Absolut City Business

South Carolina developer sees opportunity in old Mall of Memphis site

William Cleary — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:19:49 +0000

Some of the old Mall of Memphis entrances — now dead-ends — are ugly with debris of illegal dumping. The site’s new owner, Johnson Development Associates, has build-to-suit plans for an industrial park that capitalizes on its proximity to air and rail supply hubs.

Proximity to the FedEx hub was no advantage to the retailers at Mall of Memphis: It died in 2003 at the youthful age of 22.

Different story for industrial-site developer Johnson Development Associates.

The South Carolina real estate firm plans to build on the same 113 acres a Class A business park of distribution centers or light industry whose supply chain can benefit from being close to the giant package-delivery service.

The privately held, highly capitalized firm last month closed on its $2.7 million purchase of the former mall site after getting it rezoned.

The now-empty field is just southwest of Interstate 240 and Perkins.

Johnson Development can erect up to 1.2 million square feet of buildings.

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Google strives to enlighten with new search tool

Ruby Flinn — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:33:30 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is introducing a new tool, designed to make its search engine smarter.The new feature debuting Wednesday draws from a Google-built database of more than 500 million people, places and commonly requested things to provide a summary of vital information alongside the main search results.Google Inc. spent the past two years poring through online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the CIA Factbook and other sources to expand a database of 12 million items that it picked up as part of its 2010 acquisition of Metaweb.The information warehouse, which Google calls a “Knowledge Graph,” is an attempt by the Internet’s dominant search engine to provide answers as quickly and concisely as possible so users don’t have to sift through a hodgepodge of Web links displayed on the main results page.The nuggets of information will appear in boxes to the right of the main search results. Google will gradually roll out the feature to its logged-in users in the U.S.

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Blacksburg’s Lujure Media gets funding for Facebook customization tool

Keira Lyle — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:17:03 +0000

Photos by Daniel Lin | The Roanoke Times

Lujure Media on Friday launched a hack-a-thon, a type of contest in which teams spend hours working at the company to create computer code to enhance its online tool.

Lujure President Nathan Latka (from left) and co-founders Josh Gunter and Brian Putt created the company less than two years ago, building on freelance work Latka was doing for other students.

Lujure Media, already collecting revenue of $100,000 a month, expects to expand employment from nine to 30 this year.

BLACKSBURG — Lujure Media, a fast-growing Internet company born in a spare room above a Blacksburg bar a year and a half ago, on Friday announced $550,000 in outside funding to further develop its Facebook page-customization tool.

The student-founded company, which already is collecting revenue of $100,000 a month, expects to expand employment from nine to 30 this year and apply the added money to refine its offerings, said company President Nathan Latka.

Lujure’s online service is a drag-and-drop tool to make Facebook pages for businesses look and perform better.

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Fired up

Keira Lyle — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:42:15 +0000

Photos by Rebecca Barnett | The Roanoke Times

Mattie Barnes of Mattie’s Mountain Mud in Craig County stands back as roasted coffee beans drop into a cooling tray. Barnes began roasting coffee in Lewisburg, W.Va., 22 years ago and was one of just a few roasters in the region when she got started.

Barnes’ company sells coffees from around the world in addition to 20 flavored coffees, 20 blends and 22 specialty roasts.

Barnes’ beans are sent off to 25 commercial customers and thousands of residential customers.

On a rare snowy April day in the mountains of Craig County, Mattie Barnes has the music blaring while she works her coffee roaster inside a barn at her farm.

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High Tech for Restaurant Franchises at the National Restaurant Association Show

Ruby Flinn — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:46:39 +0000

Success in today’s dining industry is as much about technology as it is about great food, according to the exhibitors at this year’s National Restaurant Association industry expo.

Blue MauMau is reporting that the recent NRA show featured a range of new technologies for independent and chain restaurateurs. From equipment that reduces operating costs to computerized inventory/ordering platforms to business intelligence technologies, the majority the showcased solutions were designed to target productivity and/or the dining experience.

Some of the most talked about technologies included computer-based POS systems with networking capabilities that enable them to interact with other applications.

