ManagingAmericans.com, unique career resources, tools and cross-functional training for business leaders, managers and high potential employees, announces the addition of Sherri Petro to its Expert Panel. Petro, President of VPI Strategies, is also a Strategy,
Sherri Petro, CMU Professor and Organizational Strategist
Leadership and Change Management Professor in California Miramar University’s (CMU) MBA program. Sherri will be creating training articles, facilitating discussions and answering member questions regarding the use of Workplace Communication Skills to achieve Organizational Sustainability in Multi-Generational Workplaces.
Sherri Petro, President of VPI Strategies & California Miramar University (CMU) Professor, authored the following article: OMG, We Need to Establish Work Text-iquette
Read an excerpt here: “We all know texting and driving is a monumentally bad combination. What about texting and working? This is not in reference to texting personally while at work, it’s about using texting as a viable communication channel in our organizations. How do we use it well? While HR departments have been modifying their e-policies for use of personal texting, we don’t see much on how to use texting to effectively enhance organizational communication.”
California Miramar University, School of Business and Management, enjoys celebrating successful women who start their own businesses. Whitney Stern was inspired to become a jewelry designer while living in South America, skillfully learning to weave metals and mold organic materials through the craftsmanship of indigenous women. Whitney Stern Jewelry Design works with design teams and artisans all across Asia and Latin America and promotes authentic and transparent business practices while giving back to world communities.
Whitney Stern’s contemporary and symbolic jewelry collections offer a soft, airy feel worn by beautiful women for everyday use. Her pieces are versatile, glamorous and edgy, celebrating all women and their potential. WS jewelry is made from ethically sourced metals and the finest quality materials.
Whitney’s vision is to create meaningful, globally minded, and unique products that help empower women to dream big and spread their light. CMU invites you to meet the designer in person December 8 at Nordstrom Fashion Valley and celebrate women in business!
Fine Jewelry Trunk Show
Saturday December 8, 2012
Fashion Valley, California
6997 Friars Road
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 295-4441
Fine Jewelry Floor, 11-6 PM
This week we have unanimously voted to give our California Miramar University Small Business Spotlight Award to the San Diego Armed Forces YMCA, and it wasn’t a hard decision to make. The hardest part about this is trying to condense their remarkable services for our Armed Forces in just one blog post. Founded in 1920, they are San Diego’s oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to easing the strains of military life for active duty military personnel and military families.
With over 40 programs focused on family bonding and support, helping the children of military families and strong social networking, the San Diego Armed Services YMCA helps over 9,000 active duty military servicemen and women and their families in San Diego every month. An exceptional organization, their steadfast and unwavering dedication in helping our troops has had and continues to have a very positive impact on the San Diego military community.
For servicemen and women that have been injured in training or combat or have fallen ill, they make it a priority to make life as easy and comfortable as possible. By fulfilling requests of patients in hospitals (i.e. bringing them books, video games, hobby project materials, toiletries, music and even just having someone show up to hang out and play some board games), their reach extends far beyond their main office.
For military families, the San Diego Armed Services YMCA Family Outreach Department offers in-home counseling for free. With everything from marriage counseling and personal counseling to educating parents on raising their kids and providing emergency supplies to families that are struggling financially, their support for military families is unparalleled.
For the children of military families – who are very vulnerable at such a young age because of constant change, having to move to different cities and complex family dynamics – their Youth and Community Outreach Department offers myriad programs aimed at helping military spouses and children.
Operation Kid Comfort is a program where volunteers make quilts for children ages 0-17, and has made over 4,000 quilts to date.
The Mom & Tots Program helps foster child development, family bonding and provides a support network for parents.
Operation Hero is a free after school program for children with either low confidence and self-esteem or those who have had a tough time adjusting to military life.
Camp Hero is a weeklong camp coming up from August 7-12 helping kids cope with the difficulties of military life while traveling to some beautiful San Diego parks and helping kids connect with each other.
Craft & Conversation Group is a weekly event where military spouses can connect with each other and discuss the struggles they’re facing. They also have a Kids Club to give military spouses the time and space they need to make this possible.
