ARA) – If you’re a recent college graduate or a professional looking for work, you already know you need every advantage to compete for work in a marketplace where there are more applicants than opportunities. It pays to be in control of every variable you can, from picking the right suit and honing your interview skills to making sure you know what’s on your credit report before a potential employer looks at it.

If you’re applying for a job, it’s very likely that your potential employer will want to check your credit. More employers than ever are checking job applicants’ credit history. Sixty percent of employers now check applicants’ credit reports, according to a report in the Washington Times. That percentage has climbed nearly 20 percent in the past five years, according to the report.

Employer credit checks can be problematic for many people in this economy. If you’ve been out of work for a while, you may have fallen behind on your bills. And if you’re a recent college graduate, you probably have little credit history – perhaps a few credit cards with a running balance, but probably not a car or home loan that can help add depth to a credit history.

Reviewing your credit report for inaccuracies before an employer sees it is an important step for job seekers, experts agree. It will also help prepare you to address any credit-related concerns a potential employer might have.

As you’re reading want ads and scouring job websites, keep this information in mind:

* Obtaining a report and score, such as the PLUS score offered by CreditReport.com, can help you understand your credit status before a potential employer asks to check your credit. While such a score and report are not necessarily the ones a potential employer will obtain, they can give you a snapshot of your credit status.

* The basics of credit management remain the same, no matter what your situation: pay bills on time, maintain a good ratio of credit used to available credit, show a long history of timely payment, and be smart about the types of credit you use (loans, credit cards, etc.).

* Employers will not be able to check your credit until you give your consent, in writing, for them to do so. While you may expect that an employer would check your credit if you’re applying for a job in the financial services industry or another industry in which you’ll be directly working with money, be aware that a broad spectrum of employers are now checking credit for applicants at all job levels – even some you may not expect.

* If your credit history has some blemishes, you may want to consider adding a personal statement of explanation to your credit report – the major credit bureaus all allow you to do this. While credit experts agree that such statements usually have little impact on potential lenders, an employer may view your explanation differently.

Finally, hold your head high regardless of what’s on your credit report. In this economy, many people are facing financial hardship through no fault of their own. If you’re one of them, be honest and open with a potential employer, explaining your challenges and what you are doing to ensure you’ll be able to meet your financial responsibilities. If your credit history is good, consider it one more tool to demonstrate to potential employers that you are organized, responsible and a desirable worker

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It’s nearly impossible to separate real estate’s fortunes from the health of the overall economy.
Yet one sliver of the property game has a most curious — even at times, inverted — relationship with the business climate.
Welcome to the odd world of self storage, those somewhat odd facilities where one can rent space to stash everything from keepsakes to household goods to business supplies to plain old junk.
This is not a small business. The industry claims it services 1-in-10 Americans. According to Self Storage Almanac, there are 49,000 storage facilities across the nation — 1,100 in Los Angeles and Orange counties — worth roughly a quarter of a trillion bucks.
How’s that? When the economy’s a mess, lives get turned upside down. Thus, people frequently need space to keep some — or many — of their belongings. Failed small businesses — another outcome of a financial downturn — additionally create demand for storage for tools, machinery and/or inventory. Where better to stockpile the goods but at a local storage locker?
This recent economic cycle has been particularly brutal in many ways. Yet it’s proven to be an opportunity for self storage as a flood of foreclosures has forced scores of families from homes. That’s boosted demand for storage as these households are often forced to relocate to smaller quarters that can’t hold all their possessions.
Bad news can be good news in the real estate genre.
“Self storage has weathered the storm,” says Michael Schwartz, CEO of Strategic Storage Trust Inc., a self-storage investment firm from Ladera Ranch. He feels he almost has to apologize because, “we’re moving so fast.”
He’s not alone. When Selfstorage.com recently surveyed 200 self-storage owners on business conditions, 42 percent replied that their rental traffic rose in 2010 vs. the previous year and 38 percent said revenue rose as well.
On Wall Street, where shares of four big owners of storage facilities trade, self-storage investment trust stocks were up 18 percent in the first five months of the year – the hottest real estate investment trust niche, according to NAREIT indexes. Note: U.S. stocks in general, as measured by the S&P 500-stock index, were up 8 percent.
And the industry’s even a hit on TV. Not one, but two cable shows – “Storage Wars” and “Auction Hunters” — follow the antics of the bidders drawn to public auctions of goods stored in self-storage units with delinquent renters.
Schwartz’s SSTI — a real estate investment trust with stakes that do not trade on stock exchanges — was started in 2008 and has raised $230 million from investors. It recently started the SmartStop brand of storage facilities and, according to its financial filings, if it completes a series of acquisitions it will own 77 self storage facilities located in 17 states with 50,590 units and 6.2 million square feet of space. One of those planned deals includes a facility in its hometown, what will be its second Orange County property and its eighth in California.
“I want more assets in California,” says Schwartz, noting the state’s population density and its typical – though not current — economic heft.
This isn’t a play on extended lean times, Schwartz insists. Self storage flourishes in good times, too.
Read More:Here

