How To Invest in a Commodity Trading Advisor

How To Invest in a Commodity Trading Advisor

Maybe it is human nature… maybe it is a lack of patience or discipline…or the new word courage…why do so many lose money when investing with legendary Commodity trading advisors? I have seen it over and over again. A commodity trading advisor has a good run…and then his assets under management swell. Then the inevitable happens the commodity trading advisor goes through a draw down or even a flat period and the investors jump ship. Assets under management plunge. Many investors lose money doing so. If only they had the discipline to stay with the manager…they could have compounded their money over and over again. Some disciplined commodity trading advisors look at these clients that jumped ship as a trade that did not work. They did not take it personally nor cared. The commodity trading advisors are compounding their own money and fully realize that in order to be in this business, loses will happen, draw downs will happen and investors will only invest with the when they have positive results. The real key in investing with commodity trading advisors is to fully understand how the manager thinks…manages risk…and how he trades. One should not be full of unrealistic expectations… Nothing has to happen in commodity trading..in fact ..most of the time it does not. We only get these rare huge moves every couple of years.. But successful, disciplined commodity trading advisors make themselves available. They do not give up during a draw down. They keep on going..If you want to be a successful commodity trading investor you will need to also. Look at this manager.. Yes,Bill Dunn of Dunn Capital Management has some volatile results, he has compounded money since 1974. The results speak for themselves.. on the chart below from 1984 to 2009 approx 25 years on average Bill Dunn generated 14.47%. Putting this in another context… 100k turns into virtually ,000,000. This is my point. One can compound their way to wealth by diversifying among commodity trading advisors and being patient and disciplined.

For the results of Dunn Capital since 1984…go here

http://myinvestorsplace.com/2009/11/29/how-to-invest-in-a-commodity-trading-advisor/

Andrew Abraham
A.Abraham@AngusJackson.com
www.AJpartnersinc.com
www.myinvestorsplace.com
Futures trading involves risk. People can and do lose money

JPMorgan Hires Curium Capital’s Fenton to Head Global Commodity Strategy
JPMorgan Chase & Co. , the second- biggest U.S. bank, hired Colin P. Fenton , previously the chief executive officer of Curium Capital Advisors LLC, as global head of commodities strategy, a new position.
Read more on Bloomberg

Delphi Labor Pact Gets Ok

Delphi Labor Pact Gets Ok

The Delphi Corp. moved closer to emerging from bankruptcy Thursday with a court approval of its labor pact with the United Auto Workers (UAW). Meanwhile, Highland Capital Partners LP, despite rejection of .3B offer, will still try for a stake in the company.

Delphi said, in a regulatory filing Thursday, it had rejected a .3 billion plan from Highland Capital to accept Appaloosa Management LP’s offer. But in its own filing, Highland said that it plans to pursue its bid for Delphi.

Jack Butler, Delphi’s lead bankruptcy attorney, said that the labor pact was “carefully negotiated” adding the company was pleased a deal had been reached after long talks. “This is an appropriate settlement,” he said.

“I will approve the settlement,” said U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain, who called the pact fair, reasonable and thoughtfully negotiated. “It’s clear to me that the settlement meets all of the tests.” Drain’s approval came a day after the Troy-based Delphi said that it had accepted an offer from an investment group led by Appaloosa to pump .55 billion into the supplier.

The Delphi pact offers veteran workers cash payments in exchange for accepting reduced wages, among other terms, Detroit News reported. The labor contract and investment plan are important steps for Delphi to emerge out of bankruptcy by the end of the year.

The Appaloosa deal replaced an agreement worth up to .4 billion that would have given a group spearheaded by Appaloosa and Cerberus Capital Management LP up to 70 percent of Delphi stock. That plan was turned down when private equity Cerberus, soon-to-be owner of the Chrysler Group, withdrew from the Delphi deal in April.

The Delphi bidders are among a number of buyout firms duking it out for control of automotive sector assets. Appaloosa said in a filing Thursday that it sent an angry letter to Toledo-based Dana Corp.’s board of directors after its offer was spurned in favor of a bid from Centerbridge Capital Partners, The News continued.

Appaloosa, Dana’s biggest shareholder, called the Centerbridge deal “absurd and one-sided” and said that it was considering mounting a rival offer.

Delphi spokesman Lindsey Williams said the board took a number of factors into consideration before choosing Appaloosa. “Delphi engaged in significant negotiations with competing potential plan investors and chose the investor group whose proposal the company believes is in the best interest of all of its stakeholders and will allow Delphi to successfully emerge from Chapter 11 with the greatest speed and execution,” Williams said.

The Appaloosa investment plan is required to be approved first by a bankruptcy court. The equity firm can decline participation if its offer is not approved by Aug. 16. Additionally, the firm would be eligible for an .5 million termination payment. Delphi has requested a hearing on the financing plan as quickly as possible.

The investment plan is key to Delphi coming out of bankruptcy, as is the UAW agreement, The News said. The labor pact, which union members approved in June, covers payments for longer-term workers who will agree to take a lower hourly wage in connection with newer workers.

The union, which represents about 17,000 Delphi workers, also agreed to let the supplier close 11 of 21 UAW plants, added The News. Delphi will continue to operate four UAW plants, while seven will be sold and run by other firms. Moreover, the Troy-based supplier must still reach crucial pacts with small unions that represent about 3,000 workers and those negotiations continue. Appaloosa will have less control over the company than under the Cerberus deal.

The bidding is getting hotter than ever that it might need a Subaru air filter…

Top hedge fund stock buys
TheStreet collated the top 10 stocks in which hedge funds raised their stake the most during the second quarter
Read more on The Globe and Mail

Michael Zimmerman of Prentice Capital Management announces innovative long and short equity fund for the U.S. consumer and retail sectors

Michael Zimmerman of Prentice Capital Management announces innovative long and short equity fund for the U.S. consumer and retail sectors

New York, NY – Prentice Capital Management, an investment firm that focuses on a value-oriented fundamental investment philosophy, has announced the launch of the Prentice Capital Long/Short Equity Fund. The new fund will pursue a deep fundamental research strategy in public equities in the U.S. consumer and retail sectors.

Prentice will manage the fund in a public long-short equity-only portfolio. The company will leverage its existing proprietary research platform which includes longstanding relationships with senior and middle management teams, lenders, creditors, industry consultants, vendors, and buy side partners to help inform the fund’s investment decisions.

As U.S. consumer and retail specialists who have invested up and down the capital structure for more than a decade, we seek to create alpha in this niche fund, noted Michael Zimmerman, CEO of Prentice Capital Management. Also, as the economy could be flattening out and ready to rebound, but is still experiencing some volatility, we could be perfectly poised to make several successful investments, on both the long and short sides of the portfolio, he added.

Additionally, Michael Zimmerman long history of successfully marrying deep fundamental research with catalyst investing will be mirrored by the fund, which will attempt to implement strong trading capabilities and strict risk management in addition to strong primary research skills.

To learn more about the Prentice Capital Long/Short Equity Fund, please contact Ben Cable (COO of Prentice Capital Management) at 212-756-3560 or benc ( @ ) prenticecapital dot com dot

About Prentice Capital Management

Prentice Capital Management focuses on public equity investments in the U.S. consumer and retail sectors. Since its inception in 2005 by Michael Zimmerman, Prentice has embraced a fundamental-driven, value-oriented investment philosophy fueled by the company’s specialized proprietary research platform. From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Zimmerman managed a U.S. consumer and retail portfolio at S.A.C. Capital that mirrored the investment strategy currently pursued by Prentice. Prior to S.A.C., Mr. Zimmerman invested in consumer and retail stocks at both Omega Advisors and Lazard Asset Management.

Michael Zimmerman
PRENTICE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP
623 Fifth Avenue , 32nd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-756-8048
E-mail: michaelz ( @ ) prenticecapital dot com
prentice.capital ( @ ) yahoo dot com

Source:
http://www.1888pressrelease.com/michael-zimmerman/prentice-capital/michael-zimmerman-of-prentice-capital-management-announces-i-pr-219683.html

Ex-Goldman Executives May Raise 0 Million for Warehouses Fund in India
Everstone Capital Management , the private-equity and real-estate fund adviser started by two former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executives, may raise as much as $ 350 million for a new fund to invest in warehouses in India.
Read more on Bloomberg

Washington D.C.: Our Nation’s Capital

Washington D.C.: Our Nation’s Capital

Washington DC is the capital of the United States of America. When in a new area, we find it beneficial to get the lay of the land. We knew were not going to attempt to drive into Washington, DC with Boss.(Remember that Boss is a one ton dually with an extended bed and wide hips. Finding a parking place is difficult. We have heard the horror stories of the Beltway, not to mention the traffic in DC proper. The beltway is an Interstate highway system, which encircles the city: well known for major traffic jams.

