| January 10, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Home Depot CEO's first year included a return to basics
Home Depot CEO Frank Blake took on a number of strategic initiatives in his first year at the helm, not the least of which was selling off the home improvement retail chain's wholesale division HD Supply for $8.5 billion as part of his effort to return the company's focus to improving its core retail operations and service. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free registration)
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| Best Practices | | |
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- Trust is bottom line in offering best company policies
Trust and employer-employee partnerships are the positive factors that stick out when considering the differences between the best and worst business policies. Voluntary programs that involve employees making their own decisions, for instance, will likely go a lot further in boosting worker morale -- and loyalty -- than ones that are provided to workers as part of a mandatory program. BusinessWeek
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- How to stay on the same page with overseas suppliers
Clearly communicating expectations is essential to preventing mistakes when working with overseas suppliers, but the communication needs to remain friendly and collaborative to be the most effective. IBM, which does business in 170 countries, offers a good example of how to work with suppliers around the globe to ensure high, uniform standards are maintained. DC Velocity
(1/2008)
| Sales | | |
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- CRM system should facilitate sales process
An effective CRM system helps salespeople minimize their time spent on data entry or fiddling with gadgets. Ideally, CRM will free up salespeople's time so that they can focus on doing their jobs in ways that please customers and encourage them to buy. Selling Power (free registration)
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Small-business jobs grew 4.3% in '07
Hiring by small businesses rose 4.3% in 2007 compared to a 0.2% drop the previous year. The biggest jump in jobs was in the West, while salaries grew the most in the Midwest, according to a survey by SurePayroll. The Washington Post
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| Executive Life | | |
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| NAW Insider | | |
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| Weekly Poll | | |
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Has your company experienced any issues with gray market piracy?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes, but we are taking measures to prevent further issues. |
| No, and we have been careful to avoid such issues. |
| We have not yet, but we need a plan in place to prevent future incidents. |
| I do not think gray market piracy applies to my business. |
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