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DANA POINT, CA, February 24, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ — Bolt Public Relations, a division of Bolt Enterprises, Inc., an Orange County, Calif.-based public relations, events and digital media agency, is pleased to announce the expansion of its operations into Raleigh, N.C. As part of the expansion, Bolt welcomes senior public relations executive, Jo-Anne Chase, as its vice president of the eastern region.
“Jo-Anne brings a wealth of experience and savvy to our team, while also bringing the opportunity to open the doors to our newest location on the East Coast,” said Caroline Callaway, president, Bolt Enterprises, Inc. “We look forward to delivering expanded physical reach and added knowledge and experience to small businesses and non-profits throughout the country.”
Both Callaway and Chase graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh with degrees in communication.

Chase most recently served as account supervisor at French/West/Vaughan, a Raleigh-based public relations agency, where she was responsible for the development and execution of national campaigns. Her work has earned national recognition in the PR industry, including two Bronze Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America, two finalist recognitions for The Holmes Report’s SABRE Awards, and numerous honors from North Carolina and Raleigh public relations societies.

Callaway founded Bolt Public Relations in January 2007 specifically to serve small
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Source:24-7 Press Release

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–POZEN Inc. (NASDAQ: POZN), announced today that it plans to release fourth quarter and year end 2010 results on March 9, 2011, before the market opens.

The announcement will be followed by a live webcast at 11:00 a.m. (EST) with a discussion by POZEN management of the earnings and business results. The webcast can be accessed on POZEN’s website at www.pozen.com and will be archived and available for replay. The fourth quarter and year end 2010 earnings release will be accessible in the News section of POZEN’s website.

About POZEN
POZEN Inc. is a progressive pharmaceutical company that is transforming how the healthcare industry addresses unmet medical needs. By utilizing a unique in-source model and a focus on integrated therapies, POZEN has successfully developed and obtained FDA approval of two self-invented products in two years – something almost no other small pharmaceutical company has done. Funded by these two milestone/royalty streams, POZEN is now creating a portfolio of cost-effective integrated aspirin therapies designed to enable the full power of aspirin by reducing its GI toxicity. The lead candidate, PA32540, is being investigated for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and has entered Phase 3 clinical trials. POZEN is retaining commercial control of the pipeline assets and will launch creatively using a new sales force model and digital communications. The Company’s common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “POZN”. For more detailed company information, including copies of this and other press releases,
please visit: www.pozen.com.

Contacts
POZEN Inc.
Stephanie Bonestell, 919-913-1030
Manager, Investor Relations & Public Relations
Source:Business Wire

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(NAPSI)—For small and medium-size businesses, e-mail is one of the primary ways to communicate and connect with customers, not to mention an important tool for storing and organizing information. Not all e-mail systems are created equal, though, and compromising on your e-mail system could put essential information at risk.

