Transocean, operator of the ultra-deepwater rig Deepwater Horizon that exploded last month, looks to have adequate liability coverage. Looking ahead, a looming ecological disaster could threaten Gulf of Mexico rig operations, a significant revenue source for the company
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It Lost an Oil Rig, but Transocean May Easily Ride Out the Gulf Oil Spill
The root of the word “manager” comes from the same root as the words “manipulate” and “maneuver”, meaning to “adapt or change something to suit one’s purpose”. Although these words may carry a pejorative meaning, there is nothing inherently wrong with them. Indeed, into each life a little manipulation and maneuvering must fall. For example, if the door to your office gets stuck, a handyman might need to manipulate it to get it working again.
Writing a press release that grabs the media’s attention and makes them write about your company is extremely hard. That being said, there is a lot you can do to increase your chances of success. Make it Newsworthy Ask yourself this question: if I were a journalist, would I write a story about this? If the answer is no, find an interesting angle for your story so people will want to write about it. Start Strong Your first paragraph has to be strong and clear, and it must summarize the entire press release. This is the only part of your press release that most journalists will read; if you fail to write a great first paragraph, your release is doomed to fail. Format It Right This is what press releases look like: (Image from http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp ) Make It Fun to Read and Engaging The most common mistake that most press releases make is to be boring. Make yours exciting, engaging, and fun to read
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How to Write an Effective Press Release
The big three of Indian outsourcing companies have a lot to evaluate, as their lower ranking rival Cognizant (NASDAQ:CTSH), is slowly starting to emerge ahead of the pack following the company’s first quarter results. This comes with the continued albeit slow rebound of the outsourcing market this year. Days before the release of Cognizant’s results, analysts were already forecasting a strong showing for the company with estimated revenue of $939.1 million or a revenue growth by up to 26% , especially with the solid results received from its other Indian rivals, Wipro (NYSE:WIT), Infosys (NASDAQ:INFY) and Tata Consultancy (NSE:TCS). Upon the release of the company’s first quarter results for 2010 last May 4, many were pleasantly surprised by the results posted by Cognizant, with a 34% increase in profit surpassing everybody’s expectations. The company earned $151.5 million, up from a profit of $113.1 million in the first quarter of last year. Revenues rose 6.3% to $960 million , compared with the prior quarter. Cognizant is even now expecting a $55 million increase in revenue for this quarter and fiscal 2010 revenue of at least $4.1 billion, up 25% compared to 2009. Performance is strong for the company, as it continuously beats estimates quarter after quarter, signaling continued improvement in the company’s operations. Case in point is Cognizant’s last year revenues which increased at least $200-500 million dollars more than its rivals. Aside from that is the company’s laudably low attrition rate with a 12.4% rate on a twelve month basis. The company increased its workforce last quarter by more than 7,100 people indicating the strength of the company’s business for the quarter. Notably, last year, the company gave 200% bonuses to its top performers after its strong growth last year. As of last quarter, Cognizant’s workforce numbered at around 85,500. Eyeing the trend that Cognizant has been following, it seems plausible that the company will reach its 2010 end of year forecast, and will pleasantly surprise us all once again by being ahead of estimates. As Kaufman Bros analyst Karl Keirstead so ably put it, “Cognizant should still be able to outgrow its larger peers in 2010.” If the company continues its current performance, then yes, Cognizant just might.
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Cognizant Outlook Bright; Emerging Ahead of Competitors
Want to throw some statistics into your paper without bogging it down in numbers? You might want a table. A table is a great way to organize your information, especially if you are using lots of numbers. Microsoft Word features an easy-to-use table tool. Located at the top of your Word window, the Table tab lets you create your own table, and will even sort the information into the appropriate boxes for you. A table might be the best way to break up all that text and improve your document at the same time. Have a lot to type and not a lot of time to type it in? Let eDecree help. We can transcribe your audio for you, so you can focus on more important parts of your research. Your time is valuable, make sure you do something of value with it. Leave the simpler tasks, such as transcription, to us. We offer top quality and great low prices. Head to our website, www.edecree.com, to find out more.
