| February 6, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- HD Supply not selling its HVAC operations to Watsco
HD Supply won't be moving forward with plans to sell its HVAC unit to Watsco Inc., citing a failure to reach an agreement "that made good financial and business sense for us, as our HVAC business is still very viable and profitable." In a separate deal, HD Supply is slated to complete the sale of its lumber and building materials division to distributor Pro-Build Holdings sometime this month. Industrial Distribution
(2/1)
    
- Brightpoint puts added emphasis on accessory side of wireless business
Cell-phone distributor Brightpoint Inc. has hired Bashar Nejdawi to lead efforts to increase its share of the "mobile enhancements" market. Brightpoint already offers such add-ons as phone cases, battery chargers and software, but has not seen major growth with these products outside the U.S. -- a trend it aims to change. "Being in the handset side, we have a responsibility to be a leader on the accessory side," said Mark Howell, co-chief operating officer for Brightpoint. Indianapolis Business Journal
(2/2)
- SEC proposes delay for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
The Securities and Exchange Commission released a proposal Friday that would give small firms an extra year to come into compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. The SEC has repeatedly delayed the requirement, which small firms have said would burden them with excessive costs. The Wall Street Journal
(2/2)
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| Best Practices | | |
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- Survey: Four in 10 plan to leave jobs in '08 to find better bosses
A new survey backs up the adage that "people don't leave companies, they leave managers." The survey from Yahoo! HotJobs indicates that 72% of employees are open to a new career in 2008, and four out of 10 employees blame either their dislike of their boss' management style or a lack of mentorship at the company as the reason they want to move on. Manage Smarter
(1/31)
- In recession, keep old customers by adding value
Assuming the economy is in or is approaching a recession, marketing consultant Glenn Gow offers five suggestions on how to cope. Among them, Gow says companies should consider how to add more value in your product for existing customers, pay attention to your competition and react quickly to pricing changes, and focus on any segment of your market that is growing faster than others. MarketingProfs (free registration)
(1/29)
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- Experienced salesperson rises to top with empathy, customer perspective
A simple skill such as empathy can be worth far more than attributes such as product knowledge or aggression in making a good salesperson. An over-60 saleswoman who is motivated by more than commissions as a measure of success became a top performer with attributes such as having an outside-in point of view; sharing a common concern for the prospect's objectives and goals; and engaging in insightful dialogue. CustomerThink
(2/4)
| Distribution Trends Blog | | |
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Strategies for surviving a slowdown
Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein Ph.D. outlines six strategies for making it through an economic downturn, which he gathered from a number of wholesale distribution executives at the recent NAW Executive Summit. The ideas include making strategic acquisitions, improving employee productivity and diversifying end-markets, among others. Distribution Trends
(2/5)
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Startups: Heed warnings posted by failed companies
More than 70% of small businesses fail within five years of starting, so entrepreneurs have many examples of failures to show them what not to do. Experts say many businesses grow or expand too rapidly, fail to plan realistically for cash flow, borrow too much money or buy too much inventory. Financial Post (Canada)
(2/4)
| Executive Life | | |
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- United adds $50 fee for checking second bag
United Airlines in May will become the first large carrier to charge travelers $50 to check a second piece of luggage on domestic round-trips. The airline said soaring fuel costs forced it to add the fee and noted that just 25% of its customers check a second bag. It expects the fee to generate about $100 million in additional revenue. Los Angeles Times
(2/5)
- Getting the most out of a new HDTV
Simple steps consumers can take to improve the picture on their HDTV are detailed in this Forbes article. Choosing the right connection and adjusting picture settings are easy, inexpensive ways to make the most of high-def images, according to the article. Forbes
(2/4)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Brand-new book: Profit Myths in Wholesale Distribution
This NAW Institute book has one overall goal -- to change the way distribution managers think about their businesses. Author Albert Bates says that both decision quality and decision consistency are influenced by some very bad information. He promises an eye-opening experience if you accept that much, if not most, of what you have been told about distribution finance issues is wrong.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Is your business taking precautions in case of a recession?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | It is best to be prepared. |
| We have not given it that much consideration yet. |
| We do not anticipate being very much affected by a downturn. |
| SmartQuote | | |
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, February 04, 2008
- Friday, February 01, 2008
- Thursday, January 31, 2008
- Wednesday, January 30, 2008
- Monday, January 28, 2008
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