U.S. newspapers are increasing their use of co-opetition practices, that is, cooperating with competitors to reduce costs, create synergies, or reduce risk in new markets. Such activities are permissible if they are not designed to create cartels or control prices for advertising or circulation.
The latest example occurred this week when the Boston Herald announced an agreement with the Boston Globe for its competitor to print and deliver the Herald. The move creates cost savings for the Herald by allow it to cut printing, trucks, and delivery perronnel, while simultaneously creating production and distribution economies and an additional revenue stream for the Globe--a win-win for both companies.
Such service agreements do not violate antitrust laws because the papers remain independent, set their own prices, and create their own content. If papers were to engage in such actions they would have to apply for an antitrust exemption under the Newspaper Preservation Act (see John C. Busterna and Robert G. Picard, Joint Operating Agreements: The Newspaper Preservation Act and its Application. Ablex, 1993), but those agreements have not proven successful in the long run.
The Boston agreement comes on the heels of numerous printing agreements, including that of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, that have been made among publishers in the last couple of years.
Another example of co-opetition is seen in the 59 newspaper and information companies—including New York Times Co., McClatchy Co., Washington Post Co., E.W. Scripps Co., A.H. Belo, and Associated Press—that have now banded together to create NewsRight to track use of digital content and ease its licensing. By cooperating with each other, the companies have brought more than 800 content sites into the operation and created a significant player in the digital industry.
Daily newspaper companies have historically disliked cooperation unless it was absolutely necessary—as in the case of news services. The new types of cooperation emerging show that the preference to go it alone is being eroded by contemporary financial conditions and the difficulties of operating independently in the digital environment.
Nikon D4 - 5 Years in the Making
As someone who has been a long time Nikon user, I have spent the last 5 years blissful in my use of the Nikon D3, and then, when I needed video, the D3s. I too have had (and still do) a line of Canon lenses and cameras for some time - which was my answer to the failings of the D2X until the D3 came out. I know that there have been some folks who felt a demand and desire for the larger D3x files, however, for my applications, the extra size wasn't critical for me.
I encourage you to take a read of Joe McNally's blog here, for his take on the amazement of the camera - I think he and I are on the same wavelength in that we both saw the D3 as the answer to our needs. The D4, seems to be the answer to our dreams. Rob Galbraith has an exhaustive review of the specs, and comparisons to the previous D3 line, which is well worth a read, here. And a head-to-head on the D3 v. EOS 1D X (interesting - the " " (space) otherwise defines the EOS 1D X against the old old Nikon 1DX. You'd have thought Canon would have thought about that) appears here. Nikon Rumors has a comparative spec sheet here.
Corey Rich put together a really exceptional video here:
Because of Vimeo compression has some purists asking questions, all of which are answered by the fact that Vimeo has compression limitations. Rich promises a behind-the-scenes video next month, and at some point the uncompressed version will be available that will put to rest the questions being asked.
We look forward to getting our hands on a D4 once there are more than 10 of them in the world (an interesting insight gleaned from Rich's comments on his video) and it can be used outside of a conference room (as indicated by the PDN blog post here).
(Continued after the Jump)
Here are a collection of videos we like that give you more insights into the camera. And, if you want to pre-order one online, you can sign up to be notified of it's availablity on Amazon here.
Nikon D4 Product Tour here:
Wireless shooting with iPad here:
Nikon Movie - I AM PUSHING THE LIMITS here:
Nikon D4 Menu Walk-Through here:
David Hobby, Mr. Strobist himself, has decided he is Bailing on the Nikon D4. He's gone, instead, going for a used medium format camera. He's spent $10k to make the leap, and for what it seems like from what he's described, it works for him.
One point that David made in his post was " If I were still shooting daily sports, I'd probably be lining up to preorder this camera just like everyone else." Frankly, there isn't so much of a market for this now, to be honest. Ask any sports photographer and they will tell you that there's no money in sports photography, thanks to the likes of US Presswire, Cal Sport Media, Icon, and so on. Unless, of course, you're staff somewhere, or just so happen to have a sweet contract with a major sports magazine. A freelancer who shoots sports will have to be selling internal organs to be able to afford this camera - not because the camera's too expensive - it's not - but because they just don't have the money. However, if you're staff, you'll just put in for your next camera to be a D4, and hope you have a friendly editor who will let it through - or orders you a D3 now while you can still get them.
For anyone who is in Nikon, the notion of switching to Canon is really now a non-starter, if they were thinking that. If you own a D3, you will eventually own the D4 if for no other reason than you'll need to upgrade your camera in a few years, and with a 5 year cycle for new bodies, the D5 won't be out when you need the D4. The multimedia, for so many reasons, does trump the Canon, and I am interested to try out all my Nikon primes on the D4.
Lastly, consider the cost-justification. If the life-cycle of the D4 is 5 years, that's 60 months. At $100 a month ($200 a month if you have a backup camera, which you should) if you can't justify a $100 a month expenditure for the primary tool you use to create your images, then are you really a professional? It's a tool, and if you need it, then buy it. If, however, you are considering it as just the latest and greatest toy, then don't. Thankfully, if you're a member of Nikon Professional Services, they were kind enough to send out an email to facilitate working professionals getting the camera before all the non-professionals.
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* Note - We have, in the past, been a sponsored speaker by Nikon through professional organizations.
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Music is not a veneer!
A survey reported recently in the UK Daily Mail (Nov 4) suggested that 50% of shoppers leave stores because of the background music playing. This finding is a welcome antidote to a lot of often poorly-designed research suggesting that music is universally beneficial and so should be deployed absolutely everywhere. That is obviously not true, and yet the thesis sadly seems to have taken root in the minds of many retailers. I suspect that the explosion of mindless music in public places is fuelled less by retailers' desire to improve the shopping environment than by the music industry's desperate search for new revenue streams. With sales of 'product' collapsing, the music industry is left with just two revenue streams that are still growing: live shows, and royalties from public performance of recorded music. The moguls of music (and their acolytes in the royalty collection agencies) have seized onto background music with the desperate grasp of a drowning man on a piece of wreckage. It seems that their dearest wish is to veneer with music every public space in the world – shops, malls, restaurants, cafés, outdoor spaces, buses, taxis, stations, airports, gyms, community buildings. And so they sponsor one-eyed research to 'prove' that we all love music everywhere.
Veneering the world with music is wrong, for two reasons.
Imogen Heap is a great example. Her huge Twitter following have been with her blow by blow during the creation of the tracks on her new album, as she tweets her progress in real time, night by night. Now, as each track is released, this ready-made market of hundreds of thousands of fans can and do choose between buying the basic track from a few pence (prices vary for different quality options based on how much compression you want to accept) or the deluxe package, which includes a video, a 'making of' video or voice commentary, and possibly an app as well. There's a web site offering still further levels of engagement – for example an online mixer where aspiring remix gurus can save their own interpretations and enter them in a competition.
Thomas Dolby shows another, equally inventive, approach. His new album A Map Of The Floating City is symbiotically linked with an online role-playing game called the Floating City, where prizes (including music tracks) get unlocked as his army of committed fans (many of them members of his online community the Flat Earth Society) play the game, trading with and meeting each other along the way. The bulletin boards of the FES are highly active, so Dolby needs little in the way of external marketing for tours, appearances and music releases.
Björk's Biophilia project explores still more ways to add layers of richness and value to music. Each track on the album is transformed into a separate app for iPad and iPhone, with the full set of 10 heavily discounted. The apps themselves combine stunning visuals with game interaction, score visualisations and even an introduction by David Attenborough. Music becomes just one element of a rich, engaging experience that engages touch, sight and sound in an exploration of nature, music and technology.
The band/brand space is particularly significant in this new world. I predict that consumer brands are going to be the new patrons of music. Centuries ago, the aristocracy and the church sponsored music for their own reasons. In just the same way, household name brands will commission, sponsor and have rights to music in the future. We have already seen tour sponsorship and commissioning of tracks for TV commercials; this is just the beginning.
So background music is not the future of music. In fact it's quite the opposite: by relegating music to the status of wallpaper it devalues the art and undermines our sacred relationship with something that is an essential part of being human. (There is no human culture without music, and there never has been.) Let's not desensitise ourselves to the point where we lose our love for it.
2: This is pollution, not decoration
This latest survey mirrors an NOP poll sponsored in 1998 by the UK's RNID (now renamed Action on Hearing Loss), which found that roughly one third of people liked public background music, one third didn't care and one third hated it. Upsetting one third of your customers is a serious decision to take. The research that purports to show that we all love music everywhere is usually sponsored by the record companies or the licensing agencies, who have an obvious agenda, and much of it is methodologically unsound. In my experience, asking people what they think of music in a shop (or even worse, whether they like it) is useless. The people who hate music won't be in there – they will have gone somewhere else, so the sample is self-selecting and biassed to start with. Then there's the fact that most people are unconscious of most background music until asked one of these questions, at which moment they start to listen consciously and crystallise an opinion instantly, based on the track currently playing. Much more interesting than what people say is what they do. Do they leave the store sooner, or stay longer? Do they feel more or less stressed in the aural environment? Do they spend more or less money? Do they feel more or less affinity with the brand or the place? These questions can only be answered by testing different sound conditions and measuring these quantities or feelings without mentioning the sound at all. One survey I know of found three in five people turning around at the door of a shop with loud music and not entering at all. Researching those inside the shop would never have revealed this kind of damage.