This is a look at some of the programs they offer, but just some; remember, they offer over 40 in sum. Their extensive volunteer network and dedication to not just active duty military servicemen and women, but also military spouses and children has created a palpable positive impact on the San Diego military community and we at California Miramar University are so proud of what they continue to accomplish.
We’ve gone to great lengths to support our troops and military families as well, as we are approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs to offer GI educational benefits, offer Tuition Assistance. Our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs are ideal for military servicemen and women, Veterans and military spouses to be able to earn an online business degree from wherever they are in the world, and be able to do so for a very affordable price.
That aside, however, we are so proud of our troops and their families and it is organizations like this that set the standard for military family bonding and outreach programs, and really highlights the importance of caring for our servicemen and women. Thanks you San Diego Armed Services YMCA for being such a role model and conduit for support for our troops. You are what makes San Diego such a wonderful place!
“There are some who’ve forgotten why we have a military. It’s not to promote war; it’s to be prepared for peace,” said President Ronald Reagan. Keeping this great notion in mind, we at California Miramar University have identified San Diego’s own USO San Diego for this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award.
They are dedicated to improving the life of US Armed Forces personnel and their families, having done so since 1941. They provide a sense of comfort in unfamiliar places to all Active Duty Military servicemen and women and their families. USO San Diego focuses on ensuring American Military men and women feel at home in San Diego and provide them with a sense of psychological and emotional security and stability. They are a non-profit organization with no government funding, but still do everything in their power to make our national heroes feel truly at home. With over 250 volunteers that help this great cause, they’ve been able totouch the lives of about 150,000 patrons every year.
They have 2 centers in San Diego: one is downtown and the other is their Neil Ash Airport Center. Their Downtown Center is the community chest, which accepts tax deductible donations. It is also the ticket distribution point that offers tickets to local sporting events, the theatre and other entertainment shows. The Neil Ash Airport Center, on the other hand, is the host location for new recruits and deploying units, and is the place where the homecoming takes place for Military men and women whose family was not able to greet them at the airport.
According to the USO, attendance at their Downtown Center is up by about 20%, owing much to economic constraints. About 300 people eat free dinners every Tuesdays. And aside from providing tickets to local events, they also facilitate the United Through Reading program, which enables deployed Military parents to be video-recorded and read stories aloud to their children, key in helping Military families with the separation of service. They hold special events for Easter, Mothers Day and Father’s Day, and host Halloween carnivals and Christmas gifts by Santa, just to name a few.
USO San Diego is a truly remarkable organization and is one of the reasons support for our troops is so important. They work to make life and separation easier for those who dedicate their lives to our country. We at California Miramar University are inspired by and very grateful to our troops, which is why we are VA Approved to offer GI Bill educational benefits, accept Military Tuition Assistance and offer a 50% Tuition discount to Military spouses. Our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs are perfect for Military families, as they’re both reputed and ensure that you can complete your MBA degree from wherever you are in the world.
USO San Diego – thank you for being such a positive and helpful force in the Military support community!
As you know, we really care about our Military servicemen and women, veterans and Military families at California Miramar University. So this week we are giving the CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award to San Diego’s own The Pathfinder Group, a truly remarkable company dedicated to helping Veterans make the best possible transition from service back to society. They act as a link between employers and Military Veterans to help the former find great candidates for jobs and the latter land the jobs they want. They know and understand that Veterans need appropriate information of the choices available to them when they separate from the Armed Forces. They aim to make the transition simple and are the only military recruitment firm that creates military staffing and HR solutions.
Matt Brogdon is the man behind The Pathfinder Group. He is the Founder and President of the firm, an Air Force Academy graduate and a former Army Armor Officer. He is an expert in military recruiting and has been working for over 12 years connecting Military Veterans to companies, universities and schools across the country. Matt is often referred to as an expert of San Diego military talent acquisition, and he is a remarkable individual who has made a substantial impact on so many lives; it’s very heartwarming.
The thought of starting the firm struck Matt seeing his father struggle to find a job after he retired from the Air Force, taking him a few years to find the position to suit his talents. In 2009 Matt started The Pathfinder Group to make the Veteran transition simpler, enable Veterans to identify the right opportunities for themselves, and help the companies, schools and universities find the best Veterans candidates for their organizations.
