Business Alley: 2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Business Motivation Model

The Business Motivation Model (BMM) in enterprise architecture provides a scheme and structure for developing, communicating, and managing business plans in an organized manner. Specifically, the Business Motivation Model does all of the following:

identifies factors that motivate the establishing of business plans;
identifies and defines the elements of business plans; and
indicates how all these factors and elements inter-relate.
Among these elements are those that provide governance for and guidance to the business — Business Policies and Business Rules.

CBS Paramount Television

CBS Paramount Television (CPT) (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies) is an American television production/distribution company that was formed on January 17, 2006 by CBS Corporation merging Paramount Television and CBS Productions.

It is the television production arm of the CBS network (CBS Productions previously assumed such functions), and, alongside Warner Bros. Television, it is also the television production arm of The CW Television Network (in which CBS has a 50% ownership stake).

Today, CBS Paramount Television—the only CBS-owned company that uses the Paramount name and logo in the company's name and logo (Paramount Pictures is currently owned by the post-2006 Viacom that was spun off from CBS, which was once known as the old Viacom)—has two divisions: CBS Paramount Network Television (the production arm) and CBS Television Distribution (the distribution arm).

National Amusements retains majority control of both CBS and the new Viacom. As such, many Paramount films are still distributed by CBS Paramount Television and Paramount Home Entertainment continues to distribute home video sales of CBS shows.

The studio has an output deal with Australia's Channel Ten, which means that Ten usually gets first airing rights to the studio's productions.

Until recently—in the U.S.—King World distributed its product independently from CBS Paramount, while internationally CBS Paramount International Television handled distribution and sales. As of September 27, 2007 the CBS Television Distribution logo appears after shows that had been distributed by King World.

Conglomerate (company)

The Dutch East India Company is considered to be one of the earliest conglomerate groups after the English East India Company (the first); originally a trade enterprise established to ship goods from the Far East to the Dutch Republic, the East India Company grew into a powerful economic entity embracing economic ventures focused on commerce and manufacturing.

The end of the First World War caused a brief economic crisis in Weimar Germany, permitting entrepreneurs to buy up varied businesses at rock-bottom prices. The most successful, Hugo Stinnes, established the most powerful private economic conglomerate in 1920s Europe – Stinnes Enterprises – which embraced sectors as diverse as manufacturing, mining, shipbuilding, hotels, newspapers, and an assortment of other economic enterprises.

Conglomerates were popular in the 1960s due to a combination of low interest rate(s) and a repeating bear/bull market, which allowed the conglomerates to buy companies in leveraged buyouts, sometimes at temporarily deflated values. Famous examples of the 1960s conglomerators include Ling-Temco-Vought, ITT Corporation, Litton Industries, Textron, Teledyne, and Gulf and Western Industries. As long as the target company had profits greater than the interest on the loans, the overall return on investment (ROI) of the conglomerate appeared to grow.

A Holding Company

A holding company is a company that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself, rather its only purpose is owning shares of other companies.

Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow the ownership and control of a number of different companies. In the U.S., 80% or more of voting stock must be owned before tax consolidation benefits such as tax-free dividends can be claimed.

Sometimes a company intended to be a pure holding company identifies itself as such by adding "Holdings" or "(Holdings)" to its name, as in Sears Holdings.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Tele-communication business

Telecommunications, devices and systems that transmit electronic or optical signals across long distances. Telecommunications enables people around the world to contact one another, to access information instantly, and to communicate from remote areas.

Telecommunications usually involves a sender of information and one or more recipients linked by a technology, such as a telephone system, that transmits information from one place to another. Telecommunications enables people to send and receive personal messages across town, between countries, and to and from outer space. It also provides the key medium for delivering news, data, information, and entertainment.

Telecommunications devices convert different types of information, such as sound and video, into electronic or optical signals. Electronic signals typically travel along a medium such as copper wire or are carried over the air as radio waves. Optical signals typically travel along a medium such as strands of glass fibers.

When a signal reaches its destination, the device on the receiving end converts the signal back into an understandable message, such as sound over a telephone, moving images on a television, or words and pictures on a computer screen.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Establishments

The Pierre Hotel, New York City. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and Internet connectivity; snack foods and drinks may be supplied in a mini-bar, and facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, and have conference and social function services.

Procter & Gamble headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G, NYSE: PG) is a Fortune 500, American multinational corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures a wide range of consumer goods.

A beauty salon or beauty parlor (or sometimes beauty shop) is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women.[1] Other variations of this type of business include hair salons and spas. There is a distinction between a beauty salon and a hair salon and although many small businesses do offer both sets of treatments, beauty Salons are based more around face and body treatments.

Street hawkers selling bags and sunglasses in central Rome, Italy

A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They come equipped with loading docks to load and unload trucks; or sometimes are loaded directly from railways, airports, or seaports. They also often have cranes and forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed on ISO standard pallets loaded into pallet racks.

A modern bus station of Kamppi in Helsinki, Finland. A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the sidewalk (UK: pavement) where buses can stop. It may be intended as a terminal station for a number of routes, or as a transfer station where the routes continue.