I suspect that the NOP survey is a fair picture of the real situation. And it shouldn't surprise us, for four reasons.
First, there is a basic conflict of interest at work. Almost all music is made to be listened to, not ignored. Intention is important with sound, so when this music is used as aural wallpaper there is a battle between the music's intention (to be listened to) and the intention of most of the people being exposed to it (shopping, talking, thinking and so on). Music is a very dense sound: it calls our attention to it, so it hinders cognition. We all know the feeling of rising stress when we try to think or talk with loud music playing. Music is simply not fit for purpose as background sound – with the sole exception of ambient music, in its original conception by Brian Eno as music that's specifically designed not to be listened to. The visual equivalent of most current background music would be covering every inch of the walls in reproduction art. Nobody does that because it would be distracting, overwhelming and far too rich; white walls are generally preferred because we don't have to pay them any attention. Exactly the same holds true for sound: it's just that we've become so used to suppressing our awareness of noise that we don't notice the craziness of wallpapering all our environments with music.
Second, most retail music is fast-paced pop, which is simply inappropriate for many stores. If you want to speed people up and reduce dwell time, play fast music. I can absolutely understand fast music in McDonald's – but not in Swarovski, Zara or O2 stores. Anyone selling high value or complex goods or services should be in the business of slowing people down and relaxing them, not speeding them up and generating stress hormones.
Finally, and related to the last point, most retail music is anodyne. Music programmers have to avoid the aural equivalent of over-strong flavours, not to mention any hint of sex, politics, violence or vulgarity (though profanity often slips through when urban music is not carefully listened to) – so we tend to end up with wall-to-wall Abba or formula lounge music. Branded spaces should sound, as well as look, unique: you should be able to close your eyes and know where you are. If music is the same from shop to shop, it becomes meaningless to have it there at all. By contrast, strong music choices can be very effective. Abercrombie & Fitch use their loud and tightly-slected music as a filter, and it works very well: they don't want me in there and I don't want me in there either! I dart in to pay for my daughter's choices when she's ready.
Fortunately there are two great alternatives to music in public spaces. Silence can be golden, especially if acoustics are well designed so that the space feels lovely to be in. In the pantheon of precious commodities for the 21st century, peace may well be the new time. Spaces that offer peace and quiet will, I suspect, do very well. Where there is a need for aural wallpaper, then generative sound is an exciting new option. Played live by computer, always evolving, relatively free of associations and most of all designed to be ignored, this is the sonic equivalent of patterned wallpaper. It can incorporate natural sounds like birdsong or water to create ambiances of understated beauty, changing the mood and effect of a space dramatically.
Reclaiming music – and boosting business with sound
1 make it congruent with your brand or the values of the organisation (for example, define and use consistently a brand voice)
2 make it appropriate for the situation (for example public announcements must be intelligible; sound on the telephone must work with very restricted frequency response)
3 make sure it adds some real value (and remember, silence is a sound, and can add great value just by giving people a rest from noise)
4 test and test again, using continual research that measures how people feel and what they do in different soundscapes, without asking them what they think of the sound itself.
When you've got all that right, there's one more challenge. If you're going to create and play well-designed sound, don't fall at the last hurdle and skimp on the quality of your sound system. This is not a thing to be specified by quantity surveyors or IT/technical departments: you need to make sure that someone with good ears and a passion for your brand is involved.
Veneering the world with music is wrong, for two reasons.
1: It's the wrong direction for the music industry
Omnipresent piped music is not the answer to the music industry's woes. The future of music lies in a subtler and infinitely more fruitful pursuit: monetising the artist/fan relationship. Tomorrow's savvy artist will offer a range of opportunities to engage (both virtual and physical), and the fans will choose the level that's right for them, from a free download of a single track to VIP club membership with privileges at gigs and even personal meetings. This type of thinking is already being explored by artists like Björk, Imogen Heap and Thomas Dolby. In a world where peer sharing is normal behaviour, the basic music track has become a promotional tool, a sweetener to entice us into the real transaction space where we will happily pay premium prices (repeatedly) for exclusive content, added value and a sense of connection. This is not a commodity sell any more: it's much closer to a membership model.
Imogen Heap is a great example. Her huge Twitter following have been with her blow by blow during the creation of the tracks on her new album, as she tweets her progress in real time, night by night. Now, as each track is released, this ready-made market of hundreds of thousands of fans can and do choose between buying the basic track from a few pence (prices vary for different quality options based on how much compression you want to accept) or the deluxe package, which includes a video, a 'making of' video or voice commentary, and possibly an app as well. There's a web site offering still further levels of engagement – for example an online mixer where aspiring remix gurus can save their own interpretations and enter them in a competition.
Thomas Dolby shows another, equally inventive, approach. His new album A Map Of The Floating City is symbiotically linked with an online role-playing game called the Floating City, where prizes (including music tracks) get unlocked as his army of committed fans (many of them members of his online community the Flat Earth Society) play the game, trading with and meeting each other along the way. The bulletin boards of the FES are highly active, so Dolby needs little in the way of external marketing for tours, appearances and music releases.
Björk's Biophilia project explores still more ways to add layers of richness and value to music. Each track on the album is transformed into a separate app for iPad and iPhone, with the full set of 10 heavily discounted. The apps themselves combine stunning visuals with game interaction, score visualisations and even an introduction by David Attenborough. Music becomes just one element of a rich, engaging experience that engages touch, sight and sound in an exploration of nature, music and technology.
Note, in most of this there is no record company required. The traditional record company roles have been disintermediated. Here's how...
- Production – modern software makes it possible to record, produce and master great-sounding music without needing months in expensive recording studios, so no massive advance is required these days.
- Marketing – with effective use of social media, the fans will have a direct relationship with the artist so little or no advertising is needed to reach them; smart viral and guerrilla messaging can ensure that many more get to hear about releases, and if the music is worth its salt, word of mouth and peer review on sites like Amazon will do the rest. The bigger artists will employ their own specialist agencies to handle this, along with their web presences, especially Facebook.
- Packaging – artists are directly employing freelance designers, photographers and art directors to produce the look and feel they want, without input from record company management.
- Manufacturing – digital music makes producing a physical product a minority activity; where CD, USB or vinyl is still needed, there are plenty of eager manufacturers who will handle the whole process, saving the artist massive sums if they are paid directly.
- Distribution – the main transformative factor in this whole new world is that buyers come to the artist and buy digitally. There is no distribution cost for artists like Imogen Heap. If artists choose to use other channels (iTunes, Spotify, Amazon) then the cost of distribution is deducted at sale and there is still a positive cash flow.
Record companies should give up trying to hold onto these traditional functions, apart from at the most commercial, plastic end of the market, where malleable, naive X Factor acts can still be assembled, packaged, managed and sold at a large profit. The smart operators will reinvent themselves as world class experts in financial management, sponsorship negotiation, tour and event management, branding, merchandising and online transaction management. Tomorrow's music company will be more like a branding agency than a traditional record company. Instead of owning the art (and the artist), it will facilitate, support and optimise, employing smart people to represent the artist and build and exploit his/her/their brand.
The band/brand space is particularly significant in this new world. I predict that consumer brands are going to be the new patrons of music. Centuries ago, the aristocracy and the church sponsored music for their own reasons. In just the same way, household name brands will commission, sponsor and have rights to music in the future. We have already seen tour sponsorship and commissioning of tracks for TV commercials; this is just the beginning.
So background music is not the future of music. In fact it's quite the opposite: by relegating music to the status of wallpaper it devalues the art and undermines our sacred relationship with something that is an essential part of being human. (There is no human culture without music, and there never has been.) Let's not desensitise ourselves to the point where we lose our love for it.
2: This is pollution, not decoration
Not only is mindless background music bad for music, it's bad for business too.
This latest survey mirrors an NOP poll sponsored in 1998 by the UK's RNID (now renamed Action on Hearing Loss), which found that roughly one third of people liked public background music, one third didn't care and one third hated it. Upsetting one third of your customers is a serious decision to take. The research that purports to show that we all love music everywhere is usually sponsored by the record companies or the licensing agencies, who have an obvious agenda, and much of it is methodologically unsound. In my experience, asking people what they think of music in a shop (or even worse, whether they like it) is useless. The people who hate music won't be in there – they will have gone somewhere else, so the sample is self-selecting and biassed to start with. Then there's the fact that most people are unconscious of most background music until asked one of these questions, at which moment they start to listen consciously and crystallise an opinion instantly, based on the track currently playing. Much more interesting than what people say is what they do. Do they leave the store sooner, or stay longer? Do they feel more or less stressed in the aural environment? Do they spend more or less money? Do they feel more or less affinity with the brand or the place? These questions can only be answered by testing different sound conditions and measuring these quantities or feelings without mentioning the sound at all. One survey I know of found three in five people turning around at the door of a shop with loud music and not entering at all. Researching those inside the shop would never have revealed this kind of damage.