Their commendable work has paved the way to Inc. Magazine’ 2012 GrowCo Conference as a Military Entrepreneur Delegate. We salute their hard work and dedication to our servicemen and women, and their success in helping Veterans readjust to society and excel in their careers. All in all, though, The Pathfinder Group is helping pave the way for Veterans to find and flourish in their careers and, with such great success in doing so, we are honored to give them this week’s Small Business Spotlight Award.
Sitting under the warm San Diego summer sun, there’s nothing more refreshing than enjoying the sweet taste of delicious fruit. That said, and because we have been recognizing many environmentally conscious companies lately, this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award goes to Sundia Corporation. Do you remember the last time you ate a fruit cup, the ideal snack because it’s healthy and already peeled so you can get right to devouring it? Well, that was probably made by Sundia.
The company was founded in 2004 by Bradford Oberwager, a well-known name in the corporate world. By emphasizing the importance of leading a healthy life and backing this up through its promotion of fruits and veggies, they have become a hit not just in California, but all around the world. They are the fastest growing company that sells produce in all of North America and have sold over 25 million cups in the US Canada to date.
However the fruit cup is not actually what they started with. They were originally focused on watermelons, wanting to be the first watermelon brand in the U.S. Through tenacity and hard work they were able to establish relationships with 4 of the top 5 suppliers and, as a result, are now responsible for 35% of the watermelons shipped in the country.
Now the fruit cups come into play. In 2007 they introduced their True Fruit fruit cups to both get healthy snacks into the hands of consumers and help people get their full servings of fruit everyday. Next time you go to the grocery store, take a look in the produce section; I’m sure you’ll find a delicious fruit cup to snack on while not feeling guilty about eating junk food.
Because their fruit cups were such a hit, they expanded their product line to include both organic and light options, the latter of which contains fruit in water and artificial sweetener instead of fruit insyrup. Both products have redefined the industry and have helped Sundia leave a global footprint on the industry (although not a carbon footprint, as they stress sustainability and are carbon neutral). Today they are more successful than ever and have acquired the license to sell Sunkist and Jamba Juice fruit cups to show it.
Ranked the 6th Most Promising Company by Forbes and the 2nd Fastest Growing Food & Beverage Company in the U.S. by Inc.com, they witnessed a 363% 3-year growth rate from 2007 to 2010, increasing their revenue from $2.2 million to $10.3 million. With a team of only 13, they have stayed true to their entrepreneurial roots and are still intent on putting the consumer at the center of their operations.
Thank you Sundia Corporation for providing us with delicious and nutritious snacks to satisfy our hunger pains, and thank you for teaching students in our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs what it takes to create and grow a successful business: the desire, from the very beginning, to be a national leader.
Summer is here! And there’s nothing more fit than to give this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award to San Diego’s own Stone Brewing Co. They have a long and very interesting story, which started at a music rehearsal studio, moved to a weekend class on the “Sensory Evaluation of Beer” and finally ended up at the establishment of Stone Brewing Co. It is the brainchild of beer-lover and business guru Greg Koch (CEO and co-founder) and beer-enthusiast and master brewer Steve Wagner (President and co-founder).
Greg and Steve met in 1989 in Los Angeles and shared their love for beer. They kept in touch and finally realized they wanted to open their own brewery. Based on Steve’s knowledge in brewery and Greg’s past success in business, they managed to convince some private investors to invest in their project to start a brewery, and on July 26, 1996, the first beer was tapped in the brewery’s tasting room. Their journey soon took off with the production and variety and quality. They are now a thriving craft brewery in the U.S., with 18 beers on tap at all times – more than enough to satisfy the taste buds of even the more nuanced beer aficionados.
They have achieved remarkable milestones in the brewery industry. They have been named one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies by the San Diego Business Journal seven years in a row, and have achieved an annual average growth rate of 43% for the past 15 years. Stone’s revenue has grown by a tremendous 1500% in the last decade. According to Inc.com, their 2002 revenue was $4 million with 41 employees, whereas now their revenue stands at $83 million with 465 employees. Very impressive, to say the least.
Not only dominating the American beer scene, they also are international in scope and distribute their beer and wine to 36 states (plus Washington, DC) and their exports reach as far as the U.K., Sweden, Japan and Singapore.