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Word Tip of the Week: Tables
Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle and career move. You shouldn’t be making this decision just because you are mad at your boss, you would like to be rich, or someone else thinks it’s a good idea. In these changing times, if you already have a startup, maybe it’s time to rethink your existing strategy. Formally, that’s called developing and maintaining a strategic plan. Usually that means writing something down, since it’s hard to maintain something, or track yourself against it, if it’s not written down. From my experience, and the experience of other entrepreneurs, here are some key elements you should think about as part of the process: Personal interests and aspirations
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Top Ten Startup Strategic Plan Questions
According to the latest stats, about 9 out of 10 people who add products to online shopping carts leave the websites without placing the orders. That’s insane! Think about it: 90% of the people who are interested enough on your products to add them to their carts never end up buying them. Luckily, there is a lot you can do to decrease your shopping cart abandonment rate. These are some of the most powerful tactics to make it happen. Isolate Every Step of the Checkout Process The only way to understand what’s causing people to leave is to isolate every step of the checkout process to figure out where people are dropping out. Google Analytics lets you track events and page loads. This way you can see what’s the last thing people do before leaving. Is 50% of your traffic leaving when you ask how they found you? Then get rid of that question. The only way to understand the real reasons for shopping cart abandonment is to track every step of the process
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How to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
The Ethiopian Airlines said it has entered into an agreement with InterGlobe Technologies (IGT) to establish a call center that will provide Ethiopian customers access to its service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to a press release Ethiopian sent to WIC, the initial phase of the call center service is planned to go live as of June, 2010 covering North America, Europe and Asia. The project will be completed in three phases through October, 2010 covering the rest of the World.
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Ethiopian to establish 24/7 Global Call Center
Two weeks after the House Science and Technology Committee approved it, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 will get consideration from the whole House today. The bill, which we’ve discussed previously, would extend funding authorizations through 2015 for a few key science agencies at levels that would double their budgets over ten years, in
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COMPETES Reauthorization on Floor Today; CRA Endorses Bill
In today’s recession- ridden economic scenario keen attention is essential on the main core activities which includes marketing and productive aspects of the business otherwise there is much possibility of failure in the business activities. Instead of going through the tedious process of this bookkeeping it is better to pass on the burden to these London bookkeepers who are on the heart of London city providing accounting bookkeeping services which are professional and reliable. They have only expertise bookkeepers who have a greater understanding of the basic financial concepts and accounting policies and also having great experience in handling all the risks associated with the process of bookkeeping accounts . Professional bookkeepers can give advice on the best financial structure and also they can formulate correct policies and procedures for taxation purposes thereby they prevent their business clients from paying excess taxes rather than what they ought to pay. This bookkeeping firm offer flexibility in their services as they render their service either by visiting the client’s business premises or it is enough to send all the documents for processing and the documents will be submitted to their clients with in the stipulated period of time. Apart from all these accounting bookkeeping services it also provide secretarial services which includes simple typing to presentation slides if it is required by their clients.
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Finacial services of London Bookkeepers
In September 2009, my first write up was published on Golf Punk magazine. Under the helm of Editor, Benny Teo, Golf Punk is a magazine that celebrates the game of golf in signature Bunker Babe style! GOLFPUNK is an edgy and hip magazine that makes players look like Hollywood Stars. And they shoot the best fairway fashion on the planet! Read up on the hip and happening night life then, most of which are still relevant today. 1.382144 103.865577
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Country’s best damn 19 holes outside of Golf
Fortis Healthcare, Asia’s biggest hospital chain, raised Rs 380 crore by selling shares to Singapore state-run investment company GIC Special Investments as part of its plans to raise Rs 3,000 crore for expansion. The company has agreed to sell 6.58% of the company, or 22.35 million equity shares, at Rs 170 apiece, 1.5% higher than its closing price on Monday. Its shares rose 1.27% to Rs 167.25. The funds will be used to part finance recent acquisitions like the purchase of TPG Capital’s 25% stake in Singapore’s Parkway Holdings for around $715 million and also for more in the future, said a statement. The deal may close by June. The New Delhi-based Fortis plans to sell foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and other securities in the months ahead as it funds the Singapore acquisition and last year’s purchase of 10 hospitals from Wockhardt. The company has been growing its revenues through acquisitions, but the profits are yet to come by.
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Fortis Health sells 6.58% to Singapore’s GIC for Rs 380 crore
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the industrial research and development organisation under the central government, plans to take equity stakes in some companies to whom it is lending technological innovations. Samir K Brahmachari, director general, CSIR and secretary, department of scientific and industrial research, Government of India, told DNA, “We will take stakes in smaller companies. We have received the government’s approval for it and are already negotiating with the companies. Many are in the pipeline in the life sciences and energy sectors, which have great potential.” CSIR has been charging fees and royalties for its technology transfers for commercial use to private companies but hasn’t taken stake in any company.