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Abbey Logistics complies with ‘green’ legislation after £5.5m HSBC deal

William Cleary — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:06:50 +0000

BOOTLE transport group Abbey Logistics is updating part of its fleet after a £5.5m funding deal with HSBC.

The deal, by HSBC’s senior commercial manager Steve Bebbington, will enable Abbey to meet carbon emission targets and operate within new low-carbon zones, such as those established in London.

Abbey, which was founded in the late 1970s and was incorporated in 1990, specialises in transporting bulk food ingredients, liquid transport, powder and palletised transport.

It operates 200 trucks and 260 tanks and trailers from nine bases across the UK and plans to boost its turnover to £27m this year.

Abbey’s growth strategy was supported by a move into the bulk powder market recently to carry both food and non-food products around the UK and Europe.

Steve Granite, Abbey managing director, said: “We have been in business for over two decades and remain committed to investing in the company to continually improve and extend the range of services we can offer our customers.

“The equipment funding from HSBC will allow us to target future growth and expansion, while ensuring we are as energy-efficient as possible in the environment we operate in.”

HSBC’s Liverpool commercial director, Rikki Griffiths, added: “Abbey Logistics Group has managed to consistently grow its operations and turnover, while staying abreast of fast-moving environmental changes.

“With the Government’s ambitious green targets setting the agenda for many businesses in the UK, Abbey is a great example of a company tackling its objectives head on and setting a high standard for the industry.”

4 Keys to Success with ERP Software

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:47:33 +0000

Plenty of large businesses make use of ERP software with the hope that it will help them to improve their processes and operate more efficiently. When it is implemented and used properly, the software can definitely enable companies to achieve this, but it is important to note that ERP software is an investment that needs to be carefully handled in order to achieve the best possible results. Read on to find out about four key factors that can affect the success of your new ERP software.

The purpose of the implementation

One major issue to consider is why you are actually looking to implement this sort of system in the first place. Good ERP solutions will be able to handle a wide range of needs and capabilities, but it definitely helps if you have a good idea of what you are hoping to achieve so that you can tailor your implementation appropriately. For example, will your focus be on making data more integrated or on eliminating different kinds of fragmented software within your company? Get more…

101: Talking Politics At Work

William Cleary — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:16:10 +0000

The presidential hopefuls will likely be a topic of conversation over the next few months. Candidates and their statements are dominating the media. But should you discuss politics at work? Political discussions can often get personal as they cut to the core of people’s beliefs and values. Managers and co-workers make snap judgments about you based on your politics. Is there any good way to have these conversations around the water cooler?

Know boundaries. If you get roped into a political conversation, above all, don’t raise your voice, communication coach and author Roshini Rajkumar said in an email. “Hold your emotions in check,” she said. If you cannot discuss a topic without hitting the boiling point, then avoid the political discussion.” She also advises choosing appropriate times to discuss politics, and knowing which topics, such as abortion or same-sex marriage, might be off limits in your workplace.

Stay away. Stay far, far away.

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Small Biz Resource Tip: Zite

Ruby Flinn — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:18:53 +0000

Keeping up on current trends and events is crucial to the health of your business, but who has time to read all the great articles circulating on the Web? Zite is a free app that allows you to gather articles into an online magazine tailored just for you. Zite evaluates the most popular articles on the Web, then meshes those with your own online activities (for example, articles you share with friends and colleagues) to serve up the magazine content that fits your interests and deliver it directly to your iPhone or iPad. Bonus: The more you share and tweet, the better Zite gets to know your interests, so it can personalize your content even more.

Infomercial retailer’s bill bites for Portland dog owner

William Cleary — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:07:04 +0000

Qi Wilzon wanted to order two ‘Comfy Control’ harnesses. Problem was, she was sent three and received a bill much higher than what she was expecting.Qi Wilzon has two small dogs, so the infomercial hawking comfy little canine harnesses caught her eye.

The Southwest Portland woman called in mid-March and, of course, was told by a Telebrands operator that if she bought the harness-and-leash set right away, she could get another for the $10.99 price of one. And free shipping!

“Then they wanted to sell me fancy leashes, then something else, and the last pitch? ‘How about a week in the Bahamas,’” said Wilzon, who passed on paradise and recalls reiterating that she has only two dogs and needed only two harnesses.

