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Williams-Sonoma Makes The Most Of Brand Extensions

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:35:00 GMT

Classic brands aren't enough to sustain revenue these days. Home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma (WSM), for example, which is known for namesake Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm, couldn't rest on its laurels. Introducing new brands and spinoffs are crucial to spiking revenue. CEO Laura Alber is dedicated to developing new concepts and tweaking old ones. In 2012, the company launched Mark and Graham, which specializes in

Shoppers Prefer Stores To Sites

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

More than two-thirds of U.S. consumers say they prefer to shop in regular, brick and mortar stores than e-commerce websites. The survey by retail big data tech startup Synqera found that shoppers are drawn to retail locations that offer custom shopping experiences. But checkout remains the No. 1 pain point for 73% of domestic shoppers. "Synqera found that at the most basic level of commerce, the point of sale in

CFOs Say Suite Is Pretty Sweet

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

Being a chief financial officer is a career pinnacle for many finance executives, and it's where most who've reached it want to stay. Fifty-seven percent of CFOs interviewed for a study by Robert Half Management Resources say they're satisfied in their current role, while 18% said their next career move will be retirement. Becoming the CFO for a larger company appealed to 10%, while 9% thought about starting their

Financial Jitters Delay Retirements

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

Over 40% of working Americans in a survey by disability insurance provider Unum found that 40% are postponing retirement due to feelings of financial insecurity. When asked what their current retirement age was, the average was 67.1, a jump of 2.6 years over what they reported five years ago. Those age 55-plus expect to retire after their 70th birthday, while those 18-34 are expecting to retire at age 65.

Forever Checking Email Is New Norm

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

The line between job and home life has blurred for an overwhelming number of workers at small and midsize companies due to the spread of mobile devices and pressure to check work email. A survey conducted for GFI Software by tracker Opinion Matters found that 81% said they check their work email on weekends, 55% check email after 11 p.m. and 59% keep on top of their work email while on vacation. Outside of

Owners Are New To Social Media

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

Fifty-one percent of U.S. small business owners in a Staples survey are either novices or don't consider how social media can help their businesses. At the same time, 61% of small firms use at least one social media channel and 40% feel that their social media use has helped their business. Engaging customers is the top goal for social media usage for 50% of respondents.

From Alaska To Texas, Lithia Motors Dots Rural Areas

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

For Bryan DeBoer, leadership is a balancing act. It requires a mix of humility and confidence. "If you get too confident, you lose humility," said DeBoer, 46, president and chief executive of Lithia Motors (LAD). "If you get too humble, you lose confidence. When you're confident but you stay humble, that allows you to always strive for more, and we manage our business around continuous improvement." Bryan's grandfather founded the company in 1946

A CEO Modifies His Personality To Lead People Better

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

David Kirchhoff's enthusiastic, hard-charging personality helped him become CEO at age 40 of a global firm with 54,000 employees. But some of the traits that propelled his rapid career ascent did not serve him well as head honcho. "My stock in trade was always being passionate with a tendency sometimes to prove my worth by being a forceful presence who would immediately say, 'This is the right answer,'" said Kirchhoff, 46, chief executive of

Supercharged Data Crunching Signals Monster Info Wave

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:46:00 GMT

The tide of business information -- the stuff leaders use to make decisions -- continues to surge. How to stay above water: Dip a toe. Say you're grabbing cash from an ATM. Suppose the machine could instantly analyze your account, detect a history of high balances and "on the spot offer you a couple of investment products," said Genpact CEO Tiger Tyagarajan. That's real-time decision analytics in action, says Tyagarajan, whose firm spun out of

Isadore Sharp's Four Seasons Hotels Soared To Top

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:46:00 GMT

Since he opened his first hotel in Toronto in 1961, everyone has told Isadore Sharp that he was crazy. His locations were wrong. His refusal to cut rates during downturns was suicidal. He was giving front line workers too much authority. "I knew that what our customers valued most was superior service," Sharp, the 81-year-old founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, told IBD. "To get that, we needed to be treating our employees the