Here are the top 10 e-mail features your business needs to succeed:

1. Security—Viruses and spam can slow down e-mail, steal confidential information and use your computers to attack websites. Ensure that your information is safe with built-in anti-virus and anti-spam filters that are constantly updated.

2. Reliability—Growing businesses can’t afford downtime. Insist on 99.9 percent uptime with a financially backed guarantee.

3. Backup—Losing information due to a power outage or accident can be catastrophic to a business. Make sure your provider routinely backs up data to multiple geographic locations.

4. Support—Problems arise with any system. Confirm that you have round-the-clock phone support for your e-mail.

5. Storage—For many, e-mail is a default storage system. Look for systems with generous e-mail box sizes in the 20?25 GB range and the ability to send and store large attachments.

6. Compatibility with mobile devices—With more and more phones able to connect to e-mail, it’s important to ensure they’ll work well with your business e-mail system. Make sure your e-mail provider has support for Windows Phone, iPhone, Android and Blackberry, among others.

7. Web access from different browsers—Particularly if you travel, it’s important to make sure your e-mail system allows easy access from a PC, phone and a variety of Web browsers including Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox and Chrome, so you have uninterrupted access.

8. Offline support—If you use Microsoft Outlook, make sure your provider has full support for its features, including offline access, so you can continue to be productive even without an Internet connection.

9. Control—It’s your e-mail, so even if you don’t manage servers in-house, confirm that your e-mail system gives you the ability to manage things like security settings, distribution groups and shared address book information over the Web.

10. Easy to use—For a tool you use every day, it has to include features that make your life easier. Look for the latest features, such as:

• Ability to sort e-mail the way you normally work-by date, sender or subject;

• Shared calendaring, so users can see their colleagues’ schedules to book meetings;

• The ability to include conference rooms and equipment when scheduling meetings;

• Shared mailboxes that multiple people can access and respond to, such as customer service e-mail accounts.

Free e-mail systems generally don’t provide the security and reliability needed for business e-mail, but Microsoft has recently made available new versions of Microsoft Exchange Server and Exchange Online, part of the Microsoft Online Services suite. Exchange Online is their hosted e-mail that offers secure, reliable e-mail for businesses for as little as $5 a month.

By making sure your e-mail makes the grade in these categories, you can have the confidence of knowing your system is secure and will run smoothly while you get on to the more important work of growing your business.

More information is available at www.microsoft.com/online/exchange-online.aspx.

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What you should know about your business credit report

(ARA) – While you’re running through all the financial tasks small businesses do to close out one fiscal year and start the next, don’t forget to examine an often-overlooked key financial factor – your business credit.

Between closing your books on 2010 and preparing for 2011′s tax season, knowing how creditors and others perceive your business may not be top of mind. Yet, now is the perfect time to verify the information in your business credit report and update it with current and relevant facts about your growing business. It can help you better prepare your business for the coming year. The credit experts at Experian offer some insight into the factors that affect your small business credit report and business credit score, and why it’s important to your business.

Why it matters

Does your business credit report really matter? Absolutely. It paints a picture of your small business for the world to see. Outdated or incorrect information can give the wrong impression about your business, resulting in unfavorable decisions by potential lenders and creditors – which can negatively impact your bottom line. Plus, anyone, including partners and investors, can view your business credit report for any reason.

If your business has grown or changed over the last year, it’s important to update the data reflected in your report and know the score. There are several factors that make up a business credit score, including but not limited to previous payment history, industry type and business size.

An accurate business credit report and a good business credit score can:

* Save you money because lenders usually offer their best interest rates to businesses with good credit.

* Reduce your personal liability and protect your personal assets by enabling you to obtain business credit without the need for a personal guarantee.

* Help you offer your customers competitive prices by passing your interest savings on to them, while still keeping a larger margin of profit for yourself.

* Get you the money and capital you need to keep your business running.

What’s on your report?