We found out that DC has a wonderful Metro, train/subway, system which will take the traveler almost anywhere in the general area. First we had to find the stations near us and check out the parking. The station at College Park is convenient, but has a postage stamp parking lot. Mostly students from the University of Maryland use this depot via their shuttle bus. The other station, the terminus of the Green line is Greenbelt, the planned city built after W.W.II. The parking lot there has its own shuttle bus to assist the patrons from the far reaches of the lot. Nearby is Greenbelt Park, a hidden gem in the National Park Service. Even though the park is officially closed at this time, dry camping is still allowed in one of the areas for only .00 per night (half for Seniors with the Golden Passport). A dump station is available for the necessary. The campground is less than a half mile from the College Park train station.

Our goal today was to scale the Washington Monument for the aerial view of the city and then visit the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. To enter the Washington Monument, you need to have a ticket, picked up for free at a nearby kiosk. To get a ticket you have to be there by 8:00 AM. We arrived about 11:00 and all were taken.

We headed to the Lincoln Memorial via the Vietnam Wall, a moving sight with the flowers, wreaths, and letters laid at the base of the monument.  At the South end are two books with the names of the dead in alphabetical order. The names on the memorial are chronological. Look up the name of the individual in the book and you will be directed to the panel on which his/her name appears. Across a small green are two more memorials dedicated to the survivors of the war: one of three soldiers, the other of the women who served.

What can be said about the Lincoln Memorial which has not been done before. These days barricades and fencing restrict the tourists’ movements. You cannot walk completely around the Memorial on the upper level. On the ground floor, however, is a museum which chronicles the construction of the Memorial and the events which have taken place at the site, such as the freedom marches, Marion Anderson’s concert, and Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a Dream” speech. Once again the NPS has scored with a wonderful movie relating the importance of Abe Lincoln’s life through his words and pictures and the impact throughout the history of our great country. The musical background is Aaron Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait.

Down from the Lincoln Memorial, opposite the Mall from the Viet Nam Memorial, is the Korean War Memorial. Make sure you have a ranger tour to derive the utmost from the experience. The purpose of the memorial is to involve everyone, the living and dead, into the experience. Originally there were to be thirty-eight(re: 38th Parallel) life-sized statues of soldiers climbing the rugged hill to freedom. The number was halved to nineteen.

Approaching from the road the one soldier is looking over his shoulder signaling to the troops massed in the woods behind to come out into the clearing, filled with juniper and rocks. As you climb the hill to the US flag, the symbol of freedom, you see at the end etched in stone that over 53,000 men lost their lives and more than 8,000 were MIA. At the top is a reflecting pool with a triangular wall jutting into it (the Korean Peninsula). Not to be overlooked is the dark wall on the other side of the hill. Into the wall are carved 2,500 photographic images of men and women who were ancillary to the combatants. You cannot see the faces from afar, only up close. Drawing near the wall the real faces can be seen staring out at you, and you yourself are also reflected in the wall along with the nineteen soldiers climbing the hill to freedom. You become part of the memorial and memorial becomes part of you. This is an eerily haunting feeling which lingers throughout the day.

Across the road to the tidal basin we walked. The thousands of Japanese Cherry Trees were in full bloom. In the distance stood the Jefferson and the Washington Memorials. Along the way lays the memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt. This consists of four outdoor rooms of writings, water and statuary, each one dedicated to a term in office. The monument is a lovely tribute to a great president who led us out of the despair of depression and the horrors of war.

Managing the Business Cycle: You Can?t Stop Pedaling

Managing the Business Cycle: You Can?t Stop Pedaling

Isaac Newton taught us that anything that goes up must come down. So, why should businesses be any different? Managing the business cycle is one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs and their senior management team will face. And the reality is that it will never go away.

In today’s global economy, the impact of any macroeconomic event travels at the speed of light. The Federal Reserve sneezes, and boy, the rest of the world catches cold in next to no time. The blood pressure levels of many a CEO mirror the changing patterns in oil prices and stock market indices. This is where the skill in managing the business cycle spells the difference between success and doom, and separates the men from the boys. “Beating the Business Cycle” by Lakshman Achuthan and Anirvan Banerji listed in the Professional and Technical books section of provides greater insight.

For an entrepreneur, it is very important to learn this lesson early on, lest he or she is forced to learn it the hard way. Let us discuss some of the common tactics that are used by masters of the art of managing the business cycle.

The first thing to do is anticipate. Many a conglomerate has been caught flat-footed by an “unexpected” recession. Sure, macroeconomic developments in far away continents might seem of no relevance, until you scratch the surface. Businesses are highly interwoven these days, and therefore negative repercussions spread far and wide, quickly. If you don’t have an advanced degree in Economics, leave the number crunching to someone who does. Ensure that your business forecasting techniques do take into account such developments.

Managing the business cycle invariably starts with realigning capital expenditure. Having anticipated a downturn, most conservative business heads might cut back on new capital investment. On the other hand, proactive thinkers actually increase capital expenditure prior to a recession, in order to gain a first mover advantage when the economy recovers. Of course, this depends on the business you’re in – for example, this tactic is favored by real estate companies. Likewise, the decision to acquire or sell a company must also be timed accordingly. The temptation to buy is strong in good times, but comes at a price. At the micro level, you will also need to manage cash flow differently.

To stock or not to? Inventory management is tough enough as it is, but approaches the complexity of rocket science closer to a recessionary period. Not cutting back production in anticipation of a downturn and therefore being saddled with stagnating inventory is a cardinal sin… but so is being caught unawares by surging demand in times of economic recovery, and having no product to sell! Particularly in the case of businesses that make seasonal products, or even those with a high degree of obsolescence, the inventory decision is make-or-break.

Don’t cut advertising. No, that’s not a typo error, we mean what we said. The reactive way of managing the business cycle is to freeze promotional activity. Tell yourself repeatedly that advertising is investment, and not expenditure, till you start to believe it. Advertising demand goes down during a slack season, and so do rates – which means, you get more visibility at a lower price.

Reassess your human resource needs – by that we don’t necessarily mean downsize. Your employee headcount may well fluctuate in accordance with the business cycle. However, do remember, that during off season, the labor pool is in spate! If you have been struggling with finding the right people, it may be a good time to redouble your efforts during a recession. Not only are you likely to find a wider selection of candidates, you can probably hire them at a lower cost.

While macroeconomic events have a far reaching impact, they can also bring about unexpected opportunities. Managing the business cycle is no mean task, and yet, there is hardly anything that is more critical.

Allow private firms to run schools, says Ofsted chief
Private companies should be allowed to take over the running of state schools, the outgoing chairman of Ofsted has said.
Read more on Daily Telegraph

Bay Area Rapid Transit

Bay Area Rapid Transit

History

Development and origins

Main article: History of the Bay Area Rapid Transit

Some of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System’s current coverage area was once served by the electrified streetcar and suburban train system called the Key System. This early twentieth century system once had regular trans-bay traffic across the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. By the mid-1950s that entire system had been dismantled in favor of highway travel using automobiles and buses – given the explosive growth of expressway construction. A new rapid-transit system was proposed to take the place of the Key System during the late 1940s, and formal planning for it began in the 1950s. Some funding was secured for the BART system in 1959, and construction began a few years later. The first passenger rail service commenced on a few stretches of track in September 1972. The new BART system was hailed by some authorities as a major step forwards in subway technology.

However, questions arose concerning the safety of the BART system and the huge expenditures necessary for the construction of the BART network. Praise for the new transportation system was not unanimous at first.

Recent history

2006 statistics

Number of vehicles

670

Initial system cost

.6 billion

Equivalent cost in 2004 dollars (replacement cost)

billion

Hourly passenger capacity

15,000

Maximum daily capacity

360,000

Average weekday ridership

322,965

Annual gross fare income

3.65 million

Annual expenses

1.81 million

Annual profits (losses)

(0 million)

Rail cost/passenger mile (excluding capital costs)

$.323

A recent study shows that along with some Bay Area freeways, some of BART’s overhead structures could be extensively damaged and could potentially collapse in the event of a major earthquake, which is predicted as highly likely to happen in the Bay Area within the next 30 years. Extensive seismic retrofit will be necessary to address many of these deficiencies, although one in particular, the penetration of the Hayward Fault Zone by the Berkeley Hills Tunnel, will be left for correction after any disabling earthquake, with the consequences for in-transit trains, their operators, and their passengers left to chance.

In May 2004, BART became the first transit system in the nation to offer cellular telephone communication to passengers of all wireless carriers on its trains underground. This is in contrast to other systems in United States, which, while having some cellular telephone service, do not provide it for passengers of all the major cell phone carriers. Service was made available for customers of Verizon Wireless, Sprint/Nextel, AT&T Mobility, and T-Mobile in and between the four San Francisco Market Street stations from Civic Center to Embarcadero. In 2005, coverage was made available between Balboa Park and 16th St. Mission. By July 2008, the fifth cell phone network of the Bay Area, MetroPCS, was added. In December 2009, service was expanded to include the Transbay Tube, thus providing continuous cell phone coverage between West Oakland and Balboa Park. Service is planned to be added in downtown Oakland, Berkeley, and the Berkeley Hills Tunnel by the end of the third quarter 2010. Coverage is expected to be added to South San Francisco and San Bruno in 2011. The goal is to provide continuous cell phone and internet service throughout the entire BART system.
Starting on February 20, 2007 BART entered into an agreement to permit a beta test of WiFi Internet access for travelers on the BART system. It initially included the four San Francisco downtown stations; Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, and Civic Center. To date over 30,000 patrons have utilized the service. The testing and demonstration also includes above ground testing to trains at BART’s Hayward Test Track. The testing and deployment has been extended into the underground interconnecting tubes between the four downtown stations and further. The successful demonstration and testing provided for a 10 year contract with WiFi Rail, Inc. for the services throughout the BART Right Of Way (ROW).
During the months of May 2008 and July 2008 the WiFi service was expanded to include the Transbay Tube and now awaits BART cars which have the necessary WiFi equipment to benefit from the network access.

