(BERLIN) - Europe can only exert an influence on the world stage if it speaks with one voice, solves its debt crisis and bolsters its own economic power, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday.

Speaking to the Berlin press corps, Merkel noted that Europe's percentage of the world population had shrunk dramatically in the past 60 years, reducing the influence of individual EU countries at a global level.

"We can only have a say in the world if we are united in the European Union. And we can only have a say if we are economically successful. Not at the cost of other regions but in fair competition with other regions," said Merkel.

"It is extremely important that Europe pulls closer together because individual countries cannot have as big an influence with their own voices as when we act together," added the chancellor.

"Luckily we are united and now we have to make sure that what we have agreed on -- for example the common currency -- actually works."

Merkel's comments came as a new poll showed nearly two thirds of Germans thought they would be better off if they had not swapped their beloved deutschmark for the euro.

And the chancellor said Germany should not sacrifice its export strength for the sake of correcting imbalances destabilising the eurozone but stressed the importance of bolstering domestic demand.

"Germany is not just following a policy aimed at consolidation and austerity ... but we are also trying to bolster domestic demand," said Merkel.

She reiterated that she was "strongly convinced" that the eurozone would emerge stronger from the crisis than it was before the near three-year long drama began.

She said that the 17-nation bloc was "step-by-step overcoming the crisis" but repeated that the problems would not be solved at a stroke.

Read more from the original source:
Europe needs unity, economic success for global say: Merkel

The Zaslow brothers are at that rowdy age. They bicker. They tease. They talk over one another.

They are Exhibits A, B and C that boys, indeed, will be boys - even when they're in their 80s.

But each day doesn't end until Jerome, Spencer, and Arnold Zaslow make peace if anything is amiss - a routine insisted on by their parents. It has been the underpinning of a business relationship among the brothers that endures after more than 60 years of working together.

Besides their bloodline, their bond is ATD-American Co., a furniture and textile distributor in Wyncote that in earlier days had a much more diverse sales portfolio that included broccoli, straitjackets, Jamaican beef patties, pencils, and condoms.

"The idea was to sell anything that you had a good connection to buy," said Arnold Zaslow, at 82 the youngest brother.

The Zaslows' small-business experience is a remarkable and rare run for a family company, said Herbert J. Cohen, a partner in Executive Leaders Radio in Willow Grove, which offers syndicated programming.

"I've interviewed 2,000+ CEOs regarding their success, and I promise you the Zaslow story is special," Cohen wrote in an e-mail.

Far from its humble beginnings, ATD-American now has nearly 200 employees (counting a mill in Georgia, where 70 workers make sheets and pillowcases) and a customer base of more than 100,000 in 78 countries.

As a private company, ATD-American would not release its annual revenue, but it said sales had dipped since the 2008 economic meltdown that still has some of its institutional and government customers squeamish about spending.

Not that the Zaslow brothers are freaked out about it.

Read more:
Diane Mastrull: ATD-American Co. nears its fourth generation of family-run success

16 September 2012 | last updated at 01:52AM

Datuk Seri Najib Razak greeting Umno delegates at the opening of Pekan Umno delegates meeting at Dewan Konvensyen Sultan Ahmad Shah in Pekan, Pahang, yesterday.

He said like a strong building, Umno must have a well-built structure that could withstand internal and external threats.

Being Muslims, Najib said, Umno members must also remember that the party could only succeed with the blessings of Allah.

"As long as we continue to fight in a united front and follow the true teachings of Islam, we will always have love and compassion from Allah," he said when opening the Pekan Umno delegates' meeting.

Najib said Umno members should also focus on the party rather than their personal interests or other petty matters that could affect the party's strength and unity.

He reminded party members that the country's success was also due to Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders' ability to understand the needs and aspirations of the people, which was in line with the parliamentary democracy concept.

"I believe that ours is the most successful party in the world but we should never be boastful as our success is due to God's permission. We are also willing to fight and face all the challenges ahead and, as party members, we must always be loyal to our party leadership," he said, adding that past and present BN leaders had also contributed to the country's success.

Among others, said Najib, the people's per capita income had now increased to US$9,700 (RM30,070) from only US$300 in the 1950s, while the poverty rate had been reduced to 3.6 per cent from more than 70 per cent when the country first gained independence.

Najib, who is Pekan member of parliament, also cautioned his constituents on the opposition's efforts to deny the development that had taken place in the area.

Go here to see the original:
Najib: United front crucial for Umno's success in polls

By Yasmine C. Hidalgo Philippine Daily Inquirer

Overseas Filipinos dream of success. They want to earn a lot of money to care for their families and also to achieve self-actualization in the process.

The United Arab Emirates is a top choice for many overseas workers, especially professional and skilled workers. Salaries are tax free in the UAE.

But its easy to lose sight of ones goals therewhat with the wide array of luxury brands on display in shopping malls, and the many leisure activities in swanky hotels and dining places.

Jeffrey Ramos, a Human Resources professional, discovered this the hard way. He had landed a good job as a personnel officer with a prestigious hotel chain in Dubai. He enjoyed his upscale lifestyle. He indulged, you might say. Then one day he lost his job.