Your business credit report provides an up-to-date, objective overview of your business and how it manages financial obligations. It can include information on your payment history, public records about your business, background on the company, collections information and comparative information that places your business payment history in context with your industry.

You can find out how your business compares to others like it across the nation in terms of business credit with an interactive map by visiting www.businesscreditfacts.com/map.

Managing and monitoring

Web-based services are a great way to monitor and manage your business credit report. Sites like SmartBusinessReports.com and Experian.com/SmallBusinessCredit not only allow you to view your own business credit report and score, but also provide useful information on how Experian arrives at your credit score and how your business practices affect your score and report. These sites also allow you to check the business credit of your suppliers, customers, prospects, partners and competitors.

Your business credit information is as important to your business’ financial health as your personal credit information is to your ability to borrow money privately. While you’re wrapping up last year’s financial matters and preparing for the coming year, now is a good time to think about your business credit and how you’ll manage it throughout the new year.

Free Appliance and Electronics pick-up for recycling, Stoves, Dryers, Heaters, Freezers, Refrigerators, Computers, Washers, Radios, TVs, Tools, Metal Furniture and other appliances that you are trashing or nedd recycling. We pick-up free and disasemble and properly recycle all parts.
We also have techs check for salvaging or repair, if repaired we give to persons free,or charge for repair cost and parts if needed only. We do not repair these appliances ourselves and not in the repair business, but we will try to salvage and donate appliances if repairs is not costly and is worth the effort and not just a delay to end up in landfills. Call 919-324-8905 OR 919-803-4425
If no answer, please leave voice mail and someone will contact you and set-up a time at your convenience.

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 2008 even with the economy at a slow-down, the small business entrepreneurialsare still hard a work bring new businesses to market everyday. The engine that drives our

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Breaking down barriers: Who says women can’t excel in math and science?

(ARA) – Millions of jobs will become available in science-, technology-, engineering- and math-related (STEM) fields by 2018, yet the next generation of employees in America will be unprepared and unqualified to take advantage of these positions. According to recent data from the Information Industry Technology Council, our nation’s children are falling behind their international peers in almost every area of STEM education.

In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that although women currently make up more than half the American workforce, they hold only 14 percent of engineering positions and 25 percent of mathematics positions – meaning that there is a pressing need to break down gender barriers in STEM industries.

New research shows there is no difference in ability between men and women. The differences in achievement only appear when lower expectations and distorted perceptions of what is achievable affect motivation levels and confidence.

Some institutions are doing their part to dismantle the social stigmas that keep young women from pursuing math and science. In response to this pressing need to educate tomorrow’s workforce and dissolve stereotypes, DeVry University and Danica McKellar, well-known for her roles on “The Wonder Years” and “The West Wing” and now also a mathematician and best-selling author, are teaming up for National HerWorld month to inspire young women across the country to explore careers in STEM-related fields.

Now in its 13th year, the HerWorld program provides an opportunity for high school girls to explore fast-growing careers of the 21st century in science, technology, engineering and math. National HerWorld month is an initiative hosted by educators that will introduce young girls to women who have excelled in these fields.

“Our society still promotes outdated, negative stereotypes that lead girls from a young age to believe that math is too hard and that it’s only for boys,” says McKellar. “For several years, it’s been my mission to reverse these damaging messages by giving girls the tools they need to improve their math skills and self-esteem, and showing them that intelligence is key to becoming a fabulous young woman someday. I’m thrilled to be partnering with DeVry University’s HerWorld program to further this mission. During National HerWorld month, we’ll be introducing high school girls to powerful female role models and opening the door to exciting STEM career opportunities that they may never have imagined possible. We’ll show them: ‘You can do this!’”

More than 7,200 high school girls from hundreds of high schools across the country will participate at nearly 50 local HerWorld events where, in addition to participating in education seminars, confidence building and robotics workshops, they will listen to local female leaders discuss their career journeys and gain inspiration toward their future endeavors. DeVry University’s corporate partners will also take part to support the program’s powerful message. Every participating HerWorld high school across the country will receive a copy of McKellar’s latest book, “Hot X: Algebra Exposed,” for their library.

