(ARA) – If you’re torn between your concern for the environment and your need to make a living, good news is on the horizon. Rising demand for environmentally friendly alternatives for fossil fuels is opening up new career opportunities for professionals in a variety of fields.
Growing environmental concern and limited fossil fuel supplies are driving the growth of domestic and international markets for renewable energy systems, the U.S. Department of Energy reports. Rising demand for cleaner energy directly affects career opportunities in industries related to renewable resources.
“The 2008 economic forecast suggests that one of the newest, fastest growing markets for jobs will be alternative energy,” says Sheryl Decker, director of career services at Brown Mackie College – South Bend, Ind. Decker recently attended a business outlook panel presented by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. “Growth opportunities appear in companies that are exploring the use of wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and bioenergy power technologies.”
Millions of professionals already work in alternative energy industries, yet more are needed, including:
* chemists
* engineers
* sales and marketing professionals
* administrators
* managers
* clerical workers
* human resources
* information technology
* business
* finance
* law
“Professionals who are already in the workforce, and students seeking to enter into a green career, can prepare with a number of degree programs and continuing education courses,” Decker says. “Many different types of skills can be applied to these upcoming industries.”
“Alternative energy companies are seeking professionals to fill a wide variety of positions, including mechanical engineer, project manager, programmer analyst, IT sourcing specialist, administrative assistant and marketing director,” she says.
”Business Week” magazine reports that a growing number of professionals are moving to jobs in renewable energy fields to promote their own personal environmental concerns. While some intend to transfer existing skills to a different industry, others are making a mid-life career change simply to become part of the solution for the many environmental issues we face today.
The rising cost of oil is proving to be a catalyst for the further development of alternative energy sources. While substantial growth is happening now, Decker points out that many people don’t yet realize the opportunities it affords.
“People tend to overlook many untapped markets and job opportunities in their local employment arenas,” she says. “Networking can be an effective way to gauge the hiring needs in your area. I encourage everyone to join industry-specific organizations, volunteer in community activities, and become involved with the Chamber of Commerce. By becoming involved in the community and networking, you will see new doors opening with different job opportunities.”
To learn more about career training opportunities in alternative energy, and how to prepare for working in this quickly growing business sector, visit www.brownmackie.edu.
(NAPSI)-As experts continue to call out the latest signs of an approaching recession, businesses respond by cinching up their budgets. But, for those already tasked with keeping their bottom line lean, new ways of cutting costs require some creativity. So, from remote cities and towns to large metropolitan areas, businesses all over the country are further cutting costs by cutting the cord-the phone cord, that is-and using Internet-based digital telephone service.
Internet telephony technology, otherwise known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), lets companies deploy a full-featured business phone system over their existing broadband network for a fraction of the cost of traditional alternatives. For a small business, this can result in significant cost savings as there is no equipment to buy or maintain, and the monthly service fees-which cover unlimited calling and business-class features-are predictable and fixed.
Technology consultant Joe Rork has seen his home state of Michigan hit hard. Currently serving as chief technologist for Plymouth’s Green Street Fair-an annual event founded to help educate and inform people of all ages about the benefits of green, organic and ecofriendly products and services-he’s turned watching what he spends into an art.
“One of the easiest things I did right off was to be sure we were using Internet technology for our phone systems,” he says. “Not only is it a huge savings for us in terms of cost, it’s the safest and easiest way we can move our office from headquarters to the event location without missing a beat.”
The Green Street Fair has been months in the planning and has used 8×8’s Packet8 Virtual Office digital phone service every step of the way. More than 150 vendors representing the “green” in everything from food and automotive to health and home are recruited, informed, scheduled and personally attended to up to and throughout the two-day event using powerful, customer-driven calling features.
With Packet8 Virtual Office, businesses are doing away with their expensive PBX system and the costs that come along with it. The system installs in minutes and is loaded with standard features like auto attendants, unlimited conference calling, music on hold, ring groups, one number dialing and more-all of which can add a big-business feel to an otherwise small-business setup. And because it uses a business’ existing high-speed Internet connection and can be managed on- line by the customers themselves, the cost of making calls-and of doing day-to-day business-is considerably less.