Since the mid 1990s, BART has been trying to modernize its aging 30-year-old system. The aforementioned fleet rehabilitation is part of this modernization; presently, fire alarms, water-sprinkling systems, yellow tactile platform edge domes, and cemented-mat rubber tiles are being installed. The rough black tiles on the platform edge mark the location of the doorway of approaching trains, allowing passengers to wait at the appropriate locations for the train, instead of waiting until the train

A Simple Winning Strategy Pairing Bullish and Bearish ETFs

A Simple Winning Strategy Pairing Bullish and Bearish ETFs

I want to start by focusing on the S&P 500 – it’s essentially an index of the 500 largest companies in America. Actually it’s more. Contrary to a popular misconception, the S&P 500 is not a simple list of the largest 500 companies by market capitalization or by revenues.

Rather, it is 500 of the most widely held U.S.-based common stocks, chosen by the S&P Index Committee for market size, liquidity, and sector representation.  “Leading companies in leading industries” is the guiding principal for S&P 500 inclusion. We are starting here to achieve safety and diversity.

If you use the S&P 500 as your investment base you won’t have to worry if the CEO has resigned, the CFO has just been indicted, the stock has missed its forecast or any number of things that make stock prices flagellate unsuspecting investors and traders.

You ask: How can you make money investing on the S&P 500?
Consider its graph, the white, bottom most curve on the chart.  As you can see, the S&P 500 goes up and down similar to stocks and hasn’t done so well over the past 3 years.

Wouldn’t we do better with a mutual fund? [Actually, you're getting warmer.]

According to the Motley Fool, “During the 1990s, the S&P 500 has provided an annualized return of 17.3%, compared with just 13.9% for the average diversified mutual fund.” Over the past 3 years only 10 mutual funds had more than a 12% total return [data through 6/4/2010 from 12,392 funds, Morningstar].  You can see that the S&P 500 has not done well, but you would have actually done worse using mutual funds.

Instead of considering mutual funds I’m going to restrict our consideration to just two ETFs, i.e.,  SSO and SDS.  I said simple; this is simple!

We’re going to invest in SSO when the market is rising and SDS when it’s falling.  Both SSO and SDS are based on the S&P 500. They track its traded index, SPX.  [You have to trade SPX because the S&P 500 is an index that isn't traded.] The SPX is among the most traded equities and is also one of the most liquid.  As an investment it brings diversification.

SSO and SDS are mirrors of each other. Whenever SSO rises the SDS falls, and vice versa. This allows us to trade in rising and falling markets. Simply, pick the correct ETF.

These ETFs have one other unusual property. They move twice the speed of the SPX; they are leveraged 2 to 1. [Proshares has a number of similarly behaving ETFs. They are called Ultra ETFs.]

You said; This would be a safe investment strategy! These are leveraged! Isn’t it safer to invest in sound American stocks?

Rather than give a large list of recently failed stocks, I decided to find if there were any stocks among the current S&P 500 that I would like to have held over the past 3 years. Only 2 emerged, Family Dollar and Autozone. More than 15% of the S&P 500 had more than a 75% draw-down and an additional 35% had losses over 50% at some time during the 3 years. These statistics do not include companies like Enron and Lehman that are no longer included. If they were included these statistics would be much higher.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a stock picker. I want something truly safe. If you are comfortable with your results trading stocks, don’t bother reading further.

What about investing in utilities?

When I began investing, my Dad told me that utilities were always a safe investment. They paid a good dividend that never went down. Their customer base is locked in. Their rates are determined by the states and these always increase. What could be safer?

During the last 3 years, Duke Energy fell over 40% from a high of 20.66 to a low of 12.39. Over the same period, the index of gas utilities had a high of 33.84 and a low of 20.11. Electric utilities fared worse falling from a high of 40.01 to a low of 20.85. Even utilities don’t look safe anymore.

From my point of view, it’s the story of the turtle and the hare. Stocks behave like the hare. You cannot predict in which direction they are going to run.

These two ETFs, SSO and SDS, in comparison are turtles; admittedly turtles with racing stripes. At this point we do not have anything more than a rough plan for investing in the S&P 500. This is not enough to qualify as an investment strategy.

We shall begin to upgrade this plan into a practical trading strategy. First, we need an unbiased indicator to determine on which ETF we should place our money, SSO or SDS. Any day, the

In the Mines: Making the Most of Sierra Leone’s Rough Diamonds

In the Mines: Making the Most of Sierra Leone’s Rough Diamonds

Improving the Environment for Investors

Since the commercialization of diamonds began in the early 1930s, Sierra Leone has produced over 500 million carats of diamonds to support the world’s need for diamonds. The diamond fields of Sierra Leone are estimated to extend over an area of perhaps 3,000 square miles, bounded by the Sewa River covering stretches of towns including Bo, Kenema, Yengema, Koidu, Tongo Field, and Kono, and extending as far as Liberia. Diamonds are found in these extensive alluvial deposits, in underlying dykes and pipes, and also from source rocks on higher ground. These areas still hold millions of carats of diamonds.

A good number of major diamond mining corporations—notably the Sierra Leone Diamond Corporation, AmCam Minerals, African Diamonds, Rex Diamond Mining, Mano River Resources—have spent heavily to accrue their own alluvial deposits in Sierra Leone, and many are evaluating opportunities to invest. In his September 2007 first session parliament speech, President Ernest Koroma spoke about revising mining policies to generate more returns from diamond exports for the development of the country. With the need for rough diamonds likely to continue to rise in value, rough diamonds could continue to yield billions of dollars in decades to come. However, the diamond mining industry has been one of the most corrupt sectors with billions of dollars in lost revenues been recorded from smuggled diamonds, making the rough diamonds sector Sierra Leone’s costliest corrupt sector.

There is a theory behind improving the environment for investors in the diamond industry. The theory is that a well-coordinated system of investments in the diamond industry can buffer the country against inflation shocks to the Sierra Leone economy. Strategic diamond exports allow the Sierra Leone government to generate more foreign exchange by millions of dollars of foreign investments in the industry.

The more of foreign investments in the country can help the government as a diamond-exporting country to grow its economy. Strategic policing of the industry promotes the image of the country that in turn attracts more investments.  And it may reduce (to a great extent) the massive revenues that flow to corrupt scam hawks, helping to make them less formidable troublemakers. Thus, in theory, a properly regulated diamond industry is an important tool of both economic and foreign policy. In practice, it boosts foreign exchange earnings for the government that can support massive development projects when these earnings are handled properly. And on that front, the government really has to be firm in putting in place a system that effectively regulates the industry.

The country has had administrations with opaque and weak mining policies when public officials designates lined up their pockets with profits generated from under-reported production of rough diamonds. The Ministry of Mineral Resources makes decisions about mining policies. It also coordinates diamond exports. Sierra Leone diamonds are still appreciated as one of the best diamonds in the world, even when major diamond regulators in Antwerp controlled the reliability and pricing of rough diamond supplies because they hold most of the world’s excess production capacity.

Today’s market, by contrast, has little excess capacity, and supplies are priced in diamond markets dominated by massive volumes of private trading. Yet stocks of quality rough diamonds are rarely handled with an accurate view of these markets, even though effective management would mean offering reliable supplies. Bigger supplies of rough diamonds could help improve Sierra Leone’s natural resource security, but until the Sierra Leone government better manages its strategic rough diamonds production, billions of dollars would continue to go away without growing the economy. Such an effort would be warranted only if the Koroma administration radically reformed its approach to the country’s mineral deposits and coordinated it to meet international standards in order to create a better atmosphere for foreign investors to inject more capital resources to strengthen the Sierra Leone economy.

Most important, the Koroma administration should shift control over its mineral deposits from the president (and his political appointees in the Ministry of Mines) to an independent minerals deposits board. Presidential and ministerial discretion, once thought to lend flexibility to the system and make the rough diamonds production a powerful foreign policy tool, now has the opposite effect. Presidential and ministerial control has politicized decisions about the deposits, especially as most Sierra Leone presidents have proved unable to move nimbly and credibly with the diamond trade.

Furthermore, because diamonds are a splendid global commodity, the Koroma

Brian Dombkowski Joins Sand Hill Advisors LLC as Chief Investment Officer

Brian Dombkowski Joins Sand Hill Advisors LLC as Chief Investment Officer

San Francisco, CA – Sand Hill Advisors LLC, a leading Bay Area wealth management firm with more than billion in assets under its direction, has hired Brian Dombkowski, CFA, as its Chief Investment Officer. Brian will serve as Chairman of Sand Hill’s Investment Committee and will be responsible for leading the investment philosophy and practices of the firm. Additionally he will serve as a member of the Executive Committee.