They are now the 11th largest craft brewery in the nation, and I’m sure you’ve tasted some of their extraordinarily delicious craft brews while out on the town. They have earned many awards and recognitions, including Brewery of the Year and All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth. Stone also holds honors as America’s Top Brewery Tour and CEO Greg Koch has been knighted by the Belgian Brewers Federation and was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. They have won many Great American Beer Festival medals and have also participated in many Environmental, Sustainable and Philanthropic campaigns. Also recognizing the need to give back to the community, they have also donated millions to charities to help spur social development.
Because of their hard work and continued innovation in the craft beer industry, they are a great role model for students in our online MBA programsand Hybrid MBA programs. Stone Brewing Co., we wish you nothing but continued success in the future and thank you for livening our taste buds when out on a beautiful San Diego night!
This week we at California Miramar University have chosen San Diego’s own Cali Bamboo for our Small Business Spotlight Award. Not only have they created a unique and successful business that has skyrocketed in the past 4 years; they also endeavor to make a true difference in the future of our planet.
Cali Bamboo manufactures green building materials for residential and commercial projects made primarily from bamboo, one of the most sustainable, renewable and strongest materials. With its aesthetically pleasing and chic bamboo-based designs, they have captured a segment of the construction and remodeling markets because most people turn to wood for their homes and offices. However, because of bamboo’s durability and how it can turn the simplest of buildings into modern, ultra cool works of art, Cali Bamboo has been very successful in evoking a sense of imagination and creativity in people when designing their homes.
The company is the brainchild of two friends – Jeff Goldberg and Tanner Haigwood. They started in 2004 with one vision and one delivery van, and they grew much faster than expected. From fencing they moved on to flooring, plywood, paneling and composite decking. Evidence of their tremendous growth is their listing for the third consecutive year in Inc.com’s 500 fastest growing private companies, and has also been named one of the fastest growing companies in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal.
Their business operations don’t just stop at revolutionizing homes and offices and protecting the environment; they are also into social welfare. They have joined the 1% For The Planet movement, donating 1% of their sales to myriad environmental organizations around the world. They have also helped raise $50,000 for theSurfrider Foundation, dedicated to protecting our oceans; they’ve donated bamboo plywood to build art displays for a Costa Mesa group home and to build skateboard ramps for the Boys and Girls Club in Anaheim; and they’ve donated materials to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and a Habitat for Humanity construction project in El Cajon, to name a few. Seriously? How are they THIS amazing?
Cali Bamboo’s Jeff Goldberg was named the Most Admired CEO by the SDBJ, and both founders won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year Award in 2009. According to Inc.com,the company has seen 149% growth in the last 3 years. Its 2010 revenues stand at $11.3 million, compared to $4.5 million in 2007. They have a hard working and socially conscious team of 25 employees to help make the world a greener and better place to live.
Thank you Cali Bamboo for being such a great role model for students in our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs. We wish you nothing but continued success, and are very proud to give you our CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award.
This week’s California Miramar University Small Business Spotlight Award goes to San Diego’s own LifeWave. Founder and CEO David Schmidt is a person known for his inventive nature, starting LifeWave with a primary goal of helping people live a healthy life and realize their full potential. With their groundbreaking homeopathic and acupressure products, specifically the their patches, David Schmidt and his now global LifeWave team have introduced products to the health market that do not require analeptics, sedatives, myriad miscellaneous drugs and invasive needles.
Their homeopathic medicines and patches work on acupressure points on our bodies, very similar to acupuncture but without needles going into the skin. With patches focused on providing pain relief, improved sleep patterns, anti-aging, weight loss and increased energy levels, LifeWave has revolutionized the medical market by reinventing the centuries old medicinal practice of acupuncture to be both safer and easier to utilize.
The patches have found their way into the hands of many professional athletes, as they have found them to be highly beneficial energy stabilizers. Many athletes and health ambassadors around the world are ardent supporters of their products including the U.S. Track and Field Team, who used and endorsed their products during the 2008 Olympic Games in China.
David Schmidthas won myriad awards over the years, including the Advanced Technology Award (1998, 1999); Cambridge Who’s Who Award; Medal Of Recognition from Rome; International Observatory of Discomfort Award; Moving America Forward Award; and many more.
