Tag Archives: USA TODAY

About 713 days ago Gaming | Internet and Online Business

Microsoft’s E3 Secrets Spilled?

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How do rumors get started? Well, Timex Social Club might have had some suspicions, but we’re pretty sure that jealousy was not a factor in the news that Microsoft will likely release two new Kinect titles: Fruit Ninja and Disneyland Adventures, the latter the result of a rumored (there’s that word again) partnership between Microsoft and Disney.  What, you were expecting Dr. Evil? READ MORE »

About 738 days ago Blogging and Social Media | Internet and Online Business

Facebook Secretly Hires PR Firm to Undermine Google

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Facebook has endured bad publicity, especially over privacy issues and claims of Zuckerberg stealing ideas on his way to the top, but Facebook’s latest PR disaster may take the cake. According to The Daily Beast, somebody in Silicon Valley hired Burson-Marsteller, a top public relations firm, to pitch anti-Google stories to newspapers and bloggers, urging them to investigate claims of Google violating people’s privacy. After USA Today broke a story accusing Burson-Marsteller of spreading a “whisper” campaign about Google, The Daily Beast quickly discovered that the unnamed client is none other than Facebook. READ MORE »

About 796 days ago Internet and Online Business

Quora Answers Your Questions, Maybe

Quora is a year-old service that is just gaining traction. Similar to Yahoo! Answers or Amazon Askville, but with a social networking component, you can pose questions and then vote on them. Like Digg, you can escalate a question or answer to the upper echelon of Net consciousness. My own tests? Not getting much response. However, I probably should stop asking about the minutiae of 4G access on unreleased tablets. Ed Baig has his own summary here: “There are often smart responses on Quora, a much buzzed about Silicon Valley social start-up that you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the weeks ahead. Quora aims to build a constantly evolving collection of questions and answers that are created, edited and organized by the very people who use the free service. In my experience on Quora, I found many of the people answering questions have the intellectual chops or credentials to back up their words.” Social-networking site Quora has answers to your questions [USA Today]

