe
The Business Plan for Your Cafeteria Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Candy Store
The Business Plan for Your Cantina
The Business Plan for Your Car Audio Service
The Business Plan for Your Car Wash Operation
The Business Plan for Your Chinese Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Clothing Store
The Business Plan for Your Coffee Shop
The Business Plan for Your Coin Operated Laundry
The Business Plan for Your Computer Store
The Business Plan for Your Consignment Store
The Business Plan for Your Convenience Store
The Business Plan for Your Cosmetics Store
The Business Plan for Your Dance Studio
The Business Plan for Your Deli
The Business Plan for Your Donut Shop
The Business Plan for Your Dry Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Fitness Center
The Business Plan for Your Florist Shop
The Business Plan for Your French Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Furniture Store
The Business Plan for Your Gift Basket Service
The Business Plan for Your Gift Shop
The Business Plan for Your Golf Driving Range
The Business Plan for Your Grocery Store
The Business Plan for Your Hair Salon
The Business Plan for Your Hotel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Ice Cream Store
The Business Plan for Your Internet Cafe
The Business Plan for Your Italian Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Japanese Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Jewelry Store
The Business Plan for Your Kennel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Kiosk Operation
The Business Plan for Your Liquor Store
The Business Plan for Your Mexican Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Miniature Golf Course
The Business Plan for Your Mobile Phone Store
The Business Plan for Your Motel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Motorcycle Store
The Business Plan for Your Movie Theater
The Business Plan for Your Nail Salon
The Business Plan for Your Nightclub
The Business Plan for Your Pawn Shop
The Business Plan for Your Pet Grooming Service
The Business Plan for Your Pet Shop
The Business Plan for Your Pizzeria
The Business Plan for Your Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Seafood Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Self Storage Operation
The Business Plan for Your Spa Salon
The Business Plan for Your Sporting Goods Store
The Business Plan for Your Steakhouse Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Tanning Salon
The Business Plan for Your Tire Store
The Business Plan for Your Video Rental Store
The Business Plan for Your Window Treatment Service
Service Industry Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Air Conditioning and Heating Company
The Business Plan for Your Apartment Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Auto Decal Service
The Business Plan for Your Bed and Breakfast
The Business Plan for Your Bookkeeping Service
The Business Plan for Your Campground Operation
The Business Plan for Your Carpet Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Catering Service
The Business Plan for Your Check Cashing Service
The Business Plan for Your Collection Agency
The Business Plan for Your Commercial Cleaning Company
The Business Plan for Your Computer Consulting Service
The Business Plan for Your Computer Repair Service
The Business Plan for Your Concierge Service
The Business Plan for Your Construction Company
The Business Plan for Your Consulting Service
The Business Plan for Your Courier Service
The Business Plan for Your Credit and Debt Repair Service
The Business Plan for Your Day Care Center
The Business Plan for Your Electrical Contracting Company
The Business Plan for Your Firewood Business
The Business Plan for Your Freight Brokerage Business
The Business Plan for Your General Contracting Service
The Business Plan for Your Home Health Agency
The Business Plan for Your Home Inspection Service
The Business Plan for Your Import-Export Business
The Business Plan for Your Interior Design Company
The Business Plan for Your Janitorial Service
The Business Plan for Your Leasing Company
The Business Plan for Your Limousine Service
The Business Plan for Your Locksmith Service
The Business Plan for Your Lunch Truck Operation
The Business Plan for Your Medical Billing Service
The Business Plan for Your Modeling Agency
The Business Plan for Your Moving Company
The Business Plan for Your Nursing Agency
The Business Plan for Your Painting Contractor Business
The Business Plan for Your Party Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Personal Chef Service
The Business Plan for Your Personal Trainer Service
The Business Plan for Your Pest Control Service
The Business Plan for Your Photography Service
The Business Plan for Your Plumbing Company
The Business Plan for Your Pool Service Company
The Business Plan for Your Power Washing Service
The Business Plan for Your Proofreading Service
The Business Plan for Your Property Management Company
The Business Plan for Your Scrap Metal Business
The Business Plan for Your Security Company
The Business Plan for Your Staffing Agency
The Business Plan for Your Tow Truck Service
The Business Plan for Your Truck Driving School
The Business Plan for Your Trucking Company
The Business Plan for Your Vending Machine Service
The Business Plan for Your Video Taping Service
The Business Plan for Your Wedding Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Windshield & Dent Repair Service
Professional Service Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Accounting Service
The Business Plan for Your Advertising Agency
The Business Plan for Your Antique Dealer Operation
The Business Plan for Your Business Plan Writing Service
The Business Plan for Your Executive Recruiting Firm
The Business Plan for Your Financial Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Funeral Home
The Business Plan for Your Insurance Agency
The Business Plan for Your Mortgage Broker Service
The Business Plan for Your Music Publishing Company
The Business Plan for Your Music School
The Business Plan for Your Private Investigation Service
The Business Plan for Your Public Relations Firm
The Business Plan for Your Publishing Company
The Business Plan for Your Real Estate Agency
The Business Plan for Your Real Estate Development Company
The Business Plan for Your Recording Studio
The Business Plan for Your Travel Agency
The Business Plan for Your Video Production Company
The Business Plan for Your Website Design and Hosting Company
Landscaping Series Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Barbecue Grill Service
The Business Plan for Your Fence Company
The Business Plan for Your Greenhouse Company
The Business Plan for Your Hot Tub Company
The Business Plan for Your Landscaping Service
The Business Plan for Your Lawn Care Service
The Business Plan for Your Outdoor Lighting Company
The Business Plan for Your Patio Cover Service
The Business Plan for Your Patio Deck Company
The Business Plan for Your Pool Company
The Business Plan for Your Sprinkler System Company
The Business Plan for Your Tree Trimming Company"
"Business Plans
The Business Plans have been designed and customized specifically for each particular business opportunity. Each Business Plan instruction file has been professional prepared and written with an expanded table of contents for easy access to all of the valuable information contained in each section.
