| April 4, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Staples nails down financing for Corporate Express offer
Furthering its efforts to acquire Corporate Express, U.S. office-supply giant Staples Inc. said Tuesday it has obtained a $3 billion credit facility to finance a proposed deal. Corporate Express, a Dutch business-products supplier, has rejected the buyout offer as being too low, but Staples has said it may attempt a hostile takeover if necessary. Reuters
(4/1)
    
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| | Has your company met its Q1 hiring goals yet?
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| Best Practices | | |
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- Study: Most managers overestimate their listening skills
New research indicates that not only do managers typically rate themselves higher than their colleagues do on measures of performance, but the gap between self-evaluations and colleagues' assessments is highest when it comes to gauging receptiveness to hearing about difficult issues. The researchers conclude that most managers overestimate their openness to listening to difficult messages and underestimate their impact on subordinates' comfort in speaking honestly. Harvard Business Review
(4/2008)
- Survey: Telecommuting rates on the rise
The ranks of telecommuters in the private and public sectors are expanding, and offering employees the option of working off site can improve retention and recruiting efforts, according to a recent survey of 1,800 professionals. InformationWeek
(4/1)
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- Brand-identity protection needed with online presence
Companies need to be aware that having an online presence can bring about the threat of identity and even brand theft. One retailer learned the hard way, when it was forced to honor discount coupons that had been printed from unauthorized Web sites. MarketingProfs (free registration)
(4/1)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Fuel costs eat away profits for small operations
Small businesses across the country are changing the way they operate to reduce the impact that the rising cost of fuel is having on their bottom lines. Some businesses are cutting back on services or passing on the costs because they can no longer absorb the increases. ABC News
(4/1)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Spot's GPS device fetches help in "dead" spots
Spot is gaining some notice for its handheld
GPS beacon that uses satellite signals instead of cell phone towers to send out messages from users who need help or want to reassure others about their safety. The $150 device -- named Spot -- runs on the private Globalstar satellite system and will work throughout North America, Europe and Australia, with other regions receiving spotty coverage. SeattlePI.com
(4/2)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Preventing driver slips and falls
Slip and fall accidents are a significant factor in driver injuries, causing approximately 22% of injuries to drivers. Next to motor vehicle collisions, slips and falls are the most expensive type of driver accident. The Hartford shares some tips to help drivers protect themselves from slips and falls on the job. Learn more here.
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Rethink salesforce comp plans
What's Your Plan? an eye-opening book from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence shows why tinkering with salesforce compensation plans in isolation can create more problems than it solves. The best strategy starts with development of overall company goals and leads to what author Mike Marks calls "alignment" of these goals with compensation.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Would you like to have in-flight broadband access?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes -- I hate feeling as though I am disconnected. |
| No -- I enjoy the solace. |
| Maybe -- if the option was free. |
| I do not travel by air enough for it to matter. |
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | It's usually the guys who put up big numbers who get the credit, but the little guys put up the little numbers at crucial times."
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- Thursday, April 03, 2008
- Wednesday, April 02, 2008
- Monday, March 31, 2008
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- Thursday, March 27, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Robert Jones
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