About 2970 days ago E-Commerce

26 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs: Tom LaTour

Tom LaTour Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants for staying at fleabag hotels so that we don’t have to Tom LaTour’s motto might as well be In vino veritas. Once a year, the chairman and CEO of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, which owns 38 properties in 16 cities, personally conducts one of the daily wine tastings in each of his hotels. While he plies guests with Chardonnay, he asks them where else they travel regularly. “It’s a great way to find out where we might want to open up a new property,” he says. Kimpton is opening a lot of new properties these days. “It is an exceptional company,” says Thomas Callahan, co-CEO of PKF Consulting, a lodging industry research firm. “They are extremely creative and have now gone from a regional boutique hotel chain to a national presence. Tom deserves all the credit for that.” LaTour’s reconnaissance goes beyond pouring wine for weary business travelers. The 61-year-old hotelier often leaves behind Kimpton’s creature comforts (where rooms feature luxuries like Missoni bed throws and 42-inch flat screen TVs) to stay at fleabag joints. It’s all in an effort to identify properties for acquisition. That’s because Kimpton doesn’t build hotels from the ground up but instead renovates old hotels that have fallen on hard times or reimagines historically significant buildings, such as the circa 1795 Tariff Building in Washington, D.C., which Kimpton transformed into the Hotel Monaco. To make sure an acquisition won’t prove to be a money pit, LaTour spends the night to experience firsthand the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. Sometimes the due diligence can be daunting. In what is now the Chicago Monaco, for example, LaTour spent the night battling pests. “You couldn’t take your shoes off,” he recalls. Before each new hotel opens to the public, LaTour returns to spend a week in the rooms, troubleshooting details down to how well the stopper in the bathroom sink works. “My pet peeve,” he admits, adding: “The culture of an enterprise is a reflection of the people at the top.” Though his values are clearly reflected throughout the Kimpton empire, LaTour did not start the company. It was founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, a San Francisco investment banker. LaTour, a veteran of big travel companies, joined two years later, to add operational expertise. When Kimpton died in 2001, LaTour assumed the titles of chairman and CEO. It was a trying time. Travel industry receipts plummeted in the wake of the dot-com bust and 9/11. Revenue at Kimpton’s hotels in San Francisco, which accounted for a third of the chain’s overall business, tumbled by 30%, leaving the company painfully exposed. LaTour sold four properties and has since made geographic diversification a priority, expanding from Miami to San Diego, with more to come. “There are 30-odd cities on USA Today’s weather map for a reason,” says LaTour. “Those are where the business travelers are. I want a Kimpton hotel in each one.” As the business grows, some admirers worry that Kimpton will lose sight of the details. But LaTour vows to hold the line on quality. One gets the sense that he has stayed in too many rooms where the sink stoppers didn’t work well to let the matter drop entirely. Amy Gunderson Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Omnimedia because she took one for the team Richard Branson, Virgin Group because he’s game for anything. In fact, everything. Michael Dell, Dell Computer for being brilliantly straightforward Jim Sinegal, Costco because who knew a big-box chain could have a generous soul? Diane von Furstenberg, Diane von Furstenberg Studio for staging an elegant comeback Julie Azuma, Different Roads to Learning for offering hope and help to the parents of autistic children Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing for setting limits Ray Kurzweil, Kurzweil Technologies and other companies because he is Edison’s rightful heir Craig Newmark, Craigslist for putting the free in free markets Jack Mitchell, Mitchells/Richards because his family business makes an art of customer service Frank Robinson, Robinson Helicopter for whipping an entire industry into shape Mark Melton, Melton Franchise Systems for giving immigrants their shot at the American Dream Michelle Cardinal & Tim O’Leary, Cmedia and Respond2 for rewriting the rules for husband-and-wife teams Mike Lazaridis, Research in Motion because someone had to stand up for all those frustrated engineers Trip Hawkins, Electronics Arts and Digital Chocolate for still scrapping Warren Brown, Cake Love and Love Cafe because only in America will someone quit a secure job as a lawyer to start a bakery Muriel Siebert, Muriel Siebert & Co. for being a notable first with a worthy second act Chuck Porter, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky for verging on reckless Katrina Markoff, Vosges Haut for setting a completely unreasonable goal for her business Barry Steinberg & Craig Sumerel, Direct Tire and Auto Service for showing the power of the peer group Victoria Parham, Virtual Support Services for serving as a mentor to military spouses Tom LaTour, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants for staying at fleabag hotels so that we don’t have to Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, Mitchell Gold for creating a true comfort zone Izzy & Coco Tihanyi, Surf Diva for kicking sand in the face of conventional wisdom Tony Lee, Ring Masters for saving 16 jobs, including his own Rueben Martinez, Libreria Martinez Books and Art Galleries for simultaneously building a business and nurturing Latino culture

About 4217 days ago PCs, Laptops, and Notebooks

Any Place, Any Times

High concept USA Today, beware! Hot-off-the-printer news from home may soon become as commonplace as minibars at hotels around the world. That, anyway, is the vision of NewspaperDirect Inc., of Vancouver. The company’s founders — CEO Miljenko Horvat, a former investment banker; and board members Anatoly Karachinsky, a Russian entrepreneur; and Esther Dyson, the new-economy guru — got the idea from personal experience. They missed reading their hometown newspapers while they were traveling and figured others must feel the same way. The question was how to sidestep the exorbitant cost of sending traditional papers across the country and overseas. The trio turned to the Internet. First they developed software that could format and print digital editions of newspapers and track the editions being accessed. Then they signed up 80 publications — from the Wall Street Journal to Spain’s El Pais — to participate. The company sells its service to high-end hotels like the Four Seasons, as well as to cruise lines and corporations interested in international news. Customers purchase NewspaperDirect software and install it on high-speed laser printers, allowing them to print any of the company’s 80 papers on demand. When, say, a guest at a participating hotel asks for a foreign paper during her stay, the hotel simply prints it out and delivers it to her room. The hotel may include the paper as a complimentary amenity, or it may charge a $2 or $3 fee for the service. NewspaperDirect pays a royalty to the paper each time an edition is printed. NewspaperDirect was offered by a few hotel chains and some corporations in early 2000, but Horvat says he’s just getting started. “The scale we’re talking about is ubiquity,” he says. “Any newsstand in the world will have a MasterCard and a Visa logo, and also a NewspaperDirect logo.” Incubator High Concept Doctor, Doctor. Give Me the News Any Place, Any Times Grind to a Halt The Fine Print Dossier All the President’s Mail Search InfoPosse Main Street God is in the Detailing Markets The Surprise Economy Seen Consecrated Commerce 60-Second Business Plan Veggie-Burger Kings Business for Sale Want a Novel Idea? Please e-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.