General Business Plans
The Business Plan for Small Business
The Business Plan for Your Franchise Operation
Retail Store Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Arcade Operation
The Business Plan for Your Art Gallery
The Business Plan for Your Asian Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Auto Body Shop
The Business Plan for Your Auto Repair Shop
The Business Plan for Your Automobile Dealership
The Business Plan for Your Bakery
The Business Plan for Your Bar or Tavern
The Business Plan for Your Barbecue Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Beauty Salon
The Business Plan for Your Bicycle Shop
The Business Plan for Your Bistro Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Book Store
The Business Plan for Your Bowling Center
The Business Plan for Your Bridal Shop
The Business Plan for Your Buffet Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Cafe
The Business Plan for Your Cafeteria Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Candy Store
The Business Plan for Your Cantina
The Business Plan for Your Car Audio Service
The Business Plan for Your Car Wash Operation
The Business Plan for Your Chinese Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Clothing Store
The Business Plan for Your Coffee Shop
The Business Plan for Your Coin Operated Laundry
The Business Plan for Your Computer Store
The Business Plan for Your Consignment Store
The Business Plan for Your Convenience Store
The Business Plan for Your Cosmetics Store
The Business Plan for Your Dance Studio
The Business Plan for Your Deli
The Business Plan for Your Donut Shop
The Business Plan for Your Dry Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Fitness Center
The Business Plan for Your Florist Shop
The Business Plan for Your French Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Furniture Store
The Business Plan for Your Gift Basket Service
The Business Plan for Your Gift Shop
The Business Plan for Your Golf Driving Range
The Business Plan for Your Grocery Store
The Business Plan for Your Hair Salon
The Business Plan for Your Hotel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Ice Cream Store
The Business Plan for Your Internet Cafe
The Business Plan for Your Italian Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Japanese Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Jewelry Store
The Business Plan for Your Kennel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Kiosk Operation
The Business Plan for Your Liquor Store
The Business Plan for Your Mexican Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Miniature Golf Course
The Business Plan for Your Mobile Phone Store
The Business Plan for Your Motel Operation
The Business Plan for Your Motorcycle Store
The Business Plan for Your Movie Theater
The Business Plan for Your Nail Salon
The Business Plan for Your Nightclub
The Business Plan for Your Pawn Shop
The Business Plan for Your Pet Grooming Service
The Business Plan for Your Pet Shop
The Business Plan for Your Pizzeria
The Business Plan for Your Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Seafood Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Self Storage Operation
The Business Plan for Your Spa Salon
The Business Plan for Your Sporting Goods Store
The Business Plan for Your Steakhouse Restaurant
The Business Plan for Your Tanning Salon
The Business Plan for Your Tire Store
The Business Plan for Your Video Rental Store
The Business Plan for Your Window Treatment Service
Service Industry Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Air Conditioning and Heating Company
The Business Plan for Your Apartment Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Auto Decal Service
The Business Plan for Your Bed and Breakfast
The Business Plan for Your Bookkeeping Service
The Business Plan for Your Campground Operation
The Business Plan for Your Carpet Cleaning Service
The Business Plan for Your Catering Service
The Business Plan for Your Check Cashing Service
The Business Plan for Your Collection Agency
The Business Plan for Your Commercial Cleaning Company
The Business Plan for Your Computer Consulting Service
The Business Plan for Your Computer Repair Service
The Business Plan for Your Concierge Service
The Business Plan for Your Construction Company
The Business Plan for Your Consulting Service
The Business Plan for Your Courier Service
The Business Plan for Your Credit and Debt Repair Service
The Business Plan for Your Day Care Center
The Business Plan for Your Electrical Contracting Company
The Business Plan for Your Firewood Business
The Business Plan for Your Freight Brokerage Business
The Business Plan for Your General Contracting Service
The Business Plan for Your Home Health Agency
The Business Plan for Your Home Inspection Service
The Business Plan for Your Import-Export Business
The Business Plan for Your Interior Design Company
The Business Plan for Your Janitorial Service
The Business Plan for Your Leasing Company
The Business Plan for Your Limousine Service
The Business Plan for Your Locksmith Service
The Business Plan for Your Lunch Truck Operation
The Business Plan for Your Medical Billing Service
The Business Plan for Your Modeling Agency
The Business Plan for Your Moving Company
The Business Plan for Your Nursing Agency
The Business Plan for Your Painting Contractor Business
The Business Plan for Your Party Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Personal Chef Service
The Business Plan for Your Personal Trainer Service
The Business Plan for Your Pest Control Service
The Business Plan for Your Photography Service
The Business Plan for Your Plumbing Company
The Business Plan for Your Pool Service Company
The Business Plan for Your Power Washing Service
The Business Plan for Your Proofreading Service
The Business Plan for Your Property Management Company
The Business Plan for Your Scrap Metal Business
The Business Plan for Your Security Company
The Business Plan for Your Staffing Agency
The Business Plan for Your Tow Truck Service
The Business Plan for Your Truck Driving School
The Business Plan for Your Trucking Company
The Business Plan for Your Vending Machine Service
The Business Plan for Your Video Taping Service
The Business Plan for Your Wedding Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Windshield & Dent Repair Service
Professional Service Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Accounting Service
The Business Plan for Your Advertising Agency
The Business Plan for Your Antique Dealer Operation
The Business Plan for Your Business Plan Writing Service
The Business Plan for Your Executive Recruiting Firm
The Business Plan for Your Financial Planning Service
The Business Plan for Your Funeral Home
The Business Plan for Your Insurance Agency
The Business Plan for Your Mortgage Broker Service
The Business Plan for Your Music Publishing Company
The Business Plan for Your Music School
The Business Plan for Your Private Investigation Service
The Business Plan for Your Public Relations Firm
The Business Plan for Your Publishing Company
The Business Plan for Your Real Estate Agency
The Business Plan for Your Real Estate Development Company
The Business Plan for Your Recording Studio
The Business Plan for Your Travel Agency
The Business Plan for Your Video Production Company
The Business Plan for Your Website Design and Hosting Company
Landscaping Series Business Plans
The Business Plan for Your Barbecue Grill Service
The Business Plan for Your Fence Company
The Business Plan for Your Greenhouse Company
The Business Plan for Your Hot Tub Company
The Business Plan for Your Landscaping Service
The Business Plan for Your Lawn Care Service
The Business Plan for Your Outdoor Lighting Company
The Business Plan for Your Patio Cover Service
The Business Plan for Your Patio Deck Company
The Business Plan for Your Pool Company
The Business Plan for Your Sprinkler System Company
The Business Plan for Your Tree Trimming Company"
EntrepreNEWS: Archive
EntrepreNEWS: Archive: "Latest Articles
* Bulky Business
* Buy both ways
Sections:
* How to
“Sell in Boxes” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
* 30 and under
“Tall orders” — By A.J.B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Social change through tech innovations”
“The real PLDT play for MERALCO”
“Understanding the non-consumer”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Customer service opportunities in tough times (Part II)”
Latest Articles
* Greener Pastures
* Shuttle to success
Sections:
* 30 and under
“Squeeze no more” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“A campaign to carry” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
* How to
“The dynamics of ‘ecolonomics’” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Where the Blue Ocean strategy differs”
“Insights on Blue Ocean Strategy”
“Education for entrepreneurs”
“Lusting After The Kindle”
“Are there best practices in innovation?”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Customer service opportunities in tough times”
“Reducing Inventory in Tough Times”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
“Surviving the crisis”
February 3, 2009
* No Reservations
Sections:
* How to
“Restaurant 101” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* 30 and under
“A different take at dining” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Lusting After The Kindle”
“Are there best practices in innovation?”
