Thursday, March 2, 2017

How to Get Back on Track When Your Coaching Habit Slips

By Michael Bungay Stanier

A company’s success lies in its employees, so it’s no surprise that good leaders are always looking for ways to help their employees learn and develop at work. The best practices have changed over the years, but arguably one of the best things you can do for your employees (and for yourself, in the end) is coach them.

We all need to coach for performance when issues arise, but I’m talking about coaching for development — the kind of coaching that benefits everyone involved, as it helps employees learn, it encourages managers to step back and it allows us all to do that great work we set out to do.

The best way to do this is to create a new habit and start coaching on a daily basis.

The Key to Coaching

You’ve probably already attempted to coach your employees in one way or another, but did you know that the key to coaching is asking questions? In my book The Coaching Habit, I explore how asking more questions is what really helps drive employees.

It’s simple, really: Stay quiet a little longer, offer less advice and ask more questions.

Perhaps you’ve already noticed this approach works and you’re trying to implement it as a new coaching habit. Good for you! You’re looking for ways to better your work environment and encourage those around you, while also eliminating your tendency to jump in and take over.

At some point, you will stumble. You might accidentally take over a project with the good intention of helping. Or offer advice before asking an employee for their thoughts. Or start fixing an issue that isn’t the actual challenge that needs to be addressed. It’s okay, you’re human. And hey, you’re likely just trying to help.

When that happens, all you’ll need is to have a plan for how to get back on track.

Make Your Habit a Resilient System

The secret to building a resilient system is to build in a fail-safe so that when something breaks, it’s easy to recover from it. You can do just that with your coaching habit: build in your own fail-safe. That’s the first step to creating a habit that’s hard to break.

Chances are, if you’re trying something new, you’ll encounter some resistance. If your employees usually come to you for advice and you start asking questions instead of offering answers, it might take them some time to adapt to your new coaching style. It might take you time to adapt also — asking questions instead of offering advice when we’re used to the latter can be difficult!

Make a Plan

To make your habit a resilient system, create a plan to get started, one which includes a way to circle back when the road gets bumpy. Here are some ideas for getting going:

Try out your new habit on someone who you think would make a good guinea pig, or on someone with whom you’ve run out of ideas, so you’ve got nothing to lose.

Start small. You don’t need to change everything all at once. Maybe you begin by asking a few questions here and there and then gradually incorporate more as you gain confidence in your system.

Get someone else involved. Tell a colleague what you’re trying to accomplish and ask them to do it too. You can encourage each other and hold one another accountable, and even practice together.

Deal with Setbacks

These strategies are all part of a great plan, but even together they won’t always do the trick.

You might feel awkward when you first try to implement a new habit at work; the resistance you encounter might make you feel incompetent or you might revert back to old habits without meaning to. These types of setbacks are bound to happen; you just need to know how to deal with them.

When you feel like surrendering, remember why you committed to making a change in the first place. This will remind you of the payoff and encourage you to not give up. Concentrate on what you’re really committed to doing, and then decide what you can let go of in order to refocus your energy.

Learn to adapt. Maybe you’ve fallen off track because you’re having a hard time rolling with the punches. You’re asking the questions, but they aren’t being well received. You’re talking less, but your employees aren’t jumping in more. That’s okay — everyone operates differently and there are many ways to approach people. Be ready to adapt and work with your team’s differences. Ask yourself what is working and what isn’t, and figure out what you should stop doing and what you can do more of. Build in time to reflect as part of your plan for getting back on track.

Connect with people. If you’re not immediately successful in creating your new habit, check in with those you’ve been trying it on. Check in with your accountability buddy and ask for feedback.

You’ve made the choice to build a new coaching habit. Be bold, don’t be afraid to keep trying — and don’t add more to your plate. Focus on what’s essential and keep practicing. Get back on the horse and keep on with your original plan.

The same goes for any habit you’re trying to build — this doesn’t apply just to my suggested coaching habit.

Regardless of the behavior you’re trying to change, remember that people make mistakes and that you just need to persevere. Eventually, if you’re committed, the new habit will stick and you’ll worry less about it and focus more on how that habit is positively affecting your workplace.

 

 

About the Author:

Author of The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier is Senior Partner of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less Good Work and more Great Work. It is best known for its coaching programs, which give busy managers practical tools to coach in 10 minutes or less.

Download free chapters of Michael’s latest book, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, here.

The post How to Get Back on Track When Your Coaching Habit Slips appeared first on Successful Blog.

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How to Get Back on Track When Your Coaching Habit Slips

Pushing the Envelope: Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone as an Entrepreneur

Most people are content to fall into a regular routine. Here’s why, as an entrepreneur, you can never be one of them.

Pushing The Envelope Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone as an Entrepreneur

When was the last time you felt uncomfortable?

Let me rephrase that—when was the last time you genuinely challenged yourself? When did you step out of your safe, familiar routine and do something that tested your abilities, something you didn’t think you could do? Chances are good that if you are like most people, you are struggling to remember.

But as an entrepreneur, stepping out of your comfort zone is something for which you need to constantly strive. If you do not seek to break the mold and challenge yourself, you will never grow. And if you do not grow, you will never attain greater success in both your business and personal life.

“Seeking comfort, however natural it is, will never enable growth,” writes Entrepreneur contributor Natalie Bounassar. “Think back to your greatest moments of growth. What was the process like? Was it easy? My guess is no. Growth rarely is.”

Here’s the thing about running a startup: it should not be easy. You should enjoy it, sure. You should love your business and your life with a deep, burning passion. But you also should not feel as though you are coasting along without a care in the world. Startups continue to grow and develop when their founders take risks.

Let’s say you have wound up in something of a rut. You have settled into a consistent, comfortable routine, and you are not sure how to break yourself out of it. You have realized that, in spite of all your best efforts, you are stagnating. Your skills are not developing, your mind is not expanding, and you are functionally standing still.

What can you do about it?

1. Start small.

Identify one weakness of yours: a skill you would like to improve, a process you would like to make better, or a habit you’d like to break. Start thinking about one small thing you might do to be better.

For example, if you have trouble finishing your extremely long to do list each day, start by scheduling one high-priority task a day that you always keep to—a daily workout, perhaps. As a bonus, the daily workout will give you more energy to tackle other more challenging tasks.

2. Look for new opportunities.

Personal growth isn’t always something you will have to do on your own. Is there a public speaking class in your city? Are you aware of a networking event or an expert panel you could sit on? These events bring together like-minded people so they can share ideas and connect with each other.

You never know who you might meet. You might meet a potential new employee or a strategic partner for your company. Meeting others in person also gives you the opportunity to really perfect your elevator speech about your startup. It also helps you continually be able to promote yourself, as well as your business.

If you are not a fan of connecting in person or talking in front of a large group, try putting yourself out there more in an online environment. There are a myriad of options, including guest blogging, participating in a Twitter chat, and starting a Facebook group. These channels all get you out there in front of your target audience.

Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone in an area outside of your business helps you gain confidence so you can eventually take more risks in your own business. For example, you could learn a new language or volunteer for a non-profit.

3. Work in moderation.

You do not always need to be outside your comfort zone, mind you. Even if you are only doing a few things that challenge your abilities, you are on the right track. You should still stick to what you are good at in the meantime.

4. Never stop striving.

Whether you are setting small goals, intermediate goals, or long-term goals, you should never stop looking for ways to improve yourself. Develop a new, positive habit. Learn something new. Foster a new partnership. But always move forward.

When you set goals, make sure that you are working towards measurable objectives and try to set a time frame for completion. As all entrepreneurs know, it is sometimes hard to stay motivated without a boss checking in on you frequently. Be your own boss and hold yourself accountable.

Conclusion

Personal growth is never easy, pleasant, or comfortable. But as an entrepreneur, it is something you should always aim for. Otherwise, your business will eventually stand still just like you.

So in closing, I will ask again: when was the last time you felt uncomfortable? Maybe it is time to start striving for the discomfort we all naturally fear.

The post Pushing the Envelope: Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone as an Entrepreneur appeared first on GrowMap.

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Pushing the Envelope: Why You Need to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone as an Entrepreneur

Tesla Model 3 Pre-Orders Nearing 300,000, Stock Falls After The Market Close (TSLA)

Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) continues it roll with the upside no where in sight, or is there?  Shares of Tesla stock jumped Friday, gaining $ 7.82, or 3.4 percent, to close at $ 237.59, after the company introduced the long awaited “more affordable” Model 3 on Thursday night. Since then, more than a quarter million people may have put […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Tesla Model 3 Pre-Orders Nearing 300,000, Stock Falls After The Market Close (TSLA)

Fashion Retailer H&M to Open 4,000 More Stores

Karl-Johan Persson the CEO at Hennes & Mauritz forecast that the clothier would more than double the number of stores it has, to close the gap between itself and it bigger rival Spain’s Inditex, and as online giant Amazon.com increases the competition in the fast fashion industry. Persson said he thought the company would reach […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Fashion Retailer H&M to Open 4,000 More Stores

Average Brokerage Recommendation for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC)

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) was up +2.12% ($ 1.37) to $ 66.02 and showed a volume of 3.9 mln shares. It has ranged in price between $ 65.17-$ 66.66 after having started the session at $ 65.49 as compared to the previous trading day’s close of $ 64.65. The GAP was therefore 1.28%. Over the 52-week time span, the stock notched a high price of $ 73.33 and its minimum price was $ 39.73. The firm’s stock has a market capitalization of $ 37.59 bln.

The analysts offering 12 month price targets for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation have a median target of $ 82, with a high estimate of $ 110 and a low estimate of $ 39. The median estimate represents a 24.2% increase from the last price.

According to Zacks brokerage recommendations, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC)’s Buy count is 1 and Strong Buy is 17 while the number of analysts recommending Sell and Strong Sell are 0 and 7, respectively. Also, the Hold rating count is 0, as of 01 Mar 2017. The analyst recommendations from a month ago are 1 Buy, 17 Strong Buy, 0 Sell, 0 Hold and 7. Strong Sell. Investors might also notice that two months ago the Buy recommendations (1) were less than Sell recommendations (1). The count of Hold ratings in that period was 0. Chicago-based equity research firm Zacks Investment Research has assigned this stock ABR (Average Brokerage Recommendation) of 1.6, indicating analysts in general look favorably on the company’s future prospects.

Now, the FactSet Research estimate calls for Q1 2017 earnings of US$ 0.02. A month ago, analyst EPS consensus estimated earnings of US$ 0 per share. They were forecasting US$ -0.08 per share three months ago. The Q2 2017 consensus earnings estimates for the company have stabilized at US$ 0.11 per share. A month ago, they told us to expect earnings of US$ 0.1 per share while three months ago their EPS consensus estimate was US$ 0.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) tumbled -5.32% year-to-date. The shares have accelerated in recent weeks, with their price up about 6.56% in the past three months. APC rose 0.27%, plunged -4.08% and advanced 17.62% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. The most recent short interest data show 1.53% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 2 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 1.44 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 1.66.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) closed 8.95% above its 200-day moving average and is -4.82% below another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average. The stock stands nearly -9.97% off versus the 52-week high and 79.77% away from the 52-week low. The number of shares currently owned by investors are 569.42 mln.

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Average Brokerage Recommendation for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC)

Considerable Dividend Stock: The Walt Disney Company (DIS)

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) share price jumped at US$ 110.4 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 110.09 a share. The dividend stock is -1.7% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 111.99 but is up 22.83% since hitting the US$ 90.32. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19.87.

After a -0.13% fall from previous close of US$ 110.23, The Walt Disney Company (DIS) has a US$ 173.15 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.39-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 1.42% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 1.56 and 26.7% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, © Thomson Reuters Click for restrictions

The DIS has soared 5.63% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 12.26% in the past three months. It added 0.07%, climbed 0.72% and jumped 16.52% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 6.3% and net income per share was seen moving at a 17.9% rate in the past five years.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is over 4% above analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 116.29. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 85, but is still below the high US$ 138 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 16.99%.

The most recent short interest data show 1.05% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 2.08 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 1.2 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.95.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) closed 11.57% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 1.9% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 0.02% above its 20-day simple moving average.

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Considerable Dividend Stock: The Walt Disney Company (DIS)

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Chrysler Furloughing 1,300 at Factory Near Detroit as Sales Fall

Dropping sales of the main midsize vehicle of Fiat Chrysler have pushed to the automaker into indefinite layoffs of 1,300 employees at a factory near Detroit. Workers at the second shift at the assembly plant of Fiat Chrysler located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, starting on July 5 will be furloughed as the Chrysler 200 is […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Chrysler Furloughing 1,300 at Factory Near Detroit as Sales Fall

China NNN Agreements: How to Get Them Properly Signed and Executed

China NNN Agreement LawyersHow to execute a China NNN Agreement

This post is nothing more than as described in its title. It focuses on what you typically should do to by way of contract signing formalities for your China NNN Agreement. It answers this question we frequently get from our blog readers and from our own clients: What exact steps should I take to get a China NNN Agreement signed?

The below is the typical response from our China lawyers:

The next step is to send this bilingual agreement to the Chinese side for review. If the Chinese side accepts all terms (sometimes they will propose changes), the best way (for you) to proceed would be for you to go first. That is, you should sign, date and then submit the contract to the Chinese side. Then don’t do anything (do not send any confidential information s your product or your molds) until the Chinese side returns with a fully executed version, signed, dated and chopped. You are right that you will want to make sure the exhibit listing your confidential information is properly filled out and dated, signed and chopped by the Chinese side. And you want to make sure of this not only at the time of first execution but also every single time a new product item or a new mold item is entered onto the record. For your own protection, you will want to make sure you in the end hold on to at least one original, fully executed agreement.