About 4462 days ago E-Commerce

A Helping Hand With Taxing Matters

Best of the Web Tax pointers are available from several online sites at no charge. Twelve CEOs assess what the advice is really worth Print neatly. That’s the kind of advice that the IRS considers a “dynamite” tax tip, Dave Barry once wrote in his Miami Herald column. “If you ask them a real tax question, such as how you can cheat,” Barry said, “they’re useless.” The IRS won’t tell you how to cheat, but it does attempt to mitigate the tax-filing (if not the tax-paying) ordeal by offering a helping hand, and now it does so online. In partnership with the Small Business Administration, the IRS makes tax information for business owners quickly and easily accessible on a Web site titled Small Business Corner ( www.irs.ustreas.gov/bus_info/sm_bus). The site offers the government’s latest intelligence on such things as its rules for business-expense deductions and what the tax agency considers the best record-keeping systems for small companies. If the IRS is the authoritative source of tax information, is there any reason to look elsewhere on the Net for tax expertise? Several privately owned sites say yes. Each site has its own spin, depending on what group it aims to attract — a general small-business audience or merely start-up entrepreneurs, for example. Like the IRS site, the private offerings are free. They contrast with the tax-prep sites, such as Intuit’s TurboTax or H&R Block’s TaxCut, which enable users to fill out their tax returns online for a fee. To determine which of the tax-advice sites were worthwhile, Inc. asked 12 small-business CEOs to evaluate seven of the most popular ones. Two of the sites belong to Big Five accounting firms: Deloitte & Touche’s Dtonline.com and Ernst & Young’s TaxCast.com. Individual accountants operate others, including TaxMama.com, which began as an online newsletter. Another site that was a newsletter before it evolved into an in-depth source of complex tax matters is TaxProphet.com. It has 40,000 users and registers about 300,000 hits a month, according to tax lawyer Robert L. Sommers, who runs it. Although the sites don’t charge user fees, some make money by selling ads posted alongside the tax advice. Others are marketing tools. For example, Sommers, who’s also a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, says that TaxProphet.com brings in clients for his law practice — and generates ideas for his column. Sommers claims that even taxpayers who have the assistance of a certified public accountant can benefit from consulting the tax-code nuances laid out in TaxProphet.com. “At tax time, CPAs are working 18-hour days and may not have time to ponder the gray areas, like whether you need a W-4 for the Israeli teacher you employed or if a treaty with Israel makes that unnecessary,” he says. Traffic is heaviest on the sites in the run-up to the April 15 tax-filing deadline, but they post information for all seasons. One tip on TaxMama.com last fall, for instance, suggested that tax-payers consider charging business expenses to a credit card up until December 31, 2000. The charges are deductible on the 2000 return, even if they weren’t paid before year-end. If you’re perplexed by some tax wrinkle or want an update on lawful tax-avoidance schemes, which of the seven sites is your best bet? Here’s what our CEOs had to say. www.bankrate.com What it’s good for: A well-organized, clearly defined primer. “The entire site has a lot of value,” said one CEO. Bankrate.com contains a Calculations section, which is useful for computing gross profit margins and a variety of business ratios. Don’t waste your time if: You want a hard-core, business-oriented site or you’re a lender or you’re doing tax work for a financial institution. What our CEOs had to say: “It will make my favorites list,” commented one reviewer. A second panelist said, “This site is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes, and gives you a good, brief understanding of each topic.” What you ought to know: The site’s owner is Bankrate Inc. (formerly known as Bank Rate Monitor), based in North Palm Beach, Fla., a longtime publisher of financial information. Bankrate.com’s content now appears in the