News and Trends

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Authorities debate oversight of financial system
After decades of deregulation in the financial industry, lawmakers, White House officials and regulators are now calling for tougher oversight of Wall Street firms. A battle is brewing over which of the various federal and state regulatory agencies should act and what exactly they should do. The Wall Street Journal (3/24) The New York Times (free registration) (3/23)

• Washington set to debate mortgage reform: Following steps by federal agencies to stabilize the financial and housing industries, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing their own legislative solutions. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is sponsoring a measure that would offer government insurance for up to $300 billion in refinanced mortgages, while a sweeping housing bill in the Senate would increase funding for mortgage counseling and offer tax relief to beleaguered homebuilders. The Wall Street Journal (3/24)

California drug-tracking may be delayed until 2011
A California law requiring the pharmaceutical industry to electronically track a drug's shipment from manufacturer to consumer was approved in 2004 but has yet to be implemented and may not be until 2011, under an extension being considered by the state Board of Pharmacy. Pharmaceutical industry leaders, including manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, say the current Jan. 1, 2009, deadline doesn't provide sufficient time to fully implement the system. Los Angeles Times (3/25)

Other News

• Weyerhaeuser employees await word on plant's future
  The Fayetteville Observer (N.C.) (3/22)

Best Practices

Avoid damaging routines by staying fresh, strategizing
To avoid adopting routines that stall productivity and innovation, companies need to discuss their strategies on a regular basis. Key employees from all levels should take part in the discussions, and issues addressed should include the three most important accomplishments in the past 90 days and the three most important shortcomings during that period. Bloomberg BusinessWeek (3/21)

Passive-aggressive behavior can creep into business
Passive-aggressive behavior in a family company can undermine the business's success. Families should respond by requiring responsibility and accountability from all family members. American City Business Journals (3/24)

Sales

Five new P's for successful marketing
The famous "four P's" in business parlance -- product, price, place and promotion -- are being joined by five customer-centric counterparts. The five new P's stand for: People as the heart of any marketing initiative; passion for marketing that is buttressed by hard data; processes that are more enlightened; a platform of ideas; and taking on partners whose expertise compliments your own. MarketingProfs (free registration) (3/18)

Small Business Manager

Small-business survival tips for economic decline
Whether or not the U.S. actually is in a recession, small-business owners have plenty of ideas on how to cut costs. Among those shared by San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneurs: Secure the cash flow, insist that customers pay their bills, find ways to trim costs, ask employees for ideas on coping and make over products to provide extra value to customers in bad times. San Francisco Chronicle (3/23)

Executive Life

Tips for pumping up savings on gasoline
Gasoline prices can vary as much as 40 cents in a region so which station a driver uses matters, whereas the time of day you fill up also is important because gas is denser in cooler morning temperatures. The manner in which you drive -- whether you are aggressive behind the wheel or more laid-back -- also affects how much fuel your vehicle consumes. CNN (3/24)

Open skies will create competition on trans-Atlantic routes
The open-skies agreement between the U.S. and Europe will go into effect Sunday, giving travelers more choices and access to less-expensive airline fares. The agreement will allow open-market competition on trans-Atlantic routes between the U.S. and Europe. The New York Times (3/23)

NAW Insider

Billion Dollar Company Roundtables -- CFO, Operations, Chief Legal Officer
NAW's Billion Dollar Company Roundtables provide a unique networking experience. Join your peers to speak in a noncompeting atmosphere about the issues and topics that affect your business today. Join the groups and learn more about the upcoming events here.

New downloadable Wholesale Distribution Economic Reports

Download individual economic analysis reports that are most relevant to your business from the 19 major wholesale distribution sectors in the 2008 Wholesale Distribution Economic Reports. These reports supply a wealth of channel benchmarking data, including revenue and employment growth trends, the number and size distribution of companies, gross margins, wages and many other operating statistics. Quantity discounts apply.

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

Has your company experienced payment fraud in the past year?
 Yes, and we are addressing the issue.
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