“Reexamining the business models”
“The adaptable corporation”
“Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
“Reducing Inventory in Tough Times”
“Surviving the crisis”
January 6, 2009
* Buying your own Business
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“A fruitful tandem” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“Hot and cold” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
* How to
“A booth to behold” — By B. M. V. Berida, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Reexamining the business models”
“The adaptable corporation”
“Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Surviving the crisis”
December 2, 2008
* Grand Homecoming
* New business for a balikbayan
Sections:
* How to
“Come home to a business” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“Building a legacy” — By ANTON JAVIER B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Virtual ventures” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
— “From UPstarts to StartUPs”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Reducing cost in an economic downturn”
November 4, 2008
* Across Borders
* Leading with trust
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Rugs to riches” — By SHELLY FAUNE C. DIMACULANGAN
* The Big Idea
“The barong steps up” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* How to
“Bringing your business abroad”
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Open innovation platforms”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Building manufacturing excellence”
October 7, 2008
* Entering the Art Mart
* Glamor from Iligan
* Art debutantes
Sections:
* How to
“A new taste of art” — BY BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
* SME.com.ph feature
— General strategies for the niche marketer
— Investing active income wisely
— Guide to successful workplace training
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Prediction markets”
— “Corporate jamming”
— “Is Enterprise 2.0 for you?”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Reducing the cost to deliver”
— “Six Myths Leading to Lean Failure”
* Featured SME
Maldita: Street smart and fashion forward
September 4, 2008
* The Buzz on Bazaars
* Beyond the basic fair
* Lessons in business succession
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Out of the shoebox” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA
* The Big Idea
“Variety is key” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL
* How to
“Bazaar-born and -bred” — By ANTON JAVIER B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“The T-shaped IT professional”
“Computer empowered human-to-human interaction”
“Business models for writers”
“Location, location, location”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Six Myths Leading to Lean Failure”
* Featured SME
Maldita: Street smart and fashion forward
Tentay Food Sauces: A happy accident
Ultra Bio feeds local livestock industry
July 30, 2008
* Betting on the start-ups
* Local technology firm faces global challenges
* Tita Santos-Caranto: Super-entrepreneur, Super-mom
* From the island: A financing story
* Gaining in the time of crisis
* DPC Yellow Pages bridges SMEs to their markets
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Dine and play” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida, Special Features Writer
* How to
“Cream of the crop” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under
“A flair for fashion” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Listen to your customers”
June 25, 2008
* A Rainy Day Fix
* Warming yourself up on a rainy day
* The ‘It’ brolly
* Other Stories
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Stomp in style” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Mobile Innovation at Globe Labs”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Listen to your customers”
May 28, 2008
* Ready to wed
* Sampaguita Bouquet, Anyone?
* Sweet moments captured
* Weddings in the Philippines
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“A Site to See” — By Agape Grace E. Miguel
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under
“House of Bliss A family affair” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“The Nokia Mobile Entrepreneurship Awards”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Reducing the impact of fuel prices”
April 30, 2008
* ‘Tis the season to be merry
* When food teems of culture
* The Big F
* Festival Fever
* Cashing in on the festival fever
* Another way to eat an old favorite
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Eclectic mix” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Limits to Growth”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“A step towards continual improvement”
March 26, 2008
* Fresh, hot business
* Pack, point, and shoot
* A quick getaway
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“B for Business” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Beat your way to business” — By Hannah M. Muralla
* Dealing with numbers:
“Flipflops for summer and year-round ” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Young entrepreneurs to represent country in Stanford” — By Hannah M. Muralla
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Software platforms”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Flexible operations: Key to a responsive supply chain system”
February 27, 2008
* Building blocks of Knowledge
* Shaken, not stirred
* Effective Marketing for SMEs, a BusinessWorld exclusive
* The Kumon advantage
* Band of mentors
* Ahead of the pack
Sections:
* Entrepreneur’s corner
“THOMAS Y. HAW: Davao’s pride”
* The Big Idea
“The Hands that Mold Them” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Best market a product” — By Roumel A. Itum
* Dealing with numbers:
“Little steps to success” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Tumble Tots’ Dyan Joyce Cortez: The Spirit of Business in Education” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Creative innovation-generating models”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Sales and operations planning: Making supply meet demand”
February 27, 2008
* Building blocks of Knowledge
* Shaken, not stirred
* Effective Marketing for SMEs, a BusinessWorld exclusive
* The Kumon advantage
* Band of mentors
* Ahead of the pack
Sections:
* Entrepreneur’s corner
“THOMAS Y. HAW: Davao’s pride”
* The Big Idea
“The Hands that Mold Them” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Best market a product” — By Roumel A. Itum
* Dealing with numbers:
“Little steps to success” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Tumble Tots’ Dyan Joyce Cortez: The Spirit of Business in Education” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Creative innovation-generating models”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Sales and operations planning: Making supply meet demand”
January 30, 2008
* The New Blood of Business
* Mark Nicdao: Lucky streak
* Patty Betita: Strutting her way to image enhancement
* Ino Caluza: Jeans for a victor
* Amina Aranaz-Alunan: On her toes
Sections:
* Young Entrepreneurs:
“My own boss” — By Hannah M. Muralla:
* The Big idea:
“The shirt as a canvass” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* How to:
“Start your own business” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
* Dealing with numbers:
“The beauty business ” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Styling and Helping” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Technology adoption, two products and two writers”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Building a responsive supply chain”
December 26, 2007
* Betting big on the fitness craze
* Back to basics
* A closer look at trainers
* The Wellness Theory
Sections:
* How to...