Business owner Bert Hamilton of Harvey Software, Inc., in Ft. Myers, Fla., can’t go a day without being reminded of the recession’s increasing impact. His company writes shipping software designed to give customers more control over their shipping costs. And, like Rork, Hamilton uses new technology to keep ahead and keep his customers happy.
Although it took Hamilton a few years to finally switch over to Packet8, he and his customers have been instantly rewarded for making the change. And, by moving his phone systems away from traditionally architected services, he has sealed the deal on an even greater gain-business redundancy. “Hurricanes are a big threat to our livelihood here,” remarks Hamilton. “The ability of Virtual Office to allow for redundancy in our communications plan isn’t just convenient. It’s a necessity.”
Packet8 isn’t the only thing connecting Hamilton’s 25-year-old software company and Rork’s two-day show. It seems they’ve both been able to “go greener” by making the change-for greater energy efficiency and a smaller carbon impact.
Using the Internet to make calls is a technological marvel to some. For others, it comes down to simply making the smart play. “As to the future of the Internet and its use as a business tool, we’ve barely scratched the surface,” says Bryan Martin, CEO of 8×8, Inc. “What really matters is the choice that businesses have in front of them right now.”
A growing number of small businesses are saving money through Internet-based phone service.
Raleigh, NC – Business Technology Solutions, a Raleigh based business consulting firm, announces today that the firm was named in the Business Leader’s Top 100 North Carolina Small Businesses. The rankings were published in the June issue of Business Leader Magazine.
“We are delighted to be included along with these other great organizations on the list of North Carolina’s Top 100 Small Businesses,” states Lissa Johnsen, President / CEO. “We feel this honor affirms our commitment to providing small and medium sized businesses exceptional services to solve their unique needs in accounting systems, business management, technology management and human resource systems.”
The rankings for the top 100 small companies were decided primarily on company growth and community involvement. Other criteria included staff size and the percentage of work completed within the state of North Carolina.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
(NewsUSA) - Farmers’ markets are not new, but they are gaining popularity in the United States.
In general, farmers’ markets comprise area farmers convening in one location, indoors or outdoors, to offer the freshest food available, including many canned or bottled goods and handcrafted items such as soap and clothing. Specialty items like jam and honey are also prominent at year-round markets.
The number of farmers’ markets has recently seen a dramatic increase. According to the USDA, the number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. increased almost 20 percent between 1994 and 2006. And in 2000, 19,000 farmers reported selling their produce only at farmers’ markets.
Honey, a year-round mainstay at most markets, is an all-natural food that leaves a small eco-footprint. Purchasing local honey may be beneficial to the environment because it promotes sustainability. Many farmers have hives on their land, in part because bees are responsible for one out of every three bites we consume. If there were a decline in honey bees, we could suffer from a limited supply of oranges, apples, blueberries, cucumbers, strawberries and other farmers’ market staples.
There are more than 300 different types of honey in the United States, each with a unique flavor and color profile influenced by the types of blossoms bees visit when searching for nectar. Floral source, location and climate affect local honey production. Regionally, one can find avocado honey in the west, blueberry honey in the northeast, cotton honey in the south, and one of the country’s favorites, clover, around the globe.
The following recipe, courtesy of the National Honey Board, highlights some of the freshest ingredients available at local farmers’ markets.
Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 cups tomato juice
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients; whisk together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight.
Prime Only Steakhouse & Sushi Bar has named James Iadanza the Managing Director. “Beaming colors, rustic brick and steel girders expose the decadent side of the Prime Only facade. The location that saw the rise of Raleigh’s power grid now caters to a power crowd of steak lovers and their indulging friends,” stated Mr. Iadanza. The location is divvied up into two floors, with a minimalist staircase separating the second-floor private dining area and lounge from the main dining room. A separate sushi bar features a trendy crowd of young hip professionals. Decor is decidedly modern, with touches of rich wood and old world design serving as a warm balance to the stark industrial architecture.
