CARY, N.C. — Dex has been honored with a 2008 Yellow Pages Publisher Recognition Award by the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM). ADM recently selected Dex for its “Communication Award,” which “recognizes efforts to improve communications between publishers and CMRs (Certified Marketing Representatives).” The award was announced at ADM’s Annual Conference in San Antonio, Tex.
Dex was selected based upon several criteria, including commitment to excellence in facilitating communications between the company and CMRs, who help develop, implement, manage and maintain Yellow Pages programs for national advertisers. Dex was also noted for its provision of high-quality, effective sales materials and marketing collateral and the continuous enabling of easy access to these materials. As a result, ADM recognized Dex’s ability to help CMRs improve efficiencies, solve challenges and implement successful advertising programs.
“Our goal is to provide CMRs with simple, focused communications that make it easier for them to access information and do business with Dex. This award is a reflection of that,” said Stephen Gibbons, vice president of national sales, Dex. “We’re happy to accept this award from ADM, and will continue to provide CMRs with exceptional communications tools that help them implement and manage their advertising programs.”
Dex is the market brand of R.H. Donnelley (NYSE: RHD), a leading print and online local search company. R.H. Donnelley’s products and services include the Dex(R) Yellow Pages; DexKnows.com(TM), a leading online local search site; 1-800-Call-Dex(TM), a free, voice-enabled local search solution; and Dex Search Marketing, which provides web site optimization and paid search advertising solutions.
(ARA) - Recent news headlines are causing concern for many Americans as company data breaches are on the rise. From missing laptops containing employee and customer information to stolen passwords that lead to the loss of proprietary records, many are led to believe that a majority of data breaches occur electronically.
According to a new study commissioned by the Alliance for Secure Business Information (ASBI), this isn’t the case. The Security of Paper Documents in the Workplace study found that 49 percent of respondents whose companies have been affected by a data breach stated one or more of the breaches involved the loss or theft of paper, not electronic, documents. And the problem does not seem to be going away, with 80 percent of respondents polled indicating their company had experienced one or more data breaches in the past 12 months alone.
From small, family-owned businesses to large corporations, data breaches affect businesses of all sizes. In fact, 46 percent of respondents who represent larger companies estimate the annual financial impact of data breaches within their organization to be between $10 to $30 million.
“Everyday, businesses manage highly confidential information that if stolen, can leave the company and its employees, vendors and customers exposed,” says John Fellowes, vice president and general manager of Fellowes, Inc. and a member of the ASBI. “What many fail to realize is that paper documents are just as vulnerable to a breach as electronic documents.”
Key findings from the study reveal a need for companies to take tighter controls on how they manage their paper trail through stronger enforcement of security policies. For example:
* According to 56 percent of respondents, more than half of their organizations’ sensitive or confidential information is contained within paper documents.
* Sixty-one percent of those surveyed stated there are not enough resources and controls available to secure paper documents.
* Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported that it is more difficult to control access to paper documents than it is to control access to electronic documents.
In fact, the ASBI was formed in response to this issue and the need for awareness and education for businesses and employees about how to protect confidential information in the workplace. Members include: Fellowes, Inc., Ponemon Institute, Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and John Sileo, a leading business security speaker.
It is important to remember that protecting proprietary information at work not only protects a company, but ultimately protects you. The ASBI recommends the following tips to protect your company and yourself from a data breach:
Practical Tips for the Office:
* Shred all proprietary information with a cross-cut shredder. Desk side shredders are ideal for business professionals that regularly handle sensitive information including legal, accounting, human resource or finance departments. Commercial shredders are best for shared spaces including shared printing or copying areas where large volumes of sensitive information are created.
* Develop office guidelines for all employees that outline the proper procedures for protecting sensitive information.
* Keep all sensitive information and files locked away. Restrict access to those who need it and closely watch your files.
* Ensure all company computers have the most up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software. Also, check to make sure wireless networks are protected with the proper security settings.