“Gear up and go” — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Dealing with numbers:
“Selling Fitness” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* The Big idea:
“All in the bag” — By Ikka C. De Guzman
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Adapt and evolve from mistakes”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Efficiency vs Responsiveness”
November 28, 2007
* Deck your halls with these
* Lighting up the season
* Bayanihan in the holiday decor business
* Fully-loaded holiday treats
* Holiday sweet treats
Sections:
* How to...
'A merry measure' — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
'Bag all you can' — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
* The Big idea:
Picture this — By Ikka C. De Guzman
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
”Productize“ that idea
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
'Re-implementing ERP'
October 31, 2007
* Cashing in on the travel boom
* A traveler’s tale
* Advocacy turned tourist destination
Sections:
* How to... set up a travel agency
'Trip tailoring 101' — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
'Green is in' — By Ikka C. De Guzman
* The Big idea:
Please walk this way — By Hannah M. Muralla
* Dealing with numbers:
'Startin’ up' — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
Columns:
* Marginal Notes — By Federico C. Gonzalez
Filipino software going global
* Business as usual — By Jose Navarro
'Managers and leaders'
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
'Demand Forecasting'
September 26, 2007
* Nouveau Filipino
* Hidden find
* How to put up a food business
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez:'Tech Boot Camp'
* Penta Jade — By Anton Javier B. Dizon'From a school project to a business endeavor'
* Eat out!
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy. J. Jader: 'Developing collaborative partnership with customers'
* What makes a good casual dining resto?
* I-cone-ice foodfare
August 29, 2007
* Bottom-up approach: rural banks and entrepreneurs
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez: 'Why outsource?'
* When SMEs go hi-tech
* Managing the transition
* Slammer’s Dynamic Duo
* Cd-r King Lording it over
* Keeping inventory records accurate
* Own an Internet cafe franchise
* Entrepreneurs for social change
* A date with a supply chain guru
* To the Manor and Business Born
* Going for an earthy feel
July 19, 2007
* Cebu and Davao rise as new tech hubs
* The slippery slope of global location ranking
* Betting on the future through IT
* Real savings from real loss reduction
* Consortium takes lead in honing ICT professionals
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Extraordinary leadership
* Repositioning Philippine houseware
July 05, 2007
* Cutting red tape
* Booting up the tech start-up (Part 2)
* It’s a young market
* Rx for stunted small businesses
* A question of efficiency
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* The merchant of fashion jewelry
June 21, 2007
* Field of dreams
* Booting up the tech start-up
* The big business of bling
* Of leadership and teamwork
* Bridging the information gap
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Meeting customer delivery commitment
* Cupcakes take the cake
June 7, 2007
* Sulong!
Helping SMEs move forward
* How effective is mentoring?
* Strength in numbers
* Entrepreneurship and education
* Having cash flow problems?
* Out of the comfort zone
* Spurring growth in the SME sector
* SME express delivery
* 7 secrets to international success
* Organic definitions
* Virgin birth
VCO producers learn from the missteps of the nata de coco industry
* All in the family
* Who’s helping SMEs?
May 24, 2007
* One small loan, one giant leap for microentrepreneurs
* Opportunity-seeking
* Nutty inspiration
* Inventory: asset or liability?
* Confessions of a kikay entrepreneur
* Strategic imperatives
* Localize before globalizing
* Certified top quality
* Who’s helping SMEs?
May 10, 2007
* Divine intervention
* Of sleeping fish and guardian angels
* Profiting with CSR
* Separation of assets: Tips in managing business and personal finances
* Efficiency vs. design
* State of the Sector Report on Philippine Furniture 2005
* Harnessing volunteerism to empower SMEs
* Opportunity-seeking: starting from within
* The right to financing
* Who’s helping SMEs?
April 26, 2007
* Show SME the money!
* The real score on credit
* A global snapshot of the furniture market
* Cracking into the billion-dollar furniture industry
* Of networks and ecosystems
* Leveraging effective SCM
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Value creation in SME financing
* Smart CSR
* Conquer the virtual world"
* Bulky Business
* Buy both ways
Sections:
* How to
“Sell in Boxes” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
* 30 and under
“Tall orders” — By A.J.B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Social change through tech innovations”
“The real PLDT play for MERALCO”
“Understanding the non-consumer”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Customer service opportunities in tough times (Part II)”
Latest Articles
* Greener Pastures
* Shuttle to success
Sections:
* 30 and under
“Squeeze no more” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“A campaign to carry” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
* How to
“The dynamics of ‘ecolonomics’” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Where the Blue Ocean strategy differs”
“Insights on Blue Ocean Strategy”
“Education for entrepreneurs”
“Lusting After The Kindle”
“Are there best practices in innovation?”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Customer service opportunities in tough times”
“Reducing Inventory in Tough Times”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
“Surviving the crisis”
February 3, 2009
* No Reservations
Sections:
* How to
“Restaurant 101” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* 30 and under
“A different take at dining” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Lusting After The Kindle”
“Are there best practices in innovation?”
“Reexamining the business models”
“The adaptable corporation”
“Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
“Reducing Inventory in Tough Times”
“Surviving the crisis”
January 6, 2009
* Buying your own Business
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“A fruitful tandem” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“Hot and cold” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
* How to
“A booth to behold” — By B. M. V. Berida, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Reexamining the business models”
“The adaptable corporation”
“Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
* Supply Chain Collaboration — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Surviving the crisis”
December 2, 2008
* Grand Homecoming
* New business for a balikbayan
Sections:
* How to
“Come home to a business” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* The Big Idea
“Building a legacy” — By ANTON JAVIER B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Virtual ventures” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Corporate transformation or creative destruction?”