Please note that though the above says “bilingual agreement,” the official portion of the agreement is strictly in Chinese. The English language portion is strictly a translation for the benefit/convenience of our clients. I am careful to make this distinction because nearly all of the contracts we draft call for Chinese as the official language and we never draft contracts where more than one language is the official language. For why this distinction is so crucial, I urge you to read Silly Rabbit, The Chinese Language Contract Is What Matter and Dual Language China Contracts Double Your Chance Of Disaster.

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China NNN Agreements: How to Get Them Properly Signed and Executed

Dividend Stock To Watch: Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS)

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) share price jumped at US$ 95.85 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 94.81 a share. The dividend stock is -2.77% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 97.51 but is up 67.86% since hitting the US$ 57.11. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.07.

After a -0.86% fall from previous close of US$ 95.63, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) has a US$ 17.65 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.28-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 1.18% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 1.12 and 22.5% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, both dividends per share and earnings per share excluding extraordinary items growth increased 63.08% and 26.48%, respectively. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since very few companies in the Semiconductors industry pay a dividend. Additionally, five year annualized earnings per share growth ranks above the industry average relative to its peers.

The SWKS has soared 27.37% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 23.49% in the past three months. It added -1.82%, climbed 3.35% and jumped 27.55% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 18.3% and net income per share was seen moving at a 34.2% rate in the past five years.

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) is over -4% below analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 93.33. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 66, but is still below the high US$ 109 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 44.84%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, Skyworks Solutions Inc reported a dividend of 1.06 USD, which represents a 63.08% increase over last year. The 8 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 1.13 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 6.98%. The most recent short interest data show 6.49% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 4.78 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.75 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 2.17.

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) closed 27.96% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 11.67% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 1.8% above its 20-day simple moving average.

The Wellesleys News

Dividend Stock To Watch: Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS)

Target To Invest $7B In Upgrades

Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) has announced plans to invest $ 7 billion in upgrades to the business over the next three years. Target expects fiscal 2017 and 2018 to be investment years as a result of these initiatives, with the company returning to stability and growth in 2019. Brian Cornell, CEO of Target said, “We’re investing to […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Target To Invest $7B In Upgrades

Start Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is a way for publishers like you and me to promote products and services that we like and use to the people we serve through our platform. It’s my favorite kind of marketing arrangement because when used appropriately, it’s the perfect match of a person (me) promoting a product they like (made by someone else) to the people that have chosen to give me their attention (you). I want to talk about what it takes to start affiliate marketing.

Start Affiliate Marketing

Let me state two details at the beginning: there will be affiliate links in this post as there are in lots of my posts. (I disclose that fact on my about page, which is good to do and also the law in the US – more on that later.) Second, these are my simple methods for affiliate marketing. There are far more intelligent and complex ways to do this executed by the really smart people I’ve met at events like Affiliate Summit. Start with me, but if you get really involved in this space, go to that conference.

Continue Reading

The post Start Affiliate Marketing appeared first on chrisbrogan.com.

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Start Affiliate Marketing

Vine Releases Watch Button Since Scrolling is Harder Work

Twitter’s social network Vine that has turned into an entertainment platform, has announced a new way of see content on its app. The company has introduced the “watch” button, which allows users to watch an account or channel without needing to do any scrolling. When the watch button is pressed by a user on a […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Vine Releases Watch Button Since Scrolling is Harder Work

Dividend Stock To Watch: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) share price jumped at US$ 83.72 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 82.97 a share. The dividend stock is -13.6% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 97.48 but is up 10.63% since hitting the US$ 75.3. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 28.69.

After a -0.93% fall from previous close of US$ 83.75, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) has a US$ 30.5 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.34-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 1.64% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 1.36 and 42.1% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, both dividends per share and earnings per share excluding extraordinary items growth increased 23.91% and 4.83%, respectively. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since only some companies in the Personal & Household Prods. industry pay a dividend. Additionally when measured on a five year annualized basis, dividend per share growth is above the industry average relative to its peers, while earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average.

The EL has soared 8.91% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 7.57% in the past three months. It added -1.99%, climbed 1.64% and jumped -7.98% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 5% and net income per share was seen moving at a 11.2% rate in the past five years.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) is over 6% above analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 89.4. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 72, but is still below the high US$ 105 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned -8.25%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, Estee Lauder Companies Inc reported a dividend of 1.14 USD, which represents a 23.91% increase over last year. The 14 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 1.29 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 13.16%. The most recent short interest data show 2.69% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 2.72 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.87 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 1.22.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) closed -3.07% below its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 3.8% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 0.58% above its 20-day simple moving average.

The Wellesleys News

Dividend Stock To Watch: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Skype and Nokia Top Executives Invest in Finland Food App

Even with huge billion dollar players already in the food delivery industry, the food delivery app Wolt based in Helsinki has be able to raise over $ 11 million fresh funding from wealthy Nordic investors that include the Skype founder and the Nokia chairman as the business announced its launch in Stockholm on Friday. We now […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

Skype and Nokia Top Executives Invest in Finland Food App

China Copyrights: No, You Can’t Call It Fair Use

China copyright lawsFormally, China’s copyright laws have been in line with those of the United States and other developed countries since China became a signatory to the Berne Convention in 1992 and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in 2001. But it’s hardly news that you can get a pirated copy of pretty much any movie, CD, or book in China with only a modicum of effort. Years ago you could find bootleg DVDs outside nearly every supermarket and mall in the country. Nowadays it’s more difficult to find such sellers, but not because of China’s efforts to curtail counterfeit goods; it’s because the market has moved to the Internet.

But as China’s homegrown media companies like Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent continue to pay serious money for the rights to stream tv shows, movies, and other copyrighted material, more lawsuits are being filed in Chinese courts seeking to enforce China’s copyright law, and more official efforts are underway to reduce the amount of pirated material available in China. A (slightly) more subtle form of copyright infringement is still thriving, however: creative works that coopt key elements from copyrighted material, from storylines to characters to music cues and beyond. Television shows in China will make a few slight changes to a copyrighted format and then insist it is an entirely new creation, as with The Voice of China last year. It’s not always clearly a copyright dodge, either; the popular Chinese singing competition I Am a Singer (我是歌手) is an official licensee of a copyrighted  Korean format – or was, until the title and format were altered recently in the midst of China’s unofficial restrictions on Korean content. Presumably it is no longer considered a Korean-content show, which as a side benefit probably means the show cannot be held liable for copyright infringement.

Chinese manufacturers have long excelled at taking the key elements of an existing product and incorporating them into a “new” product. So it’s no surprise that the same thing happens in entertainment. It’s been happening for decades with the most famous story in China, the 16th century novel “Journey to the West,” which has been adapted into a movie or tv series dozens of times. We complain in America about the overwhelming number of sequels and superhero movies, but at least most of them have a different plot. This would be like having one of our greatest stories – you know, like Point Break – remade multiple times in different formats every year for forty years.