A supermarket, also called a grocery store in some parts of North America, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments. It is larger in size and has a wider selection than a traditional grocery store and it is smaller than a hypermarket or superstore.

An office building, also known as an office block, is a form of commercial building which contains spaces mainly designed to be used for offices. An office building in Salinas, California.

Tom's Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld

The Oceanic Inn, a motel on the oceanfront in Asbury Park, New Jersey

This tornado damage to an Illinois home would be considered an

Dane County Farmers' Market, Madison, Wisconsin

The entrance to a subdivision in Sugar Land, Texas. Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known as a subdivision; if it is used for housing it is typically known as a housing subdivision or housing development, although some developers tend to call these areas communities. Subdivisions may also be for the purpose of commercial or industrial development, and the results vary from retail malls with independently owned out parcels to industrial parks.

A McDonald's restaurant with a Playplace in Moncton, Canada

Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Transport is performed by various modes, such as air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations.

Business Establishments

Finance

Stock trader
Day trader
Pattern day trader
Swing trader
Floor trader
Rogue trader
Trading strategy
Commodities exchange
Commodities trading
Commodity market
Stock Exchange
Stock Market
Derivatives Market
Futures markets

Phylosophy

Under this philosophy, we see that no element can be called the strongest or weakest. They are forever dependent on one another and are equal. They are linked by the chain of life that brings about their existence, and there is no power struggle. Each has its own place and function.

The Moon, being the closest heavenly body to Earth, has shown its many visible powers to mankind since the dawn of civilization. Its magnetic pull has ruled the rising and ebbing ocean tides as well as all other bodies of water. The Chinese culture has built itself firmly around the lunar influence, believing it to affect humans so immensely because our bodies consists of three-quarters liquid. Likewise, plants and animals are subject to its all-encompassing force.

Would it be too farfetched, therefore, to speculate that even nations will be beneficially or adversely affected, depending on whether they were born under a good or a bad moon? Will the year in which a country is formed have a great bearing on its place in history? Chinese fortune-telling leaves us to draw our own conclusions, after providing us with the necessary tools.

It is said that astrology is an accurate science, based on fixed formulas and mathematical calculations. Likewise, lunar horoscopes are equally exacting and scientifically evolved. Yet I hasten to add that it can be considered as an art form: the art of recognizing relevant facts in whatever disguises they may appear or expressed in. The Chinese sages of old and the fortune-tellers of today liken themselves to medical diagnosticians of the present, probing, searching and forever interpreting telltale signs of what the future may hold.

The ancient Chinese method of chance reading is never dogmatic or fatalistic. We are never made to feel hemmed in by our weaknesses nor inhibited by our deficiencies. Rather, we are encouraged to exploit our resources in varied and imaginative ways.
Thus, Chinese horoscopes, instead of restricting us, teach us how to plot new courses if our present methods of approach do not meet with success, and how to circumvent the circumstances of birth and other barriers and to reach our goals by taking new routes. As they instruct us in self-analysis and in knowing what to expect from situations, we will be able at worst to face, at best to solve, the problems we are most fated to encounter.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS

During the complete 60-year cycle each of the animal signs (sometimes also referred to as the twelve Earth branches) is combined with the five main elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The element of your lunar sign will exercise their influence on your life.

A fundamental part of Oriental philosophy is the interrelationships among the five elements. These are divided into Conducive and Controlling interrelationships, and are as follows:

CONDUCIVE

* From Metal we get Water. In this context, the metal could mean a vessel or container for holding water, so we can say that metal traps water. In another sense, metal is the only element that will change into a liquid when heated.
* From Water we get Wood. Water here means the rain or dew that makes plant life flourish, thus producing wood in the process.
* From Wood we get Fire. Fire cannot exist by itself but is produced by burning wood.
* From Fire we get Earth. Symbolically fire reduces everything into ashes, which becomes part of the earth again.
* From Earth we get Metal. All metal has to be extracted from the earth.

CONTROLLING

The entire universe is composed of these five elements. They are interdependent and each is controlled by another. Hence we find that:

* Metal is controlled by Fire. Metal can only be melted and forged with great heat.
* Fire is controlled by Water. Nothing will put out a fire as fast as water.
* Water is controlled by Earth. We dig canals in the earth to irrigate fields or build dikes to keep out or absorb water.
* Earth is controlled by Wood. Trees and their roots hold the soil together and get their nourishment from the earth.
* Wood is controlled by Metal. Even the largest tree can be felled by the metal blade of an axe.

Rent a Car Business

A car rental, rent-a-car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks) for a fee. It is an elaborate form of a rental shop, organized in numerous local branches, primarily located near airports or busy city areas and often complemented by a website allowing online reservations.

There are also third party websites (such as online travel agencies) which compare quotes from the major car rental agencies.

Car rental agencies primarily serve people who have a car that is temporarily out of reach or out of service, for example travellers who are out of town or owners of damaged or destroyed vehicles who are awaiting repair or insurance compensation.