* Limit the use of Social Security numbers in the workplace. Don’t use Social Security numbers on items such as employee identification badges, time cards or paychecks.
* Avoid leaving documents in communal copiers, shared printing spaces, conference rooms or other open areas for extended periods of time.
* Commit your passwords to memory instead of writing them down. In addition, do not use your date of birth for your passwords, and change them frequently.
* At the end of each work day, all employees should log off their computers and lock their workstations or office doors. All confidential documents should be filed away rather than left at one’s desk.
For more information on ASBI, and to learn how to protect businesses’ confidential information, visit www.fellowes.com/asbi.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
The web-based survey was launched Aug. 12, 2008 and was closed Aug. 21, 2008. Debriefing of respondents and analysis was completed Aug. 30, 2008. The margin of error on all adjective scale and Yes/No/Unsure responses is less than or equal to 3.5 percent. The final sample consisted of 819 individuals who work in IT operations, IT security, data protection and compliance in large organizations in a variety of industries.
How Today’s Businesswomen Strike a Work-life Balance
(ARA) - Gone are the days when women were expected to stay at home to dote on their children and husbands. Today’s women have broken through the glass ceiling and are finding their way to corner offices around the country.
Juggling life both inside and outside the home can be a challenge — that’s why it’s important to strike the proper balance between work and personal lives. Luckily, there are specific strategies that women can implement to strike a healthier balance.
Find Work that Works
With today’s struggling economy and families requiring dual incomes, finding an employer that offers flexibility is often the key to both a successful career and personal life. And finding employers with this approach may be easier than you think. For example, The HON Company, a leading manufacturer of office furniture, understands the importance of family and instills a culture that enables work-life balance. Beyond creating quality office furniture that creates a comfortable, flexible and “home-like” work setting, HON offers its members perks such as flexible spending accounts to help offset the costs of daycare, local YMCA fitness center allowances and family-oriented activities.
“A member committee plans monthly outings and provides opportunities for members to purchase discounted passes for local family events,” says Tim Heth, vice president of member and community relations for HON. “Additionally, members are allotted one hour of paid volunteer time each week to utilize in any way they wish — from local Habitat for Humanity projects to their children’s PTA. Each benefit helps improve employee morale for both our female and male members.”
“Make sure you go to work with someone that has the same philosophy as you do,” says Tammy Vasilatos, owner of Tammy Vasilatos CPA, LLC, a 100 percent female accounting firm in El Paso, Tex. Vasilatos has created a family-friendly work atmosphere by offering flexible work schedules to her employees. She adds, “Don’t give up what you want, because you don’t need to do that anymore. The women before us had to, but we don’t.”
“I am more understanding of the importance of work-life balance,” says Michelle Horan, president and owner of Salka Office Furniture, a full-service office dealer in Meridian, Conn. “I am very flexible with hours and time off. I believe that taking care of good employees and customers is what leads to success.”
Set Realistic Time Schedules
While work deadlines are a necessary evil that you must complete, will anything bad happen if the dishes don’t get done or the bed isn’t made every day? No - so don’t sweat the small stuff.
Start each week with a realistic “to-do list” for both your work and home life. Check yourself each day to ensure that you are making progress and that your time allowances are in check. By the end of the work week, if you’ve completed enough tasks each day, your weekend can truly be enjoyed. And don’t sweat it if you didn’t get to the household chores. If you need to, you can hire a professional cleaning or landscaping service.
Leave Work at Work
With cell phones, laptops, PDAs and home offices, it has become blurry when the workday begins and ends. Be sure to separate your personal time from professional time by turning off your connections to the working world and turning on your connections with your family and friends.
Learn to Say No
If you’re a parent, you are probably a pro at saying “no” to your kids, so learn how to respectfully say no to projects that don’t fit within your schedule. Whether it’s taking the lead on a project at work, or coaching a soccer team, it’s okay to say no to projects that will bring you more stress than joy. As long as you are honest with your employers, they will most likely understand.