— “From UPstarts to StartUPs”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Reducing cost in an economic downturn”
November 4, 2008
* Across Borders
* Leading with trust
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Rugs to riches” — By SHELLY FAUNE C. DIMACULANGAN
* The Big Idea
“The barong steps up” — By HANNAH M. MURALLA, Special Features Assistant Editor
* How to
“Bringing your business abroad”
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Open innovation platforms”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Building manufacturing excellence”
October 7, 2008
* Entering the Art Mart
* Glamor from Iligan
* Art debutantes
Sections:
* How to
“A new taste of art” — BY BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA, Special Features Writer
* SME.com.ph feature
— General strategies for the niche marketer
— Investing active income wisely
— Guide to successful workplace training
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
— “Prediction markets”
— “Corporate jamming”
— “Is Enterprise 2.0 for you?”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
— “Reducing the cost to deliver”
— “Six Myths Leading to Lean Failure”
* Featured SME
Maldita: Street smart and fashion forward
September 4, 2008
* The Buzz on Bazaars
* Beyond the basic fair
* Lessons in business succession
Sections:
* Entrepreneur, 30 and under
“Out of the shoebox” — By BERNICE MARIE V. BERIDA
* The Big Idea
“Variety is key” — By AGAPE GRACE E. MIGUEL
* How to
“Bazaar-born and -bred” — By ANTON JAVIER B. DIZON, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“The T-shaped IT professional”
“Computer empowered human-to-human interaction”
“Business models for writers”
“Location, location, location”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Six Myths Leading to Lean Failure”
* Featured SME
Maldita: Street smart and fashion forward
Tentay Food Sauces: A happy accident
Ultra Bio feeds local livestock industry
July 30, 2008
* Betting on the start-ups
* Local technology firm faces global challenges
* Tita Santos-Caranto: Super-entrepreneur, Super-mom
* From the island: A financing story
* Gaining in the time of crisis
* DPC Yellow Pages bridges SMEs to their markets
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Dine and play” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida, Special Features Writer
* How to
“Cream of the crop” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under
“A flair for fashion” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Listen to your customers”
June 25, 2008
* A Rainy Day Fix
* Warming yourself up on a rainy day
* The ‘It’ brolly
* Other Stories
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Stomp in style” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Mobile Innovation at Globe Labs”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Listen to your customers”
May 28, 2008
* Ready to wed
* Sampaguita Bouquet, Anyone?
* Sweet moments captured
* Weddings in the Philippines
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“A Site to See” — By Agape Grace E. Miguel
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under
“House of Bliss A family affair” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“The Nokia Mobile Entrepreneurship Awards”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Reducing the impact of fuel prices”
April 30, 2008
* ‘Tis the season to be merry
* When food teems of culture
* The Big F
* Festival Fever
* Cashing in on the festival fever
* Another way to eat an old favorite
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“Eclectic mix” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Limits to Growth”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“A step towards continual improvement”
March 26, 2008
* Fresh, hot business
* Pack, point, and shoot
* A quick getaway
Sections:
* The Big Idea
“B for Business” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Beat your way to business” — By Hannah M. Muralla
* Dealing with numbers:
“Flipflops for summer and year-round ” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Young entrepreneurs to represent country in Stanford” — By Hannah M. Muralla
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Software platforms”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Flexible operations: Key to a responsive supply chain system”
February 27, 2008
* Building blocks of Knowledge
* Shaken, not stirred
* Effective Marketing for SMEs, a BusinessWorld exclusive
* The Kumon advantage
* Band of mentors
* Ahead of the pack
Sections:
* Entrepreneur’s corner
“THOMAS Y. HAW: Davao’s pride”
* The Big Idea
“The Hands that Mold Them” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Best market a product” — By Roumel A. Itum
* Dealing with numbers:
“Little steps to success” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Tumble Tots’ Dyan Joyce Cortez: The Spirit of Business in Education” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Creative innovation-generating models”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Sales and operations planning: Making supply meet demand”
February 27, 2008
* Building blocks of Knowledge
* Shaken, not stirred
* Effective Marketing for SMEs, a BusinessWorld exclusive
* The Kumon advantage
* Band of mentors
* Ahead of the pack
Sections:
* Entrepreneur’s corner
“THOMAS Y. HAW: Davao’s pride”
* The Big Idea
“The Hands that Mold Them” — By Ikka C. De Guzman, Special Features Writer
* How to:
“Best market a product” — By Roumel A. Itum
* Dealing with numbers:
“Little steps to success” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Tumble Tots’ Dyan Joyce Cortez: The Spirit of Business in Education” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Creative innovation-generating models”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Sales and operations planning: Making supply meet demand”
January 30, 2008
* The New Blood of Business
* Mark Nicdao: Lucky streak
* Patty Betita: Strutting her way to image enhancement
* Ino Caluza: Jeans for a victor
* Amina Aranaz-Alunan: On her toes
Sections:
* Young Entrepreneurs:
“My own boss” — By Hannah M. Muralla:
* The Big idea:
“The shirt as a canvass” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* How to:
“Start your own business” — By Hannah M. Muralla, Special Features Writer
* Dealing with numbers:
“The beauty business ” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
“Styling and Helping” — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Technology adoption, two products and two writers”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Building a responsive supply chain”
December 26, 2007
* Betting big on the fitness craze
* Back to basics
* A closer look at trainers
* The Wellness Theory
Sections:
* How to...
“Gear up and go” — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Dealing with numbers:
“Selling Fitness” — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
* The Big idea:
“All in the bag” — By Ikka C. De Guzman
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
“Adapt and evolve from mistakes”
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
“Efficiency vs Responsiveness”
November 28, 2007
* Deck your halls with these
* Lighting up the season
* Bayanihan in the holiday decor business
* Fully-loaded holiday treats
* Holiday sweet treats
Sections:
* How to...
'A merry measure' — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
'Bag all you can' — By Anton Javier B. Dizon
* The Big idea:
Picture this — By Ikka C. De Guzman
Columns:
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez
”Productize“ that idea
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
'Re-implementing ERP'
October 31, 2007
* Cashing in on the travel boom
* A traveler’s tale
* Advocacy turned tourist destination
Sections:
* How to... set up a travel agency
'Trip tailoring 101' — By Ikka C. De Guzman:
* Entrepreneurs, 30 and under:
'Green is in' — By Ikka C. De Guzman
* The Big idea:
Please walk this way — By Hannah M. Muralla
* Dealing with numbers:
'Startin’ up' — By Bernice Marie V. Berida
Columns:
* Marginal Notes — By Federico C. Gonzalez
Filipino software going global
* Business as usual — By Jose Navarro
'Managers and leaders'
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy J. Jader
'Demand Forecasting'
September 26, 2007
* Nouveau Filipino
* Hidden find
* How to put up a food business
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez:'Tech Boot Camp'
* Penta Jade — By Anton Javier B. Dizon'From a school project to a business endeavor'
* Eat out!
* Eliminate, Simplify, Integrate — By Jovy. J. Jader: 'Developing collaborative partnership with customers'
* What makes a good casual dining resto?
* I-cone-ice foodfare
August 29, 2007
* Bottom-up approach: rural banks and entrepreneurs
* Jumping the Curve — By Federico C. Gonzalez: 'Why outsource?'