This company was founded in 2004 and has made its way to the Fastest Growing Private Companies list 3 years in a row. According to Inc.com,the company is ranked #721 among the top 5000 small businesses in the U.S. From 2007 to 2010 it has seen a 436% increase in growth, with profits nearing $40 million as compared to $7 million in 2007.
With products being sold in over 100 nations across the globe, LifeWave has truly cornered a segment of the health market because THEY have created it. Their innovative medicinal products with scientific backing have helped thousands across the globe improve their health and lead better lives. This is why we have chosen to give them this week’s CalMU Small Business Award, and we wish nothing but the best for them down the road.
And who knows; maybe some of our international students in our online MBA programs are using LifeWave patches…
Are you considering pursuing a Masters in Business Administration? Have you considered the advantages of earning an online business degree? There are many good reasons to move forward with your dreams, not least of which is that you can earn an average of 50% more than you are earning today with your bachelor’s degree. That is the average, and it can certainly increase from there.
Many companies consider an MBA to be an essential minimum requirement for entry-level management positions. Your dream may actually be a necessity if you want to move forward in your career. Job prospects for MBAs have increased 24% in the U.S., and 36% worldwide. And in 2011 the average salary for a person who had earned an MBA was $92,000. In some major cities that figure even increases to $102,869.
Why earn a degree online? Online MBA programs have many advantages. The most obvious benefit is the flexibility. Leaving a job is not necessary with accredited online MBA programs, and more often than not schooling can work around life events. While brick and mortar schools do offer night and weekend classes, it is still not nearly as flexible as working on your own computer at home. The need for commuting to school is eliminated and thereby so are gas expenses and the need to buy a new wardrobe for class.
Another major benefit of earning an online MBA is that you can search nationwide for a program from any location; there are no geographic limits when exploring online MBA programs. You can find online programs that fit your needs and match your budget requirements. When thinking about this, also consider the savings in transportation, childcare, parking, and even sometimes, housing.
There are other reasons besides financial for earning an online business degree. An MBA is a great way to change careers. It can be a very valuable means of moving into a management position, and is also extremely useful for entrepreneurs – often investors will look for an MBA when considering companies.
Carefully research accredited online MBA programs and choose the one that is right for you and your outlook and prospects will soar. And as one of the top 10 MBA programs in San Diego as rated by the San Diego Business Journal, with very affordable tuition, you should definitely consider us here at California Miramar University and let us know if you have any questions.
This week we are awarding the California Miramar Small Business Spotlight to San Diego’s own Active Network. Active Network is a technology and media company that is essentially grounded in event and facilities management. They put registrations for recreational and/or cultural activities on the cloud, thus simplifying the registration process for consumers and expanding the participation of the events.
They started their first chapter of their success story in 1998 in a small office with less than 50 employees. But because they have built software that has made it much easier and more convenient to organize events and activities, today Active Network has grown to a team of 2,917 employees touching millions of people around the world.
Besides the U.S., the company has a strong presence in Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Led by CEO Dave Alberga and President Matt Landa, Active has acquired many companies till date including Eteamz, LeagueLink, Sierra Digital Inc, Myteam.com and Class Software, to name a few.
On May 25, 2011, Active Network went public on the New York Stock
Exchange, a major milestone for the company. They have achieved remarkable growth of about 300% in last 4 years. Their revenue in 2007 was nearly $102 million, and it catapulted to$270 million in 2010. In 2011, their revenue increased to $337.4 million, marking a 21% increase from 2010 and a nearly 300% increase from 2007, according to Hoovers.
For some more numbers that demonstrate why’ve we’ve chosen them for our CalMU Small Business Spotlight award, let’s take a look at recreational activities in the U.S. Active conducted a survey through Survey.com in 2010, which found that 73& of households surveyed participated in pain recreational/community activities. Based on their internal research, they concluded that their market encompasses over 1.8 million registrations annually in the U.S., which totals more than $110 billion in registration spending. Blow away? Yep, though so.
They are also a very large job provider and they hire from undergraduates to post graduates, very notable for our students in our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs. They are the perfect example of how creating a fun work environment and inspiring employees to keep them motivated will truly foster business success.