The food at Prime Only Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is flawless, the beef is easily on par with Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s and the Palm’s. Appetizers range from soups, seafood and sashimi to smaller steak samplers that allow the more indecisive to taste the goods without investing in an entire meal. Prime Only Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is usually hopping with Raleigh A-Listers dining and couples catching a live dinner show in The New Rat Pack Lounge. “The guest list has seen everyone from good ol’ boys to the Backstreet Boys indulge in this quintessential Raleigh location,” reveled Mr. Iadanza. Prime Only Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is located at 505 West Jones Street in downtown Raleigh’s Glenwood South District. www.primeonly.com
SOURCE: CarolinaNewsWire
APEX, N.C. — Creative Gifting, a business that specializes in unique, creative gift designs, has been named to Rave Reviews Magazine Top 100 List. The Top 100 list was created by Rave Reviews Magazine from a nationwide survey of business owners in the gourmet/gift basket industry.
“For Creative Gifting to be named to Rave Reviews Magazine’s Top 100 List is very reaffirming of our work,” said Debra Simonette, owner of Creative Gifting. “To be selected due to our growth over the past seven years makes this award to be even more significant.”
In 2005, Creative Gifting was recognized by Gift Basket Review as one of the Top 100 Gift Basket Businesses in America.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
CARY, N.C. – Eric Hobbs, president of Technology Associates, a full-service technology solutions and support firm that specializes in providing network design, implementation, management and support to small to medium-sized businesses in North Carolina, has announced that the firm has enrolled as a Microsoft Certified Partner for the ninth consecutive year. Microsoft Certified Partners are independent companies that provide the highest levels of technical expertise, strategic thinking and hands-on skills. Certified Partners encompass a broad range of expertise and vendor affiliations and their real-world perspective helps prioritize and effectively deliver technology solutions to clients.
“We have a very long history with Microsoft and continue to value our partnership,” said Hobbs. “As a Microsoft Certified Partner we have access to an abundance of resources that allow us to provide the best IT solutions to small businesses that meet their needs.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
Invest in an Industry that’s Seeing Growth
(ARA) – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” In the first few lines of “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens was referring to conditions in the years leading up to the French Revolution; but he could just as easily have been writing about society today.
While we live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world, many Americans have in some way been negatively affected by problems with the current economy. The credit crunch has persisted despite aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate cuts; retail sales are down; thousands are concerned about losing their homes due to the sub prime mortgage crisis; and gas is so expensive, a lot of people have been forced to park their cars for the foreseeable future.
As if those problems weren’t bad enough, many Americans go from day to day fearing they may lose their jobs. For Shawn Crawford, 38, of Brownsburg, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis, you could say the writing was on the wall. He used to be the director of operations for a physician group that operated 30 doctor’s offices across the state of Indiana.
“I was responsible for set up, business development and customer service,” he says. “At first I found the job very rewarding, but once the economy started to get bad and the rapid expansion stopped, it reached a point where I feared my own job was about to be eliminated.”
Instead of waiting around to see what would happen, Crawford decided to follow his dream to start his own business. In July of 2006, he quit his job with the physician’s group and became a consultant; but spent every spare moment researching business opportunities.
“I wanted to do something that would capitalize on my experience and help people at the same time,” he says. “I figured people want to look good, feel good and be healthy, so why not open a gym?” But when he started looking into the costs involved in such a venture he became discouraged, that is until he came across some research that showed huge growth potential in health and fitness franchising. According to the International Health and Racket Sport Club Association, while the average growth rate for fast food franchises stands at 20 percent, the fitness sector’s five-year growth has been an impressive 144 percent.
There are a lot of health and fitness franchises out there, but the one Crawford decided to go with was Snap Fitness, a Minnesota-based fast-growing franchisor of compact, state-of-the-art 24/7 fitness centers in Canada and the United States. “The thing I liked best about Snap initially was their business model was pretty much turn-key,” says Crawford. “Unlike a traditional business start-up which would have required a lot of research, development and capital investment on my part, they did all the work for me.”
After he paid his franchise fee and found the perfect location, Snap Fitness provided the blueprint he needed to follow to get his business up and running. He was assigned a project manager who helped him every step of the way.
“The process was laid out and very easy to follow,” explains Crawford. “Snap provided everything I needed to get started – plans for the club design, access to vendors who would sell me the right equipment at a deep discount, all the tools I needed to set up my company Web site and the marketing materials I needed to get the word out.”