* When SMEs go hi-tech
* Managing the transition
* Slammer’s Dynamic Duo
* Cd-r King Lording it over
* Keeping inventory records accurate
* Own an Internet cafe franchise
* Entrepreneurs for social change
* A date with a supply chain guru
* To the Manor and Business Born
* Going for an earthy feel
July 19, 2007
* Cebu and Davao rise as new tech hubs
* The slippery slope of global location ranking
* Betting on the future through IT
* Real savings from real loss reduction
* Consortium takes lead in honing ICT professionals
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Extraordinary leadership
* Repositioning Philippine houseware
July 05, 2007
* Cutting red tape
* Booting up the tech start-up (Part 2)
* It’s a young market
* Rx for stunted small businesses
* A question of efficiency
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* The merchant of fashion jewelry
June 21, 2007
* Field of dreams
* Booting up the tech start-up
* The big business of bling
* Of leadership and teamwork
* Bridging the information gap
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Meeting customer delivery commitment
* Cupcakes take the cake
June 7, 2007
* Sulong!
Helping SMEs move forward
* How effective is mentoring?
* Strength in numbers
* Entrepreneurship and education
* Having cash flow problems?
* Out of the comfort zone
* Spurring growth in the SME sector
* SME express delivery
* 7 secrets to international success
* Organic definitions
* Virgin birth
VCO producers learn from the missteps of the nata de coco industry
* All in the family
* Who’s helping SMEs?
May 24, 2007
* One small loan, one giant leap for microentrepreneurs
* Opportunity-seeking
* Nutty inspiration
* Inventory: asset or liability?
* Confessions of a kikay entrepreneur
* Strategic imperatives
* Localize before globalizing
* Certified top quality
* Who’s helping SMEs?
May 10, 2007
* Divine intervention
* Of sleeping fish and guardian angels
* Profiting with CSR
* Separation of assets: Tips in managing business and personal finances
* Efficiency vs. design
* State of the Sector Report on Philippine Furniture 2005
* Harnessing volunteerism to empower SMEs
* Opportunity-seeking: starting from within
* The right to financing
* Who’s helping SMEs?
April 26, 2007
* Show SME the money!
* The real score on credit
* A global snapshot of the furniture market
* Cracking into the billion-dollar furniture industry
* Of networks and ecosystems
* Leveraging effective SCM
* Who’s helping SMEs?
* Value creation in SME financing
* Smart CSR
* Conquer the virtual world"
Microfinance and Microcredit Investment | Microcapital.org
Microfinance and Microcredit Investment | Microcapital.org: "IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced that it will invest USD 7.4 million (a 16.4 percent participation/stake) in Microlender Caja Nuestra Gente, a Microfinance Institution serving 170,000 clients microlending in Peru. The IFC investment is also aimed to promote the growth and expansion of the Fundación BBVA para las Microfinanzas (owner of microlender, Caja Nuestra Genete) in Peru and Peruvian rural geographies. The IFC provides investments and advisory services to build the private sector in developing countries. Terms of the IFC’s investment are not provided. According to the IFC, Caja Nuestra Gente loan portfolio is currently at USD 146 million (average loan of USD 1,506 dollars) and presently serves 170,000 borrowers from low-income economies. Caja Nuestra Gente’s largest funder is Fundación BBVA para las Microfinanzas. Continue Reading »"
NEWS WIRE: Habitat for Humanity Invests $100M in Microfinance Sector
NEWS WIRE: Habitat for Humanity Invests $100M in Microfinance Sector:
"Wednesday, May 20, 2009
NEWS WIRE: Habitat for Humanity Invests $100M in Microfinance Sector
» Posted by Melissa Alvarez in Category: An Emerging Asset Class?, Risks at 12:01 am
Source: AP Associated Press
Original article available here.
ATLANTA, UNITED STATES, May 15 - Habitat will use $30 million to fund an endowment that will make yearly grants to help build more houses. The remaining $70 million will set up a micro-finance fund to help low-income families around the world repair and improve their housing.
The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity International is getting a $100 million gift from an Atlanta developer who said his work has offered him a look at the struggle of poor people to find decent housing.
The nonprofit group announced Thursday it received the largest individual contribution in its history, an offering that will help Habitat build 60,000 homes around the globe.
It’s one of the largest gifts in recent years to a group devoted to social services, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. A center official called it “remarkable” — especially in the midst of a gloomy economy.
The donation comes from J. Ronald Terwilliger of Atlanta, a former chief executive of housing developer Trammell Crow Residential Co. and a longtime member of Habitat’s board of directors.
Terwilliger said through his work with Habitat and in the private sector he’s witnessed the depths of poverty, seeing people living in cardboard shacks and unspeakable filth, as well as the struggle for middle-class families to find affordable housing.
“People need a decent, safe, clean residence where they can get a good night’s sleep and families can be together,” he said. “If they have that as an anchor, they have a way to send their kids off to school regularly and a better chance those children will be healthy.”
The donation comes at a difficult time for the Americus, Ga.-based organization, which like other nonprofit groups has struggled with increasing demand and slowing donations amid the economic downturn.
“This is a chance to have a really deep impact,” said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat’s chief executive. “It’s an unprecedented commitment that sets a new bar for what’s possible, and it encourages other people to give.”
Habitat will use $30 million to fund an endowment that will make yearly grants to help build more houses.
The remaining $70 million will set up a micro-finance fund to help low-income families around the world repair and improve their housing.
Dwight Burlingame, the Center on Philanthropy’s associate executive director, said charitable contributions that top $50 million tend to go to foundations, universities, hospitals and medical research.
Gifts of that size to social services groups like Habitat, he said, are rare.
“This is really quite exceptional,” Burlingame said. “And it’s especially exceptional in this economy.”
The micro-finance fund will be the first of its kind for Habitat. Reckford said it will provide loans ranging from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars to some of the world’s neediest.
Terwilliger, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, became Trammell Crow’s chief executive in 1986 and has long contributed to affordable housing projects. He also owns Atlanta’s WNBA franchise, the Atlanta Dream.
He joined Habitat’s board of directors in 2000 and was elected chairman in 2007. After stepping down as Trammell Crow’s chief executive last year he devoted more time to traveling the world to witness Habitat’s work. He remains the company’s chairman.
He called it a “moral imperative” to offer families more access to decent, affordable homes. And the short-term loan program he is helping to fund will make a lasting impression on the housing market by helping thousands of needy families, he said.