Because of the variety of sizes of their vehicles, car rental agencies may also serve the self-moving industry needs, by renting vans or trucks, and in certain markets other types of vehicle such as motorcycles or scooters may also be offered.

Alongside the basic rental of a vehicle, car rental agencies typically also offer extra products such as insurance, global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation systems, entertainment systems, and even such things as mobile phones.

General contractor

A general contractor is a group or individual that contracts with another organization or individual (the owner) for the construction, renovation or demolition of a building, road or other structure.

A general contractor is defined as such if it is the signatory as the builder of the prime construction contract for the project. The general contractor could be worker itself. Workers wages may vary from a few thousands to several millions.

A general contractor is responsible for the means and methods to be used in the construction execution of the project in accordance with the contract documents. Said contract documents usually include the contract agreement including budget, the general and special conditions and the plans and specification of the project that are prepared by a design professional such as an architect.

A general contractor usually is responsible for the supplying of all material, labor, equipment, (engineering vehicles and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the project. To do this it is common for the general contractor to subcontract part of the work to other persons and companies that specialize in these types of work. These are called subcontractors.

General contractors conducting work for government agencies are typically referred to as prime contractors. The responsibilities of a prime contractors working under a contract are essentially identical to those outlined above.

In many cases, prime contractors will delegate portions of the contract work to subcontractors.

Business Ideas Video clip

Business Ideas

Free Business Start Up Ideas: Junk Removal (3:01)
Free Business Start Up Ideas: Installation Service (3:03)
Free Business Start Up Ideas: Holiday Decorating (3:04)
Free Business Start Up Ideas: Herb Garden (2:47)

Charles Scribner's Sons Building

Charles Scribner's Sons Building is a building in Manhattan at 597 Fifth Avenue that was built during 1912-13.

It was designed by Ernest Flagg in a Beaux Arts style. Among its many details are piers anchoring three large bays which include four medallions with busts of printers: Benjamin Franklin, William Caxton, Johann Gutenberg, and Aldus Manutius.[1]

It was nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and was deemed to have met the architectural and historical criteria for acceptance. But its owners objected in January 1982 as they were entitled to do in the NRHP listing process, so it was not finally listed.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (traditional Chinese: 香港交易所, also 港交所 (HKEX), SEHK: 0388) is the stock exchange of Hong Kong. The exchange has predominantly been the main exchange for Hong Kong where shares of listed companies are traded. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization, behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. As of 31 December 2007, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange had 1,241 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $2.7 trillion. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing is the holding company for the exchange.

John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller in 1885
Born July 8, 1839(1839-07-08)
Richford, New York, USA
Died May 23, 1937 (aged 97)
The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida, USA
Occupation Chairman of Standard Oil Company; investor; philanthropist
Net worth ▲$318.3 billion, according to Wealthy historical figures 2008, based on information from Forbes - February 2008.

John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, he founded the Standard Oil Company and ran it until he officially retired in 1897.

Standard Oil began as an Ohio partnership formed by John D. Rockefeller, his brother William Rockefeller, Henry Flagler, chemist Samuel Andrews, and a silent partner Stephen V. Harkness. Rockefeller kept his stock and as gasoline grew in importance, his wealth soared and he became the world's richest man and first American billionaire, and is often regarded as the richest person in history.

Standard Oil was convicted in Federal Court of monopolistic practices and broken up in 1911. Rockefeller spent the last 40 years of his life in retirement. His fortune was mainly used to create the modern systematic approach of targeted philanthropy with foundations that had a major effect on medicine, education, and scientific research.

His foundations pioneered the development of medical research, and were instrumental in the eradication of hookworm and yellow fever. He is also the founder of both The University of Chicago and Rockefeller University. He was a devoted Northern Baptist and supported many church-based institutions throughout his life. Rockefeller adhered to total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco throughout his life.

He married Laura Celestia ("Cettie") Spelman in 1864. They had four daughters and one son; John D. Rockefeller, Jr. "Junior" was largely entrusted with the supervision of the foundations.

Harden Parkway in Salinas, California.

A type of road

A broad landscaped thoroughfare; especially : one from which trucks and other heavy vehicles are excluded.
A roadway in a park : a landscaped thoroughfare connecting parks.
An expressway located on a strip of land legally constituting a public park and therefore not open to heavy vehicles.

A landscaped strip of land between a thoroughfare and its sidewalk or running in the center of a thoroughfare.

Since the late 20th century, many places have added buses, taxis, and limousines to the list of vehicles authorized to use parkways in order to promote the use of public transportation. These exceptions to the commercial or heavy traffic rule tended to blur the distinction between parkways and freeways.

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A filling station, fueling station, gas station, service station, petrol station, Garage (British English), gasbar, petrol pump or petrol bunk (India) is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...read story...

Part of the popularity of Hardware Stores is the range of services that a hardware store provides. Most retail outlets only sell goods, while a hardware store custom-makes or repairs a large variety of household items. read story...

A department store is a retail establishment which specializes in satisfying a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; read story...