Kissinger On Taking A Position

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:37:00 GMT

A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone. Henry Kissinger, secretary of state

Joe DiMaggio's 56-Game Streak Is Jolting To This Day

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:53:00 GMT

Joe DiMaggio's swing sparked hits. Smash hits to all fields: Music -- with "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" by the Les Brown band in 1941 and "Mrs. Robinson," the Simon & Garfunkel song in 1967 that pondered "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" Romance -- with his 1954 marriage to Marilyn Monroe. Winning -- with his nine world championships. Prestige -- with his 1969 honor as the Greatest Living Ballplayer. "DiMaggio seemed to override baseball and sports

Pour On People Skills For Top Performance, Team Respect

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:38:00 GMT

Individual effort pales vs. team impact. How to get everyone pulling together: Instill ideals. In 2011, the Butler Bulldogs were the first basketball team to reach a second straight NCAA title game without being seeded No. 1 or 2. The college squad from Indianapolis almost toppled Duke in 2010, then lost decisively to another heavyweight, Connecticut, the next year. How did Butler rise? "Lead Like Butler" co-author Kent Millard credits Butler

Williams On Financial Planning

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:22:00 GMT

You can be young without money, but you can't be old without it. Tennessee Williams, playwright

Louisville Sluggers' Bud Hillerich Hit Biz Grand Slam

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:22:00 GMT

Bud Hillerich got his business start playing hooky. He was supposed to be at his father's wood shop, carving bedposts and bowling pins. Instead, the 17-year-old Kentuckian was cheering on his hometown Louisville Eclipse baseball team. Back in the 1880s, only layabouts whiled away weekday afternoons at the ballpark. The pastime was not yet considered as American as apple pie. Hillerich -- the man who would found Louisville Slugger -- might even have

Feminine Traits Like Humility, Patience Boost Leaders

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:22:00 GMT

In "The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future," authors John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio have advice for those who want to dash ahead. Men, get in touch with your feminine side. Women, don't suppress your feminine qualities. The duo asked 64,000 people in 13 countries to classify 125 human traits by both gender and which are most important to leadership, success, morality and happiness. Folks around

Improving Your Health Can Lead To A Profitable Career

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

To perform at your best in business and life, take stock of your fitness. "If your health is not where you would like it, your performance isn't going to be maximized," said Chris Johnson, author of "On Target Living" and founder of the wellness consulting company by the same name. Tips on getting in shape: Go inside out. You can't run the finely tuned human body on junk alone. Johnson advises consuming up to 75% of your food and drink from

Fred Lazarus Sold U.S. On Federated Department Stores

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

In 1929, on a yachting weekend off Long Island, Fred Lazarus hatched an audacious business plan. Inspired by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust, the aggressive president of Lazarus Department Store urged the other merchants in the boat to pool their interests in a holding company. By the time the yacht anchored, Lazarus was ready to launch Federated Department Stores in Columbus, Ohio. He promptly turned it into the mightiest department

Wang On Education

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

Don't be afraid to take time to learn. It's good to work for other people. I worked for others for 20 years. They paid me to learn. Vera Wang, fashion designer

Train Your Brain For 32-Mile Aims

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:20:00 GMT

Successful people know how to weave imagination into daily practice to achieve big ambitions. Try these approaches: Find your aim. At 4 a.m. each day back in early 2007, Pat Fellows would peel open an energy bar and turn on the television. This wasn't couch potato time. There, on the local weather forecast map, it flickered: The broad, blue, 34-mile expanse of coast that stretched from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis, Miss. Fellows, chewing on his

George Mikan Stood Head And Shoulders Above The Rest

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:20:00 GMT

Before George Mikan was a legend, he was a boy who looked up to his father for guidance. Joe Mikan, who helped operate Mikan's Tavern in Illinois, was as workmanlike as his blue-collar clientele, wrote Michael Schumacher in "Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers and the Birth of the NBA." "Do the best you can," Joe Mikan told George, "and so be judged." With that advice, a healthy dose of determination and the guidance of his DePaul