News and Trends

• Working the kinks out of supply chain ops with specialized software
  Software from companies such as SAP, Infor and Blue Sky Logistics helps clients to monitor shipping, head off crises and nimbly maneuver when unexpected disruptions occur along the supply chain, and then to monitor and improve internal efficiencies once the inventory arrives. DC Velocity (12/2007)

• Friends, colleagues remember Ken Hendricks
  Hendricks, founder of ABC Supply Company, died in an accident at his home on Dec. 21, at the age of 66. Although he was a billionaire businessman, his love of family, his reputation for earnestness, a humble nature and his dedication to hard work and to his community made Hendricks an "everyman entrepreneur," this article says. Inc.com (12/1)

Best Practices

• Setting your sights on leadership success
  What are the qualities that define an exceptional leader in today's business world? Some executives explore the topic in depth, offering a "blueprint" for achieving strategic leadership success. Strategy+Business (free registration) (12/1)

• National accounts programs require planning
  Any national accounts program needs to focus on elements of knowledge about the inner workings of the program, understanding of the business environment, and awareness of the big picture market. Such programs can be profitable but clarity, planning and definitive responsibilities are necessary for success. CEO Strategist (12/3)

Sales

• BootB offers creative idea exchange
  A Moscow-based Web site called BootB provides a marketplace of ideas by providing an online platform where corporate marketers and creatives of all stripes, even amateurs, can mingle, potentially giving the big ad agencies a run for their money, this article suggests. MarketingProfs (free registration) (12/18)

Hot Topics

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

• Forecast: Brace for economic changes in 2008 (Modern Distribution Management)

• Head injury following fall cited in death of ABC Supply CEO (Modern Distribution Management)

• New year is opportunity to renew business plans (The Boston Globe)

• How much time do you get off during the holidays? (NAW News)

• Canadian Tire, Uni-Select ink auto parts agreement (Canadian Press)

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

Small Business Manager

• Entrepreneurs may gain from these trends in 2008
  BusinessWeek has polled experts on the trends in small business in the new year. Exporting to Europe and Canada will make the most of the declining value of the dollar, development of emissions technology and services will be in demand and smart phones will gain wider use. BusinessWeek (12/14)

Executive Life

• Travel trends to expect in 2008
  Travelers can expect higher travel costs, more delays and poorer treatment from airlines in 2008, says MSNBC travel columnist Christopher Elliott. "For travelers, surviving 2008 will be a matter of knowing what to expect and having a strategy to get around each roadblock," Elliott writes. MSNBC (12/26)

• Wine bars pop up in cities across the U.S.
  Wine bars are opening at a rapid pace in Washington, D.C., and other metropolitan areas throughout the U.S., amid rising wine consumption and a "small-plates" trend in restaurants. The Washington Post (12/26)

NAW Insider

• Hertz Local Edition®
  Choose Hertz Local Edition® for your local car rental needs. At more than 1,000 locations across the U.S., Hertz Local Edition® offers a fast customer pick-up and return service. As Hertz expands to more neighborhoods across the country, it'll be even easier for you to rent a car. To enroll in the NAW/Hertz Business Account Program, visit NAW's Web site.

• NAW and The Hartford
  NAW has partnered with The Hartford to offer insurance expertise and comprehensive coverage tailored to the specific needs of wholesaler-distributors. The Hartford also offers expedited claims-handling services and a countrywide network of loss control and risk management experts to help wholesaler-distributors protect their businesses and minimize loss costs. More information available here.

Weekly Poll

• Will your company explore new marketing techniques in 2008?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	Yes, we are ready for a change.
	No, what we currently do works well.
	Maybe, but we are likely to continue proven techniques, too.

Operations Manager - Centralized Distribution Center (DC) HISCO, Inc. Houston, TX

SmartQuote

Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." --Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens, writer