It’s important to understand, however, that Chinese law prohibits the unauthorized use of a copyrighted work, or elements thereof, unless such use falls under one of the twelve specific exceptions listed in Article 22 of China’s Copyright Law:

(1) personal use;

(2) “appropriate” quotation in order to introduce, comment on, or explain;

(3) media use to report current events;

(4) republishing or rebroadcasting of another media entity’s story;

(5) publishing or broadcasting a public speech;

(6) translation or reproduction of a scientific work solely for use in teaching or research;

(7) use by a government entity “to a justifiable extent for the purpose of fulfilling its official duties”;

(8) reproduction of a work in its collections by a library, museum, etc. for display or preservation purposes;

(9) a free live performance;

(10) copying, drawing, photographing or video-recording a public artwork;

(11) translation of a Chinese citizen’s work from Mandarin into a Chinese minority language, for distribution in China; and

(12) transliteration of a published work into braille for publication.

The above exceptions are similar to the American concept of “fair use,” a doctrine that allows for unlicensed use of copyrighted material under certain conditions.

Although not always interpreted consistently, China’s fair use exceptions are quite limited. When you’re watching a Chinese reality show and hear a dozen music cues lifted from American pop songs, that’s not fair use. When you’re watching a Chinese television show that seems exactly like Mad About You, that’s not fair use either. That leaves copyright infringement (the former) and legal licensing of a copyrighted format (the latter).

As the value of copyrighted material in China increases, it’s increasingly important to take a broader view of IP protection. Licensing TV shows to China is a big and growing business. Anti-piracy efforts are still important, but it’s even more important to have a properly drafted license agreement. And to take legal action when you find another media company using your copyrighted material. If you don’t protect your own IP, who will?

United Airlines Adding New Routes And Aircraft In Expansion

United Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings (NYSE: UAL), has announced a major expansion that includes 4 new cities and 31 new routes. United president Scott Kirby said, “Starting this summer we ‘re offering more flights to more destinations at more convenient times than in recent memory.” Most of the new flights are beginning […]
Corporate News – The Cerbat Gem

United Airlines Adding New Routes And Aircraft In Expansion

5 Reasons Why Animated Explainer Videos Could Boost Your Social Media Campaigns

Animated videos are everywhere! The reason why is that consumers can easily become entranced by a short animated video (who doesn’t love a good cartoon, right?). And businesses are using videos to their full advantage on their social media marketing campaigns.

5 Reasons Why Animated Explainer Videos Could Boost Your Social Media Campaigns

If you want to create a memorable and effective video that will dazzle your online followers, then hiring an animated video production company might be the way to go. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, are the places where people gain information on just about anything.

People enjoy the fact that they can keep themselves entertained when they are feeling bored and/or want to lighten their moods. Plus, they get to connect with their friends and loved ones by sharing and messaging.

Consumers share original animated videos because such videos are informative, creative, engaging, and even inspiring. On the other hand, businesses also share these videos for a variety of purposes.

These purposes include marketing in an engaging and unique way and making sales presentations to prospective customers. Animated explainer videos make an excellent choice for a business’s content marketing strategy because of their emotional and psychological appeal.

In the social media generation, video has turned into the easiest online content to share. On Facebook, people like photos twice as much as they like text. But they share videos 12 times more than links and text combined. And on Twitter, users share 700 videos every minute. Now that’s amazing!

Thus, video posting, watching, and sharing is now defining a new era of internet users. Both big and small online companies are turning their efforts to online video production. And that’s where animated explainer videos are playing their main role. Online, these videos effectively reach out to potential customers by demonstrating a product or service in less than two minutes.

Here are 5 reasons why animated explainer videos (or AEVs) could boost your social media campaigns and drive more sales.

1. AEVs are the most cost-effective and engaging online content

More and more every day, internet and social media networks are turning to visual, emotional and quickly engaging media. An animated explainer video combines all three aspects in the most cost-effective way. And it does so while describing your product or service better than any other online content, such as an infographic.

You can use animated explainer videos to deliver complex ideas in a simple way. You can create engaging visual metaphors by combining those ideas. At the same time, you can present enticing experiences on an emotional level.

Plus, your explanatory and effective content can cause people to share your video. Video has the potential to grow conversions by up to 60% on average because of its visuals, attractive storytelling, and even its lovable characters.

2. AEVs are mobile-friendly

As you might already know, mobile devices are influencing the sharing of video content on social media. With the advent of cartoons and animations on mobile devices and the transition of mobile networks, people can’t seem to get enough of videos.

Today, the latest smartphones have the capacity to display videos, photos, and other rich content in HD quality. And the use of OTT messaging/sharing applications such as Whatsapp and Viber has become widespread.

Currently, video makes up 50% of all mobile online traffic, and this traffic is expected to grow by 61% in the next 2 years (Cisco). Simultaneously, iPhones and smartphones make up 40% of YouTube’s global watch time. As this trend continues, it is in every business’s best interest to focus on creating mobile-friendly videos so they don’t lose that market.

3. AEVs are easy for you to measure

All marketing specialists are aware that their efforts must be measurable in order to know the true reach and success of their campaigns. It can be easier and more effective to measure your video’s social media performance than to measure any other online content.

On YouTube, for instance, you can track and analyze the exact time when your video was viewed. You can also see how many times it was shared and if it was played all the way through. YouTube also allows you to analyse your audience’s demographics, such as gender and age groups.

Apart from free basic metrics like the ones on YouTube and Vimeo, you can opt to use more complex leased services, such as VidYard or Wistia. These provide more in-depth information, including the amount of re-watches from the same user or the full viewership rates of your video.

4. AEVs could go viral

When any video goes viral, it genuinely generates free distribution and even free advertising. Your video has the potential to get thousands or even millions of views! However, people sharing your video is not the same as your video going viral. Going viral means there’s an enormous leap in the quantity of shares.

You also need to know that some videos have a greater likelihood to be viral while others do not. Although there’s no secret to viralization, we know for a fact that comedy (50%) and how-to videos (38%) are the most likely to become viral.

AEVs have both qualities because they explain the product or services in an engaging and perhaps funny way. As a result, they could easily go viral and eventually increase their marketing benefits for your business.

5. AEVs are useful on any marketing campaign

With just a single investment in an explainer video production company, you can boost every one of your marketing campaigns. This possibility is available through social media, mobile communication, email, your business presentations, and even your blog and website. The cool thing about animated marketing videos are that they’re visual, they’re emotional, and they’re effective, no matter where you put them.

AEVs can be your greatest business tool for providing a boost to your social media marketing. They’re also an affordable investment that generates branding and boosts conversions and sales. And the good news is that you can also use them in every kind of online marketing campaign.