Losing ones job is an eye opener, he shares, adding that it sent him through a wrenching personal crisis.

In the UAE, as in many Middle East countries, ones working visa depends on the sponsorship of an employer. A foreign worker is given one month after losing his employersponsored visa to find another job or leave.

When you lose your job, your whole life crumbles because you put everything in your career. You dont know what to do. Success went to my head, he admits. He realized that he had wasted time and opportunity. Time is a gift of God, he adds.

Painful loss

Losing a job is totally demoralizing. Grieving about this situation is not the solution, he goes on.

Original post:
Hard-earned secrets of success

East Sussex, England (PRWEB) September 16, 2012

Defining women within the context of business is not something that Katie Day likes to do. In her new book, The High-Heeled Leader, she expands the definition to include embracing femininity, personal experiences and professional success.

Day wrote the book as a complement to her work as a training consultant, business coach and personal style consultant for women in business, as well as those hoping to break into the professional world.

As a training consultant, business coach and personal style consultant, Ive been helping women recognize their own strengths for over two decades, Day says. My view is that every woman is magnificent and knowing this comes from how she thinks about herself on the inside.

Days experience working with hard topics comes from a personal place. In the book, she is open about the life experiences that shaped her into the woman she is, including failed marriages and a difficult relationship with her father.

My own road to self-recovery is what prompted me to start my work as an empowerment and leadership trainer, Day says. I never ask my readers to do anything that I havent done myself.

I want to help every woman discover that she is an amazing, powerful person. I dont care what dress size she wears, what budget she has or what she does for a living--every woman can step into, and own, her authentic feminine power.

For more information, visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Balboa.

Connect with Katie on Twitter and her website, http://www.katieday.com

The High-Heeled Leader By Katie Day ISBN: 978-1-4525-5126-5 Softcover, retail price: $17.99 Hardcover, retail price: $35.99 E-book price: $3.99

Read the original here:
New Book Reveals the Modern Day High-Heeled Leader

That was just one pearl of wisdom that Harris, a managing director with Morgan Stanley, shared with her audience Friday during the Friends of Finance luncheon. Her personal presentation - she shared her love for singing and football - veered away from numbers and data to focus on what she's gleaned from her life as a mega banker as well as excerpts from her book, "Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet."

You can train people to think about you in a way that you want them to, Harris said. She advises picking three adjectives that are valued within your organization and then behave consistently to make others believe that you embody those qualities.

"It is imperative that you understand the adjectives associated for success for the seat you're in or the seat you want to sit in," she said.

Pick adjectives that people will associate with your name, she said, when you're not in the room - times when decisions are being made about compensation, promotions and new assignments, for instance.

At one point in her career, Harris had someone tell her she was smart and worked hard but wasn't tough enough for the business. So, for the next 90 days, she decided to talk, walk and do what she could to come across as "tough" until she had others believing it.

Harris also spoke about the importance of relationships and finding an adviser, mentor and sponsor.

An adviser is someone you can ask discreet questions of, and a mentor is someone you can tell "the good, the bad and ugly" to - someone you trust, knows you well and has your best interest at heart, she said. This person doesn't have to be a co-worker but must understand the context in which you work.

"You can survive a long time in your career without a mentor, but you will not ascend without a sponsor," Harris said.

A sponsor is someone within the organization who behind closed doors will argue passionately for you and explain why you should get the next promotion or bonus, she added.

In a question-and-answer segment after her presentation, Harris noted that the Federal Reserve's announcement Thursday of a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, will not cause inflationary pressures if the country's growth engine revs up.

Excerpt from:
Wall Street pro offers advice for personal success at Friends of Finance

DALLAS, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Dr. Venus Opal Reese (drvenusopalreese.com), chief executive mentor, speaker, author, and entrepreneurial coach, announces that the next installment of her "Be a Business Bad-A$$" live event is scheduled in Dallas on September 27, 28, and 29. Dr. Reese has earned a reputation and a following for her unique approach to business success by helping professionals recognize the link between self worth and entrepreneurial progress. She has been featured on national news programs, consulted O Magazine, and her work has been produced in off-Broadway productions. Reese is known as the "defy impossible" expert because she has transformed her life from "the streets to Stanford," meaning she grew up literally living on the Baltimore streets to earning a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

This event is designed to benefit C-level executives, entrepreneurs, and other purpose-driven high achievers. Topics for discussion and analysis include strategies to strengthen the link between expertise and self worth, techniques to leverage confidence into true money-making success, and untapping hidden potential that comes from obstacles.

"Successful high-achievers are often the most driven and the most unfulfilled. They know how to make it happen but struggle with letting themselves feel good and proud. Trust me I know. Getting off the streets and through Stanford didn't mean I valued myselfparticularly from a money-making standpoint," Reese explained. "Like so many successful purpose-driven leaders, I looked impressive on the outside but felt bad on the inside. This is why I teach business professionals how to see themselves with compassionate eyesso they can take new, inspired actions that make them proud. My work is all about knowing your intrinsic worth, your game-changing genius, and leveraging that in the marketplace, rather than your survival masquerading as your title, bank account, or your credential."

