Chris Anderson: The Art of the TED Talk
By James Daly Thursday Feb 11, 2010In the past four years, the TED conference has evolved from an intriguing if somewhat esoteric boutique gathering to a worldwide phenomenon. Its showcase attraction? Presentations of ideas so compellingly delivered that attendees pay thousands to experience them first-hand. For that you can credit the prescience of Chris Anderson, the publishing entrepreneur who took over from TED’s co-founder, Richard Wurman, in 2001.
Nancy Duarte: How to Practice Smart 'Slide-ology'
By James Daly Thursday Feb 11, 2010Nancy Duarte makes slide presentations not just bearable but dazzling. As the CEO and namesake of Duarte Designs, she’s worked with hundreds of potentially dull presenters to make their visuals pop and sizzle, whether they are delivered in person, online or via mobile device. Duarte is also the author of “slide:ology,” an overview about what makes a visual presentation great. She has also helped fine-tune the visuals of many who hit the stage at TED. Here are some of her insights.
Why It's a Great Time to Go Global
By William J. Holstein Monday Nov 23, 2009Small and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers should take advantage of the decline of the dollar against some world currencies, particularly the euro, to expand their sales and they should do that in cooperation with partners, not just distributors. That’s the view, anyway, of Robert Stevenson, president and chief executive officer of Eastman Machine.
Understanding the Health Care Mess Facing Small Business
By Kim Girard Monday Nov 16, 2009Bruce Phillips is an analyst and expert who has studied how health care policy impacts small business, most recently as a senior fellow with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Foundation. In an interview with Bizmore, Phillips discussed the need for more insurance industry competition, what small companies can expect from reform and the tyranny of big insurance carriers.
How to Manage the Family Braintrust
By William J. Holstein Thursday Nov 12, 2009How do you get 10 family members working in lockstep to keep a small business growing? Jack Mitchell, CEO of Ed Mitchell, Inc., the owner of three luxury retailing outlets in the New York City area, says he and his wife, Linda, his brother, Bill, and their seven sons are able to run the business without family issues clouding their decision-making.
The Pitfalls of Chasing Cheap Labor
By William J. Holstein Thursday Nov 12, 2009In 2007, it looked as though Conmed, a maker of fluid injection or removal devices used during orthoscopic surgery, had no choice but to shift its manufacturing from the upstate New York town of Utica to somewhere in low-cost Asia. But instead, it hired David A. Johnson, vice president for global operations, and the company is fighting back by adopting the lean manufacturing methods pioneered by Toyota Motor. The company, with $742 million in 2008 sales, replaced long assembly lines at its 600-worker plan with compact u-shaped workstations.