“We can provide additional solutions to families that need to build an extra room, that need to renovate their home,” he said. “It helps us leverage our dollars to impact as many families as possible.”
He also hopes his contribution will send a message to other philanthropists to step up their giving despite the troubled economy.
“My attitude is, for those of us who are fortunate enough to have made enough money that we don’t feel we have to leave it all to our family, then we ought to give it back.”"
"Wednesday, May 20, 2009
NEWS WIRE: Habitat for Humanity Invests $100M in Microfinance Sector
» Posted by Melissa Alvarez in Category: An Emerging Asset Class?, Risks at 12:01 am
Source: AP Associated Press
Original article available here.
ATLANTA, UNITED STATES, May 15 - Habitat will use $30 million to fund an endowment that will make yearly grants to help build more houses. The remaining $70 million will set up a micro-finance fund to help low-income families around the world repair and improve their housing.
The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity International is getting a $100 million gift from an Atlanta developer who said his work has offered him a look at the struggle of poor people to find decent housing.
The nonprofit group announced Thursday it received the largest individual contribution in its history, an offering that will help Habitat build 60,000 homes around the globe.
It’s one of the largest gifts in recent years to a group devoted to social services, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. A center official called it “remarkable” — especially in the midst of a gloomy economy.
The donation comes from J. Ronald Terwilliger of Atlanta, a former chief executive of housing developer Trammell Crow Residential Co. and a longtime member of Habitat’s board of directors.
Terwilliger said through his work with Habitat and in the private sector he’s witnessed the depths of poverty, seeing people living in cardboard shacks and unspeakable filth, as well as the struggle for middle-class families to find affordable housing.
“People need a decent, safe, clean residence where they can get a good night’s sleep and families can be together,” he said. “If they have that as an anchor, they have a way to send their kids off to school regularly and a better chance those children will be healthy.”
The donation comes at a difficult time for the Americus, Ga.-based organization, which like other nonprofit groups has struggled with increasing demand and slowing donations amid the economic downturn.
“This is a chance to have a really deep impact,” said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat’s chief executive. “It’s an unprecedented commitment that sets a new bar for what’s possible, and it encourages other people to give.”
Habitat will use $30 million to fund an endowment that will make yearly grants to help build more houses.
The remaining $70 million will set up a micro-finance fund to help low-income families around the world repair and improve their housing.
Dwight Burlingame, the Center on Philanthropy’s associate executive director, said charitable contributions that top $50 million tend to go to foundations, universities, hospitals and medical research.
Gifts of that size to social services groups like Habitat, he said, are rare.
“This is really quite exceptional,” Burlingame said. “And it’s especially exceptional in this economy.”
The micro-finance fund will be the first of its kind for Habitat. Reckford said it will provide loans ranging from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars to some of the world’s neediest.
Terwilliger, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, became Trammell Crow’s chief executive in 1986 and has long contributed to affordable housing projects. He also owns Atlanta’s WNBA franchise, the Atlanta Dream.
He joined Habitat’s board of directors in 2000 and was elected chairman in 2007. After stepping down as Trammell Crow’s chief executive last year he devoted more time to traveling the world to witness Habitat’s work. He remains the company’s chairman.
He called it a “moral imperative” to offer families more access to decent, affordable homes. And the short-term loan program he is helping to fund will make a lasting impression on the housing market by helping thousands of needy families, he said.
“We can provide additional solutions to families that need to build an extra room, that need to renovate their home,” he said. “It helps us leverage our dollars to impact as many families as possible.”
He also hopes his contribution will send a message to other philanthropists to step up their giving despite the troubled economy.
“My attitude is, for those of us who are fortunate enough to have made enough money that we don’t feel we have to leave it all to our family, then we ought to give it back.”"
BusinessWorld: I.T. Matters - Philippine Silicon Valley
BusinessWorld: I.T. Matters - Philippine Silicon Valley:
"Unlike a lot of businesses that have physical collateral (e.g. a building, manufacturing equipment, etc.), technology-based ventures often have an additional type of collateral known as intellectual property.
Often, bankers in most parts of the world, including the Philippines, do not know how to value intellectual property. You can’t blame them. Specialized consulting firms have sprouted up that can do these valuations although unfortunately not many of them are based in the country.
In addition, there is also the matter of how much technology sophistication there is in the product. If at first glance, one can figure out how the product or service works, then there isn’t too much of an intellectual barrier to start with.
But let’s assume for argument’s sake that the new technology is novel, useful and not immediately obvious to someone who is an expert. For example, if someone shows a design for a more efficient engine because of a redesign of the combustion chamber, and the mechanical engineering community thinks it is innovative, then perhaps the idea or the technology is patentable.
Once that has been established and experts agree that it has value, then we can talk about funding. If nobody feels there is value, then you can’t even begin to talk about funding.
The first type of funding that engineers and scientists should consider is a grant. Grants are available from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), from various government agencies, multilateral agencies, private foundations, etc.
There are different types of requirements and conditions one must meet in order to get a grant. But if you are able to get a grant, that is good because oftentimes there is no pressure to pay it back. However, you must make sure to deliver on what you promised, whether it is an altruistic benefit or whatever the grant stipulates.
The second type of funding is a loan. This can be a personal loan from friends and family, or it can be a bank loan. For small amounts, often the best persons to try to get a loan from are people you already know for the simple reason that they are often the only ones who will give you a loan.
For a bank loan, the situation is often difficult for technology startups because their value is not often premised on physical collateral, but more on intellectual collateral, which bankers often cannot value accurately. Try showing your Philippine or US patent plaque to a banker, and let’s see how far you will go with your loan application."
"Unlike a lot of businesses that have physical collateral (e.g. a building, manufacturing equipment, etc.), technology-based ventures often have an additional type of collateral known as intellectual property.
Often, bankers in most parts of the world, including the Philippines, do not know how to value intellectual property. You can’t blame them. Specialized consulting firms have sprouted up that can do these valuations although unfortunately not many of them are based in the country.
In addition, there is also the matter of how much technology sophistication there is in the product. If at first glance, one can figure out how the product or service works, then there isn’t too much of an intellectual barrier to start with.
But let’s assume for argument’s sake that the new technology is novel, useful and not immediately obvious to someone who is an expert. For example, if someone shows a design for a more efficient engine because of a redesign of the combustion chamber, and the mechanical engineering community thinks it is innovative, then perhaps the idea or the technology is patentable.
Once that has been established and experts agree that it has value, then we can talk about funding. If nobody feels there is value, then you can’t even begin to talk about funding.