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Brewing up a winning plan for your small business

(ARA) – Job creation continues to be a hot topic in today’s economic climate. While government actions and policies can play a powerful role in rebuilding and strengthening America’s job market, small businesses on Main Street can also be a part of the solution. Small businesses employ half of the nation’s workforce and account for 60 percent of gross job creation.  

If you are thinking about creating your own business, Samuel Adams Founder Jim Koch has a few tips for starting out. Koch began brewing Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen in 1984.

“When I started Samuel Adams, there was so much I didn’t know about starting a small business,” says Koch. “I couldn’t get a bank loan or find funding so I learned to be creative with my resources because I had to do more with less. This created a company culture of innovation and creativity that still defines our company today.”

Koch offers this advice for anyone thinking about starting their own business:

* Examine your passion. It’s important that your idea is something you are passionate about, whether it is through expertise, personal interest or family tradition. Your passion will allow you to outwork and outsmart your competition.

* Explore financing options. In addition to typical business loans, conduct a search to see if you are eligible for a low-interest loan through a government program – www.sba.gov is a good place to start. Organizations like ACCION USA also offer microloans with favorable rates for small business owners. More information can be found at www.accionusa.org. Koch’s experience starting Samuel Adams inspired him to team up with ACCION USA to create Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, a program that provides microloans and business coaching to entrepreneurs in the food, beverage and hospitality industries, helping them get started.

* Attend business seminars. Seminars provide an opportunity for you to get free advice from people who have been successful in operating a small business and get answers to the questions you’ve been dying to ask. Through Brewing the American Dream, Samuel Adams hosts speed coaching events where those interested in starting a business can consult with experienced staff from within Boston Beer and other partners from various business disciplines, like marketing, packaging and publicity for quick tips and ideas for success.

* Know your competition. You should have a clear picture of your competition, as well as an idea of how companies in your industry are doing. What do they do well and what do they need to do better? Learn from their successes and failures.

* Push boundaries. One of the only ways to attract and retain customers is by giving them quality and character they can’t get from someone else. Don’t be afraid to push the envelope with your product. It’s a good thing if your customers see something different in what you offer.

Running a successful small business comes down to hard work and passion for what you do. “And, realizing your dreams by doing what you love is the most fun you can have while working,” says Koch.

For more tips and information on Brewing the American Dream, visit www.samueladams.com.

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(NAPSA)-Wells Fargo’s online Smarter Credit resource center has information, tips and tools to help you take charge and improve your credit, and its Retirement Center can help you plan and get on track for the future. Go to www.wellsfargo.com to learn more.

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The virtual hostess, Aimee, featured on the interactive video game “Sleepover Party” on Wii, can help you plan your party, choose your party theme, build your guest list, create shopping lists and more. Then, at the party, she’ll help you enjoy a variety of games and activities. For more information, visit www.amazon.com.

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Designers such as those at Lane Bryant are answering the demand for high-quality cotton fashion by expanding their Supima® cotton collection to include fresh new styles and colors for spring and beyond. All styles and colors are available in stores and online at lanebryant.com.

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Being aware of the dangers of texting on the road could keep you from being driven to distraction, say experts at MetLife Auto & Home. For free brochures-”Driving While Distracted: Be a Safer Driver” and “In the Driver’s Seat: About Driving Safely”-call (800) 608-0190. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

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Ultrahydrating Vaseline Clinical Therapy is a prescription-strength body lotion available over the counter. It can be used every day, all over the body, to provide instant relief, long-lasting protection, and sustained recovery from dry skin.

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A leading provider of online technology services called Sup port.com recently announced that it is embarking on a campaign to hire more than 100 work-from-home online technology-solution engineers within the next 100 days. For more information, visit www.support.com.

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