Money section of Usatoday.com. www.dtonline.com What it’s good for: A guide for personal financial planning. It also contains useful tidbits, including a schedule of gift- and estate-tax rates and a rundown of 10 “essential” practices for growing a company. Don’t waste your time if: You need access to tax schedules or links to other sites. What our CEOs had to say: “One visit was all it took” to sour one CEO on the site because he found it lacked forms that he could download. A fellow panelist, however, said the site was “very informative, especially for small businesses.” What you ought to know: Dtonline.com contains a weekly online missive, “Tax News & Views,” a Deloitte & Touche compilation of the latest tax news from Washington. www.irs.ustreas.gov/bus_info/sm_bus What it’s good for: Comprehensive tax information furnished by the IRS and tailored for small businesses, plus links to other useful tax-related sites, such as www.tax.gov (which covers the tax- and wage-reporting basics). Don’t waste your time if: You seek tax loopholes. What our CEOs had to say: “Excellent tax information for small businesses,” one panelist said. It’s great for “getting a handle on tax issues relating to a start-up,” said another. Still, one CEO disliked the site and said he couldn’t find valuable advice there. What you ought to know: The IRS also offers online sites not specifically devoted to small businesses, including www.irs.ustreas.gov, a guide for filing electronic tax returns. www.smbiz.com What it’s good for: News and tax tips are updated daily. It also has a host of useful links to other sites. Don’t waste your time if: You need answers to specific tax questions. What our CEOs had to say: They agreed that the site is valuable mostly as a “link farm,” in the words of one of them. They generally faulted its design as lacking pizzazz. What you ought to know: The genesis of the site is the Small Business Tax Review, a newsletter published since 1980 by the A/N Group, in Melville, N.Y., a provider of tax news and analyses for small businesses. www.taxcast.com What it’s good for: Tax-law summaries and a trove of tax documents mostly suited to accountants and financial planners. Don’t waste your time if: You want a fast, easy-to-understand tour through the tax landscape. One business owner said the site, though rich in complex information, was “too sterile” and “does not keep my interest.” What our CEOs had to say: They applauded its many links and other resources, but craved a more inviting format. “It’s very vanilla,” said one panelist. What you ought to know: Affiliated sites furnish many kinds of Ernst & Young tax help. One example is www.ey.com, a site well known for financial counseling for individuals and families. www.taxmama.com What it’s good for: A joyful and occasionally informative romp through the tax world for inexperienced businesspeople. This site’s “personal commentary and humor make it unintimidating,” said one CEO. Another recommended it only for tax filers with rudimentary questions. Don’t waste your time if: You’re looking for a highly professional format or need more than a casual presentation of everyday tax issues. What our CEOs had to say: This is a site “more geared toward the consumer than toward businesses,” said one CEO. Another echoed the assessment, saying, “It just doesn’t have the kind of information I need” as a business owner. However, a third CEO said that this is a “great site with good information.” What you ought to know: The site’s founder, Eva Rosenberg, holds the Enrolled Agent credential, which the U.S. Treasury Department issues to qualified accountants. Rosenberg claims to respond to every E-mail query she receives. www.taxprophet.com What it’s good for: Basic facts. The site’s a good do-it-yourself reference for those who are just starting a business and can’t afford an accountant. “If you know what you’re looking for,” one CEO said, “you can do full-text searches of a large tax-law database,” which will give you a heap of hits to sift through. You just need to have the time to do it. Don’t waste your time if: You want quick answers to your questions. What our CEOs had to say: It’s better to leave to an accountant the kind of time-consuming tax research