The box arrived and Wilzon found the two small harness sets, along with an additional medium harness set and a bill for $36.95. Get more…

Names and changes

Keira Lyle — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:59:41 +0000

ADVERTISING

David Mikula, president of Mikula-Harris, has earned the Travel Marketing Professional certification from the Southeast Tourism Society.

CONSTRUCTION

Beth Hoel has been hired as assistant project manager of Thor General Contractors of Roanoke.

EDUCATION

Xin Luo has joined the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech as an assistant professor of immunology in the department of biomedical sciences and pathobiology.

Radford University has announced the following changes: Devin Dausin has joined the university’s division of student affairs as assistant dean of students, and Amber Mullen has been appointed director of residential life.

ENGINEERING

Hughes Associates Architects & Engineers announces the following: Martha Chester has been appointed president and Alan Downie has been promoted to vice president.

FINANCIAL

Mark Wigginton has been promoted to managing partner for Modern Woodmen of America.

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Demand for storm-related businesses increasing

Ruby Flinn — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:05:41 +0000

NASHVILLE — Bad weather means good business for some entrepreneurs in Middle Tennessee. The area was hit with tornadoes in late February that were followed by severe storms, golf-ball size hail and more tornadoes. Afterward, National Storm Shelters in Smyrna couldn’t answer phone lines quick enough. Meanwhile, waiting rooms at Lyk-Nu Collision Centers in Donelson and Lebanon were full as customers waited to get their cars repaired. Business owners told The Nashville Ledger that demand rose sharply for their services after the storms pounded the state. And with national weather forecasters predicting the South will see more severe weather than usual over the next couple of years, demand is increasing for storm-related services. Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee spokesman Dan Batey says storm-related insurance claims in the state were more than $1 billion last year and the recent storms will create about $90 million. “I’d call that one heck of a stimulus package (for businesses helping storm victims),” Batey said. Some of t

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Cautious optimism greets JOBS Act

William Cleary — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:20:17 +0000

Buoyed by a pledge by President Barack Obama to sign into law the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, the legislation aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship across the nation is being greeted with cautious optimism by some business leaders in Memphis.

The bipartisan JOBS Act that overwhelmingly passed in the House on Tuesday after being tweaked by the Senate paves the way for lots of small-money investors to use crowd-funding to help launch startups. That could boost the profile of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Looking at this from a positive standpoint, this will allow many individuals in our community who may not have considered investing in startups before to do that now,” said Eric Mathews, interim executive director of business accelerator EmergeMemphis.

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Why businesses aren’t making the most of QR codes

Ruby Flinn — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:21:11 +0000

Quick Response (QR) codes have become an increasingly common element of the marketing and retail signs. They usually appear as a square pixilation and enable smartphone-equipped consumers to quickly access value-added brand content.

But according to Scott Wilson, founder and CEO of RankHigher.ca, a Burlington, Ont.-based internet marketing and SEO firm, many companies aren’t using QR codes properly — and as a result, they’re leaving significant amounts of marketing ROI on the table.

“QR codes used the right way can be a fantastic marketing tool,” says Wilson. “Wouldn’t it be great to be able to track your web traffic directly back to that beer coaster in the restaurant or the coupon you mass mailed to thousands of homes? That’s vital information for any marketer.

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The Next 28 Days: Upcoming business events

Keira Lyle — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:30:43 +0000

MONDAYAPRIL2

HEALTHCARE JOB FAIR

Job fair for those interested in working in the medical field.

Where: Roanoke Valley Workforce Center, 1351 Hershberger Road, Roanoke

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact: 598-4483

TUESDAYAPRIL3

HOW TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE

Topics include do’s and don’ts of web design, incorporating social media and email marketing. Presented by Adam Williams and Michael Weaver of 440Web.

Where: Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, 210 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke

When: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Cost: $20

Contact: .

WEDNESDAYAPRIL4

BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES, STYLE & ETIQUETTE CONFERENCE

Featuring training from leaders on professional etiquette and protocol, networking, communicating, interviewing and presenting.

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