WA the nation's hands-down success story
Posted: March 13, 2012 at 11:12 am
Conditions strengthened markedly in WA last month, despite the softening in mining activity. Source: PerthNow
The NAB survey showed that the gap between WA and the worst-performing sectors remains not far away from the biggest margin on record. Source: PerthNow
WA business conditions and confidence levels are bucking the national trend and are the highest in Australia - despite conditions weakening in the mining sector, according to NAB.
NABs monthly business survey, released today, revealed that WA remained the strongest state for overall business conditions and confidence in trend terms.
According to the survey, conditions across the country improved significantly in wholesale, and in transport and utilities in February, unwinding heavy falls in the previous month.
Surprisingly, conditions deteriorated modestly in mining and also in retail, the former lauded as the key driver of the national and state economies.
NAB chief economist Alan Olster provided insight and commentary on the survey results.
Conditions in the mining sector have been volatile, in line with recent gyrations in commodity prices, NAB said.
However, the survey also suggested that there are more indications that the expected surge in mining investment is on track, including the first ABS estimate of capital expectations for 2012-13.
Overall, business conditions were strongest in transport & utilities (+24), recreation & personal services (+19) and mining (+17), the survey stated.
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WA the nation's hands-down success story
Success was on the cards for business idea
Posted: at 11:12 am
The Irish Times - Tuesday, March 13, 2012
SUZANNE LYNCH
FUTURE PROOFING:A Roscommon company founded during the last recession has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the biggest employers in the county
LIKE MANY of the best business ideas, P&G cards had its genesis in a recession. Run by the Naughton family, and now one of the biggest employers in Co Roscommon, it was founded in the 1980s.
Founder Pauline Naughton was working as a nurse but, following cutbacks in the health service, she began helping out in a newsagents run by her sister. It was here that she spotted a business opening. I had always loved greeting cards, and could see they were a strong seller. I began to ask where these greeting cards came from and realised there was an opening for a wholesaler in Ireland, she says.
P&G cards was set up in 1988, from a small warehouse on the family farm in Athleague, with the help of a 2,000 loan from AIB. The company began importing cards from Britain and bought a van for distribution. One of its first contracts was with the local supermarket and the company was soon supplying 100 small shops along the western seaboard.
A major break was securing a listing with Musgraves in the early 1990s. Musgraves were the up-and-coming multiple in Ireland, says Pauline. Getting a contract was a huge boost for us. Following the contract, PG implemented a number of changes, including a computerised distribution system, and extended its existing facility at Athleague. The company also took on its first employee, a trainee from Fs, who still works there.
A business course with Roscommon Enterprise Board followed. I had come from a non-business background, and had no specific experience or training in business, so the course was hugely beneficial, explains Pauline.
The company also received business advice on scaling and soon signed a contract with BWG, the owners of Spar and Mace.
Over the ensuing years, Paulines two daughters, Aisling and Michelle, joined the business. Michelle, who has a degree in marketing and French, set about finding new business for PG, eventually securing a contract with Dunnes Stores, where PG is now the premium card supplier.
ARC Training Student Elaine Hickey studies with Arc Training on the move – Video
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ARC Training Student Elaine Hickey studies with Arc Training on the move - Video
ARC Training Student James O Sullivan works for IBM and talks about online education – Video
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ARC Training Student James O Sullivan works for IBM and talks about online education - Video
E-mini Trading Market Recap 03/12/12 – A Business With Trading – Video
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E-mini Trading Market Recap 03/12/12 - A Business With Trading - Video
Fed Day Trading Forecast – Video
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Searches soar for education hub Khan Academy
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Craving a good education but can't afford the tuition? Maybe Khan Academy is the answer. On Sunday night's "60 Minutes," the show profiled Sal Khan and the Khan Academy, an online school that offers roughly 3,000 videos for free.
Ever since CBS aired its profile, Yahoo! searches on "khan academy" have roared to life. Online lookups for "khan academy" are up 3,382% in 24 hours. Related searches for "khan academy tutorials" jumped 9,575%, and "khan academy math" spiked 8,100%.
The clips, in which viewers can learn about everything from algebra to physics to finance to history, are, amazingly, all taught by Khan. And they are each delightfully free of gimmicks. It is just Khan's voice as he explains things with the help of a digital blackboard.
A blog from the Washington Post points out that Khan teaches with a "conversational tone" that helps with accessibility. Nothing intimidating here. It's more of an informative chat from a man who sounds remarkably similar to President Obama.