Snap also provided the financing, and today handles billing, security and other operational and marketing support for Crawford’s club, which opened for business in October of 2007 and now has about 900 members.
When people ask him for advice about franchising, Crawford advises them to do some investigative work. Talk to a business broker, pick up and read copies of Entrepreneur and the Wall Street Journal, and when they’re ready to proceed contact a franchisor like Snap Fitness directly. Most franchisor Web sites provide rich information about the business model, financial requirements and much more, and they grant access to executives and franchisees during your discovery process.
“We understand what a big decision opening a franchise can be, and that’s why I personally meet weekly with prospective franchisees to answer questions and help them make a decision that’s right for them,” says Snap Fitness CEO Peter Taunton.
“I followed the plan Snap gave me, and I’m quite pleased with my financial success, says Crawford, who is set to open his second Snap Fitness club sometime in April of 2008.
To learn more about this business opportunity, log on to www.SnapFitness.com and click on the link that says “Franchise Opportunities.”
Courtesy of ARAcontent
EDITOR’S NOTE:
If you would like help localizing this story, contact Snap Fitness’ marketing communications director Patrick Strait at 952-426-7173 or via e-mail at pstrait@snapfitness.com.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Dean Ogan, owner of Rocky Top Hospitality, has announced that Bogart’s American Grill (www.bogartsamericangrill.com) has received two write-in Maggy Awards for Best Creative Sandwich and Best Ladies Lunch. The Third Annual Maggy Award competition gave the community an opportunity to vote for the “Best Of” in over 80 categories. The 2008 Maggy Award winners will be featured in the January/February issue of Cary Magazine and on CaryMagazine.com. Bogart’s American Grill, located at 510 Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh, is a full service restaurant and bar that specializes in rotisserie, fresh and local ingredients, a popular martini menu and an extensive wine selection.
“We are honored to announce that Bogart’s has received two write-in Maggy Awards,” said Ogan. “We are pleased that Bogart’s has proven to be so popular with the community.”
About Bogart’s American Grill:
Bogart’s American Grill, located at 510 Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh, is a full-service restaurant and bar that specializes in rotisserie, fresh and local ingredients, a popular martini menu and an extensive wine selection. Guests will enjoy the outstanding food and service, as well as a very unique atmosphere. Bogart’s offers a Sunday brunch menu from 10:30 until 2 p.m., which features live jazz music and a wide variety of breakfast items. The menu offers daily specials, as well as weekly featured items emphasizing fresh ingredients from the area. For more information, visit www.bogartsamericangrill.com.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
RALEIGH, N.C. – VisionPoint Marketing (www.visionpointmarketing.com) has announced that Diane Kuehn, president and CEO, has been named a 2008 Impact Women Business Owner by Business Leader Magazine. The awards recognize the outstanding leadership of women business leaders, in the professional arena as well as the community. For more information about VisionPoint Marketing, visit their Web site at www.visionpointmarketing.com.
“I am honored to be named an Impact Women Business Owner,” said Kuehn. “This award recognizes some of the most influential leaders in our community and I am humbled to be in their great company.”
About Diane Kuehn:
Diane Kuehn is President and CEO of VisionPoint Marketing, an Internet marketing agency for mid-size organizations that provides strategy, creative services and execution of integrated online marketing programs. Diane established VisionPoint Marketing after holding numerous executive sales and marketing positions at leading companies, including Cox Communications, SourceLink, High Speed Net Solutions, and ADVO ? the country’s largest direct marketing firm. An enthusiastic supporter of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Diane serves on the Board of Directors and the Communications Committee and is the current chair for the Women’s Executive Golf Tournament. Other civic and professional organizations in which Diane maintains membership include the Council for Entrepreneur Development (CED) and the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO). Diane volunteers time to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, serves on the marketing committee for Triangle Family Services, is a board member of North Carolina’s International Affairs Council, and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Me Fine Foundation. Her service and leadership have been recognized by the Triangle Business Journal’s Women in Business Award, which recognizes the top 25 female executives in the Triangle who display outstanding business and community leadership. Diane was recently named a 2007 Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