The post 5 Reasons Why Animated Explainer Videos Could Boost Your Social Media Campaigns appeared first on Growmap.

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5 Reasons Why Animated Explainer Videos Could Boost Your Social Media Campaigns

Analyst Research Roundup: Equity Residential (EQR), Washington Prime Group Inc. (WPG)

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) tinted gains of +0.76% (+0.48 points) to US$ 63.26. The volume of 1.46 Million shares climbed down over an trading activity of 2.19 Million shares. EPS ratio determined by looking at last 12 month figures is 11.64. Over the same time span, the stock marked US$ 75.49 as its best level and the lowest price reached was US$ 58.28. The corporation has a market cap of US$ 23.14 Billion.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR)’s earnings per share has been growing at a 108.7 percent rate over the past 5 year when average revenue increase was noted as 9.7 percent. The return on equity ratio or ROE stands at 40.4 percent while most common profitability ratio return on investment (ROI) was 4.5 percent. The company’s institutional ownership is monitored at 97.8 percent. The company’s net profit margin has achieved the current level of 0 percent and possesses 66.8 percent gross margin.

FT reports, The 19 analysts offering 12 month price targets for Equity Residential have a median target of 65.00, with a high estimate of 70.00 and a low estimate of 56.00. The median estimate represents a 2.75% increase from the last price of 63.26.

Daily Analyst Recommendations

A number of key analysts, polled by FactSet, shared their views about the current stock momentum. The forecast of 4 surveyed investment analysts covering the stock advises investors to Buy stake in the company. At present, 1 analysts call it Sell, while 20 think it is Hold. Recently, analysts have updated the overall rating to 3. 0 analysts recommended Overweight these shares while 0 recommended Underweight, according to FactSet data.

Washington Prime Group Inc. (NYSE:WPG) is worth US$ 1.74 Billion and has recently risen 0.22% to US$ 9.3. The latest exchange of 1.46 Million shares is below its average trading activity of 1.6 Million shares. The day began at US$ 9.26 but the price moved to US$ 9.17 at one point during the trading and finally capitulating to a session high of US$ 9.36. The stock tapped a 52-week high of US$ 14.15 while the mean 12-month price target for the shares is US$ 10.9.

Currently, the stock carries a price to earnings ratio of 31, a price to book ratio of 1.89, and a price to sales ratio of 2.07. For the past 5 years, the company’s revenue has grown 8.1%, while the company’s earnings per share has grown -22.1%. With an institutional ownership near 94.3%, it carries an earnings per share ratio of 0.3.

According to Financial Times, The 18 analysts offering 12 month price targets for Worldpay Group PLC have a median target of 326.00, with a high estimate of 400.00 and a low estimate of 278.00. The median estimate represents a 19.72% increase from the last price of 272.30.

Inside Look At Analysts Reviews

Latest analyst recommendations could offer little help to investors. The stock is a Buy among 0 brokerage firms polled by Factset Research. At present, 2 analysts recommended Holding these shares while 0 recommended sell, according to FactSet data. 0 analysts call it Underweight, while 0 think it is Overweight. Recently, investment analysts covering the stock have updated the mean rating to 3.

The Wellesleys News

Analyst Research Roundup: Equity Residential (EQR), Washington Prime Group Inc. (WPG)

Dividend Stock To Watch: Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI)

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI) share price jumped at US$ 21.53 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 21.38 a share. The dividend stock is -28.29% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 30.42 but is up 13.91% since hitting the US$ 18.91. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.26.

After a 2.2% rise from previous close of US$ 20.92, Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI) has a US$ 8.13 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.15-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 2.81% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 0.6 and 31.1% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, both dividends per share and earnings per share excluding extraordinary items growth increased 10.00% and 31.42%, respectively. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since very few companies in the Apparel/Accessories industry pay a dividend. Additionally, five year annualized earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average relative to its peers.

The HBI has tumbled -0.14% year-to-date. The equity has slowed down in recent weeks, with shares lower about -11.1% in the past three months. It added 2.54%, climbed -9.61% and jumped -22.06% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 6.3% and net income per share was seen moving at a 18% rate in the past five years.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI) is over 27% above analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 27.54. The stock has yet to strike analysts’ low price target of US$ 22, and is still below the high US$ 34 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned -22.29%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, HanesBrands Inc reported a dividend of 0.44 USD, which represents a 10.00% increase over last year. The 9 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 0.57 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 29.77%. The most recent short interest data show 7.51% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 3.62 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.74 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.69.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI) closed -12.85% below its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is -1.49% below another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 0.9% above its 20-day simple moving average.

The Wellesleys News

Dividend Stock To Watch: Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI)

Monday, February 27, 2017

Dividend Overview: PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) share price jumped at US$ 21.77 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 21.73 a share. The dividend stock is -2.08% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 22.4 but is up 32.77% since hitting the US$ 16.6. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.22.

After a 0.6% rise from previous close of US$ 21.6, PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) has a US$ 6.87 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.09-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 1.66% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 0.36 and 20.1% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, both dividends per share and earnings per share excluding extraordinary items growth increased 9.09% and 28.11%, respectively. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since very few companies in the Construction Services industry pay a dividend.

The PHM has soared 18.23% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 16.02% in the past three months. It added 1.83%, climbed 6.31% and jumped 1.69% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 13.1% and net income per share was seen moving at a 38.8% rate in the past five years.

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) is over 8% above analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 23.96. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 15, but is still below the high US$ 27.5 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 27.74%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, PulteGroup Inc reported a dividend of 0.36 USD, which represents a 9.09% increase over last year. The 8 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 0.37 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 3.06%. The most recent short interest data show 7.32% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 4.12 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 1.13 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.41.

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) closed 10.75% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 8.89% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 1.46% above its 20-day simple moving average.

The Wellesleys News

Dividend Overview: PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM)

Dividend Stock Buzz: NetApp, Inc. (NTAP)

NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) share price jumped at US$ 41.05 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 40.95 a share. The dividend stock is -2.92% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 42.18 but is up 85.36% since hitting the US$ 22.5. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37.13.

After a 0.02% rise from previous close of US$ 40.94, NetApp, Inc. (NTAP) has a US$ 11.27 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.19-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 1.86% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 0.76 and 65.7% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, growth in dividends per share increased 9.30% while earnings per share excluding extraordinary items fell by -55.94%. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since very few companies in the Computer Storage Devices industry pay a dividend. Additionally, five year annualized earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average relative to its peers.

The NTAP has soared 16.73% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 12.12% in the past three months. It added 0.96%, climbed 7.91% and jumped 18.88% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 1.6% and net income per share was seen moving at a -14.7% rate in the past five years.

NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) is over -1% above analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 41.38. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 27, but is still below the high US$ 62 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 70.48%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, NetApp Inc reported a dividend of 0.71 USD, which represents a 9.30% increase over last year. The 12 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 0.76 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 7.80%. The most recent short interest data show 4.43% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 4.14 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 1.45 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.81.

NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) closed 28.61% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 9.98% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 4.71% above its 20-day simple moving average.

The Wellesleys News

Dividend Stock Buzz: NetApp, Inc. (NTAP)

You’re Not Supposed to Have All The Answers

Chris Brogan I’ve been struggling with my new book, but not in the way that most people mean that. It’s not that I have too few ideas or too many ideas. I’ve got millions of ideas and I know how to cull them. It’s just that I need something specific to happen with this book, and I need to craft it well to make that work. No, not a bestseller. Been there. But in the process of this, I’ve learned a lot and I want to share some with you.

I’m Not A Group Kind of Person, I Think

For most of my life, I’ve been averse to mastermind groups or things like it. I’m not good at clubs. I don’t attend any regular meetings of any kind. One reason is that I worry that if I get involved in something like this, maybe I’ll hog it and try to make it all about me. I worry also that maybe all the ideas will be bad. Or that people will be pushy. Or that I won’t get a turn to share.

Continue Reading

The post You’re Not Supposed to Have All The Answers appeared first on chrisbrogan.com.

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You’re Not Supposed to Have All The Answers

How to Sell Your High Value Equipment to China

How to sell to ChinaThis is the first in an eventual series of posts I will do on the business and legal issues related to foreign companies selling high value equipment to Chinese companies. The behavior of Chinese companies in this area is quite uniform, and it is therefore possible for me to present a uniform approach to sales into China. Before moving to a detailed analysis, it will be best to step back and consider how Chinese companies view the process. Once the fundamental viewpoint of the Chinese side is understood, it is then much easier to determine how to craft an effective sales strategy for China.

Chinese companies purchased a fair amount of advanced equipment from foreign companies in the 90s. But these purchases slowed considerably as Chinese companies shifted their focus to manufacturing for the export market. However, these export oriented Chinese companies have recently started showing a renewed interest in purchasing advanced equipment from foreign manufacturers. That China is now Germany’s largest trading partner is good proof of this.

The reason Chinese companies are buying more advanced equipment from overseas is clear to anyone who visits Chinese factories. The simple truth is that much of the production equipment in these factories is old technology nearing the end of its useful life. The Chinese businesses that have made China the factory of the world have  pushed their manpower and outdated tools to the limit and for them to continue to compete in the world manufacturing market, technical upgrades are required. Chinese companies are mostly unable to innovate in this area on their own; so they are reluctantly making purchases from foreign entities.

Though the world has greatly changed since the 90s, the attitude of Chinese companies towards the purchase of foreign equipment has not. There are five basic beliefs that drove Chinese advanced equipment purchases back when I was working on them in the 1990s and those same five basic beliefs drive these purchases today. Once these beliefs are understood, Chinese behavior on these equipment transactions becomes easy to understand. Once you understand the basis for the behavior of your Chinese counterpart on these deals, you can design a program that can be successful in the Chinese market.

In entering into a sales agreement with a Chinese factory interested in buying your high value equipment, you should understand that the Chinese factory owner almost certainly holds the following five fundamental beliefs that will drive its behavior in the sale process:

1. Your price is unfairly high. The important thing to know is that the Chinese side believes your price is both too high and fundamentally unfair. The Chinese side views this as the legacy of foreign imperialism, designed to keep the Chinese down, always under the thumb of the foreign oppressor. This attitude is supported by the general ideology of the PRC government. Under this basic belief, the Chinese factory owner feels morally justified in working to avoid paying you the full price for the equipment.

To achieve this, the basic strategy of the Chinese side will be the following:

a. Insist on paying in installments, then not paying the last installment.

b. Insist on a major discount, in the range of 30% to 40%. This then becomes the new base price for the equipment.

c. After paying the discounted price for the first two units, insist on an additional discount for future purchases.

2. Training is not necessary. Any requirement for training the Chinese side in how to use your equipment is just another way for you to unfairly extract more money from the Chinese side. It is also a way to keep the Chinese side down by showing that the Chinese have something to learn from foreigners. The Chinese believe that operation of the equipment is governed by a simple magic pill. Foreign companies that insist on a training program are withholding access to the magic pill.

3. Proper equipment set-up is not necessary. Your requirement that the Chinese side retain you for proper equipment set-up is a waste of time and designed to shift blame for operational failure onto the Chinese side. The Chinese side believes the equipment should “just work.” For this reason, elaborate site set up and pre-operations testing should not be required. Just turn the key and go.

4. After sale support and maintenance is not required. Requirements from the foreign equipment supplier for such after-sale support is designed to do two things: unfairly extract more money from the Chinese side and keep the Chinese side employees ignorant about the true nature of how the equipment operates. That is, you are unfairly hiding the magic pill from them. In addition, the equipment should “just work,” with no need for after sale maintenance or support. Your requiring a service contract or related after-sale support is either your admitting that your equipment is fundamentally defective or your trying to unfairly milk more money from the Chinese side.

5. Your attempts to protect your IP is foreign oppression. Intellectual property protection that prevents the Chinese side from copying your equipment is just another form of foreign oppression. The Chinese side does not believe the design of your equipment is the result of years of hard work and R&D and it wants to be able to copy it so that it can be manufactured in China at a “fair” price.

This then means the Chinese side’s standard strategy will be to purchase as few units as possible and then use its initial purchase(s) to extract the “magic formula.” The strategy is to abandon future purchases and have clones of your equipment manufactured in China.

Obviously not all Chinese companies subscribe to all five of these beliefs and some Chinese companies do not subscribe to any of them. But most do and I know this from what they have told me (in Chinese), from what I have overheard (in Chinese) and from what I have read (in Chinese). I mention all this because foreign companies find this all hard to

How to Sell Your High Value Equipment to China

High-Momentum Healthcare Stocks: MannKind Corporation (MNKD), PharmAthene, Inc. (PIP)

MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) shares ended at $ 0.51 with 1.58 mln shares exchanging hands. That puts the market capitalization at $ 239.85 mln. It opened the session with a $ 0.501 price tag, later ranging from $ 0.4924 to $ 0.519, the range at which the stock has traded at throughout the day. The stock stands nearly -77.05% off versus the 52-week high and 25.39% away from the 52-week low. The number of shares currently owned by investors are 466.54 mln.

Sell-side analyst recommendations point to a short term price target of $ on the shares of MannKind Corporation (MNKD). The consensus rating is 4, suggesting the market has given up on the stock. It has been assigned a low target price of $ and a high target price of $ .

The current price is staying below the SMA lines which signify weakens and is generally unhealthy/negative and may provide the momentum for driving the share price lower. Current price places the company’s stock -32.73% away from its 200-day simple moving average, -17.97%, away from the 50-day average and also -9.56% away from 20-day average.