“When selecting an advisor, our clients demand nothing less than the most sophisticated and strategic investment capabilities,” commented Jane Williams, President, CEO, and founder of Sand Hill Advisors. “With this in mind, we have built an investment team with expertise across the full spectrum of asset classes to complement our full-service wealth management capabilities. As we embark upon a new year and a new decade, we are delighted to have a seasoned investment professional like Brian leading our investment strategy and as part of the Sand Hill team.”

Before joining Sand Hill Advisors, Brian served as Co-Chief Investment Officer of Stafford Capital Management, where he contributed to tripling the assets under management during his tenure, and actively managed funds for a client base comprising high net worth individuals, family offices and institutional investors. Prior to his time with Stafford, Brian spent ten years with RCM Capital Management, a dominant West Coast institutional investment firm. In his capacity as one of RCM’s Senior Portfolio Managers and Co-Chief Investment Officers, he managed a billion dollar investment product for the firm.

“Sand Hill stands out among its competitors. Certainly over its 28-year history the firm has established a strong track record, has built a broad platform, and has assembled an outstanding team. But philosophically, I’m most excited about the exceptionally client-centric approach Sand Hill brings to this business,” said Brian. “I am looking forward to playing a significant role in the management and growth of the firm and to complementing the platform that Jane and her team have built.”

Sand Hill Advisors was founded in 1982 and is based in Palo Alto, California. Our offerings include investment planning and risk management, retirement and estate planning, philanthropic strategies, divorce financial consulting, and solutions for women in transition.

For more information about Sand Hill Advisors, contact Priscilla Joyce at 650-854-9150, or visit the company’s website at http://www.shadv.com.

Source:
http://www.1888pressrelease.com/cio/dombkowski/brian-dombkowski-joins-sand-hill-advisors-llc-as-chief-inves-pr-179081.html

Goulburn climbs mountain for profile
YOU look at the great climbs of the Tour de France, and then you look at Razorback Mountain, to the south west of Sydney, and you get the giggles.
Read more on The Australian

Austin Bank

Austin Bank

Austin Bank is a term which creates a picture of professional and friendly service in mind. Every bank of Austin tries to satisfy its customers through it services in terms of satisfaction,quickness,guarantee and assurance.
The Compass bank is a famous bank of America.Based on deposit market share, BBVA Compass Bank is the 15th largest in U.S. commercial banks. This Austin Bank is a leading U.S. banking franchise located in the Sunbelt region.This bank has also been ranked as the third largest bank in Alabama. In Texas it is the fourth largest bank.And also in Arizona it is the fifth largest bank. The headquarters of this bank lie in Birmingham, Alabama.This bank has over 741 branches including Texas, Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico.
This Austin Bank, called Compass bank in short,also offers its services at Austin City- the capital of Texas.Three major business areas are covered by this bank including the Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Wealth Management. Leading products and services are offered by this bank with the primary aim on providing its customers with appropriate financial solutions. Commercial and wholesale banking , Small Business Administration loans, treasury management international services, merchant processing, consumer loans, mortgages , home equity lines , credit cards etc are offered at this bank with a good financial counselling.
The Compass Incorporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA which is a big financial services group having 7,600 branches. Around 105,000 employees of this bank are working in various 30 countries. A full range of financial services is offered by all its branches. The Compass bank at Austin also provides commercial and wholesale banking.Not only this Austin Bank but some of the other banks of austin also offers the retail banking services consumer loans, mortgages and credit cards. The BBVA Group has also maintained its leadership position in Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States.
Austin banking makes any Austin Bank a special one. Its simple and informative financial counselling is one of its special feature. Austin banking deals with many important issues including the issues related to bank accounts, negotiable instruments, loans, interest rates, regulatory compliance, taxes, and more. The Austin banking also provides a bright career opportunity for those who want to make their career in the banking sector. Austin banking can also be described as a very developed sector in terms of its services and use of technology.The employees involved in Austin banking enjoy the work amenities they get and the customers may also benefit from the wonderful services they come across during the Austin banking.
One of the popular Austin Texas Bank is the Frost National Bank.The Frost National Bank is based in San Antonio,Texas.One of its important branch lies in the Austin City. This bank of Austin is appreciated by many in terms of their professional,polite and quick banking services.This Austin Bank has got a very good image in Austin Banking .Frost National Bank operates 112 financial centres across Texas.
If we talk a little about the history of Austin Bank then Frost National Bank is one such Austin Bank which was formed in 1868. The main branch of the bank is in san Antonio,Texas. It is a nationally chartered bank.The Frost Bank is the largest in Texas with operations only in Texas .In terms of asset size,it is the 62nd largest U.S bank. The Frost bank provides investment and brokerage services,commercial-consumer banking products,investment banking and insurance products for its customers. Frost is a subsidiary of Cullen-Frost bankers,Incorporation which is a financial holding company. This is also based in San Antonio.Frost Bank Corporation and Cullen bankers had merged in 1977,giving rise to this much renowned Austin Texas bank called the Frost Bank in short.
The Frost Bank is one such Austin Bank which has a great withstanding relationship with the entire community. National Frost Bank has survived two world wars when thousands of banks had failed in U.S.Frost has grown every year and through decades it started showing its great development in terms of quality,services and assurance. When energy prices had plunged, a wave of collapse had fallen over the banking industry including the Austin banking.But Frost bank emerged from such situations and made a path for itself. The best fact about the banks of Austin is that they offer very satisfactory services to its customers.

Climate change isnt coming to Nashville its already here. And the future might be hotter than we can handle
Hot Problems by Steve Haruch It doesn’t take a climate scientist to realize July 2010 was a hot month in Nashville. You stepped outside, right? For some, the heat was… [ Read more ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Read more on Nashville Scene

Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx – Understanding Forex Capital Markets

Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx – Understanding Forex Capital Markets

Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx

The Forex Capital Market in the foreign exchange arena worldwide is a nonstop, no nonsense cash market. The different currencies of nations are traded here for profit and the transactions are typically taken care of by dedicated brokers. Foreign currencies in the Forex Capital Market worldwide are consistently bought and sold. This buying and selling of currencies takes place across local and global markets.

The overall exercise is to ensure that the investments of the traders involved increase in value. These profits are in turn generated by the currency movements. The conditions in the Forex capital market arena are subject to change at any time and are substantially influenced by a number of real time economic news and events. The main attraction of this market for retail traders includes 24×7 trading and nonstop access to the global Forex dealers. You can literally trade at any time of the day!

The currency markets worldwide are enormously liquid and this nature of the market makes it easy to trade the major currencies (U.S. Dollar, Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen and British Pound). This highly volatile and liquid market offers investors a number of profit raking opportunities. A trader’s ability to quickly profit with the rising or falling of prices is what lures the industry big players to keep earning and investing regularly.

The market offers foreign exchange trading within a leveraged arena, with low margin requirements. The market also offers investors and traders ample of options to benefit from with zero commission trading. Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx

The currency market deals with sensitive capital investments from all over the world, and aims to profit from volatile foreign currency movements around the globe. Forex trading within the dedicated market is always conducted in currency pairs. The numbers are referred to as foreign exchange rates and investors need to understand how to interpret its values. For example, the rate of EUR/USD = 1.4000 means that one Euro can be traded with 1.4000 U.S. Dollars.

The lucrative trading opportunities from all over the world enable the investor to enjoy the benefits of a high return on investment in the Forex market. Compared to other forms of trading, currency trading can potentially yield a 30% return (or more) within a very short time period. Also, compared to a stock which may be worth absolutely nothing in the case of a bankruptcy, it is highly unlikely that a currency can be completely worthless. Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx

When trading currencies in this unique market, traders deal only when the currency being bought is expected to increase in value as compared to the currency being sold. This financial rostrum also flaunts scope for open trades or open positions, where the trader buys or sells a particular currency pair, but does not transact the equivalent amount to close the position.

The arena is very speculative in nature. The currencies in are traded in pairs and exchanged one against the other and exchange rates are mostly determined against the US dollar (USD). This financial market works along the determined minimum security that is intended to cover trading losses and the margin enables private investors to trade in high minimum units and enhanced rates of profit! Forex Capital Markets Plano Tx

Swank Capital Announces Change to The Cushing® 30 MLP Index
Swank Capital, LLC and Swank Energy Income Advisors, LP announced today that due to the previously announced acquisition of Williams Pipeline Partners L.P. by Williams Partners L.P., Williams Pipeline Partners L.P. is expected to be removed from The Cushing® 30 MLP Index.
Read more on PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Inviting foreign partners– Suggestions to revamp higher education

Inviting foreign partners– Suggestions to revamp higher education

While stress is focused on infrastructure sectors like Primary, Secondary and Higher education, power, roads and ports, the importance of soft infrastructure like Governance, law and order, stability and financial markets, they should not be diluted. India must leverage in order to become a truly global superpower. The conviction about India’s demographic strengths and its ability to overtake China possibly by 2015.