“Don’t be embarrassed or apologetic that you want to have both a career and a family,” adds Vasilatos. “Employers just want good quality work.” Plus, if you are in over your head, you may not be putting in your best work anyway.
While striking a work-life balance in today’s fast-paced world isn’t an easy task, by following these few guidelines, it is possible. “Now is a wonderful time to be a woman in the workforce,” says Vasilatos. “You really can have it all!”
For more information on The HON Company, visit www.HON.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University today announced it has received a $1 million challenge grant from the A. J. Fletcher Foundation to establish Legal Clinic space within Campbell Law’s new Raleigh location.
The grant will be applied to Campbell Law’s $27.5 million “Campaign for Raleigh.” Funds raised toward the challenge grant will help underwrite the Legal Clinic’s operations, which will focus on critical community issues such as housing and needs of low-income seniors, among other important social justice concerns.
Campbell Law School Dean Melissa Essary noted, “The creation of the Legal Clinic will allow our students – the next generation of community leaders – to work directly with those who often have no voice, and certainly no legal representation.” Essary continued, “It is our responsibility to help our students view the practice of law as a calling to serve others and we could not be more grateful for Barbara and Jim Goodmon’s support in accomplishing this objective.”
The Legal Clinic will be dedicated to providing low-income and other residents of the greater Raleigh region with pro bono legal services. Led by experienced clinical directors, the programs will be staffed by second and third year Campbell Law students. In addition to providing valuable service to individuals who might not otherwise be able to retain an attorney, the Legal Clinic will present future lawyers with practical, hands-on experience.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
ARA) – Disappearing plant species, endangered wildlife and adverse health effects for humans – all grab headlines whenever talk turns to the impact pollution has on our world. But pollution also affects production of pearls, the gem American pop culture has made an icon of exemplary womanhood.
From June Cleaver to Marge Simpson, a perfect strand of pearls has come to represent the essence of feminine perfection in American culture. The bestowing of an heirloom strand from mother to daughter is a treasured rite of passage in many families. Yet pollution’s effect on the mollusks that produce pearls may mean fewer pearls – and higher prices – in the future.
Pearl production and a pristine environment are tightly linked. Pearl-bearing mollusks are filter-feeders. To get their microscopic food, they filter as much as 106 gallons of seawater a day. Filter-feeding makes the mollusks extremely sensitive to pollutants in the water.
Pearl-bearing mollusks are also very sensitive to water temperature. Mollusks that produce pearls evolved over millions of years to live in very specific environments. Although those that live in temperate latitudes are accustomed to seasonal fluctuations in water temperature, an unusual rise in summer can kill them. Pearl-bearing mollusks that live in tropical latitudes can survive only within a very narrow range of water temperature. A small rise at any time of year can kill them.
People Can and Do Help
The mollusks’ sensitivity to temperature increases and pollutants make people who are dependent on the mollusks’ productivity acutely aware of environmental factors. Pearl farmers — people who grow cultured pearls — have a stake in mollusk health and productivity. That stake makes pearl farmers good stewards of the environment. If water pollution or temperature increases kill their mollusks, pearl farmers lose their livelihood.
Jewelmer, a pearl-farming company in the Philippines, has been especially active in promoting environmental preservation. The company has strongly lobbied the Philippine government to outlaw cyanide and dynamite fishing in the islands. Those fishing techniques produce big, easy catches, but they’re environmentally destructive, and they adversely affect the mollusks on the pearl farms.
“Jewelmer produces some of the finest golden South Sea cultured pearls,” says Jeremy Shepherd of PearlParadise.com, Inc., a leading online pearl-seller, “and the company has been among the most aggressive in protecting the pearl-farming environment.”
Forum for Pearl Lovers
www.Pearl-Guide.com is a pearl forum that has more than 3,000 members, many of whom contribute posts about pearls every day. Since pearls are the members’ passion and reason for participating in the forum, they are naturally concerned with pollution’s and global warming’s effects on pearl culture. Without protecting the delicate environment mollusks need to produce pearls, Pearl-Guide.com members and other pearl lovers around the world would lose their favorite gems.