I suspect that the NOP survey is a fair picture of the real situation. And it shouldn't surprise us, for four reasons.
First, there is a basic conflict of interest at work. Almost all music is made to be listened to, not ignored. Intention is important with sound, so when this music is used as aural wallpaper there is a battle between the music's intention (to be listened to) and the intention of most of the people being exposed to it (shopping, talking, thinking and so on). Music is a very dense sound: it calls our attention to it, so it hinders cognition. We all know the feeling of rising stress when we try to think or talk with loud music playing. Music is simply not fit for purpose as background sound – with the sole exception of ambient music, in its original conception by Brian Eno as music that's specifically designed not to be listened to. The visual equivalent of most current background music would be covering every inch of the walls in reproduction art. Nobody does that because it would be distracting, overwhelming and far too rich; white walls are generally preferred because we don't have to pay them any attention. Exactly the same holds true for sound: it's just that we've become so used to suppressing our awareness of noise that we don't notice the craziness of wallpapering all our environments with music.
Second, most retail music is fast-paced pop, which is simply inappropriate for many stores. If you want to speed people up and reduce dwell time, play fast music. I can absolutely understand fast music in McDonald's – but not in Swarovski, Zara or O2 stores. Anyone selling high value or complex goods or services should be in the business of slowing people down and relaxing them, not speeding them up and generating stress hormones.
Third, music produces strong emotional responses through powerful associations. Two very similar people can have diametrically opposed reactions to a track simply because of its associations for them personally, and this is impossible to predict. Playing popular music is therefore liable to create potent and unpredictable responses, which is not very wise.
Finally, and related to the last point, most retail music is anodyne. Music programmers have to avoid the aural equivalent of over-strong flavours, not to mention any hint of sex, politics, violence or vulgarity (though profanity often slips through when urban music is not carefully listened to) – so we tend to end up with wall-to-wall Abba or formula lounge music. Branded spaces should sound, as well as look, unique: you should be able to close your eyes and know where you are. If music is the same from shop to shop, it becomes meaningless to have it there at all. By contrast, strong music choices can be very effective. Abercrombie & Fitch use their loud and tightly-slected music as a filter, and it works very well: they don't want me in there and I don't want me in there either! I dart in to pay for my daughter's choices when she's ready.
While carefully chosen music for niche audiences can be very productive, mindless music for all is pollution, not decoration. We all need to demand more from our retailers, transport operators and leisure facilities. If the sound is upsetting you, complain!
Fortunately there are two great alternatives to music in public spaces. Silence can be golden, especially if acoustics are well designed so that the space feels lovely to be in. In the pantheon of precious commodities for the 21st century, peace may well be the new time. Spaces that offer peace and quiet will, I suspect, do very well. Where there is a need for aural wallpaper, then generative sound is an exciting new option. Played live by computer, always evolving, relatively free of associations and most of all designed to be ignored, this is the sonic equivalent of patterned wallpaper. It can incorporate natural sounds like birdsong or water to create ambiances of understated beauty, changing the mood and effect of a space dramatically.
Reclaiming music – and boosting business with sound
So let's not veneer the world with music. Let's honour it and listen to it, as it wants us to... and instead of abusing music let's design sound in our public spaces just as carefully as we design shape, colour and lighting. Here are my four golden rules for creating commercial or public sound:
1 make it congruent with your brand or the values of the organisation (for example, define and use consistently a brand voice)
2 make it appropriate for the situation (for example public announcements must be intelligible; sound on the telephone must work with very restricted frequency response)
3 make sure it adds some real value (and remember, silence is a sound, and can add great value just by giving people a rest from noise)
4 test and test again, using continual research that measures how people feel and what they do in different soundscapes, without asking them what they think of the sound itself.
When you've got all that right, there's one more challenge. If you're going to create and play well-designed sound, don't fall at the last hurdle and skimp on the quality of your sound system. This is not a thing to be specified by quantity surveyors or IT/technical departments: you need to make sure that someone with good ears and a passion for your brand is involved.
Last and most important of all, train your staff to listen. This will pay dividends in every aspect of your business, from sales to customer care and team leadership. Even if you only get them to spend six minutes watching my TED talk on listening that would be a great start. Better still, make training in conscious listening skills a part of your induction, and of your ongoing training programme. The returns will be phenomenal, and we'll take one more step towards a listening world.
LicenseStream - Evaporating Into Thin Air?
For several days recently, the LicenseStream website has been down. ImageSpan (Which changed it's name to LicenseStream in January of 2011), was the company behind LicenseStream, and billed the site as "the market-leading licensing and royalty payment automation platform for all media types and businesses." Yet, we have never really seen a functioning business model that we thought would work.
More than one LicenseStream employee was on-site at PhotoPlus Expo back in October in New York City looking for a new place of employment, stating that the company only had enough money to last through the end of December, as they spoke to prospective employers. Oddly, as Digital Railroad ( the formal online portal for image archiving, marketing, and sales, as well as a client delivery platform) went down in flames several years ago, they shopped their company around and then, with no buyers, shuttered operations with little warning to clients. LicenseStream has, according to sources, not been doing so - at least not amongst prospective buyers that would make sense to take over operations that we checked with. Whispers of friendly staff telling image owners they had relationships with to backup their images & data have not been substantiated, however, with enough chatter on the subject, and the risks if the data isn't redundant, we strongly encourage you to have all your LicenseStream content archived, either way.
LicenseStream secured Series A funding back in February 2007 (here) and another $11,000,000 in June of 2008 as a part of a second round of funding (here). In April of 2010, a new CEO was brought in, and another round of financing, billed as "growth financing", with an unreported amount of additional funds (here).
In preparing for this posting, we checked one last time and found that the website, at least as of this publishing, was back up. Perhaps it was just a multi-day site crash over the holidays, or perhaps it was a harbinger of things to come.
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
More than one LicenseStream employee was on-site at PhotoPlus Expo back in October in New York City looking for a new place of employment, stating that the company only had enough money to last through the end of December, as they spoke to prospective employers. Oddly, as Digital Railroad ( the formal online portal for image archiving, marketing, and sales, as well as a client delivery platform) went down in flames several years ago, they shopped their company around and then, with no buyers, shuttered operations with little warning to clients. LicenseStream has, according to sources, not been doing so - at least not amongst prospective buyers that would make sense to take over operations that we checked with. Whispers of friendly staff telling image owners they had relationships with to backup their images & data have not been substantiated, however, with enough chatter on the subject, and the risks if the data isn't redundant, we strongly encourage you to have all your LicenseStream content archived, either way.
LicenseStream secured Series A funding back in February 2007 (here) and another $11,000,000 in June of 2008 as a part of a second round of funding (here). In April of 2010, a new CEO was brought in, and another round of financing, billed as "growth financing", with an unreported amount of additional funds (here).
In preparing for this posting, we checked one last time and found that the website, at least as of this publishing, was back up. Perhaps it was just a multi-day site crash over the holidays, or perhaps it was a harbinger of things to come.
(Comments, if any, after the Jump)
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Workflow Hardware Upgrade: Wiebetech Solution
As technology changes, so do our needs as a photographer. This December, we've upgraded our boxes we use to store our images.
Here's our system:
When considering other solutions, we particularly do not like the Drobo boxes for several reasons, and want to caution you strongly before considering them. Problems abound, as reported all over the internet, however, I am sure that some people will sing their praises. Below are several problems - each in-and-of themselves would be a reason not to use the boxes. Together, they make a compelling argument to avoid Drobo. If you're not going to choose the system we're reviewing and reporting on today, then consider other solutions.
Here are some of the Drobo issues:
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Here's our system:
When considering other solutions, we particularly do not like the Drobo boxes for several reasons, and want to caution you strongly before considering them. Problems abound, as reported all over the internet, however, I am sure that some people will sing their praises. Below are several problems - each in-and-of themselves would be a reason not to use the boxes. Together, they make a compelling argument to avoid Drobo. If you're not going to choose the system we're reviewing and reporting on today, then consider other solutions.
Here are some of the Drobo issues:
- Proprietary file format. Thus, if you need to pull a drive from their box, you cannot plug it into a Mac or PC and browse/access the files. Further, unless you re-insert the drives with the exact same configuration as when the files were written, you have no access to the files.
- The drives/boxes tend to be far too slow for drive-access intensive needs like opening, saving, and other file-releated needs.
- A mirrored drive array is not a backup, just reliability protection. You'd need to run two Drobos to do have two backups, as whatever you do (or is erroneously affected on one drive) is immediately replicated on the second. So, you're protected from "drive failure", but not an accidental deletion, or file corruption which then corrupts the file on the mirrored drive. A backup would not only protect you from drive failure, but also those accidental deletions, accidental "save" when you meant "save as" file changes, and other unwanted file changes. Further, the Drobo isn't a true "mirror", it's an odd-flavor RAID 5.