Amidst this backdrop,  It is felt that,  Education should make the student not only knowledgeable but also mould them into a good discipline citizen with full of courage and confidence.Today the education sector has witnessed the beginning of reforms and will have to pass through a more challenging phase. Higher education has a lot of big challenges. Enactment of some legislation or introductions of certain bills are just the beginning. The road ahead is very long. There is shortage of teachers, providing education to disadvantage and physically challenged and increasing access to education still remain the major issues before the government. It is well known that it was critical about the poor participation of private sector in expanding the education infrastructure in the country. There will be a requirement of 12 lakh teachers under the Right to Education Act. Shortage of teachers is a problem. It is said there is a huge demand-supply gap in educational facilities and asked the private sector to come forward in taking education to inaccessible areas. The private sector will have to find a practical way to collaborate with the government, Further, the private sector has not done much in this sector because economy was not liberalised till 1991. It is clear that, quality of education provided by the private institutions is a matter of concern.The country was lagging behind in skill development. Only five per cent of the workforce has some skill certification. The policy is in the offing to allow private sector to use the government infrastructure like school building for skill development programmes.The government has introduced a bill in Parliament to allow foreign educational institutions to come and set up campuses in India. But, the leading universities like Harvard and Stanford may not be interested to set up campus in India in near future. They may be interested twining arrangements or offering joint degrees in collaboration with Indian institutions.

Ministry officials point out that estimated at a 0 billion industry, higher education is seeing expansion across continents. While India faces a huge internal market, its education system also commands a good reputation internationally and more so institutes like IITs that have developed as unique brands. While private institutions from India have set up management schools in Dubai and Singapore earlier, taking a full-fledged institution to foreign shores is only being considered seriously now.

Suggestions:

1. On concerns that foreign institutions may compromise with quality, they must be subjected to the same accreditation and assessment norms as domestic institutions.

2. Foreign institutes must be subjected to the same laws as IITs and other institutes here abide to. The law does not allow any discrimination.

3. If foreign institutes collaborate with state educational institutions, they will be subjected to the same law as applicable to state educational institutions. Similar laws will be followed in case of collaboration between such institutes and central universities, state universities, NAAC accredited autonomous colleges in India.

Keen to make its presence felt in the global education scene and more so in Asia, India is keenly pushing forward the Singapore government’s proposal to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) on the island state.

The move comes soon after the launch of the CBSE International, granting affiliation to some 25 schools in West Asia and even as the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry is examining a proposal by the Qatar government to invite IITs to set up a campus there.

“The project proposal has come for an IIT in Singapore and it is being considered seriously. The Singapore Education Minister also met HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on the issue today. We hope to take the project to the IIT council soon. It is proposed that the IIT council and maybe some other central educational institutes will participate to form a society called International Institute of Technology Singapore which will in turn start the IIT,” said an official.

Sibal, incidentally, has broken off from the traditional position of the HRD Ministry which has been opposed to IITs or IIMs venturing abroad, arguing that these “elite” educational institutions must focus their energies on India alone. The new dispensation in the ministry, however, believes in soft diplomacy and is keen that brand India should make a

Working with Venture Capital

Working with Venture Capital

After you have contacted a venture capital firm and they express interest in your new business, it is now time to negotiate. Anytime you find yourself face to face with a venture capital firm is imperative that you have an attorney and/or a certified public accountant with you. Your attorney is a skilled negotiator, and they will work with you when determining important factors regarding a venture capital investment. These factors include, but are not limited to:

What percentage of the business the VC will own.
What control the VC has in regards to replacing the Management Team.
The expected time line of the venture capital investment.
The expected return on investment.
How much capital the VC firm will provide.
If additional financing is needed – will they get the right to make the next equity investment first?
The composition of the board of directors.
Equity grants, stock options, restricted stock, and executive compensation.

I know that this can all seem a bit confusing, and again – this is why an attorney or CPA can help you immensely. The above factors are just a few things to consider before applying or looking for venture capital.

Once an agreement is reached with an investor, the next step is usually to the preparation of the investment contract. This is the formal legally binding agreement between you and the venture capital firm. In many instances, the agreement for a firm to provide you with capital consists of several different contracts including:

The operating agreement
A private placement memorandum
A subscription agreement

However, each venture capital financing scenario is different. Only your attorney can determine the appropriate contractual agreements that are necessary to secure your capital.

Aarkstore Enterprise – 2009 Top Business Process Outsourcing Vendors, Black Book Survey-Aarkstore Enterprise Market Research

Aarkstore Enterprise – 2009 Top Business Process Outsourcing Vendors, Black Book Survey-Aarkstore Enterprise Market Research

2009 Top Business Process Outsourcing Vendors, Black Book Survey 2009 Results

Table of Contents : 
Summary 5

Methodology 6

Top 20 BPO Vendors 8

Stop Light Scoring Key 9

Overview of KPI Leaders 14

Individual Key Performance Indicator Detail 36

Industry: Sourcing: Business Process Outsourcing Industry: Sourcing: Information Technology Outsourcing

Companies Mentioned

HCL BPO, Convergys, TCS BPO, Quattro BPO, IBM Global, Aegis, EXL Service, Syntel, Firstsource, Transworks BPO, WNS Global, Genpact, Infosys, Interglobe IGT, Perot Systems, Softtek, Vertex, EDS, Wipro BPO, Caliber Point,

For more information, please contact :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/2009-Top-Business-Process-Outsourcing-Vendors-Black-Book-Survey-2009-Results-31079.html
 
Aarkstore Enterprise, originally established in 2008, concentrates on providing online market research information services to the top-level people like managers, executives and analysts that will help them in their business activities and techniques involved in their business through its array of publishers like AccuStream iMedia Research, ATA Research, Koncept Analytics, TriMark Publications, Mind Commerce, Aroq Ltd, DNP Information and Analytics (Infolitics), Kazam Technologies, Cutting Edge Information, Daedal Research, Timely Data Resources, Inc., Knowledge Press, Asia Market Information & Development Company, Bishop & Associates, Hot Telecom, Information Gatekeepers Inc, Pennwell, etc.

We carry a comprehensive range of market research business information reports. We incorporate over 10,000 reports covering the following industries: Automotive, Advertising & Marketing, Aerospace & Aviation, Banking and Finance, Consumer Goods, Construction, Chemicals, Company Profiles, Defense, Energy & Resources, Electronics, Food & Drinks, FMCG, Healthcare, Information technology, Logistics, Law & Regulation, Metals & Minerals, Nuclear Energy, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Shipping, Telecommunications & Mobile, Transportation, Travel & Recreation, etc. Also, there are many country profiles and company reports.

We have relationships with leading market publishers of business, management and market research directories, reports, books and magazines. This means you get what you want in just one website instead of browsing through all sector websites to find products of your interest. For any assistance, we are just a phone or email away, our customer service team will be pleased to assist you. We appreciate the urgency of your requirement and value of your time. Hence we have made special arrangements with the publishers so that our turn around time for delivery is less than a few hours’, days’ and week’s in most cases from India and all over the world.

Stock Market Astrology Part II

Stock Market Astrology Part II

“The great fortunes on stock exchanges have been made not by those who knew what to buy and sell but by those who have mastered the art of buying and selling at the correct time and price ”

In the Stock Market timing is all important

Portfolio Management Astrology

Astrology can be a diagnostic tool like Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis.

One should understand one’s beneficial planets and invest in the industries ruled by those planets. If Jupiter is strong in your horoscope, you can invest in Pharma shares like Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy’s, Aurobindo Pharma & Divi’s Labs. . If Venus is strong, you can invest in Auto Industry shares like Maruti and Tata Motors. . If Mercury is strong, you can invest in Telecommunications like Bharti Tele, MTNL & Shyam Tele. . Saturn rules Steel and if you find Saturn powerful in your horoscope, you can invest in steel shares such as SAIL, Tisco, Jisco & Jindal Steel. Mars rules electricity and if Mars is powerful in your natal chart, you can invest in shares such as BSES , Tata Power & Alsthom Power. If Rahu is strong, IT shares like Infosys, HCL Info & Hughes Software. . Oil is ruled by Saturn and such shares as IOC, ONGC etc are good choices if your Saturn is powerful. PSU shares are ruled by the Sun and BP, HP etc can bring home the bacon if Sun be indeed strong in your horoscope.

While picking shares, one should avoid Chandrashtama and negative transits. Beneficial Jupiter can veto all other negative transits. The Transit of the North Node, Rahu is also very important. ( I only entered the market when my Jupiter transited the 2nd and Rahu the 10th and my Portfolio is showing profit ). Venus also ruled business and has a major say in stock market dynamics. One should consult not only a financial expert but also an astrologer as Luck can be a major factor in stock market speculation.