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CSIR to take equity stakes in companies
As the political rhetoric in Washington settles after the passage of Healthcare legislation last month there have been more questions created than answers provided over its future landscape While almost all can agree that something must be done for improved quality while keeping these costs in order there are still many gaping holes that must be filled A good litmus test is the constant haranguing by physician specialists over the control of the high dollar imaging modalities…
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Profitable Physician Modalities Offset by Government Contract RFPs
ICICI Venture, the private equity arm of lender ICICI Bank , plans to launch a $500 million fund by July to invest in infrastructure projects, its chief executive said. “In the private equity context I would put education (and) hospital as part of infrastructure, but there is also a big opportunity on serious infrastructure like roads, ports, power,” Vishakha Mulye told Reuters in an interview. India has made building of roads, bridges, airports and power plants a priority and expects private firms to fund half of a projected $1 trillion in infrastructure between 2012 and 2017. India’s diversified conglomerate Tata Group and private equity firm Actis aim to bid for $2 billion of road projects in India over the next five years as the country makes a major push to build highways.
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ICICI Venture plans $500 mn infra fund
Godrej Consumer Products is in talks with a clutch of private equity investors to raise USD 125 million, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. The company is in talks with US giants Carlyle Group and Blackstone, as well as India’s ChrysCapital and Standard Chartered Private Equity, the sources said. Godrej has hired JM Financial Ltd to arrange the deal, sources said.
For decades, competitors and consumers have pondered how Apple has reached (and continues to reach) such heightened levels of success and innovation. But it only took Simon Sinek 18 minutes to explain it at a TED event. According to him, it’s all about the why , not the how, or what. Most computer companies start with claims that they make great products. Apple, on the other hand, tells you why they build computers. HINT: Feeling has a lot to do with it…
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First Why, Then How, Then What
BRITISH Columbia has one of North America’s most competitive business climates low tax burdens,minimal red tape and a supportive,financially responsible government.Its residents with incomes up to US$118,000 now pay the lowest income tax in Canada.Taxes have been reduced over 120 times during the past nine years,benefiting businesses,individuals and families. In the next two years,planned changes to BC’s federal and provincial corporate tax rates will result in a reduction to 25% the lowest in the G7.The regions general corporate income tax,currently 10.5%,will drop to 10% in 2011.The federal corporate tax rate is currently 18% and is set to be reduced to 15% by 2012.British Columbia has an effective Corporate Income Rate Tax* (Federal & Provincial) of 16.1%,as compared to 35% in San Francisco. British Columbia has also expanded the tax credit base for its venture capital programs to US$30 million annually,including US$7.5 million for British Columbia’s clean technology companies.BC businesses can now access up to US$100 million of venture capital.
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Tax heaven for BPO
Maybe it’s just me, but I seem to be seeing more and more parallel entrepreneurs these days. These are people who are working on multiple startups concurrently. On the surface, this seems like an extremely difficult and dangerous practice, but for the new generations which have been multi-tasking since birth, it may be just business as usual. I’m not talking here about a bit of overlap between the winding down of one venture, while already gearing up for the next. I see entrepreneurs who have started two or more companies in the last few months, and continue to split their time between the efforts. Others tell me about people they know who are involved in five or six projects right now. The new hot term for this practice is “multi-table” startups, which I understand is derived from the common online gambling practice of playing multiple poker games at the same time. In fact, I think that’s a great analogy, since the odds in a poker game may be similar to those of a startup. On the other hand, I hear from committed parallel entrepreneurs that there are advantages to their approach, along the following lines: Leverage and hedging a portfolio
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I Predict an Increase in Parallel Entrepreneurs
Back around the middle of 2001 after the fear, excitement and expenditure surrounding the Year 2000, or ‘Y2K, ‘problem’ died away and the then promise of the Internet as a force of transformation was being talked about, a colleague started talking about ‘the Null Zone’. He drew a neat little PowerPoint which showed a classic ‘ crossing the chasm ’ bell curve going from a slow flat start, ramping up sharply as the market grew, before flattening out again in maturity.
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Are we in the Null Zone? Are you frightened of hotels? And a practical tip on what to do!