The Khan Academy recently launched an iPad app that allows students to download videos and watch them later, when they are offline.
Khan, who can boast degrees from MIT and Harvard, has been praised by Bill Gates, who calls him the teacher to the world. And yet Khan isn't a professional teacher by trade; he just happens to be a really smart guy with a passion for knowledge and helping out overwhelmed teachers on the frontlines. But he didn't start the enterprise with such big dreams ... he was actually just trying to tutor his young cousin Nadia.
Khan believes most teachers enjoy using his videos in class. In an interview with the Washington Post in 2011, he remarked, "They can switch gears and form bonds with their students. It allows them to be way more creative than they could in other classrooms, and also provides kind of leveraged or optimized way to monitor progress and get involved."
HR.com's Institute for Human Resources Online Certification Program in Recruitment Process Outsourcing Celebrates One …
Posted: at 11:10 am
Online education program delivers first year of certification accreditation for the HR community focusing on recruitment outsourcing.
(PRWEB) March 13, 2012
This certification only requires a minimum of 40 credit hours, making accreditation well within reach with the availability of 55 credits for HR professionals in this area. Webcasts may be viewed live or in archive mode at any time convenient to the participant. Check the Schedule for Upcoming Virtual Events or the Archive Listing for all programs with specialized focus in this or any division of HR. For HR professionals interested in sharing a recent project or topic, Submit an Idea here.
Registration for the next virtual conference April 11-12, 2012 in the Recruitment Process Outsourcing track is open now, followed by upcoming events in July and October. The most popular webcast during the recent Recruitment Process Outsourcing conference was "RPO Make Better Hiring Decisions" presented by Scott Erker, Vice President at DDI - Development Dimensions International. Knowledge and practices gained from the experienced faculty of HR thought leaders can be applied in daily work projects and situations.
"The RPO Institute program at HR.com is yet another indication of the increasing familiarity and interest in outsourcing by HR professionals over the last several years. HR.com's program provides members with opportunities to learn, best practice share and network with outsourcing professionals and buyers. This ensures they are better prepared to make decisions about how outsourcing and RPO specifically can impact their organization."
--Zachary Misko, Vice President,Workforce Strategy at Kelly OCG
The Advisory Board is responsible for guiding the design of the curriculum and ensuring that the material is impactful and relevant in today's business conditions. Ongoing searches continue to maintain a dynamic mix of highly qualified HR executives in the Recruitment Process Outsourcing space. Interested applicants may contact David Whitmarsh at dwhitmarsh(at)hr(dot)com. The Advisory Board is currently comprised of the following professionals:
Chair:
Gary Bragar, NelsonHall
Board Members:
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HR.com's Institute for Human Resources Online Certification Program in Recruitment Process Outsourcing Celebrates One ...
Live A Satisfied Life – Coach Gig’s Daily Locker Room – Video
Posted: March 12, 2012 at 6:14 pm
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American Specialty Health Announces Historic Growth in Revenue, Membership and New Products for 2011
Posted: at 6:13 pm
SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Specialty Health (ASH), a leading national health services company, today announced historic growth in annual revenue, eligible members and new products for the year ending December 31, 2011. Revenues grew by 17.8 percent, from $155.7 million in 2010 to $183.4 million in 2011. During the year, the company also expanded the number of total eligible members by 44.7 percent, increasing from 17.9 million members in 2010 to 25.9 million members in 2011.
"During 2011, all three of our key business units -- specialty network management, fitness and exercise, and total population health and wellness/prevention -- contributed significantly to our overall success," said George DeVries, co-founder, CEO and chairman of ASH. "Our historic growth is the result of 25 years of innovative product development and a rock-solid commitment to operational excellence and best-in-class customer service. Most of our new membership growth came from the expansion of long-established customer relationships, dating back in some cases over twenty years. We are pleased so many of our long-established customers, as well as many new customers, are turning to ASH for the expansion or implementation of cutting-edge health care programs."
American Specialty Health offers a wide range of solutions for specialty network management programs, fitness and exercise programs, and total population health and prevention/wellness programs for health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups and trust funds through its various subsidiaries and products, including Healthyroads, American Specialty Health Group, Silver&Fit, ExerciseRewards, American Specialty Health Insurance Company and others.
Additional 2011 American Specialty Health Milestones
Membership Growth
Newly Launched Services/Programs
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, ASH was named among:
The company also received more than 90 national marketing and communications awards, including:
About American Specialty Health
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American Specialty Health Announces Historic Growth in Revenue, Membership and New Products for 2011