Knowledge – a Prerequisite

Knowledge of Stock Market dynamics is also a prerequisite. One should understand the Wave Theory – that the Stock Market fluctuates all the time, even within a day. If it is a Bull run, then the Market will rise but only as a Wave. If it is a Bear Phase, the Market will descend as a Wave. The Market reacted after touching an all time high of 20300 this time. It descended as a Wave to 19000 and then ascended to today’ s level of 22300 ! If you can take advantage of the small booms and busts within the Bull Phase or the Bear Phase, Fortune will favour you !

The two emotions which rule are Greed & Fear. If you can control Greed and Fear, you have won ! If you can keep your equanimity when everybody seems to lose theirs, Fortune will grace you. If on the other hand, if you succumb to Greed and Fear, you will be part of the crowd. Being part of the crowd will get you nowhere; you can only make others rich !

Speculation – A dangerous temptation

You may be tempted to speculate. Avoid speculation. A speculator is he who takes big risks to gain profits. Be an intelligent investor ( an investor is he who takes only calculated risks ). If you gain because of speculation one day, the next day you will lose. “What you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts”, remarks Peter Lynch.

Contrarian Investing

If you had entered TISCO at 300, by now your capital would have been doubled. Just imagine if the Sensex reaches 24000 or above. TISCO will be 1200 ! So this calculated risk is what the intelligent investor should take. Not only TISCO but other good scrips will aid you in capital appreciation. Be a good contrarian investor, one who buys cheap and sells dear !

Risk Management

It is true that high returns have high risks associated with it. So we should not be too greedy and if we get decent profit, we should get out of that scrip. Paper profits are no good and booking profits is the most essential aspect of investment. If you dont sell your shares at the proper time ( known as the Contrarian’s skill of selling high ), you cannot in reality make profits. Now the Market is dominated by the FIIs ( Foreign Institutional Investors ) whose habit is to book profit immediately. They will not wait , like Harshad Mehta, for ACC to become 10000!. So understand the nature of the market. Book profits every now and then. If you book profits, your money is freed for recycling. You can buy other scrips at declines. Since the market is ever fluctuating and never steady at the same Index, , you will get opportunity to buy at declines. A bust is an opportunity for buying. A boom is an opportunity for selling. Manage your risks !

Cash Flow and the Stock Market

The FIIs so far have invested more than $ 30 billion. This cash flow has enabled the Sensex to

Emerging Trends of Talent management and Challenges of HRM

Emerging Trends of Talent management and Challenges of HRM

Emerging Trends of Talent management in HRM

Introduction

            Talent management is a professional term that gained popularity in the late 1990s. It refers to the process of developing and fostering new workers through on boarding, developing and keeping current workers and attracting highly skilled workers at other companies to come work for your company. Talent management in this context does not refer to the management of entertainers. Companies that are engaged in talent management (human capital management) are strategic and deliberate in how they source, attract, select, train, develop, promote, and move employees through the organization

What is talent management?

            The term talent management means different things to different people. To some it is about the management of high-worth individuals or “the talented” whilst to others it is about how talent is managed generally – i.e. on the assumption that all people have talent which should be identified and liberated. This term is usually associated with competency-based human resource management practices. Talent management decisions are often driven by a set of organizational core competencies as well as position-specific competencies. The competency set may include knowledge, skills, experience, and personal traits. Talent management is the recruitment, development, promotion and retention of people, planned and executed in line with our organisation’s current and future business goals. Because it is aimed at building leadership strength in depth, it creates flexibility to meet rapidly changing market conditions. A structured talent management process will systematically close the gap between the human capital an organization currently has and the leadership talent it will eventually need to respond to tomorrow’s business challenges.

Talent Management as a Strategic Approach

            We view talent management as a strategic approach to managing human capital throughout the career cycle: attracting, retaining, developing and transitioning your most important assets.

Attracting Talent: Creating Assessment and Selection Strategies and Processes

            Attracting qualified talent is the critical first step in the talent management cycle. The improving economy, Baby Boomer retirement and other factors are creating keener competition for talent these days, making this critical step tougher than ever. So how do you get a leg up on the competition?

Matching the Right Candidate to the Boss

Matching the right person to the right job is an acknowledged need in organizations. But one of the toughest challenges in selection often overlooked is matching the right candidate to his immediate boss. What makes that goal particularly tough is when the boss does not have a clue what kind of candidate would work well with him. Working with various tools, we can design and customize assessment exercises and materials. We also identify critical competencies your people will need, develop success predictors and consult with you on general recruiting strategies.

Retaining Talent: Reducing Turnover and Aligning Talent with Organization Goals

            With 75% of employees looking for new employment opportunities at any given time and five million Baby Boomers expected to retire in the next few years, the war for talent is back on. Companies that develop successful retention strategies can win that war. Most companies today would acknowledge that their human assets are their most important asset. But since companies can’t own employees the way they own factories or product, your success or failure hinges on the quality and duration of the relationships you form with your people: retaining talent.

Developing Talent:

Challenging Your People with Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Programs.

            Employees cite career development as one of two top job satisfiers, along with compensation. Your employees want to be challenged and developed. If they’re not, they will become less productive or perhaps even leave.

            Career Partners International provides a full range of services for developing talent, ranging from career development, executive coaching and leadership development to new job integration, team building and succession planning. And our measurement techniques will demonstrate to top management how investing in your talent pays off.

Career Development / Career Management

            These programs are designed for

Who Do You Know Who?

Who Do You Know Who?

A Guide to Success in Generating Membership Referrals!

There is no better source for a new lead for membership at your Club than a referral from a new or current Member. I talk to several Clubs each week and always ask about a member referral program only to find that the Clubs, though desperately in need of new members, do not have a member referral plan in place. Used effectively, you will generate the majority of your leads and new members from your new and current Members. How should this be accomplished? Read on!

Nine Critical Factors for Success in Producing Member Referrals

1. Tell your members the Club needs more members!

 Send a letter to all Club Members explaining the need for new members. Most members don’t realize that attrition occurs monthly at almost all Clubs. Especially in these trying financial times, keeping the need for new members in the forefront all the time is the easiest, most cost effective, and highest returning method for producing leads for new members. To be effective, the letter should be sent from the person with the most influence in the Club, usually the Board Chairman, Membership Committee Chairman, General Manager, or Membership Director.

2. Explain why!

Explain in the letter why your Club must have new members. Most members don’t realize that attrition occurs monthly at even the best Clubs. Members relocate, have health problems, and have changes in their financial situation that cause them to resign from the Club even though they may be satisfied members.

Members should be made aware that the Club has operating expenses but must also ensure that it has an adequate capital reserve to provide for the timely replacement of capital assets. 

And let members know that only with a strong membership base can the club continue to keep operating in the manner to which the members are accustomed as well as avoid operating and capital assessments.

Clearly painting the picture of the need for new members in a well written letter will greatly increase the likelihood of a referral.

3. Follow Up!

But, simply sending a letter is not enough though. A scripted follow up phone call from your Sales Director or Membership Director has to happen. The call should begin with the Membership Director explaining that she/he is calling on behalf of the person who sent the initial letter to follow up. 

Remind the member about the importance of referrals and ask for those people he/she would like to see extended an invitation to become a member. If the member is having difficulty coming up with names, ask some questions to help the referral process along such as who he knows at work who plays golf or who is new to his neighborhood. If this is not producing results, ask if you could call back next week to give the member more time to consider.

Our Private Club Commander website can automatically track and periodically send electronic follow up letters to your prospects. For more information visit our website at www.privateclubcommander.com.

4. Send an Invitation and Plan a Time to Call the Invitee!

When you receive a referral from a current member, send a written invitation to visit the club and learn more about membership to the person referred. Include the referring member’s name and include an offer for a Discovery Day visit to the Club.

Follow up with a phone call to the person referred with the goal of closing the invitee on visiting the Club for a round of golf, tennis, lunch, or whatever makes the most sense given the invitee’s interests. Keep the referring member apprised of the status of his invitee at each step of the process.

5. Recognize and Reward

Provide a clubby incentive to members of the club whose referrals become club members. Don’t use cash or bounties such as free dues or F&B credits. Use something that is unique to your Club, which builds Club pride and is only available to sponsoring members.

Some of the best examples I have seen include a Club golf flag autographed by course designer, Gary Player, that is matted and framed, a lithograph of the Club’s signature hole autographed by course designer, Arnold Palmer, and a Club blazer with a Club crest. 

List or better yet, put pictures of all new members and their sponsors in the Club’s newsletter as well as on display in a prominent area of the Club’s lobby. 

Have a new member reception once each month or two months based on the frequency of new member enrollment and invite their sponsors as well. Make it a high end complimentary cocktail party to encourage mingling and

Cma-cgm: Jacques Saade?s Involvement in ?damietta Gate?

Cma-cgm: Jacques Saade?s Involvement in ?damietta Gate?

Free translation of the article published in the egyptian daily « Massaeyat » of October 17th 2006

Jacques Saade’s involvement in “Damietta Gate”

New developments in the case of the Damietta company next November

The General Prosecutor launches new investigations in relation to public funds and other irregularities perpetrated after the arrest of Ali Massaad

The appearance of the accused and the lifting of the sequestrations are the main issues of this case

This case locally known as the “great corruption case of the Damietta Containers” and internationally named the “Damietta Gate” has shaken the Egyptian, Arab and international public opinion.