- An electrical fault that fries one drive likely will fry the other. You do truly need a dual drive system, with redundancy offline (and preferably off-site) in order to be properly protected. When we have both drives mounted (as explained in the video) it is for manual mirroring, then the backup copy of the primary drive goes offline (and, in a perfect world, off-site.) We try very hard to keep drives seperate to protect them, and thus, our images.
- The Drobo does not check the integrity of the data. This is a problem from a data-integrity standpoint.
(Comments, if any, after the Jump)
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Convoluted Views about Media Ownership Inhibit Effective Policy
I was recently reviewing the effectiveness of media ownership policies and regulations and was struck by the limited success they have achieved during the past 50 years in Western nations.
There seem to be two central problems with ownership regulation efforts: ownership really is not the issue that we are trying to address through policy and we have convoluted views of ownership.
Media ownership is not really what concerns us, but is a proxy of other concerns. What we are really worried about is interference with democratic processes, manipulation of the flow of news and information, powerful interests controlling public conversation, exclusion of voices from public debate, and the use of market power to mistreat consumers. It is thus the behavior of some of those who own media rather than the ownership form or extent of ownership that really concerns us.This is compounded because media practitioners, scholars, and social critics have highly convoluted views about ownership and most have complaints about all forms of ownership. It is thus nearly impossible to identify a preferential a form or extent of ownership.
We don’t like private ownership of media because proprietors can use them pursue their private interests; we don’t like corporate ownership because companies can put profit goals ahead of social goals; and we don’t like having just public service media because they doesn’t provide enough choice and are often limited in their ability to pursue political agendas--a function important in democracy.We don’t like big companies because they can be arrogant and unapproachable and because they can control content as well as markets; we don’t like small companies because they can’t provide the range and quality of content we desire and because they sometimes can’t withstand pressures from powerful interests.
We don’t like foreign owners because they don’t share our identity, don’t represent who we are very well, and can bring foreign influences that affect national sovereignty; we don’t like domestic owners because they can be too close to those with domestic social and political power.The list of ownership we do not like—and the fact that most regulation is promoted because of particular proprietors we disliked—makes it difficult to fashion effective policies. We are stymied because no ownership form itself is good or bad and they all have advantages and disadvantages. And there are examples of good and bad owners under all the forms of ownership.
Using ownership regulation to control the behavior of bad owners can only somewhat limit the scope and scale of their activities, not address their poor behavior. It is like permitting higher levels of crime in one area of town as long as it does expand into other areas.If we are to effectively address our real concerns, we need to develop better mechanisms for influencing behaviour and we need to stop ineffectively regulating ownership just because it makes us feel like we are doing something.
Colbert's MeReporters Underscores Absurdity of Working for Free
Steven Colbert brings his satirical comedy to bear on the notion of "free reporters" who get paid nothing, like CNN's iReport, in the wake of the layoffs of 50 CNN photojournalists and other staff.
Colbert notes CNN also launched an "Assignment Desk" where you an actually go out and report on things that CNN wants, and then goes further, saying "iReporters do not get paid, they get something even better, badges, which, I assume, are redeemable for food and rent."
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Colbert notes CNN also launched an "Assignment Desk" where you an actually go out and report on things that CNN wants, and then goes further, saying "iReporters do not get paid, they get something even better, badges, which, I assume, are redeemable for food and rent."
(Comments, if any, after the Jump)
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
So you want to work in a start-up?
Over the past few years, I've debated one career topic more than any other: entrepreneurship versus traditional most-MBA jobs. Perhaps it's because of the types of people I surround myself with, but this question is on the forefront of many of my friends, including military veterans.
After having the exact same decision making process debated over and over again, and reaching the same conclusions over and over again, I decided to come up with a simplified decision matrix that I believe all entrepreneurs navigate in one form or another.
So for all those thinking that start-ups may be for you... get some dice out and play the following decision making game. If you make it to an end, congratulations! If you get stuck going in circles, you are one of the many who want their cake and to eat it too... you will have to compromise somewhere.
After having the exact same decision making process debated over and over again, and reaching the same conclusions over and over again, I decided to come up with a simplified decision matrix that I believe all entrepreneurs navigate in one form or another.
So for all those thinking that start-ups may be for you... get some dice out and play the following decision making game. If you make it to an end, congratulations! If you get stuck going in circles, you are one of the many who want their cake and to eat it too... you will have to compromise somewhere.
Click me...
Import Export Business News And Resources
Import Export Business Updates to help you grow your international trade business.
The resources cited below are definitely some you may wish to bookmark or mark as
favorites in your browser!
Trade Deficit Decreases in September
The USA's international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $43.1
billion in September from $44.9 billion (revised) in August, as exports increased
more than imports.
Exports increased to a record $180.4 billion in September from
$177.9 billion in August (revised) and imports increased to $223.5 billion in
September from $222.8 billion.
The overall record in exports was led by record exports of industrial supplies and
materials ($44.4 billion) and consumer goods ($15.4 billion) - for more details and
graphs on the trade deficit, visit here -
http://blogs.census.gov/globalreach/2011/11/trade-deficit-decreases-in-september.html
************************************************************
Agricultural Commodities Price Watch
To know the U.S. market prices of agricultural commodities, consult the Commodity
pages of the United States Department of Agriculture - here is a link to their site -
http://marketnews.usda.gov/portal/fv
Also at the International Markets page you can find prices elsewhere in the world.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateO&page=InternationalReports
************************************************************
Do you need to know the latest trade news from Singapore? Mumbai? France? Beijing?
Then the Directory of Online Magazines and Newspapers website is a resource you
need to check out today.
World-Newspapers dotcom has links to thousands of English-language online newspapers
and magazines, indexed by either topic or country....go have a look and browse their
resources.
http://www.world-newspapers.com
************************************************************
Trade Show Notices and News
Learn how you can maximize your trade show success. Find tips, manage your
schedule, receive direct notices and news through their RSS feed at:
http://www.trade-show-advisor.com
************************************************************
Regional Public/Private Partnership for Export Promotion
The District Export Councils contribute leadership and international trade expertise
to complement the U.S. Commercial Service’s export promotion efforts through
counseling businesses on the exporting process and conducting trade education and
community outreach. Worth checking out and marking as a favorite for revisits -
http://www.districtexportcouncil.com
************************************************************
Doing Business In Mexico
Do not ignore the Mexican marketplace because of the main stream media's constant
bad mouthing about the bad news out of Mexico. There are many places just as bad,
if not worse in the USA that I would tell you to steer clear of for both business
and personal travel.
Here is a link to a website that will help you better understand how BIG the Mexico
marketplace is both for finding low cost products as well as selling your products
and services into -
http://www.promexico.gob.mx/en_us/promexico/Empresario_Extranjero
and although this website has a great online trade directory, if you are going to be
doing any kind of direct marketing to businesses or business people in Mexico, then
having a targeting business list or database is your best resource. To help you
compile the most up to date list of Mexican business owners, Presidents, CEO's and
TOP executives, check out the Mexico Business Directory
Remember, there are over 5 1/2 years of posts in this blog and you are encouraged to
use the archive date links located on the lower right side of the navigation bar
where they are listed by Month/Year to access them or you may wish to use the search
box located in the upper left side of the blog to search for specific words or
phrases.
Until next time.
Ron Coble
The resources cited below are definitely some you may wish to bookmark or mark as
favorites in your browser!
Trade Deficit Decreases in September
The USA's international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $43.1
billion in September from $44.9 billion (revised) in August, as exports increased
more than imports.
Exports increased to a record $180.4 billion in September from
$177.9 billion in August (revised) and imports increased to $223.5 billion in
September from $222.8 billion.
The overall record in exports was led by record exports of industrial supplies and
materials ($44.4 billion) and consumer goods ($15.4 billion) - for more details and
graphs on the trade deficit, visit here -
http://blogs.census.gov/globalreach/2011/11/trade-deficit-decreases-in-september.html
************************************************************
Agricultural Commodities Price Watch
To know the U.S. market prices of agricultural commodities, consult the Commodity
pages of the United States Department of Agriculture - here is a link to their site -
http://marketnews.usda.gov/portal/fv
Also at the International Markets page you can find prices elsewhere in the world.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateO&page=InternationalReports
************************************************************
Do you need to know the latest trade news from Singapore? Mumbai? France? Beijing?
Then the Directory of Online Magazines and Newspapers website is a resource you
need to check out today.