that’s available on the site. “I don’t have the time to just browse,” one CEO said, and “it’s cheaper for me to call my accountant for a quick answer.” But for those with the stomach for truly in-depth tax research or an education in tax law, the site may be useful, according to another reviewer. What you ought to know: In the spirit of fulfilling Robert Sommers’s mission of educating its users about everything to do with taxes, the site posts advisories about tax scams on an online bulletin board. The bottom line For overall tax advice that’s accessible and relevant to small businesses, our CEOs favored the IRS site, Dtonline .com, and Bankrate.com. The reviewers singled out Bankrate.com for its supe- rior ease of navigation, and they appreciated TaxProphet.com’s extensive tax- research database. They lauded Smbiz.com for links to other tax-related sites. The panelists scorned TaxMama.com in many respects yet couldn’t help liking it for its sheer fun. Sara Trainor Callard is a freelance writer based in Quincy, Mass. The savvy entrepreneur’s guide to online tax advice Comments Would CEOs go back? What are the site’s pluses? CEOs’ quick take www.bankrate.com Yes. “The news section, which seems to be updated often.” “This is a worthwhile site to visit.” www.dtonline.com Maybe. “Clear and concise language.” “Very informative.” www.irs.ustreas.gov/ bus_info/sm_bus Maybe. “Quick and easy to explore.” “Would recommend for tax issues relating to start-ups and small businesses.” www.smbiz.com Probably not. “The links.” “Could use a redesign.” www.taxcast.com No. “A comprehensive listing of links.” “It was loaded with information but was a little overwhelming for the tax novice.” www.taxmama.com No. “Good basic information that’s well categorized.” The site can give you the basics for “general tax queries.” www.taxprophet.com Maybe. “Searches of a large tax-law database.” For extensive tax research without a CPA’s services, this is a “good reference.” Grades Ease of navigation Variety User- friendliness Technical reliability Average grade www.bankrate.com A- A- B B B+ www.dtonline.com B B B- A B www.irs.ustreas.gov/ bus_info/sm_bus A- B B A- B+ www.smbiz.com B- B C- A- B- www.taxcast.com B- C B B B- www.taxmama.com C C B C C www.taxprophet.com B- C B- A B- Our panelists John Auger, cofounder, Operations Associates Gary Barras, CEO, Integral Systems Henry L. Foster, CEO, Call Henry Dr. Jim Goodnight, CEO, SAS Kevin J. Goslin, CEO and cofounder, Construction Technology Group Tim Handley, CEO, Advantage Credit International Duncan Harrison, CEO, Alaskan Automotive Distributing Dean Hunt, president, Certified Associates James Matuszewski, CEO, FeelGood for Life George G. Mueller, CEO, Color Kinetics Victor Tsao, CEO, Linksys Ross Youngs, CEO, Univenture Please e-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.

About 4827 days ago Data Security

Meet Mie-Yun Lee

Mie-Yun Lee is an expert on businesspurchasing for the office. Since she founded BuyerZone.com, Lee has given small and midsizebusinesses advice on purchasing issues of all types,and her opinion has been sought for articles and programs in leading media,including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and CNBC. In addition, Lee regularly contributes buyer’s guides forpublications like Entrepreneur magazine and Inc. Technology,and writes “Savvy Business Shopper,” a weekly syndicated column carried in leading businessjournals, including Crain’s and American City Business Journals publications. Lee’s book-writing credits incude The Essential Business Buyer’s Guide,available in bookstores nationwide. She was formerly the editor of BusinessConsumer Guide, a bimonthly publication providing in-depth information andexpert buying advice on thousands of office products and services. She currently serves as editorial director of BuyerZone.com, an Internet purchasing hubfor small and midsized businesses.Site visitors can post messages to Lee with questions or tips, and she also overseesresearch and development activities for the site. Lee is a graduate of Yale University. She cofounded her company in 1992 as a provider of business purchasing advice. Selected articles about Mie-Yun Lee: ” Taking the Pain out of Purchasing“