The "Be a Business Bad-A$$," live event will take place September 27, 28, and 29 at the Luxe Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa in Dallas. Registration is available at http://www.beabusinessbadass.com/live or by calling 214.551.9233.

About Dr. Venus Opal Reese Dr. Venus Opal Reese is a speaker, author, chief executive mentor, "Business Bad-A$$" entrepreneur coach, and theatre artist. She has consulted O Magazine and has been featured on ABC News, CBS News, PBS, in Glamour magazine, Diversity Inc. and the Associated Press. Her keynotes, programs, trainings, services, and systems are based on more than 20 years of research, teaching, personal experience, and multiple branches of theoretical and philosophical training. She is a former Coast Guard Reservist, as well as an advocate for the Birdhouse for Women in Recovery, a nonprofit. More information on this dynamic entrepreneur is at drvenusopalreese.com.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Venus Opal Reese, dr.vor@defyimpossible.com, 214.551.9233

This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

See original here:
Dr. Venus Opal Reese Unlocks Secrets to Business Success at Live Event

14 September 2012 Last updated at 10:26 ET By Gillian Sharpe BBC Scotland News

In a large open plan office in a building in the Gorbals in Glasgow, small groups of people or individuals are hard at work.

There is a quiet buzz about the place. Some are on the phone, others looking at papers or their computer, some chatting.

These fledgling businesses have already made it through a selection process to join those already taking part in the Entrepreneurial Spark business start-up accelerator programme.

It is designed to help businesses get up and running successfully and, as their website puts it, "to drive entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviours".

This whole room is known as the hatchery, the businesses as chicklets, the aim to help them fly the coop.

Over the next few months, BBC Scotland will be following some of these businesses on their journey, through the highs and lows of setting up your own.

A contemporary country band might seem like a rather unusual business start-up but Paul Bain and Claire McArthur, who perform together as Raintown, are doing just that.

Both are very aware that the music business is changing.

"This is a whole new music business landscape," Paul tells me.

Go here to see the original:
Hatching entrepreneurial success

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Fourth-and-1 at midfield on the game's opening drive, and Penn State is going for it.

The previous regime might have played it safe in such a situation and punted to play for field position. Most other coaches probably would, too.

But these are Bill O'Brien's Nittany Lions now.

''So once we get really close to the 50, I'm pretty much not going to punt it,'' the coach said this week. ''I'm just going to tell you that.''

Talk about a new era at Penn State.

So many changes have engulfed the program hit by scandal and strict NCAA sanctions, and one of the biggest is the coach and his strategy. O'Brien arrived in January from the New England Patriots, where he coordinated a high-octane offense, and ever so slowly, he is trying to employ the same aggressive approach at Penn State.

The results so far have been so-so. Navy (0-1) visits Beaver Stadium on Saturday, with Penn State hoping to avoid its first season-opening three-game slide since it was 0-4 in 2001.

The offense is young or inexperienced at most of the skill positions. The execution has been sporadic in the red zone. But there's no doubt that the play-calling has been spiced up, and that's all O'Brien.

The Nittany Lions converted two fourth-and-1 plays in the opening drive last week against Virginia, leading to Kyle Carter's 8-yard touchdown reception for a 7-0 lead.

Later, linebacker Glenn Carson ran for 19 yards and a first down on a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from the Penn State 42. And backup quarterback Steven Bench ran for 15 on a fourth-and-3 from the 50 for another first down later in the second quarter.

Read more here:
Penn State finds success on 4th down, despite skid

Getty Images

ST. PETERSBURG - SEPTEMBER 07: Pitcher Derek Holland #45 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the game at Tropicana Field on September 7, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Over his career, there hasn't been a team, other than the Boston Red Sox, that Derek Holland has owned as much as the Cleveland Indlans.

The lefty from Newark,Ohio about 130 miles from Cleveland has had some of the best starts of his career in Cleveland with his friends and family in attendance and in his five career starts against the Indians he has given up just 11 runs, which ties the Tribe with the Red Sox for the fewest runs scored off Holland in at least five career games.

He'll have a chance to keep that streak going tonight when the Texas Rangers finish off a three-game home set with the Indians, looking to pull off the three-game sweep.

Holland has pitched very well in his last four starts, including his last time out which was an 8-inning loss to Tampa Bay when he gave up just one run on two hits and had 11 strikeouts. Holland, who was one of the best pitchers in the game over the second half of last season, had a rough start to the year and a trip to the disabled list after a weird stomach virus led to him losing a bunch of weight and consequently hurting his arm. But he's starting to resemble the pitcher we saw over the second half last season, when he ended up making the best postseason start in club history in Game 4 of the World Series.

If Holland continues this trend upward, it will only give the Rangers more confidence in him heading into the postseason, where he could realistically finish anywhere from No. 2 to No. 4 in the postseason pitching rotation pecking order.

More:
Holland Hoping to Continue Run of Success