World-Newspapers dotcom has links to thousands of English-language online newspapers
and magazines, indexed by either topic or country....go have a look and browse their
resources.
http://www.world-newspapers.com
************************************************************
Trade Show Notices and News
Learn how you can maximize your trade show success. Find tips, manage your
schedule, receive direct notices and news through their RSS feed at:
http://www.trade-show-advisor.com
************************************************************
Regional Public/Private Partnership for Export Promotion
The District Export Councils contribute leadership and international trade expertise
to complement the U.S. Commercial Service’s export promotion efforts through
counseling businesses on the exporting process and conducting trade education and
community outreach. Worth checking out and marking as a favorite for revisits -
http://www.districtexportcouncil.com
************************************************************
Doing Business In Mexico
Do not ignore the Mexican marketplace because of the main stream media's constant
bad mouthing about the bad news out of Mexico. There are many places just as bad,
if not worse in the USA that I would tell you to steer clear of for both business
and personal travel.
Here is a link to a website that will help you better understand how BIG the Mexico
marketplace is both for finding low cost products as well as selling your products
and services into -
http://www.promexico.gob.mx/en_us/promexico/Empresario_Extranjero
and although this website has a great online trade directory, if you are going to be
doing any kind of direct marketing to businesses or business people in Mexico, then
having a targeting business list or database is your best resource. To help you
compile the most up to date list of Mexican business owners, Presidents, CEO's and
TOP executives, check out the Mexico Business Directory
Remember, there are over 5 1/2 years of posts in this blog and you are encouraged to
use the archive date links located on the lower right side of the navigation bar
where they are listed by Month/Year to access them or you may wish to use the search
box located in the upper left side of the blog to search for specific words or
phrases.
Until next time.
Ron Coble
Groom Sues Photographer, Demands Re-Shoot
It should be pretty clear by now that you can be sued for anything. Enter grudge-holding groom Todd Remis, who has decided to sue his wedding photographer 8 years after the wedding, and 3 years after the couple divorced, her whereabouts unknown. The New York Times reports on the whole fiasco here, where the ex-groom wants over $50k, which includes his money back plus the cost to fly his 40 or so guests back to recreate the wedding.
This would be where, if you were a wedding photographer, you should be calling your insurance company, and telling them "deal with this distraction, I have a business to run", and thaIt should be pretty clear by now that you can be sued for anything. Enter grudge-holding groom Todd Remis, who has decided to sue his wedding photographer 8 years after the wedding, and 3 years after the couple divorced, her whereabouts unknown. The New York Times reports on the whole fiasco here, where the ex-groom wants over $50k, which includes his money back plus the cost to fly his 40 or so guests back to recreate the wedding.
This would be where, if you were a wedding photographer, you should be calling your insurance company, and telling them "deal with this distraction, I have a business to run", and that's what they would do. What policy type would cover this? According to Renee Green (email), of the Hays Group, who handles insurance for many NPPA members, this would likely have been covered by either a general liability clause, or an errors & ommissions clause, depending upon the exact nature of the claim, and, of course, provided that the claim was made while the insurance was in effect. If, however, you had a claim made against you for work done years ago, and only got insurance this year, you wouldn't be covered. All the more reason to have insurance always, and ongoing.
Further, the Professional Photographers of America has sample wedding contracts (login required, here) that include a limitation of liability clause:
It's business people, and when the paperwork gets in the way of the creative stuff, you'd better make sure your paperwork is in order, and you're protected. Otherwise, you'll spend all sorts of time dealing with the unpleasantries, and it could even cost your your house.
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.at's what they would do. Further, the Professional Photographers of America has sample wedding contracts (login required, here) that include a limitation of liability clause:
It's business people, and when the paperwork gets in the way of the creative stuff, you'd better make sure your paperwork is in order, and you're protected. Otherwise, you'll spend all sorts of time dealing with the unpleasantries, and it could even cost your your house.
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
This would be where, if you were a wedding photographer, you should be calling your insurance company, and telling them "deal with this distraction, I have a business to run", and thaIt should be pretty clear by now that you can be sued for anything. Enter grudge-holding groom Todd Remis, who has decided to sue his wedding photographer 8 years after the wedding, and 3 years after the couple divorced, her whereabouts unknown. The New York Times reports on the whole fiasco here, where the ex-groom wants over $50k, which includes his money back plus the cost to fly his 40 or so guests back to recreate the wedding.
This would be where, if you were a wedding photographer, you should be calling your insurance company, and telling them "deal with this distraction, I have a business to run", and that's what they would do. What policy type would cover this? According to Renee Green (email), of the Hays Group, who handles insurance for many NPPA members, this would likely have been covered by either a general liability clause, or an errors & ommissions clause, depending upon the exact nature of the claim, and, of course, provided that the claim was made while the insurance was in effect. If, however, you had a claim made against you for work done years ago, and only got insurance this year, you wouldn't be covered. All the more reason to have insurance always, and ongoing.
Further, the Professional Photographers of America has sample wedding contracts (login required, here) that include a limitation of liability clause:
If the Studio/Photographer cannot perform this Contract due to fire or other casualty, strike, act of God, or other cause beyond the control of the parties, or due to Photographer’s illness or emergency, then the Photographer shall return the deposit to the Client but shall have no further liability with respect to the Contract. This limitation on liability shall also apply in the event that photographic materials are damaged in processing, lost through camera or other media malfunction, lost in the mail, or otherwise lost or damaged without fault on the part of the Photographer. In the event the Studio/Photographer fails to perform for any other reason, the Studio/Photographer shall not be liable for any amount in excess of all monies paid.I'm sure that some variation of that clause existed in the defendant's contract.
It's business people, and when the paperwork gets in the way of the creative stuff, you'd better make sure your paperwork is in order, and you're protected. Otherwise, you'll spend all sorts of time dealing with the unpleasantries, and it could even cost your your house.
(Comments, if any, after the Jump)
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.at's what they would do. Further, the Professional Photographers of America has sample wedding contracts (login required, here) that include a limitation of liability clause:
If the Studio/Photographer cannot perform this Contract due to fire or other casualty, strike, act of God, or other cause beyond the control of the parties, or due to Photographer’s illness or emergency, then the Photographer shall return the deposit to the Client but shall have no further liability with respect to the Contract. This limitation on liability shall also apply in the event that photographic materials are damaged in processing, lost through camera or other media malfunction, lost in the mail, or otherwise lost or damaged without fault on the part of the Photographer. In the event the Studio/Photographer fails to perform for any other reason, the Studio/Photographer shall not be liable for any amount in excess of all monies paid.I'm sure that some variation of that clause existed in the defendant's contract.
It's business people, and when the paperwork gets in the way of the creative stuff, you'd better make sure your paperwork is in order, and you're protected. Otherwise, you'll spend all sorts of time dealing with the unpleasantries, and it could even cost your your house.
(Comments, if any, after the Jump)
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Import Export International Trade Business News Updates
Import Export International Trade Business News Updates
Quick reminder - there are nearly 6 years of posts within this blog - many containing very helpful information - just scroll down and you will find the links to the archives listed on the right by their Month and Year originally posted.
This post consists solely of news and updates regarding various resources for your International Trade and Import Export Business.
First resource update - The FREE electronic trade magazines offered on our site has a NEW addition - One that used to be quite expensive if you purchased a paper copy - it is a Quarterly trade directory in electronic format of KOREA PRODUCTS.
Remember these are FULL COLOR PDF electronic trade magazines and you get DIRECT contact details of the manufacturers and suppliers.
You can sign up for just the Korean Products emagazine or any of the other product specific trade directories you will find on the following website - the Korea Products magazine is quarterly but the others are monthly and they will be automatically sent to you once you sign up AT NO COST - Please Note: The Emagazines are a FREE service and any specific one may be withdrawn at any time so if you are interested I would suggest you sign up now.
Korean Products
************************************************************
As you read the other posts within this blog you will learn how much emphasis is placed on using the Internet to help you promote your products internationally.
You are doing yourself and your business a GREAT disservice if you do not utilize the greatest marketing equalizer in human history. So when I recommend something, I do not take it lightly.
The following Ebook was just updated on 11/3/2011 and is one you should download and save to your PC today.
Written by the owner of a business who has built a multi-million dollar empire and a business that is one of the FEW that eBay has certified as a solutions provider - it is FREE so put your wallet away but just because it is FREE does not mean it should be taken lightly.
Titled - Starting Your Internet Business Right - this valuable 78 page ebook will show you how to start your own Internet Business the right way, without falling into the traps that are out there waiting for you EVERYWHERE.
The Internet has become a Fantasyland of get-rich-quick schemes, scam artists and is laced with other pitfalls that are just waiting to take your money and leave you with nothing to show for it.
I am not going to repeat everything that is stated on the download page, go read the download page then download the ebook and save it to your PC - this is a GREAT resource and YES it is helpful to international traders -
FREE 78 Page Ebook - Start Your Internet Business Right
************************************************************
Last, but certainly not least, GlobalSources has extended the dates on their Hong Kong Sourcing Fairs - the new expire dates are listed below:
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 1 - End Feb 10, 2012
· Electronics & Components
· Security Products
· Solar & Energy Saving Products
· Korea Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 2 - End Feb 15, 2012
· Baby & Children's Products
· Home Products
· Gifts & Premiums
· Medical & Health Products
· Christmas & Seasonal Products
· India Sourcing Fair: Home Products
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 3 - End Feb 23, 2012
· Fashion Accessories
· Underwear & Swimwear
· Garments & Textiles
· India Sourcing Fair: Garments & Accessories
That is it for this post. Hope you find value and if you are aware of other resources that may be of value our visitors, please feel free to use the contact link located on the right side of this blog.
