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March 26, 2012 • 2:55 pm 0
MinnPost: Newspapers swapping dollars for dimes
MinnPost posted a story today with a rather dreary forecast for daily newspapers. A recently released Pew Research Center report shows newspapers losing far more print revenue than they are generating with online ad sales – at a ratio of about 10:1. Television is on the losing end too – shedding about 27 percent of revenue over the past five years.
One doesn’t have to be a math genius to realize these numbers aren’t adding up. On the upside for the news business, however, purely digital news organizations are growing exponentially. The full story can be found here: http://www.minnpost.com/business/2012/03/newspapers-are-swapping-dollars-dimes
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March 20, 2012 • 11:50 am 0
Facebook password, if you please
More employers are asking applicants to surrender Facebook passwords as a vetting tool. This practice goes beyond the quick glance of the person’s Facebook profile, but rather is a request to look more deeply at the applicant’s posts, photos, friends, wall, etc. Obviously, the requests for passwords are getting mixed reviews. Some see a look inside a Facebook account as a way to find out what one is really getting with a new employee. Others consider it a big invasion of privacy. The Star Tribune explores this issue, which is likely to play out in legislative bodies throughout the nation as lawmakers and courts determine how much employers have a right to ask. http://www.startribune.com/business/143455776.html
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March 13, 2012 • 3:58 pm 0
Your View on the Economy
Bloomberg released its own economic pulse survey, indicating many Americans are feeling more upbeat. (See blog post below.) Take our poll and tell us how you rate the current state of the economy.
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March 13, 2012 • 3:48 pm 0
Americans more upbeat
A Bloomberg poll released today indicates that more Americans are optimistic about the economy today than last June. There was a pronounced uptick in the number of respondents who reported being “hopeful” about the state of the economy. There also was a marked decrease in the number of those who reported being “cautious” or “fearful” on the economy.
Despite the increase in positive sentiment, however, the majority of Americans still assert the country is moving in the wrong direction. Bloomberg has the full story here: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-13/obama-in-poll-winning-more-americans-than-not-asserting-they-re-better-off.html
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March 12, 2012 • 4:52 pm 0
Examining China’s future
This analysis piece by the British magazine, ” The Economist,” examines the impact of soaring labor prices in China. Some are predicting a two or even three-fold increase in manufacturing costs by the year 2020. What does it mean for China? The Chinese may have to innovate sooner rather than later or risk significant growth slow-down. The full article can be found here: http://www.economist.com/node/21549956
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March 7, 2012 • 10:51 pm 0
Gogebic Taconite pull signaling trouble for mining?
It may seem a bit self-serving to link to a blog that linked to a BusinessNorth story, but this one’s definitely worth a read.
Aaron Brown, Iron Range political pundit, college instructor and blogger offered some interesting thoughts on the recent decision of Gogebic Taconite to pull from Wisconsin.
Brown questions whether the move was motivated by an uncooperative Wisconsin legislature, or a realization that monetization might prove difficult. If the latter is the case, there could be further implications to developing Minnesota projects, such as Essar Steel Minnesota and the Keetac expansion.
Time will tell. In the meantime, here are Brown’s thoughts on the topic: http://www.minnesotabrown.com/2012/03/gogebic-taconite-cancels-northern.html
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March 6, 2012 • 11:43 am 0
On the inconveniences of moving your office…..
BusinessNorth moved its offices to downtown Duluth last week. While we think it’s a good long-term decision, it has created some short-term challenges.
Our phone system is not yet fully functional due to the move. Meanwhile, you can still reach us by phone at 866-221-8485. Our old phone number, 218-720-3060, will return to service after March 9. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes.
If you’d like to come visit us in person, we’re now located at 407 W Superior Street, Suite B, Duluth. Contact us by email at: news@businessnorth.com or ads@businessnorth.com
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February 23, 2012 • 6:44 pm 0
A Big Mac by another name?
This fun WSJ video explores the new baguette-based burger launched by McDonald’s in French markets. It makes perfect business sense to us here at BusinessNorth that if you just slap a Big Mac on a bagette, Parisians will immediately recognize it as food. On the upside, it’s probably not going to be as costly as that other great American/French venture – Euro Disney.
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