Active Network – thank you for creating the ideal business (role) model for future entrepreneurs.
One of the new certification courses we’re offering through the California Miramar University Extension program is ‘Zero Cost Marketing Secrets’, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Taught by renowned Internet and mobile marketing Dan Hollings, the courses and designation programs focus on mobile, Internet and social marketing, and are in a similar format as our online MBA programs.
Here’s the breakdown of the program:
Students will learn how to completely overhaul their business’ marketing strategies and be able to use the ‘Zero Cost Marketing Secrets’ to cost-effectively push their business to new heights. (And yes, ‘Zero Cost’ really does mean ZERO cost!)
Material will cover myriad essential marketing topics and strategies, including but not limited to: transforming, creating and reinventing, marketing strategies; cutting down on marketing costs; solving the daily problems every marketing professional faces everyday; new ideas and concepts presented by Dan Hollings himself; and the ins and outs of marketing in the mobile, Internet and social arenas.
Students will work directly with a California Miramar University marketing coach either one-on-one or in small interactive groups (maximum 7 people) on the strategies and marketing formulas covered by Mr. Hollings, meeting twice each month. Marketing coaches will help students dissect the course material, interpret it and apply it towards businesses for a complete hands-on learning experience.
After completing the CalMU Extension – Zero Cost Marketing Secrets program, graduates will receive Certification in the subject and have the knowledge and tools to create an engaging and successful marketing campaign, both of which are very attractive to potential employers. Needless to say, we’re very excited to be offering this and know that it is going to pave the path for the marketing leaders of tomorrow.
To give you a little preview of who Dan Hollings is and what the format of the training program is, here is a video snippet from Dan Hollings on the importance of mobile marketing.
The ‘Zero Cost Marketing Secrets’ training program joins our other CalMU Extension certification programs, including Mobile Marketing, Real Estate, Film & Television, Spanish for English Speakers and English for Spanish Speakers, Internet Prophets and a Transcription Certification course.
Transcript of the Lesson
The very first thing, I’m gonna cover three success secrets, and I covered some of these – actually, let’s see, my slides are going nutty here. Okay, here we go. I covered some of these in some of my free presentations but not all of them and I just wanna run through them quick ‘cause they are so important.
You’ve got to make a commitment starting today that you’re not going to do campaigns anymore, you won’t do any strategies, you won’t take on consulting jobs without thinking about mobile as just a necessary part of it. It’s not optional; it’s not something that you might do here or there and maybe sometimes. You just do it on every one. It’s as important as any other part of a campaign that you, you know, might do, okay? You wouldn’t go design business cards and then leave out the part of taking it to the printer. It’s that important; you have to include it. So, everything that you do that’s associated with the campaign, try to make it mobile. And I’m going to show you all of those ways as we go forward here.
The second thing – and this is more important I think in mobile than it is in Internet marketing – that is you’ve got to think compelling all the time. And by compelling, it’s as if, though, if what you are offering to your customer isn’t compelling to them as they interact with your campaign in their mobile state – you know, wherever they’re at, you know, out and about – if it’s not compelling to them, in that situation, then it’s not going to work.
So really one part of your success in mobile is going to be figuring out how to make whatever it is you do, whatever it is you sell, make it compelling to a customer when he‘s on the go, when she’s on the go; that’s important. And so that’s going to require some thinking, you know, if you just take your product – I’ll give you some points in a moment – but you’ll take your product, you can say, ”Okay, if a person were mobile, what could I do, you know, related to my product to make them feel as if though I’m serving them something that needs to be on mobile, that they would want to get on mobile,” things of that nature. We’re going to go into detail on that later, but you’ve got to become compelling; that’s the trick to being successful in mobile.
On the Internet, you know, you can kind of throw anything out there and some things stick, some things don’t. On mobile, you’ve got to think it through and make sure you’re giving them what they want. When people walk into an ice cream store, what do they want? Ice cream! You can’t serve ‘em, you know, chili. That’s not what they’re in the mood for. When a person is on a mobile device, what do they want? Mobile content; mobile delivery of whatever they’ve bought; mobile stuff; stuff that will help them while they’re out and about, on the go.