For this year, MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) is performing -19.26%. Over the past five trading sessions it is -4.18%; -24.44% for the month; -11.35% for the last quarter; -40.91% for the past six-months; and -52.4% for the last 12 months. The last close places the company’s stock about $ 1.73 off its 52 week high of $ 2.24 and $ 0.1 above the 52 week low of $ 0.41.

PharmAthene, Inc. (NYSEMKT:PIP) closed up +0.02 points or 1.66% at $ 0.93 with 1.53 mln shares exchanging hands. Current price level places the company’s stock about -73.57% from the 52-week high and 96.83% away from the 52-week low. The consensus rating is 2, indicating analysts in general look favorably on the company’s future prospects.

PharmAthene, Inc. (PIP) opened the session with a $ 0.88 price tag, later ranging from $ 0.88 to $ 0.97, the range at which the stock has traded at throughout the day. The stock stands nearly $ 2.62 off versus the 52-week high of $ 3.5 and $ 0.41 above the 52-week low of $ 0.47. The number of shares currently owned by investors are 65.62 mln. The current price change puts the market capitalization at $ 60.71 mln.

Over the past five trading sessions shares of PharmAthene, Inc. (NYSEMKT:PIP) are -11.9%; -71.54% for the month; -70.16% for the last quarter; -63.86% for the past six-months; and -42.9% for the last 12 months.The current price is staying below the SMA lines which signify weakens and is generally unhealthy/negative and may provide the momentum for driving the share price lower. Current price places the company’s stock -65.02% away from its 200-day simple moving average, -65.7%, away from the 50-day average and also -48.99% away from 20-day average. The stock is performing -71.54% year to date.

The Wellesleys News

High-Momentum Healthcare Stocks: MannKind Corporation (MNKD), PharmAthene, Inc. (PIP)

A Much Wanted Impact: Best Social Media Practices for Blog Growth

Blogging has become a profession of its own, replacing “traditional” careers such as law.

A Much Wanted Impact Best Social Media Practices for Blog Growth

Blogging isn’t a demanding career because it is flexible and it is easy to adapt it to your needs. You just need to create your own spot for writing (at home, the office, a café, etc.). Then prepare your mind to unleash your inner world. But you may ask: how can I live from something so personal?

The bright side of this challenge is that many people worldwide share the same interests as you. People are looking for inspiring stories that will make them get out of their chairs and start doing what they have always dreamed about. And if you can add a monetary value to that, that’s even better, right?

Today we are going to review the best practices you can apply to help your blog to develop. By doing so, you are also securing your path to success.

1 – Create your own niche

Even if you want to express every single idea that comes to your mind, that doesn’t mean your blog has to host posts ranging from gardening to photography or cover both motorsports and ballet. That’s madness and will certainly drive visitors away from your site.

Take two to three days and think carefully about what your very own passion is. After that, you can start writing about it, as well as topics related to your passion. You can even write about out-of-niche topics as long as you relate them to your blog’s theme.

If you find creative ways to gain an audience, then you certainly are going to secure loyal visitors.

2 – Engage your audience

Now that you started building your audience, it’s time to invite them to interact and to keep them anticipating what are you going to do next. In my personal opinion, there’s no better platform for this goal than Instagram.

Instagram allows us to communicate through images, which are immensely appealing and valuable. But also, given its latest updates, Instagram also helps us to dialogue with our so-called “followers.” And yes, people are following what you have to say, so keeping the one-post-a-day recipe is the first step to success.

People coffee tea meeting

By keeping an eye in your personal stats (follower count, post count, likes), you can determine the best strategy for maintaining and growing your fan base. Tools like Gramblast are indispensable for having an accurate knowledge of your follower count because Instagram doesn’t show the exact number after 10k followers.

Keep an eye on your image quality: avoid any kind of pixelated images! Nothing expresses the term “unprofessional” more than that.

3 – Get some extra help

Guest posting is a practice well-known by many bloggers. The idea behind guest posting is to use the reach of authority websites in your own niche to help you grow your visitor count.

How do you do that? First, you need to reach the authority site’s admin/editor and do a proper proposal. Many websites ask for a fee in exchange for sponsored posts or visual advertisements (some of them on a monthly basis!). Others require you to include advertisements from their sites or to give them a product you sell—in case you happen to host a store as well—in exchange for a spot on their site.

This is where you need to play your cards well: refrain from doing self-promoted posts. Both admins and users hate that. But do tell your story through the article you’re giving to the host site. Any links you include in your post should be natural and be educational to your readers.

You can learn more vital practices on how to pitch your guest blog post from this infographic by Infobrandz.

Pitch Your Guest Blog Infographic

Infographic Courtesy Of Infobrandz.com

4 – Don’t post too often

As bad as it is to neglect a social media profile, doing the opposite is just as bad, if not worse. Those who post around four to five times per day on a platform such as Instagram or Facebook are only scaring off their audiences. Posting so often looks like an information bomb that has no unique content.

Keep an editorial schedule where you organize your blog posts, but also sort the blogs you post on places like Instagram and Facebook. Twitter works differently. You literally need to tweet your way through the ranks, and the more the merrier as long as your tweets are relevant and not spammy.

5 – Keep healthy SEO practices

From well-written titles and metas to adding tags to your images and posts, giving SEO the attention it deserves is crucial. SEO is the fastest way to grow your website’s authority. There are several guides around the net that summarize the essential elements of SEO, but overall follow these points:

  • Naturally add keywords throughout the text
  • Do interlinking (adding links in your blog to internal pages of the site on which you’re posting)
  • Remove plugins that slow down your website and don’t upload large images—page load time is crucial
  • Always fill in alt-tags for your images
  • Link to authority sites

By following these tips, you are taking the first step towards becoming a blogging star. However, keep in mind that this is a step-by-step job, and you can’t expect success overnight. With time and dedication, your efforts will pay off. Good luck!

The post A Much Wanted Impact: Best Social Media Practices for Blog Growth appeared first on Growmap.

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A Much Wanted Impact: Best Social Media Practices for Blog Growth

Where Technical Charts Stands for CYS Investments, Inc. (CYS)

CYS Investments, Inc. (NYSE:CYS) was up +0.89% ($ 0.07) to $ 7.95 and showed a volume of 1.11 mln shares. It has ranged in price between $ 7.85-$ 7.95 after having started the session at $ 7.88 as compared to the previous trading day’s close of $ 7.88. The GAP was therefore 0%. Over the 52-week time span, the stock notched a high price of $ 9.21 and its minimum price was $ 7.42. The firm’s stock has a market capitalization of $ 1.19 bln.

The analysts offering 12 month price targets for CYS Investments, Inc. have a median target of $ 8, with a high estimate of $ 8.25 and a low estimate of $ 7. The median estimate represents a 0.63% increase from the last price.