CARY, N.C. — SciQuest, Inc., the global leader empowering enterprises to realize the potential of strategic procurement, today announced that U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance (U.S. Communities), a nonprofit instrumentality of government that assists local and state government agencies, school districts, higher education and nonprofit organizations pool their purchasing power nationwide, has partnered with the company.
Through this partnership, select U.S. Communities’ supplier contracts that have been competitively solicited by a lead public agency will be available via the SciQuest Supplier Network. Participating agencies that implement SciQuest’s procurement automation solutions will be able to access U.S. Communities’ contracts through an intuitive online shopping environment that integrates all of the agency’s supplier contracts onto a single platform and enables users to make all of their purchases through one system.
“We provide a forum for public sector and nonprofit organizations to realize the savings that stem from these competitively solicited contracts with the combined purchasing power of our participants,” said Chris Mellis, program manager of U.S. Communities. “SciQuest’s online shopping environment is user-friendly and automates the entire purchasing process. With this technology, it will now be easier than ever to take advantage of U.S. Communities’ contracts.”
U.S. Communities has more than 33,000 participating public agencies and over 400 new organizations register to participate each month. SciQuest’s suite of eprocurement solutions will provide a powerful and intuitive way for participating agencies to drive spending to all of their cost-saving contracts through a single environment for every agency purchase.
“We are excited that SciQuest is now a U.S. Communities partner because it will enable Emory to further leverage the cost and process efficiencies we’ve gained from our SciQuest eprocurement solution with the savings that U.S. Communities’ contracts deliver,” said David Thurston, associate vice president for financial operations at Emory University. “It is the ideal plug-and-play scenario for optimizing procurement, dropping a wide range of contracts negotiated by U.S. Communities into Emory’s private marketplace that’s powered by SciQuest.”
U.S. Communities’ participating agencies spend more than $1.3 billion each year on goods and services purchased through its contracts with world-class suppliers like AutoZone, Haworth, HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, Herman Miller, Office Depot and its technology division Tech Depot, Sportime, and Virco. This partnership will benefit agencies and suppliers alike. SciQuest’s ability to bring spending under management and drive purchases to on-contract items helps participating suppliers secure a greater share of the market and realize process efficiencies.
SciQuest’s eprocurement solutions are designed to enable all individuals across an organization to make purchases easily and quickly on a system that gives procurement and financial professionals unprecedented real-time visibility into organization-wide spending. Among U.S. Communities’ participants, purchases of this kind are often only exceeded by payroll and spending on capital projects.
“In today’s challenging economic environment, government agencies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations are under unprecedented pressure to stretch the value of their financial resources,” said Stephen Wiehe, president and CEO of SciQuest. “This partnership will enable U.S. Communities’ participants to utilize a system that encourages the user participation and adoption required to realize the full potential of negotiated contracts.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
(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.
(NewsUSA) - America’s private, job-based benefits system is one of the most successful in the world. The benefit plans within the system hold more than $6.1 trillion in assets and cover approximately 150 million workers, retirees and their families. The job-based benefits that give millions of workers health coverage and the opportunity to enjoy a financially secure retirement are more critical than ever.
Since 2001, the Labor Department has made great gains in its efforts to safeguard the pension, health and other employee benefits crucial to millions of workers. And we are continuing to improve the system to make benefits more accessible and secure.
This administration succeeded in enacting the Pension Protection Act of 2006 - the most sweeping reforms of retirement plan rules in over three decades. These reforms have improved the solvency and the transparency of traditional pension plans, better ensuring that retirement promises made to workers are kept.
We are boosting participation in 401(k) and similar plans through automatic enrollment, helping many more workers and their families build a nest egg for a secure and comfortable retirement. We are also making it easier for workers to get quality, professional investment advice to inform their retirement savings decisions.
