: SOLUTIONS : : EXPERTISE : : VIEWS: Would CAFTA benefit U.S. businesses, workers? : : POLITICS : : TECH : : TRAVEL : : FOCUS : : GOOD WORKS : : EXECUTIVE PROFILE :

SOLUTIONS

Don't let workplace conflicts fester

Whether conflict arises between a boss and an employee, two people collaborating side by side, or among a team of co-workers, there's no room in the office to merely brush it off.... > Full text

To grow your company, you must delegate

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EXPERTISE

Secure specific benefits and terms before accepting an executive position

Before accepting a position with a company, an executive should negotiate an employment agreement.... > Full text

A user-friendly model for business growth

Build an effective board to address the tough questions

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VIEWS: Would CAFTA benefit U.S. businesses, workers?

State's trade compass has turned southward

The points on Wisconsin's free-trade compass have shifted. Ten years ago, the magnetic arrows were predominantly east-west; Wisconsin's largest trading partners were clustered in the Far East and Europe. Today, the compass points mostly north-south. Canada is the state's No. 1 trading partner and Mexico has scrambled up the list to No. 2, as total exports to both nations exceeded $6 billion in 2004.... > Full text

Flawed trade rules need major overhaul

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POLITICS

Bidding on government contracts complicated, but may be worth it

Think it's tough to figure out your taxes every year? Most businesses find the bidding process for government work just as dizzying.... > Full text

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TECH

Directory details high-tech companies

The 160-page book lists nearly 460 biotech, medical device, computer-related and scientific consulting companies with combined revenues of just under $5 billion and more than 26,000 employees, or about 9 percent of the Madison area's labor force.... > Full text

Open-source packages are a viable alternative to proprietary software

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TRAVEL

How to protect yourself and your belongings

Business travelers are often their own worst enemies when it comes to being safe on the road.... > Full text

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FOCUS

Firm foundations

Flad, Erdman can trace roots back to Frank Lloyd Wright.... > Full text

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GOOD WORKS

Companies respond in big way to tsunami disaster

Capital region businesses and their employees donated nearly $1 million in less than 30 days after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami last December, according to estimates from local charities.... > Full text

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EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Pepi Randolph

Premier salesman for Wisconsin... > Full text

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Business Indicators

Based on Richard Florida's research, the "Creative Class" is a "series of occupational categories that add economic value through creativity."  Florida divides Creative Class occupations into two categories: the Super Creative Core and Creative Professionals.  The Super Creative Core comprises occupations highly associated with problem-finding and problem-solving and includes those involved in science, engineering, computers, mathematics, education, the arts, design and entertainment.  Creative Professionals work in knowledge-intensive occupations commonly found in high-tech sectors, financial services, business management, health care and legal professions.  The Creative Class has received national attention.  Florida argues that creativity is the decisive source of a region's competitive advantage in the economy.  He notes that "access to creative people is to modern business what access to coal and iron was to steel making."  Accordingly, the number of Creative Class occupations in a region is often used as one measure of competitive advantage.

Past Issues

July 2008

Start-ups from UW research fuel the state's economy

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June 2008

Drive down fuel costs

May 2008

Weather the storm

April 2008

Prayer and profit

March 2008

Outside help: A consultant could be the missing piece your business needs

February 2008

Strike first: Make your plans before disaster hits

January 2008

Defend their data

December 2007

Generations meshed

November 2007

Going green

October 2007

Good work if you can get it

September 2007

Thieves within our companies

August 2007

Choosing a charity

July 2007

Southern Wisconsin's big kitchen

June 2007

Use debt to get a leg up

May 2007

More than just
rah-rah!


April 2007

Real world lessons

March 2007

Evolution or extinction

February 2007

New directions

January 2007

Polishing your image

December 2006

On guard

November 2006

Building with the Web

October 2006

Making lean work

September 2006

Winning together

August 2006

Hospitals are getting treatment

July 2006

Going inside corporate culture

June 2006

Madwaukee -- closer than you think

May 2006

Business next

April 2006

Protect your business

March 2006

Make your company a great place to work

February 2006

"The Incredible Shrinking Workforce"

January 2006

What to expect in 2006

December 2005

Secrets of highly successful CEOs

November 2005

Maximum exposure

October 2005

Employer flexibility

September 2005

401(k) auto features

August 2005

The value of today's MBA

July 2005

Exporting from Wisconsin

June 2005

Health care costs

May 2005

Ethics in the workplace

April 2005

The search for skilled labor


Resources

Index of advertisers

Directory