News and Trends

• U.S. Electrical Services makes deal for Hampden/Zimmerman Electric
  Electrical products wholesaler-distributor U.S. Electrical Services is set to close its acquisition of Hampden/Zimmerman Electric Supply Co. in January. HZ is an electrical lighting W-D and has more than 80 employees. Industrial Distribution (12/28)

• Frank displeased with SEC's rule change on CEO compensation
  House Financial Services Chairman-designate Barney Frank, D-Mass., expressed his disappointment with the SEC's recent ruling to relax executive-compensation disclosure. The Wall Street Journal (12/28)

• ALAN to provide assistance following national disasters
  A group of leading logistics industry trade associations have banded together to create the American Logistics Aid Network, which will provide humanitarian aid to relief agencies following disasters. The group, which grew from the emergency situations following 2005's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, has not yet drafted by-laws, but is set to proceed in early 2007. DC Velocity (12/2006)

• Study: Many companies lack plans to help workers quit smoking
  Employers pay higher health care costs for workers who smoke, but only a small percentage of large employers offer workers programs to help them quit, a 2006 study by the American Journal of Health Promotion revealed. A separate study by the National Business Group on Health found that 82% of employers believe they should take steps to help workers quit smoking. MSN Money/Associated Press (12/19)

Best Practices

• Volunteerism gains popularity with young work force, employers
  Providing employees with the opportunity to volunteer is a growing trend in the business world, whether it's an organized group activity or allowing an individual worker to take time off. "I think it reflects a shift in people, younger people that want to work in a company whose values are similar to their own," said one company's head of personnel. InformationWeek/Agence France-Presse (12/26)

• Agencies throw out traditional model
  To help clients navigate a multiplatform world, agencies are eliminating the traditional barriers between the account and creative sides and are emphasizing interactive services. These changes are reflected in recruitment, where prospective staffers with multifaceted skills are sought, and through mergers and acquisitions to add key services to existing shops. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (12/28)

Sales

• How to be sales rep No. 1
  Becoming your team's leading sales representative is a matter of understanding your sales goals and territories, building solid relationships with clients and grasping what you, your company and your prospects value. CEO Strategist (1/1)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NAW SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• TTI bought out by Berkshire Hathaway (Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa))

• Hajoca purchases independent plumbing supplier (MLive.com (Michigan))

• The best, worst and most notable from the TV year (USA TODAY)

• Solve office issues by improving your own management skills (Strategy+Business)

• Ritz-Carlton reinvents itself (USA TODAY)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Small Business Manager

• Listening important skill to master
  One lesson many small business owners and entrepreneurs need to learn is how to listen, says one leadership guru and company president. "When you really hear others, you will find yourself with answers that go beyond the ordinary, enhancing both the effectiveness of your business and your own leadership position," he says. BusinessWeek (12/27)

Executive Life

• Boston Market introduces health Web site
  Boston Market's new calorie-counting Web site GutCheckChallenge.com debuted Thursday. The site is available to customers who want to check their waistlines and view healthier items offered by the chain. The concept for the site was created after research that points to belly fat as the No. 1 indicator of potential fat-related health risks. The Boston Globe (12/28)

• Digital SLR prices drop
  Lower prices are transforming digital SLRs into viable and affordable options for both casual and amateur photographers. Macworld (12/26)

• Study: Stopping aspirin use increases risks for heart patients
  Coronary artery patients taking aspirin to thin their blood increase their risk of a major heart problem if they stop taking the painkiller, a study says. The study suggests the dosage not be stopped because the risk of developing a blood clot is more dangerous than the risk of excessive bleeding increased by aspirin. Reuters (12/28)

NAW Insider

• Now distributors can quote prices with greater confidence
  NAW's Price For Success: Online Course for the Wholesale Distribution Sales Team shows your inside and outside salesforce how to quote prices with complete confidence that they are striking the correct balance between pleasing the customer and achieving the company's profit goals.

• Access economic data on your line of trade
  If you're looking for key economic data on your particular wholesale distribution line of trade, then you'll be interested in The 2006 Wholesale Distribution Economic Reports, authored by Pembroke Consulting President and DREF Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. Download immediately the reports most relevant to your business from a list of 18 reports that cover the major wholesale distribution sectors.

Weekly Poll

• Would you take time off work to volunteer?
  

	Yes. I have done it before and would again.
	Yes, I would consider it.
	No, I wouldn't consider it.
	No. I have done it before but wouldn't again.

Territory Manager-Philadelphia, PA Manufacturers Reserve Supply Southeastern, PA, Southwestern, NJ & Northern, DE Commercial/Institutional Products & Service Consultant A.W. Hastings Enfield, CT Industrial Marketing Specialist Crescent Electric Supply Co. East Dubuque, IL Manager, Marketing Research and Analysis Crescent Electric Supply Co. East Dubuque, IL VP Regional Manager United Pipe & Supply Co., Inc. Portland, Oregon

SmartQuote

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to." --Bill Vaughn, columnist and author