Surviving a mid-stage crisis: Masergy disrupts the networking services industry when it grows up in a hurry
Chris MacFarland was on his way to manage a startup when Royce Holland, chairman of Masergy, asked him to take a hard look at his company. Although the eight-year-old provider of networking services had reached nearly $100 million in revenue and survived both the nuclear telecom winter and dot-com crash, Masergy was stuck in that […]
How to get your business ready for FATCA by the July start date
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has been in the news for years, but the effective date of July 1, 2014 is fast approaching. Any U.S. business that makes a payment to a foreign vendor or investor will need to determine whether or not the payment is subject to FATCA. The act’s new disclosure […]
The Beatles, ready to frame: Trends International is up to the challenge of producing a little bit of ‘Yesterday’
Rewind to 1964, the summer The Beatles invaded America —the world has never been the same. Fifty years later, Trends International of Indianapolis is hoping to help recreate those old memories — and new ones — by producing licensed posters, stationery and other items showing the record-setting band, marking the 50th anniversary of Beatlemania in […]
Jeffrey K. Rohrs: So where’s your mobile call-to-action?
As a Cleveland Browns fan, I watch the Super Bowl for two reasons — to root against the Ravens or the Steelers and to watch the commercials. Since the first part didn’t work out during Super Bowl XLVII, I focused on the second and discovered something disturbing — most Super Bowl advertisers act as if […]
Shane Pike: No office. No problem. / Clear goals and ongoing communication keys to building successful remote offices
Technology and the rising number of millennials entering the workforce are two factors making it easier and more acceptable for organizations to offer part-time or full-time telecommuting options to their employees. In fact, according to a recent Cisco survey, 70 percent of college students and young professionals believe that it is no longer necessary […]
How to realize tangible value by integrating true ERM
Enterprise risk management (ERM) has become a big buzzword in business the past few years. However, corporate governance and compliance, which is how business executives utilize ERM, is really a traditional management function. “What’s new about it is that there’s market interest and significant value associated with an enterprise that has implemented true ERM,” says […]
Bashar Nejdawi recruits talented employees with the right stuff and focuses them to deliver the max at Ingram Micro
Bashar Nejdawi doesn’t even pause when asked for an example of talent in action at North American Mobility, a division of Ingram Micro Inc., formerly known as BrightPoint Inc., a global leader in life cycle services for mobile devices — smartphones, tablets and accessories. To him, a key differentiator for an organization is not how […]
Kevin Kinsley: How to take advantage of your competition’s inability to change
Through the recent uncertain economic times, we have all had to adjust our budgets and personal spending choices. As a marketer, I can say that the mentality that has been applied to personal spending has also been present in the executive suite. Businesses are making calculated choices as they budget for marketing expenditures. We have […]
The three biggest, and most costly, IP mistakes businesses make
You’ve just launched your product, which has taken months of research and development effort to bring to market. Soon after its debut you receive a notice that you’re infringing on an existing patent or trademark. You’re now left with a decision: License the technology that you’ve infringed, which you may or may not be able […]
Dan and Henry Walker look for leaders who can be bold at Farmers & Merchants Bank
Daniel K. Walker doesn’t just encourage his direct reports to question his decisions at Farmers & Merchants Bank — he demands it. “I allow them to question me from every perspective, every decision that I make,” says Walker, the bank’s chairman and CEO. “I keep it very open so I can allow them to stop […]