| Chevron Promises Continued Push into Growing Retail and Exploring Alternative Fuels
DENVER, Colo. -- Promising not to rest on their laurels, Chevron North America executives told its marketers, dealers and franchisees that the best is yet to come during the oil company's biannual convention in Denver last week. "Beyond the Horizon" was the theme for the event, which attracted almost 2,500 attendees, according to a company spokesman. In the opening Town Hall session Friday morning, Danny Roden, vice president of North America marketing; Frank Herbst, general manager of the company's Eastern retail region; and Cary Knuth, Herbst's counterpart for the Western region, disclosed the company's achievements since its last convention two years ago in Nashville, Tenn., and outlined new initiatives aimed at growing marketing share in the retail arena. In addition to announcing a one-month extension (until the end of September) of its temporary credit-card fee reduction program and the imminent end of its 75-cent upfront fee on gift cards, Chevron also revealed that next year it would introduce a new co-branded credit card tied to a loyalty program.
2007-08 Nashville Predators Preview
For the Nashville Predators, being a small market team in the post lockout era was supposed to be a good thing. After advancing to the playoffs last season for the fourth straight year, the Preds were a victim of free agency this offseason as team captain and stalwart defenseman Kimmo Timonen, gritty forward Scott Hartnell and sniper Paul Kariya all left for greener pastures as ownership continued to say they were bleeding money.
Nashville was so convinced that they financially couldn't afford to sign its own free agents, Timonen and Hartnell's rights were traded to Philadelphia a week prior to the start of the free agency period in a desperation move.
The franchise also cut ties with longtime veteran Tomas Vokoun, shipping the Czech goaltender and his $5 million-plus contract to the Florida Panthers.
Masters of business set up by design
The problem with most small businesses is their owners think like technicians. John McCrone meets legendary small business guru Michael Gerber who explains how to act like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs do it differently. They are masters of business design, chuckles United States small business guru Michael Gerber, the E-Myth guy. Mr Gerber, on a whistlestop tour of New Zealand organised by small business training specialist The Knowledge Gym, massages his brow with his fingertips as he hunts for a good example. He comes up with a case surprisingly close to home. Mr Gerber says he has a step-daughter who had six months to go at college and wanted to throw it all in for a fashion design course. What was her business plan? Study hard, get a foothold in the industry, demonstrate her talent and eventually become a famous designer.
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