Wishing you the best of health and success!
Ron Coble
Quick reminder - there are nearly 6 years of posts within this blog - many containing very helpful information - just scroll down and you will find the links to the archives listed on the right by their Month and Year originally posted.
This post consists solely of news and updates regarding various resources for your International Trade and Import Export Business.
First resource update - The FREE electronic trade magazines offered on our site has a NEW addition - One that used to be quite expensive if you purchased a paper copy - it is a Quarterly trade directory in electronic format of KOREA PRODUCTS.
Remember these are FULL COLOR PDF electronic trade magazines and you get DIRECT contact details of the manufacturers and suppliers.
You can sign up for just the Korean Products emagazine or any of the other product specific trade directories you will find on the following website - the Korea Products magazine is quarterly but the others are monthly and they will be automatically sent to you once you sign up AT NO COST - Please Note: The Emagazines are a FREE service and any specific one may be withdrawn at any time so if you are interested I would suggest you sign up now.
Korean Products
************************************************************
As you read the other posts within this blog you will learn how much emphasis is placed on using the Internet to help you promote your products internationally.
You are doing yourself and your business a GREAT disservice if you do not utilize the greatest marketing equalizer in human history. So when I recommend something, I do not take it lightly.
The following Ebook was just updated on 11/3/2011 and is one you should download and save to your PC today.
Written by the owner of a business who has built a multi-million dollar empire and a business that is one of the FEW that eBay has certified as a solutions provider - it is FREE so put your wallet away but just because it is FREE does not mean it should be taken lightly.
Titled - Starting Your Internet Business Right - this valuable 78 page ebook will show you how to start your own Internet Business the right way, without falling into the traps that are out there waiting for you EVERYWHERE.
The Internet has become a Fantasyland of get-rich-quick schemes, scam artists and is laced with other pitfalls that are just waiting to take your money and leave you with nothing to show for it.
I am not going to repeat everything that is stated on the download page, go read the download page then download the ebook and save it to your PC - this is a GREAT resource and YES it is helpful to international traders -
FREE 78 Page Ebook - Start Your Internet Business Right
************************************************************
Last, but certainly not least, GlobalSources has extended the dates on their Hong Kong Sourcing Fairs - the new expire dates are listed below:
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 1 - End Feb 10, 2012
· Security Products
· Solar & Energy Saving Products
· Korea Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 2 - End Feb 15, 2012
· Home Products
· Gifts & Premiums
· Medical & Health Products
· Christmas & Seasonal Products
· India Sourcing Fair: Home Products
China Sourcing Fair: Hong Kong phase 3 - End Feb 23, 2012
· Underwear & Swimwear
· Garments & Textiles
· India Sourcing Fair: Garments & Accessories
That is it for this post. Hope you find value and if you are aware of other resources that may be of value our visitors, please feel free to use the contact link located on the right side of this blog.
Wishing you the best of health and success!
Ron Coble
Top 8 Military MBA Applicant Mistakes
Here are the top 8 most common mistakes I have seen military applicants make this season. The good news is that just about all of these can be addressed...
8. Not coaching theirrecommenders sufficiently
It’s the applicant’s responsibility to coach and educate hisrecommender, but often this is a senior officer, and doing so is contrary tothe military chain of command and protocol. This awkwardness often leads tomiscommunication and a “hope for the best” approach that won’t cut it.
Recommenders should ideally show new perspectives on theapplicant, reinforce key applicant value propositions, and shore up perceivedweaknesses. Often none of these happen in a military letter of recommendation.Some senior military leaders have written many letters, and are familiar withthe process. Others however may not have a clue for what makes a good LOR, andmay revert to language found on an applicant’s military performance report, whichis often vague and full of not very useful hyperbole.
Applicants should coach their recommenders by making surethey understand what it is business schools look for, and educate them on theirown applications and aspirations so that the recommender can do his part.
Lastly, applicants should follow up regularly with therecommender to make sure the LOR is turned in on time, as late recommendationsare unfortunately more common than they should be. If a recommender is waitinguntil the last minute to write your letter, that is also a bad sign he is notinvesting the time and thought necessary to write a compelling recommendation.
7. Thinking that theyshouldn’t try to communicate specific career goals because they don’t knowbusiness well enough
“I don’t know anything about business, so I can’t write aspecific career goals essay.” This is an initial approach taken by manymilitary applicants. Showing that you have sufficient introspection to knowwhat kind of career you want topursue, and the ability to follow through with research as to what thatactually means, is part of the point of a career goals essay. Not havingbusiness experience is not an excuse.
6. Not having enoughnon-military people review their application
A military applicant can write an essay that he is in lovewith, and all his military peers may also love it, but it might be confusing,offensive, or just completely incomprehensible to a civilian reader who has nevermet anybody from the military. If you have ever returned to your hometown afterlosing a member of your unit on a deployment, and heard for example,“Afghanistan? Oh, do we still have troops there?” – Then you already know whatI am talking about. There is a large part of America that is largely insulatedfrom the military. While we should give the admissions committee the benefit ofthe doubt, it is still to your benefit to get people who you would neverotherwise engage with to provide feedback on your essays. I mean people wholive far away from military bases, who don’t know anything about the military,and are a different gender and generation from you. Getting their perspectivemay point to serious holes in your assumptions about what some people actually know.
5. Writing a resumewithout a civilian perspective
This one is pretty straightforward. Translating yourmilitary accomplishments into civilian friendly language, getting rid of alljargon, and emphasizing what is important to a civilian reader necessitateshelp from a civilian who knows how to write proper resumes. Make sure you havea trusted advisor for this step.
4. Underestimatingthe GMAT
Never count on a GMAT score until you have taken theofficial test. I’ve seen applicants who sometimes consistently score 700 onpractice CAT exams end up walking out of the testing center with something inthe high 500s. That may be an extreme case, but it’s not uncommon for applicantto score 50-100 points less than they hoped for on the day of the actual exam.The reasons for this are outside the scope of this article, but the point isthat don’t count on a score until you have an official one in hand. This meansthat you shouldn’t go forward with your application with a plan to just takethe GMAT late in the ballgame and assume a top score. Taking such a strategyhas caused many to delay for a later round, or force an application with a poorscore.
The best thing to do is to take the GMAT well in advance….Well before even starting applications. Having a score in hand will free you upto completely focus on the application itself, and give you a better idea onwhich schools you should apply to as well. If it’s too late to take it well inadvance (at least 6 months prior to the application), then at least leave timeto retake the exam a second time after 4-6 weeks if needed. One’s first shot atthe GMAT really ought to therefore be an absolute minimum of 10 weeks prior tothe application deadline. I also advice applicants not to work on their GMATprep and essays at the same time if possible. Either is difficult enough on itsown and takes a full commitment.
3. Underpreparing forthe interview
Most military applicants have never had a b-school styleinterview in their lives. Knowing how to properly handle insightful questions,awareness of how to read and communicate body language, engaging theinterviewer in conversation (not just monologue), feeling confident speakingabout your history, your future plans, your familiarity with the school, andcurrent market events, all take some serious time and effort.
Between the GMAT and essays, some applicants may spendhundreds of hours towards their application. With the interview weighing in asmuch as a third of your overall application, spending an hour or two inpreparation shows a complete asymmetry in one’s planning. It would be likespending 200 hours preparing for ingress and egress on a mission, and spending2 hours for actions on objdctive. Make sure you get the support you need toprepare if you are unfamiliar with these styles of interviews.
2. Assuming theirmilitary experience is unique
Military applicants sometimes think that theirinternational, Pentagon, or MOS experience, by themselves, makes them unique enoughto stand out from the crowd. Similarly, some applicants with weak GPAs from aservice academy think/hope they will be cut a break from schools because lifeat a service academy is more demanding than non-service academies. All of theabove are poor assumptions to make.
Of all the military applicants at a school like HBS, it isunlikely any MOS or deployment experience is the first they have seen. It islikely there is at least one, if not a half dozen or more other applicants witha similar enough profile. Furthermore, there are plenty of applicants with topGPAs from military academies, so the thought that attendance at a serviceacademy, by itself, will mitigate a low GPA, is also a poor assumption. Inother words, one should not over-assume strengths or underplay weaknesses incomparison to his competition.
None of the above implies that one’s military orundergraduate experience cannot be leveraged to deliver a great application.Certainly some experiences can be very compelling; they just can’t be assumedto be enough. It will still take a lot of effort to find your voice.