From the first audience, three of the six accused confessed, the third, the fifth and the sixth and acknowledged having been involved in the briberies paid to Ali Massaad, whereas the latter denied at the beginning the whole matter.

The six accused, Ali Massaad, chairman of the board of directors of the Damietta Container Company, Jihad Anis Dagher, employee of Leader Company, Nabil Elie Bassil, CMA-CGM regional Finance and administrative director, Mostapha Mohamad Khalil Abdel Monhem, Director of the Damietta subsidiary, Jamal Abdel Razek Abdel Sadek and Ahmad Mahmoud Ahmad Yacoub have been referred to the Penal Court by the General Prosecutor (financial section), and the second hearing is set for November 9th for a contradictory debate and confrontation with the prosecution’s witnesses who will appear before the court for corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

The most surprising aspect of this case it seems is that Ali Massaad’s successor as head of the Damietta Container Company is following the same methods as his predecessor, a matter which compelled the General Prosecutor to launch a second investigation pertaining to the period following Ali Massaad’s management of the company. This investigation has been postponed following the juridical holidays and the promotion of prosecutor Wadih Hanna Nached.

Ali Massaad, known as the “Bey”, is now in prison.

This case is about corruption, account manipulations, financial fraud and a plot between the Damietta Container Company and French company CMA-CGM presided by Lebanese national Jacques Saade whose corporate headquarters are in Marseille. The file that is being dealt with by the Court of State Financial Security in Egypt pertains to the misappropriation of funds that could reach up to 20 million dollars.

The main accused is being held in temporary custody while awaiting the outcome of this case.

This case is of major interest in its Egyptian, Lebanese and French ramifications.

The Egyptian media has released important pieces of information revealing that this is not an isolated corruption matter in the shipping sector in Egypt. The former General Prosecutor Maher Abdel Wahed has already ordered the chairman of the board of directors of the Damietta Container Company, Ali Massaad, to be placed in custody and his personal assets seized until the end of the investigation; the latter decision has been notified to the Central Bank of Egypt, the Finance Directorate and the land registry.

The General Prosecutor opened an investigation following a declaration presented by the president of the Central Accounting Agency regarding the statements of accounts pertaining to the company owned by the holding company for land and shipping transport presided by the General Mohammad Youssof already indicted in the case of the seizure of the “Salem 2” vessel in the port of Alexandria. The president of the Court of Appeal of the district of South Cairo, Adel Joumaa had set the next hearing to last May 29th in order to take a decision as to the verdict of the General Prosecutor.

The investigations have revealed a plot between engineer Ali Massaad and the managers of the foreign shipping company regarding the signature of an agreement according to which the foreigh company could benefit from exceptional rebates to the detriment of the Damietta Public Company that could reach up to 5,5 million dollars.

This scandal is worrying Egyptian public opinion as well as the political scene, as it happens to occur after other scandals such as the one related to the Directorate of Transport, the Bank of Cairo and the robbery of steal and other metals.

The investigations have proven the existence of a plot between the first accused Ali Massaad Saad and the President of the foreign shipping company, which resulted in the disappearance of 6 million dollars from the Egyptian treasury. It has been established, following the house search, that the accused regularly received briberies from France.

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In a surprising rebounce, the investigation revealed that the managers of the international shipping company based in Marseille (France) reimbursed the amount of 3,1 million dollars by bankers cheque to the Damietta Company following a compromise aimed at smothering the case, after that the General Prosecutor started a legal action against this company and seized the assets of Ali Massaad. This payment did not put an end to the legal actions but led to the discovery of another aspect of this case namely the direct involvement of the French company in corrupting Egyptian officials.

Despite CMA-CGM’s denial of any involvement in this corruption case declaring that an internal investigation is underway in coordination with the Egyptian authorities, the Sunday Express newspaper revealed that CMA-CGM presided by Jacques Saade, paid 10,000 dollars per month to Massaad, and has reimbursed as reparation 3.1 million dollars to the Egyptian port of Damietta.

In a statement made by Jacques Saade to the same newspaper, he mentioned that these people were paid by the CMA’s Egyptian subsidiary, that no transfers were made by the French head office and that his company was investigating in coordination with the Egyptian authorities. Various managers were heard including the accountancy manager.

According to the Sunday Express, this is an extremely serious situation and other countries, including the United States, are being worried. It seems that political pressures have been exerted in order to prevent CMA-CGM from acquiring from the English company P&O its shares in the American port of Dubai for security reasons. The American authorities are undertaking an investigation regarding this matter.

Other pieces of information collected in parallel to the secret investigation indicated that many points in this case were still not clear. The most important element that has been discovered until now is the false contract -which is the main aspect of the investigation- signed by Farid Salem, CMA-CGM general manager and brother-in-law of Jacques Saade.

It has been revealed that Abdel Razek is the financial manager of CMA-CGM in Egypt, presided by Jacques Saade, as indicated by the social security registers.

All the evidence indicates that the financial offenses have been perpetrated by the chairman of the Damietta Company, in addition to the irregularities within the contract signed with the shipping line in Marseille.

In an Al-Ahram article of May 26th 2006, it seems, according to the investigations undertaken by the financial control services [official body], the principal accused perceived important amounts on a regular basis in exchange for those irregularities. The former General Prosecutor Wadih Hanna Nached issued search-warrants in the offices of the said shipping company (CMA-CGM) in Alexandria, which resulted in the seizure of numerous pieces of evidence confirming the transfer of important amounts from the accounts of the latter company in favor of the accused.

According to the “magazine Rose El Youssof” that published the result of a long investigation on the subject, the chairman of the Damietta Company is the owner of two palaces in the city of Damietta on the river Nile as well as a dozen estates and three villas in the touristic village of Yasmina in Port Said, in addition to five hectares of agricultural land in the latter city, 20 million Egyptian pounds deposited in bank accounts in his name, his wife’s and children’s and a number of bank accounts abroad which inventory is not yet known.

It was mentioned in the article that Ali Massaad had a nickname, “the Bey”, to the order of whom checks were drawn up.

The investigations revealed that the number of containers CMA-CGM sent in transit through the port of Damietta, did not exceed 70,000 teus for the last 12 months allowing the French company to benefit from rebates of the amount of 5,5 million dollars. This led them to illegally modify the contract with the Damietta Company by paying briberies in addition to the monthly remuneration of Ali Massaad.

Rose El Youssof added that Ali Massaad pretended that he made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for 12 years, and in Bahrein, where he worked 5 years; but was not able to keep the evidence that would clear him.

A surprising aspect is that he appeared before the court, which ordered the seizure of his assets and his wife’s, wearing bad quality clothes, in an attempt to conceal his wealth. The most astonishing is that the law firm handling his defense is one of the major firms specialized in shipping matters in Egypt.

The investigation is moving forward with the hope to shed light on other thorny aspects of this case. There is a strong probability that the

A Study on Materials Management of Anglo French Textiles in Pondicherry

A Study on Materials Management of Anglo French Textiles in Pondicherry

INTRODUCTION:

Material management contributes a major part and plays an important role in cost accountancy, which mainly aims at the maximization of profit by reducing the cost on overheads. Material management is the integrated functioning of purchasing and allied activities so as to achieve the maximum co-ordinations and optimum expenditure in the area of materials.Of the three main spheres of production process namely – material, labour and expenses, material management is given a considerate importance, as the importance of materials management can be realized when it is said that purchases accounts for nearly 50% of an organization’s annual expenditure; that nearly 80% of the working capita is tied up in the inventory and the inventory carrying cost is almost 25% a year; that materials represent 40 to 60% of the sale price as 60 to 80% of the production cost of a product and that even a saving of 5% in material cost will substantially increase the profit margin of and enterprise.

   Objectives of Materials Management

The main objectives of materials management are as follows

Procurement of materials at low prices.

Ensuring high rate of inventory turnover.

To ensure continuity of supply.

To maintain the consistency of quality.

To minimize the acquisition and storing cost.

Lower administration cost.

Maintenance of supplier relations.

Development of new materials and sources.

efficient report keeping and prompt reporting

Development of personnel.

The study aims to find out how the above activities are carried out in Anglo French textiles, Pondicherry.

                                                Objective of the study:

The study is undertaken with the following objective in view:

To study the material purchase procedure adopted in AFT.

To study the stores maintenance and various material issue procedures adopted in AFT.

Methodology of the study:

The methodology of this study mainly consisted of the field visit and study conducted in the premises of the AFT, along with the clarifications and explanation given by the most efficient and eminent of the AFT.

And also in support of the explanation and clarifications, secondary data were provided by these officials, which provided a base for further analysis of the facts and in their support.

                                    Limitation of study:

This study mainly includes the study of the present practices and procedures followed in AFT, it does not go in derail or relate to the practice or procedures followed earlier on it does not assume the same the same amount of efficiency on deficiency in the further days also.  Secondly this study also suffers from other inherent limitation of analyzing of secondary data which is not always 100% reliable.

Thirdly all data of AFT could not be disclosed for this study for some confidential managerial reasons.

