| April 10, 2009 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Consultant: Stimulus plan may provide $200 billion boost to distributors
The economic stimulus package could provide more than $200 billion for distributors, according to Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. "The requirement is that the use of all the funds is transparent to the public, and the public benefits of these funds are reported clearly, accurately and in a timely manner," Fein said during a recent Webcast. The deadline for obligating the stimulus funds is March 5. Modern Distribution Management
(4/7)      
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Companies bring in consultants ahead of new labor rules: Companies wary of labor law changes proposed by President Barack Obama increasingly are turning to lawyers and consultants for advice on how to prepare for these new measures. Employers are particularly concerned with the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it significantly easier for employees to form unions. Lawyers specializing in labor regulations say they've seen a sharp increase in business since the November election. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)
(4/8)
- High court rules on age claims
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that lower courts must enforce collective-bargaining agreements requiring union members to arbitrate age bias claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The court's vote was a 5-4 split with dissenters claiming the "majority's preference for arbitration leads it to disregard our precedent." CCH
(4/8), Workforce Online
(4/2)
 | How Efficient Is Your Chargeback Management? As chargebacks become more complex and sophisticated, the modern distributor must automate and streamline their process to cut unnecessary costs and improve efficiency. Click here for a free white paper to learn more about how your company can avoid losing potential revenue in the chargeback process. |
- Older IT worker should accentuate their attributes during a downturn
Older IT workers who face possible replacement by younger -- and cheaper -- workers, should consider the advantages they bring to the workplace and how they can be resourceful, particularly in developing those younger staff members, experts say. CIOs, furthermore, might want age diversity, as opposed to a staff of all young workers, to keep a balance. CIO.com
(4/6)
- Take some lessons in innovation from the Great Depression
The Great Depression can offer some important business lessons to follow in the current downturn. Some companies hesitated to innovate during the 1930s. But one, DuPont, moved ahead with the development of neoprene, or synthetic rubber, and the product went on to become one of the 20th century's most important innovations. Forbes
(4/6)
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| | Distributors: Go from Delivering Goods to Greatness.
Put an end to backlogs, excess inventory, inaccurate reporting and unsatisfied customers. This Free Distribution Management Guide features Microsoft® solutions that can help you get orders out faster, lower costs and boost repeat business — and discover how automation and real-time data can help you achieve greater financial control and enhance the management of your supply chain. | |
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- TSA to replace metal detectors with whole-body scanners
The Transportation Security Administration had originally planned to use whole-body imaging machines on passengers who set off checkpoint metal detectors. Initial testing, however, prompted the TSA to decide to replace metal detectors with imaging machines. Critics say the equipment results in the equivalent of "a physically invasive strip search." NYTimes.com
(4/6)
- TripAdvisor rates eco-friendly hotels
TripAdvisor has come out with a list of the top 10 eco-friendly accommodations, based on editor and traveler reports of hotels that combine beautiful lodging with environmental consciousness. Hotels on the list include the Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort in Belize, the Hotel Terra Jackson Hole in Wyoming, La Cusinga Eco Lodge in Costa Rica, Morgan's Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge in Nicaragua and the Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. Travel Agent Central
(4/6)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Critical tool for financial success in tough times
In today's tough economic climate, it's vital that your employees understand the realities of how the finances of your business work. That's where the Official Guide to Wholesaler-Distributor Financial Success comes in. It's your complete employee training tool. It shows you how to transition employees at every level to financial management thinking. Buy multiple copies for everyone on your staff.
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The Distributor Specialist: Customer Champion, Profit Generator!
Specialists are used by a supermajority of top-performing distributors. As defined, the specialist supports the "front-line" sales team and other departments by playing a specific -- usually product- or technology-related -- role in the sales process. The specialist furnishes technical support, sales backup, marketing direction and product management. Learn how to use the specialist to be more profitable in today's down economy.
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| Weekly Poll | | |
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What do you think of the federal plan to increase loans to small businesses?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | It's great. |
| It's good but needs improvement. |
| It's not good. |
| It's terrible. |
| I have no opinion. |
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 | To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."
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Read more at SmartBrief.com |
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A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Thursday, April 09, 2009
- Wednesday, April 08, 2009
- Monday, April 06, 2009
- Friday, April 03, 2009
- Thursday, April 02, 2009
| | | Lead Editor: Brooke Howell
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Nina Davidson
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Palo Alto Software founder Tim Berry cautions that surveys about small business can be deceptive, depending on how random the sample is and how survey questions are written. The problem, Berry writes, is that bad decisions can be made if they are based on bad research. 