1. Self-selecting outof top schools
“I don’t have the stats for my dream school, so I’m notgoing to apply.” – More often than not, this is wrongly assumed. GPA and GMATare not the only criteria… and why would you ever self-select yourself outanyway? At worst case, you lose the application fee and spent some timeadjusting/improving your portfolio of application essays. Why not let theschool make the final decision? The only way to guarantee you won’t get in is notto try.
PhotoPlus Re-cap: Seminars & Tech
PhotoPlus Expo was enlightening this year, for a number of reasons. Among them, a big hit at the show when it comes to continuous-light sources, but more on that in a minute. American Photographic Artists (Yes, that's the new name for what used to be referred to as Advertising Photographers of America, or APA) brought myself and Michael Grecco in for a rousing discussion about the value in licensing, and how to generate revenue over the life of your image's viable (and valuable) time. PDNPulse did a very nice write-up on it here -
PhotoPlus Panel: Why Licensing Matters (10/31/11) so I won't recap their piece except to encourage you to read the review and learn a few of the tidbits that you missed if you weren't in attendance.) PhotoPlus Panel: Why Licensing Matters, summarizing the presentation by saying "making extra money on photographs you’ve already taken, that’s just a smarter way to do business."
On the technology side, several companies caught our attention.
(Continued after the Jump)
First up, is the company ikan, which has an amazing array of CLS lighting. Just when you thought you had every strobe you needed, all of a sudden you're now "shooting just a little bit of video" for that still client (or branching into multimedia all-together) and realize that strobes just don't do it for your video needs. Enter CLS, and ikan, with amazingly reasonable prices on their lighting products with blindingly bright LED units that are small and mount on camera, to 1' x 1' units that seem like they could burn out your retinas. Sure, they also sell camera cradles, bags, and countless other production tools (all with a craftsman's approach to quality), but the lighting, that's worth a long look, because you'll never have to suffer under "hot lights" again if you go this route, not to mention these LED's are battery-powered and highly efficient, so that means no blown circuits with a few hot lights plugged in! Our go-to source for these units is Mac Business Solutions, which is a top-end boutique for all things mac (from computers to still gear to video, to, yes, even high end printers). Be sure to ask for Sonny, the owner, when you call.
Next was GoalZero which has some amazing portable battery power. We picked up a set of these packs, and have used them to power dying laptops, and hope to use them to power our ikan lights when they arrive! Not only can they provide a wide range of power, but they also have portable, small, and efficient solar panels to recharge your kit. No more looking for a shack with a bunch of car batteries when you're in the middle of nowhere to charge your gear. These babies do the trick.
Our last tech company that peaked our interest that we're featuring (trust us, there were many), is onOne Software. They launched Perfect Suite 6 on October 25, right before the show, and Brian Kraft, VP of Sales talked about how advanced this new version is, and we're a believer. The resizing, focal point features, and the portrait retouching capabilities make this thing a dream for those looking to save time. Further, there are plug-ins for both Lightroom and Aperture, so check the specs to see how these can integrate into working where you do, or, if you prefer, as a standalone application (or module of all of them combined.)
A worthwhile presentation was the always enlightening Sam Abell, who spoke at the Canon booth. If you missed (or didn't want to pay for the 3 hour seminar (which you should have if you'd have had the option), Sam Spoke for a brief period of time at the Canon stage, and if you couldn't make it to NYC, Canon was saavy enough to live-stream it. Suffice to say, I'm biased when it comes to Sam, but his stories are always so engaging and inspiring. Rumor has it he's in the Amazon working on a book project, so stay tuned.
All in all, I was impressed with the integration of the WPPI portion of the show, following the merger (or aquisition?) of WPPI by Neilsen/PDN, which was announced at the 2010 show. Well done, integrators. The show was, as always, not to be missed. If you did, don't miss it next year.
Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.
Barriers to International Business
Firms desiring to enter international business face several obstacles; some are much more severe than others. The most common barriers to effective business are cultural, social, and political barriers, and tariffs and trade restrictions.
The first one to effective business is the cultural and social barriers. A nation's culture and social forces can restrict international business activities. Culture consists of a country's general concepts and values and tangible items such as food, clothing, and building. Social forces include family, education, religion and customs. Selling products from one country to another is sometimes difficult when the cultures of the two countries differ significantly. For example, when McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Rome, it was met with protest. The people of Rome objected to the smell of hamburgers frying. McDonald's overcame this objection by changing the exhaust system of the restaurant.
The second barrier is the social forces that can create obstacles to international trade. In some countries, purchasing items as basic as food and clothing can be influenced by religion. In many nations, individuals do not have the same choices in food, clothing, and health care.
The first one to effective business is the cultural and social barriers. A nation's culture and social forces can restrict international business activities. Culture consists of a country's general concepts and values and tangible items such as food, clothing, and building. Social forces include family, education, religion and customs. Selling products from one country to another is sometimes difficult when the cultures of the two countries differ significantly. For example, when McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Rome, it was met with protest. The people of Rome objected to the smell of hamburgers frying. McDonald's overcame this objection by changing the exhaust system of the restaurant.
The second barrier is the social forces that can create obstacles to international trade. In some countries, purchasing items as basic as food and clothing can be influenced by religion. In many nations, individuals do not have the same choices in food, clothing, and health care.
Risks in International Business
Just as there are reasons to get into global markets, and benefits from global markets, there are also risks involved in locating companies in certain countries. Each country may have its potentials; it also has its woes that are associated with doing business with major companies. Some of the rogue countries may have all the natural minerals but the risks involved in doing business in those countries exceed the benefits. Some of the risks in international business are:
(1) Strategic Risk
(2) Operational Risk
(3) Political Risk
(4) Country Risk
(5) Technological Risk
(6) Environmental Risk
(7) Economic Risk
(8) Financial Risk
(9) Terrorism Risk
Strategic Risk: The ability of a firm to make a strategic decision in order to respond to the forces that are a source of risk. These forces also impact the competiveness of a firm. Porter defines them as: threat of new entrants in the industry, threat of substitute goods and services, intensity of competition within the industry, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of consumers.
(1) Strategic Risk
(2) Operational Risk
(3) Political Risk
(4) Country Risk
(5) Technological Risk
(6) Environmental Risk
(7) Economic Risk
(8) Financial Risk
(9) Terrorism Risk
Strategic Risk: The ability of a firm to make a strategic decision in order to respond to the forces that are a source of risk. These forces also impact the competiveness of a firm. Porter defines them as: threat of new entrants in the industry, threat of substitute goods and services, intensity of competition within the industry, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of consumers.
White Night Brighton Saturday Oct 29
I'm excited to be part of the amazing White Night event, which lights up the streets of Brighton all night this coming Saturday, partly to acknowledge the Autumn Equinox, when the clocks go back and we get an extra hour to enjoy the hundreds of events… and partly just to connect and be fascinated by a wealth of happenings, performances, installations and (in my case) café talks. There's a parallel event in Amiens, and they share a strong theme around sound, which is why I'll be there. My talk is about the future of sound and listening. Come along to Marwoods café at 2230 if you'd like to learn how to transform your listening and just possibly to change your reality.
Check out White Night here. And here is a flyer for the Marwoods café talks. See you there!
Service Academy Representation at HBS
For those curious about historical military representation at HBS, I've done some research as to the number of military students at the business school since WWII. Historically the school did not have a way to capture military affiliation for its students, which makes precise numbers difficult if not impossible, but HBS does track undergraduate schools, which naturally includes military academies. I can therefore use military academy representation as a proxy for the total trends in veteran attendance at HBS. I'll explain more of this in a bit. For now, here is the data on US military academy representation at HBS (click to expand):
In the upper right hand corner of the above chart is the total number of military at HBS since 2000, which I have been able to calculate directly in the past (see note here). My data shows service academies roughly represent about half of the military at HBS over the past 14 classes (to be precise 54% average with a 19% standard deviation), so if that rule stands going backwards pre-2000, we can interpret the above chart not just for service academy interest, but also by doubling the numbers for the total number of military veterans at the school. The one exception of this is probably in the late 1940s, when the number of veterans was probably extremely high, and dwarfed the service academy students.
Here are some observations:
Proportion of Service Academies at HBS
One can look at the chart above to see which service academies were represented when, but I also normalized the data to more clearly show the proportion within the academies themselves (click on the following graph):
Some observations:
Before reading too much into any of this data, one needs to remember that:
I hope this helps provide some historical context.
In the upper right hand corner of the above chart is the total number of military at HBS since 2000, which I have been able to calculate directly in the past (see note here). My data shows service academies roughly represent about half of the military at HBS over the past 14 classes (to be precise 54% average with a 19% standard deviation), so if that rule stands going backwards pre-2000, we can interpret the above chart not just for service academy interest, but also by doubling the numbers for the total number of military veterans at the school. The one exception of this is probably in the late 1940s, when the number of veterans was probably extremely high, and dwarfed the service academy students.
Here are some observations:
- The peak years for veteran representation were during the HBS Classes of 1971-1973 (students entering from 1969 to 1971). It's unclear from the data whether the school was being proactive to admit Vietnam Veterans, or whether more veterans were applying. For those classes, it's likely there were over 100 veterans in each graduating class.