And the Labor Department’s efforts have produced record-setting results. Since 2001, our enforcement and outreach programs have yielded monetary results of nearly $11 billion on behalf of workers and retirees and have led to the indictment of more than 800 individuals for crimes involving benefit plans.
In addition, the participant assistance program handled nearly 1.3 million inquiries that helped individuals understand their benefit programs and recovered nearly $545 million to pay pension and health benefits of working families.
The Department’s successful stewardship benefits millions of Americans, both as workers and investors. The Department of Labor put the tools in place for workers to plan and save for their retirement, and now it is up to each of us to save so we can achieve our retirement dreams. For more information or assistance, call 1-866-444-3272 or visit the Web site at www.dol.gov/ebsa today.
RALEIGH, NC - On June 25th, the Greater Raleigh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) showcased the growth of women-owned businesses in the Triangle at their 30th Anniversary Red Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony. The black-tie event was held at Brier Creek Country Club. Kim Genardo, political reporter and host of “At Issue” on NBC 17, emceed the awards ceremony honoring the chapter’s finest.
The 2007-2008 Greater Raleigh NAWBO awards were presented to:
Rising Star Award - Debra Rezeli, owner of 2D Designs, Inc.
The Best Supporting Member (aka the Rising Star Award) recognizes the accomplishments of one new member who has joined NAWBO within 18 months of nomination and who has supported the Greater Raleigh NAWBO Chapter through active participation in meetings, events and committees, promotion, and networking.
Mary Diener Spirit Award - Leslie McMillan, owner of LSM Insurance Associates
The Mary Diener Spirit Award, named after the first Greater Raleigh NAWBO president, recognizes the accomplishments of one outstanding NAWBO member who exemplifies the spirit of NAWBO and has worked to practice, innovate, and effect changes by supporting and establishing the presence for NAWBO.
Woman Business Owner of the Year - Donna Peery, Principal of Five Star Staffing & Accounting Recruiters
The Best Business Owner of the Year Award recognizes the accomplishments of one outstanding NAWBO member who has used creative initiatives to overcome obstacles, create jobs, grow a successful business, and help her community.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
(NewsUSA) - Advertising is telling the world how great you are, while publicity is having others tell the world how great you are. Companies and organizations that understand the importance of publicity are generally more successful than those who use advertising alone to reach their target audiences.
Newspapers, magazines and radio and television news programs are filled with stories about businesses and organizations. Those who know how to present materials professionally to the right people will get media coverage for free, while those who don’t understand how publicity works have to rely on large advertising budgets to reach their audiences, usually with less impressive results.
“If you can get a news organization to report about your event or praise something you’re doing, you have gained an enormous amount of credibility that simply couldn’t be generated through paid advertising,” said David Forman, a public relations veteran and author of “Publicity Professor,” a workbook that teaches business owners how to get free news coverage.
The first step in reaching out to media professionals is to create an appealing press release. Its main purpose is to get an editor or producer interested in what you have to say or in what you are doing. It should contain enough information, specifics and quotes that a writer can craft a story from it without ever having to call you.
A media alert is another tool for getting press coverage. Its purpose is to give news assignment desks the specifics about an event in a way that entices editors or television news directors to send a reporter or camera crew.
There are dozens of other ways to get news coverage, such as placing feature stories or writing pitch letters offering your expertise in a subject for quotes or on-air interviews.
Forman says you don’t have to hire outside help to get publicity.
“Nobody knows your business like you do,” Forman said. “You simply have to reach the appropriate person with your message, in a format that media professionals expect.”
Using real-world examples, “Publicity Professor” shows you how to give editors and producers exactly what they’re looking for to get your story covered for free.
The guidebook includes easy-to-follow templates of press releases, media alerts, feature stories and pitch letters; suggestions on creating newsworthy special events and awards programs; and resources for contacting local, regional and national media.
For further information on promoting your business, order a copy of “Publicity Professor” by calling toll-free (866) NEWS-400 or by visiting www.publicityprofessor.com.