History of the mill-profile of Anglo French Textiles:

The AFT is a unit of Pondicherry Textiles Corporation, which is a government of Pondicherry undertaking and is situated on the cuddalore road, pondicherry-4.  It is the largest composite textile mill in the south India. The AFT as incorporated ltd., in England in 1898 and proudly celebrated its centenary in 1998. In the beginning Africa and Madagascar were the prominent buyers from the AFT.  The dyed cloths exported then were popularly known as “Sendura” clothes. The mill was equipped with 44,256 spindles and 1000 looms at that year.  When the French left the Pondicherry, the mill was managed by the Compton company ltd., and then late C.S. Ramachari took over the mill.  The mill flourished under his guidance and management.  The mill was expanded with additional machine and the export of cloth received great attention. Unfortunately, there was a persistent labour, unrest, which brought down the performance of the mill.  This situation gave way to selling of the mill was facing financial crisis due to mismanagement.This dominated into stoppage of operations in the mill ultimately the mill ceased to function from July 1983 and remained closed up to 1986.  After 3 years.  The company was reopened in 1989 and was taken over by the Pondicherry textile corporation ltd., a govt. of Pondicherry undertaking. The first M.D.after the take over

Arizona Diamondbacks Vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Stream.Arizona Diamondbacks Vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Stream

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Adam Wainwright leading the St. Louis Cardinals to wins at Busch Stadium has been a constant this season.

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That success can also extend to his off days.

The right-hander looks to extend his home winning streak to eight Tuesday night when the Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle game of this series.

Wainwright (10-5, 2.47 ERA) has won all seven of his home starts behind a 1.67 ERA while holding opponents to a .190 average and one homer. He hasn’t had nearly the same success in nine road games, going 3-5 with a 3.20 ERA.

Wainwright came up big at home again Monday, driving in a run on a fielder’s choice before scoring the winner to clinch a 6-5 victory over Arizona. His 18th career pinch-hit appearance helped spur a three-run rally in the ninth as the Cardinals (42-34) capitalized on two Diamondbacks’ throwing errors.

A return to the mound at Busch could be just what Wainwright needs to rebound from perhaps his worst performance of the season as he attempts to become the first Cardinals starter to win eight straight at home since Matt Morris in 2001.

Wainwright was tagged for season highs of five runs and three homers in four innings of a 5-0 defeat at Toronto on Thursday. The outing was his shortest start since he also lasted four innings at Pittsburgh on Sept. 13, 2008.

“I don’t make a habit of pitching games like that,” Wainwright said. “I can put it out of my memory real fast.”

He’s 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in five starts against Arizona (30-47), winning two of three at Busch.

A seventh win in eight home meetings with Arizona could put the Cardinals back atop the NL Central. They trail first-place Cincinnati by one-half game.

The Diamondbacks, occupants of last place in the West, have dropped 17 of 20 as visitors.

They’re hoping Dontrelle Willis (1-0, 4.67) can put another wild outing behind him.

The left-hander tied a season high with seven walks while allowing two runs and one hit with a wild pitch in 2 1/3 innings of a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Yankees on Wednesday. He’s walked 21, hit another batter and thrown four wild pitches in 17 1/3 innings over four starts since being acquired from Detroit on June 1.

Willis had a bullpen session Saturday in an effort to find a rhythm.

“He threw a ton in the bullpen trying to find the feel and the rhythm and some consistency with his delivery so we’ll see,” manager A.J. Hinch told the team’s official website. “When he does lock that in, he’s pretty effective but he hasn’t locked it in, and that’s the tough part.

“It’s not against the rules to misfire a couple times, but you have to have the ability to make the adjustments. He’s got a tough start ahead of him against a tough lineup in St. Louis, so we’ll see.”

Willis’ last four starts against the Cardinals have resulted in losses for his club. He is 0-3 with a 6.41 ERA in those games.

Albert Pujols is 5 for 14 with three doubles against the southpaw.

Pujols, who had an RBI double Monday, has a .409 average with four homers and 19 RBIs in 20 home games against Arizona.

Busch Stadium
Ground breaking took place Jan. 17, 2004, and the 5 million opened for business April 4, 2006. Designed by HOK Sport and built by Hunt Construction, it is the third ballpark in St. Louis to carry the name Busch Stadium. Sportsman’s Park was renamed Busch Stadium in 1953, after team owner Gussie Busch. The first Busch closed in 1966, and both the baseball Cardinals, and the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals moved to a new, multi-purpose stadium, named Busch Memorial Stadium. (Busch Memorial Stadium was razed in late 2005.) The playing field at the current Busch Stadium is bluegrass and the outfield wall is 8 feet high.
Soak up the scene:

“Meet me at the Musial statue!” That’s a common phrase for Cardinals fans and others headed to Busch Stadium. The statue of Cardinals great Stan Musial sits outside Gate 3 of this new park, which kept the same name as the old one and is also downtown in sight of the Arch. Another thing that hasn’t changed is the passionate fan base that packs the place to see their Cards. For more on the Busch

Euromax Resources Establishes Major Position In The Balkans

Euromax Resources Establishes Major Position In The Balkans

Few people would likely consider the Balkans to be an area that could provide fertile ground for major mineral deposits, yet EurOmax Resources (TSXV: EOX) had the foresight to establish a major presence in this formerly troubled region in 2003. Opportunity is often available in the most unlikely places and EurOmax is capitalizing on developing resources in areas first mined by the Greeks, Romans and their predecessors thousands of years ago. With four projects scattered across Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia, the company has established a strong beachhead from which to advance into possible production in as little as 18 to 24 months. EurOmax is exploring its Kazandol North prospect in Macedonia for oxide copper mineralization, which could be amenable to low cost Solvent Extraction Electro-winning (SX-EW) technology. Karavansalija in Serbia hosts copper-gold skarns, lead-zinc-copper-gold skarns, gold in volcanics and gold-nickel-cobalt silica breccias. Its Breznik project in Bulgaria hosts significant gold and silver resources, and its Ilovitza project in Macedonia has a resource of 303 million tonnes containing 1.6 billion pounds of copper and 2.9 million ounces of gold plus molybdenum and silver. Christopher Serin, EurOmax’s Interim CEO and CFO spoke with us about the exciting prospects for his well-positioned company.

Resource Intelligence: In a number of respects EOX appears to be in a very interesting and enviable position. What’s the story on how it got here?
Christopher Serin: After doing a systematic review of prospective global geological terrains, EurOmax made the strategic decision in 2003 to focus on the metals potential of SE Europe. The attraction of SE Europe to us was based on the high potential of the geological terrain, the availability of quality exploration and support professionals and a long history of gold and base metal mining going back thousands of years. Plus there appeared to be little, if any competition; so in 2003 EurOmax acquired six gold and copper exploration properties in Bulgaria and set up shop in Sofia, the capital. In 2006, three of these projects formed the basis of an Australian IPO, Balkans Gold Ltd in which EurOmax was the largest shareholder. In July 2007, EurOmax entered into an option to acquire 100% in nine exploration properties and applications in Macedonia and Serbia from Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. As a result we were able to create the most geographically diverse, SE European minerals exploration company existing today.

RI: Can you give us a brief rundown on your main property holdings?
CS: Certainly. Let’s start with Ilovitza, which is a newly discovered porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Macedonia. Mapping and drilling work there has defined an intrusive complex some 1.2 kilometres wide and more than 1.3 kilometres long. One of the great advantages of being in Europe, versus in the middle of nowhere, as is often the case with mineral properties, is that there is infrastructure in place and close by. This project is located close to road, rail, water and power and, importantly, there are two smelters within 400 kilometres via heavy rail. An independent Mineral Resource Statement on the property shows an inferred resource of 303 million tonnes containing 1.6 billion pounds of copper, 2.6 million ounces of gold and 34 million pounds of molybdenum.
Next we have our Kazandol prospect in Macedonia where outcropping copper mineralization has been mapped over a length of five kilometres. Within this zone, two large copper oxide targets have been defined: Kazandol North and Kazandol South.
At Kazandol North, an 800m by 600m zone of copper oxide mineralization has been mapped within which a narrower 800m long and up to 250m wide zone grading over 0.1% copper has been defined by trenching across the strike of the mineralization. Recent mapping and geochemistry has extended this mineralized zone another 4,000 metres to the south. We are exploring the North prospect for oxide copper mineralization, which could be amenable to low cost SX-EW technology. Initially, however, we’d like to develop a copper-oxide resource, which could be used to produce copper sulphate for sale to markets in the region and in Europe. This is something which we could bootstrap fairly quickly at relatively low cost. Recent mapping at Kazandol South has shown this area to be significantly more mineralized than Kazandol North.

RI: How about your other two properties?
CS: Karavansalija (Pronounced “karavan – sal – eya”) is a 60 square kilometer property located in a portion of southern Serbia where mining has been an important element in the local economy for many years. This is a very large mineralized system. The Karavanslija mineralized centre (KMC) covers an area of roughly 12 square kilometres. Silver and gold-bearing lead-zinc as well as copper ore were mined at a place called Rogozna going back