- The average military academy representation since WWII has been around 15 per year, which would support the argument for an average of ~30 military students per year. Since 2000, the average however has been 20 service academy students and 39 total US military per class, so slightly higher than historical average.
- The lowest representation was post-Vietnam, from 1975-1985.
- Except for the peak Vietnam War years, representation was very consistent and flat from 1955-1995. Since the mid 90s, there have been some periods of high variability, and a general increase.
Proportion of Service Academies at HBS
One can look at the chart above to see which service academies were represented when, but I also normalized the data to more clearly show the proportion within the academies themselves (click on the following graph):
Some observations:
- The dominant sources are USMA and USNA, which both have averaged around 7 per year since WWII, with a standard deviation of 5.
- USMA slightly leads on USNA, with a total of around 500 USMA alumni versus 450 USNA alumni.
- The third highest is USAFA alumni with 78, followed by USCG with 39, and Merchant Academy with 25, although the latter has only had 2 since 1990.
- Since 2004, USMA alumni have outnumbered USNA alumni by a factor of over 2 to 1.
- The greatest disparity occurred during the HBS classes of 1965-1969, meaning application years of 1962-1966, when USMA representation was only around 20% of the service academies. If one tries to analyze this as a phenomenon of the Vietnam war years, and compares it to post 9/11, it leads to inconsistent results, since USMA/USNA representation held largely steady post 9/11.
Before reading too much into any of this data, one needs to remember that:
- Admissions to HBS depends a lot on the philosophy and leadership of both the Dean of the school and the Dean of Admissions, which naturally change over time, and shape the makeup of the admission classes. It is therefore difficult to know if these results are more due to the school or the application pools changing.
- This data is not official, and while very accurate, it is not 100% accurate... it carries a slight margin of error, though it is the most accurate data I'm aware of.
- One should not interpret anything here to imply whether one undergraduate source is any more competitive than another, as from an admission point of view, all are highly respected, and one's personal and professional performance far outweighs the actual academy itself.
I hope this helps provide some historical context.
Import Export Business Q&A And Warning
Import Export Business Questions-Answers-Warning
1) Use the search box in the upper left side of this blog to help you in search through this blog and the many years worth of valuable posts.
2) There are nearly 6 years of posts in this blog, you are encouraged to use the archive date links located on the lower right side of the navigation bar --> --> --> - they are listed by Month/Year.
************************************************************
QUESTION Part 1: I have no experience and/or knowledge of import/export business.
Answer: I had no experience when I got started - that is why we offer a self study course, the best one that "I" believe is available and I could offer you any number of courses that would earn us a lot more money than the one we offer does, however, I like to sleep at night and know that I have provided you with the BEST course I feel is available.
QUESTION Part 2: I was born in the Philippines.
Answer: Great! You have an advantage over other Americans in having connections there or the ability to speak the native language - think of this fact as an asset instead of a liability.
QUESTION Part 3: What is my chance to be become successful in this business?
Answer: Subjective question that I cannot answer - I would be lying to you if I told you everyone becomes successful who purchases the course we offer - as I told you above, I like to sleep at night - I simply cannot answer this question because it is up to you. I strongly suggest you take advantage of all the free materials we offer on our website and blog and after you have digested that information, then consider purchasing the course we offer ONLY if you feel the business is something you REALLY wish to pursue.
This isn't buying a lottery ticket, it is a training course and how you apply what you learn and how persistent and patient you are in doing so has more to do with your success than anything else, but MOST of all you have to WANT to succeed in this business. It is NOT an opportunity, it is a BUSINESS.
************************************************************
QUESTION: I am entering an agreement with a company in Belize, CA and will be shipping Solar Products to them. The bank is asking of an Export Contract. Is there a form for this contract? I looked in Forms.gov but could not find an official form.
Answer: There are various places on the web that you should be able to find an example or an explanation of what goes into an export contract.
But, first and foremost, ask your bank what they expect to see in the form of an agreement and ask if they have any examples - no use going thru the motions if what you present them with does not meet their requirements.
Pro-forma invoices often spell out the payment, products, quantities, delivery etc. and may suffice, however, in today's strict financial lending rules, your bank may need more. Pro formas are the easiest form of contracts to work with, but again, your bank may not deem that sufficient.
************************************************************
Import Export Business Job Market Fraud Warning!!!
I receive an email every day with links to the latest new information available on the Internet relating to import, export, international trade, international business, etc..
On an increasing level I am seeing ads being posted to many of the free classifed ad sites online, especially Craigslist for entry level Import Export agents, clerks, whatever. Most cite legitimate daily activities that an agent or clerk might perform but they never give ANY type of direct contact information for the prospective employer.
They will generally ask you to either contact them for an interview which is through Craiglist's email system which protects their identity and many will be brazen enough to ask you for your resume because they know many people are simply so trusting of their fellow human beings that they will send it.
If your resume has your social security number and other personal identity details, you have just handed an identity theif what they need to steal your identity. If it doesn't contain this information and they will generally evolve the conversation by email, phone or skype as a means of getting it.
In some instances they may forgo stealing your identity to steal from you via your bank account, even if you do not have much or any money in your account.
I have explained the fake cashier's check or money order scam elsewhere in this blog so rather than repeating what is stated elsewhere, understand that jobs like they are offering, simply do not exist. They are going to potentially make you financially liable for thousands of dollars that you "will" have to pay so be smart, use the search engine box in the upper left of this blog and search for either the word(s) scam, fraud, fraudulent and read how the real world works and remember I am simply the messenger.
1) Use the search box in the upper left side of this blog to help you in search through this blog and the many years worth of valuable posts.
2) There are nearly 6 years of posts in this blog, you are encouraged to use the archive date links located on the lower right side of the navigation bar --> --> --> - they are listed by Month/Year.
************************************************************
QUESTION Part 1: I have no experience and/or knowledge of import/export business.
Answer: I had no experience when I got started - that is why we offer a self study course, the best one that "I" believe is available and I could offer you any number of courses that would earn us a lot more money than the one we offer does, however, I like to sleep at night and know that I have provided you with the BEST course I feel is available.
QUESTION Part 2: I was born in the Philippines.
Answer: Great! You have an advantage over other Americans in having connections there or the ability to speak the native language - think of this fact as an asset instead of a liability.
QUESTION Part 3: What is my chance to be become successful in this business?
Answer: Subjective question that I cannot answer - I would be lying to you if I told you everyone becomes successful who purchases the course we offer - as I told you above, I like to sleep at night - I simply cannot answer this question because it is up to you. I strongly suggest you take advantage of all the free materials we offer on our website and blog and after you have digested that information, then consider purchasing the course we offer ONLY if you feel the business is something you REALLY wish to pursue.
This isn't buying a lottery ticket, it is a training course and how you apply what you learn and how persistent and patient you are in doing so has more to do with your success than anything else, but MOST of all you have to WANT to succeed in this business. It is NOT an opportunity, it is a BUSINESS.
************************************************************
QUESTION: I am entering an agreement with a company in Belize, CA and will be shipping Solar Products to them. The bank is asking of an Export Contract. Is there a form for this contract? I looked in Forms.gov but could not find an official form.
Answer: There are various places on the web that you should be able to find an example or an explanation of what goes into an export contract.
But, first and foremost, ask your bank what they expect to see in the form of an agreement and ask if they have any examples - no use going thru the motions if what you present them with does not meet their requirements.
Pro-forma invoices often spell out the payment, products, quantities, delivery etc. and may suffice, however, in today's strict financial lending rules, your bank may need more. Pro formas are the easiest form of contracts to work with, but again, your bank may not deem that sufficient.
************************************************************
Import Export Business Job Market Fraud Warning!!!
I receive an email every day with links to the latest new information available on the Internet relating to import, export, international trade, international business, etc..
On an increasing level I am seeing ads being posted to many of the free classifed ad sites online, especially Craigslist for entry level Import Export agents, clerks, whatever. Most cite legitimate daily activities that an agent or clerk might perform but they never give ANY type of direct contact information for the prospective employer.
They will generally ask you to either contact them for an interview which is through Craiglist's email system which protects their identity and many will be brazen enough to ask you for your resume because they know many people are simply so trusting of their fellow human beings that they will send it.
If your resume has your social security number and other personal identity details, you have just handed an identity theif what they need to steal your identity. If it doesn't contain this information and they will generally evolve the conversation by email, phone or skype as a means of getting it.
In some instances they may forgo stealing your identity to steal from you via your bank account, even if you do not have much or any money in your account.
I have explained the fake cashier's check or money order scam elsewhere in this blog so rather than repeating what is stated elsewhere, understand that jobs like they are offering, simply do not exist. They are going to potentially make you financially liable for thousands of dollars that you "will" have to pay so be smart, use the search engine box in the upper left of this blog and search for either the word(s) scam, fraud, fraudulent and read how the real world works and remember I am simply the messenger.
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