The first type of funding that engineers and scientists should consider is a grant. Grants are available from the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), from various government agencies, multilateral agencies, private foundations, etc.
There are different types of requirements and conditions one must meet in order to get a grant. But if you are able to get a grant, that is good because oftentimes there is no pressure to pay it back. However, you must make sure to deliver on what you promised, whether it is an altruistic benefit or whatever the grant stipulates.
The second type of funding is a loan. This can be a personal loan from friends and family, or it can be a bank loan. For small amounts, often the best persons to try to get a loan from are people you already know for the simple reason that they are often the only ones who will give you a loan.
For a bank loan, the situation is often difficult for technology startups because their value is not often premised on physical collateral, but more on intellectual collateral, which bankers often cannot value accurately. Try showing your Philippine or US patent plaque to a banker, and let’s see how far you will go with your loan application."
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
UH-18SPW Hoverwing : Universal Hovercraft, The World Leader in Hovercraft Technology
UH-18SPW Hoverwing : Universal Hovercraft, The World Leader in Hovercraft Technology:
"Hovercraft in style. Powered by a 4-cylinder automotive engine, the UH-18SP is everything you'd ever want in a hovercraft. It was designed for people who love to play. For the family that gets together for fishing, skiing, cruising and all-around fun, this is your vehicle. The UH-18SP will take you places other craft have never been. Convert your UH-18SP hovercraft into the 18SPW Hoverwing™ in less than twenty minutes and fly up to 10 feet high over waves, rocks, beaches and fields in ground effect. The wings roll up and can be stored aboard the craft for easy transportation and rapid deployment. The UH-18SPW Hoverwing™ is the only ground-effect hovercraft to be released as a plan or kit. Click the link below to see the UH-18SPW in action."
"Hovercraft in style. Powered by a 4-cylinder automotive engine, the UH-18SP is everything you'd ever want in a hovercraft. It was designed for people who love to play. For the family that gets together for fishing, skiing, cruising and all-around fun, this is your vehicle. The UH-18SP will take you places other craft have never been. Convert your UH-18SP hovercraft into the 18SPW Hoverwing™ in less than twenty minutes and fly up to 10 feet high over waves, rocks, beaches and fields in ground effect. The wings roll up and can be stored aboard the craft for easy transportation and rapid deployment. The UH-18SPW Hoverwing™ is the only ground-effect hovercraft to be released as a plan or kit. Click the link below to see the UH-18SPW in action."
Review:Homebrew Wind Power - PESWiki
Review: Homebrew Wind Power - PESWiki: "Reviewed by Michael Riversong
Wind power is hot these days. Everyone knows that, but few have any idea how to make it work. As it turns out, wind power is a highly technical field. Large power companies can afford to hire good, well trained help. Homeowners often find themselves at a loss when trying to comprehend the intricacies of wind energy generation. Mistakes can be dangerous, so learning the fundamentals is essential. Generators can burn out or disintegrate, towers fall, blades break, and of course there are all the normal dangers present whenever electricity flows.
Fortunately, anyone with halfway decent mechanical ability can learn it, but there's a lot to learn. Up to now there have been few resources that cover all the basics in a coherent manner. There are some good books out, but most of them either display mostly giant corporate machines or leave out vital information. As with any technology there are always a few people who want to do it themselves from start to finish, if they can. Those people have largely been left out of new developments since the excellent Hackleman books of the late 70s and early 80s.
Now with this new book, the situation has improved considerably. Homebrew Wind Power shows, in a step-by-step manner, exactly how homeowners can build workable wind generators from scratch.
The only material left out of this book is a thorough explanation of all electricity basics. That's reasonable because such information is widely available from many sources, and would increase the mass of this volume unnecessarily. Good references are always given when appropriate.
Steps to making home wind generators are given in a practical order. Blades, metal structures, electrical assemblies, and final assembly are all thoroughly covered. Numerous photos and diagrams add a great deal to what might otherwise seem to be dry material. These are placed very well in ways that instantly provide good definitions of procedures and terms. The photos are also proof that the authors have spent a lot of time building systems, maintaining them, and teaching many others how to do this. Best of all, this book is readable with a good balance of technical information and relevant stories.
Hopefully, many people will obtain this book and benefit from it. In some cases, it is certain that readers will find some tasks beyond their ability. Thanks to the information in this book, that is easy to determine, and the appropriate help can be found before costly dead-ends are pursued. Yet surely some will go all the way, and have the satisfaction of finding themselves much closer to self-reliance."
Wind power is hot these days. Everyone knows that, but few have any idea how to make it work. As it turns out, wind power is a highly technical field. Large power companies can afford to hire good, well trained help. Homeowners often find themselves at a loss when trying to comprehend the intricacies of wind energy generation. Mistakes can be dangerous, so learning the fundamentals is essential. Generators can burn out or disintegrate, towers fall, blades break, and of course there are all the normal dangers present whenever electricity flows.
Fortunately, anyone with halfway decent mechanical ability can learn it, but there's a lot to learn. Up to now there have been few resources that cover all the basics in a coherent manner. There are some good books out, but most of them either display mostly giant corporate machines or leave out vital information. As with any technology there are always a few people who want to do it themselves from start to finish, if they can. Those people have largely been left out of new developments since the excellent Hackleman books of the late 70s and early 80s.
Now with this new book, the situation has improved considerably. Homebrew Wind Power shows, in a step-by-step manner, exactly how homeowners can build workable wind generators from scratch.
The only material left out of this book is a thorough explanation of all electricity basics. That's reasonable because such information is widely available from many sources, and would increase the mass of this volume unnecessarily. Good references are always given when appropriate.
Steps to making home wind generators are given in a practical order. Blades, metal structures, electrical assemblies, and final assembly are all thoroughly covered. Numerous photos and diagrams add a great deal to what might otherwise seem to be dry material. These are placed very well in ways that instantly provide good definitions of procedures and terms. The photos are also proof that the authors have spent a lot of time building systems, maintaining them, and teaching many others how to do this. Best of all, this book is readable with a good balance of technical information and relevant stories.
Hopefully, many people will obtain this book and benefit from it. In some cases, it is certain that readers will find some tasks beyond their ability. Thanks to the information in this book, that is easy to determine, and the appropriate help can be found before costly dead-ends are pursued. Yet surely some will go all the way, and have the satisfaction of finding themselves much closer to self-reliance."
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