The next thing has to do with value. You’ve got to give more value than you do in any other mode. You need to add so much value to whatever your target, you know, customer or audience wants that they literally will fall in love with you. And they’ll like you because you’re delivering to them what they want in the mobile environment that they love so much.
So you’re gonna have to think about things like really upswing your customer support, really thinking about, you know, how your product or your service can be of benefit to someone when they’re out there on the go; and if you do this, they will fall in love with you, they will love to receive your text messages. You’ll be sending less of them rather than more of them because you’ll just be effective with what you do, and they will share it with the other people.
Transcribed by GMR Transcription
This week we have chosen True Religion Apparel, Inc., for our CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award. I know most of you have heard of them, and many of you regularly wear their designer jeans and other apparel, and it’s for good reason.
They have taken jeans and all of the casual stereotypes sewn into them and have made them fashionable again. Instead of just throwing on a pair and going to school or heading to a friend’s house, they have become the ideal pants to wear out on a weekend night: not too casual, not too formal, and the perfect amount of comfort. So for students in our Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs, and for business people in general, here is a look at this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight.
True Religion was founded in December 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell and Kym Gold. They now have around 900 branded boutiques and specialty stores in 50 countries on 6 continents (say that 5 times fast). The flagship store is located in Manhattan Beach, California, and was their first retail store, opening in late 2005. In a span of decade True Religion Apparel have created a milestone in the denim and fashion industry and is showing no signs of slowing down. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers…
Jeffrey Lubell is truly a visionary who started a small business in fashion apparel, but geared it to a more high end market to really help bring casual wear back in style. Its annual sales have surpassed the $400 million mark, with sales for the fiscal year of 2011 totaling nearly $420 million.
However, according to Forbes, if we look at its sales from March 31, 2011, to March 31, 2012, True Religion’s sales are closer to $433 million, highlighting its current increase in consumer popularity. That’s because their reported 2012 First Quarter numbers are eye-opening, with sales skyrocketing nearly 14% to reach $106.8 million. There’s no wonder why the brand has become such hot activity on Wall Street in recent months.
I don’t know about you, but I know what I’m wearing this Friday night
In this week’s CalMU Business Spotlight, we have decided to feature none other than the San Diego Business Journal. We’re not playing favorites because they ranked us in the Top 10 MBA Schools in San Diego for our on-campus, Hybrid MBA and online MBA programs. Rather, the SDBJ is the premier source of business news and insight, connecting the San Diego business community together through its myriad events, engaging content and business awards. Here’s some more about them and why we have given them this week’s CalMU Business Spotlight.
The San Diego Business Journal highlights the community of business. From the corporate CEO to an MBA student, the Journal connects individuals and companies to current business events that make San Diego an exciting city for entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Readers learn of the latest high-tech companies and new innovations that are peeking over the horizon. People can read about the best CEOs and their business philosophy. Venture companies will learn about innovative new companies that need an angel investor to bring an exciting new product into the market.
Creative middle-managers are highlighted for their innovative style. That manager might be the right individual that a company seeking help needs to complete a critical management team.
Companies considering a move to San Diego can learn about this business community’s culture and discover the right person to close a great real estate deal or provide capital goods.
Meet the bankers at the SDBJ who can help a company grow. Meet the head of a licensed security company who can manage a portfolio. Meet the experienced business traveler who can brief a new business about Hong Kong and suggest how many big bulls to carry. Meet the chief chef of one of many fine San Diego restaurants where you and your family can enjoy a fabulous Sunday dinner.
MBA students appreciate the Journal’s varied content and featured businesses. By reading these pages carefully, a student can find a treasure trove of hints about the qualities a San Diego business owner seeks when hiring a new employee.
Learning about the San Diego business community will help an MBA student answer this critical question: If I hire you, what value will you bring to my company?
The SDBJ is opens up a world of unlimited possibilities, ideas and directions. Each issue offers a new revelation of what makes San Diego California’s best city for business. From glossy color layouts to no-nonsense analysis, the San Diego Business Journal gives the reader news, features, tips and opinions found in no other publication.
The San Diego Business Journal offers insight, vision and perspective to individuals and companies who need to understand San Diego business today.