According to Zacks brokerage recommendations, CYS Investments, Inc. (NYSE:CYS)’s Buy count is 0 and Strong Buy is 2 while the number of analysts recommending Sell and Strong Sell are 0 and 4, respectively. Also, the Hold rating count is 1, as of 24 Feb 2017. The analyst recommendations from a month ago are 0 Buy, 2 Strong Buy, 0 Sell, 1 Hold and 5. Strong Sell. Investors might also notice that two months ago the Buy recommendations (0) were less than Sell recommendations (0). The count of Hold ratings in that period was 1. Chicago-based equity research firm Zacks Investment Research has assigned this stock ABR (Average Brokerage Recommendation) of 2.71, suggesting the market has given up on the stock.

Now, the FactSet Research estimate calls for Q1 2017 earnings of US$ 0.24. A month ago, analyst EPS consensus estimated earnings of US$ 0.25 per share. They were forecasting US$ 0.25 per share three months ago. The Q2 2017 consensus earnings estimates for the company have stabilized at US$ 0.24 per share. A month ago, they told us to expect earnings of US$ 0.25 per share while three months ago their EPS consensus estimate was US$ 0.24.

CYS Investments, Inc. (NYSE:CYS) soared 2.85% year-to-date. The shares have accelerated in recent weeks, with their price up about 1.21% in the past three months. CYS rose 0.76%, climbed 0.51% and sank -5.82% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. The most recent short interest data show 3.37% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 3.1 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.62 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.13.

CYS Investments, Inc. (CYS) closed -0.34% below its 200-day moving average and is 1.98% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average. The stock stands nearly -8.28% off versus the 52-week high and 18.68% away from the 52-week low. The number of shares currently owned by investors are 150.13 mln.

The Wellesleys News

Where Technical Charts Stands for CYS Investments, Inc. (CYS)

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Dividend Stock To Watch: Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG)

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) share price jumped at US$ 57.97 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 57.68 a share. The dividend stock is -6.36% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 62.35 but is up 44.82% since hitting the US$ 41.63. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.15.

After a 0.23% rise from previous close of US$ 57.55, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) has a US$ 10.19 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.365-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 2.53% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 1.46 and 36.6% annual payout ratio based on EPS.

The HOG has tumbled -0.5% year-to-date. The equity has slowed down in recent weeks, with shares lower about -0.45% in the past three months. It added 0.65%, climbed -2.76% and jumped 8.77% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 2.5% and net income per share was seen moving at a 10.4% rate in the past five years.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) is over -3% below analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 57.29. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 44, but is still below the high US$ 73 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 40.59%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, Harley-Davidson Inc reported a dividend of 1.40 USD, which represents a 12.90% increase over last year. The 14 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 1.47 USD for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 4.71%. The most recent short interest data show 8.86% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 8.05 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.86 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 0.99.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) closed 9.83% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is -0.63% below another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 0.91% above its 20-day simple moving average.

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Dividend Stock To Watch: Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG)

China Employment Compliance and Audits: THE New Big Thing

China employment law complianceChina is serious about improving the situation for its workers. I repeat, China is serious about improving the situation for its workers.

I feel the need to repeat this because many foreign companies doing business in China believe decreasing economic growth will lead the government to favor foreign employers. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Foreign employers do not protest; Chinese employees do, and the Chinese government values stability above nearly all else.

Our China lawyers are seeing this play out in the following ways:

  • China”s government, courts and administrative bodies are getting tougher on foreign companies that do not comply with China’s labor and employment laws. Like pretty much everything else related China’s employment laws, the extent to which this is happening varies by location. See China Employment Law: Local and Not So Simple.
  • China employers that violate China’s labor protection laws will be named “and shamed.” Employers are also getting graded on their compliance with China’s labor and employment laws. I explain what this means below.

Beginning earlier this year, China enacted Measures for Announcing Major Violations of Labor Security and the Measures for Credit Rating Evaluation of Enterprise Labor Security Compliance. These measures evidence the government’s seriousness regarding employment law compliance and they give the government new powers to ensure compliance. According to the Supreme People’s Court, new labor disputes accepted by the Chinese court system totaled 483,311 in 2015, up a whopping 25 percent from the previous year. And I have no doubt that these numbers have been rising in a straight line upward ever since. China employees are getting smarter and more proactive about enforcing their legal rights against their employers, especially as against foreign employers.

The new measures include publicizing “serious” employer violations in newspapers and magazines and on TV. These public announcements will include the employer’s name, address, and registration code, along with the full name of the legal representative or key person in charge and the exact violation and fines or other sanctions imposed. Just imagine what this will do for your company’s reputation and your ability to hire new employees. Will individuals who have been named and shamed want to leave China? Will they have to do so?

In addition to naming and shaming, employers will receive A, B or C grades based on their compliance in various areas, including the following:

Employer grades will eventually be shared with various Chinese government agencies, including (it is widely believed), taxing authorities. In other words, if your company scores a C on its labor compliance, it may find itself at risk in all sorts of seemingly unrelated areas (beyond just fines for labor law non-compliance), such as income tax or environmental compliance. We expect China’s biggest cities with large numbers of foreign employers will get out in front of employer inspections and enforcement first and early.

Your job (pun intended) as a China employer is to get out in front on compliance as well. The best way to do this is to have an independent audit conducted on your employer-employee situation. As recently as a year ago, our China lawyers were rarely asked about “employer audits,” but hardly a month goes by these days without such a discussion. Foreign employers in China are seeing what is going on around them and they are reading the news. They recognize that the Chinese government now realizes there is lots of money to be made by fining foreign companies for failing to comply with China’s employment laws, while improving employee/citizen satisfaction at the same time. Our best employer audit clients are those who have already been fined, sanctioned or sued for employer violations. Our second best employer audit clients are those who know of someone in their own industry who has already been fined,

China Employment Compliance and Audits: THE New Big Thing

Dividend Stock Buzz: Hasbro, Inc. (HAS)

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) share price jumped at US$ 98.98 before falling back to end the trade at US$ 97.05 a share. The dividend stock is -2.3% off a 52-week high stock price of US$ 99.33 but is up 35.32% since hitting the US$ 75.14. Investors are buying the stock with a trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.35.

After a -1.79% fall from previous close of US$ 98.82, Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) has a US$ 12.01 Billion market cap. The company pays a US$ 0.57-cent-per-share quarterly dividend, giving it a 2.35% yield. That brings its full year payout to US$ 2.28 and 45.2% annual payout ratio based on EPS. According to FT, Year on year, both dividends per share and earnings per share excluding extraordinary items growth increased 5.07% and 14.38%, respectively. The positive trend in dividend payments is noteworthy since very few companies in the Business Services industry pay a dividend. Additionally when measured on a five year annualized basis, dividend per share growth is below the industry average relative to its peers, while earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average.

The HAS has soared 25.53% year-to-date. The equity has gained steam in recent weeks, with shares up about 14.04% in the past three months. It added -0.81%, climbed 14.28% and jumped 19.62% in the week, one month and six months, respectively. Revenue growth rate was recorded at 3.2% and net income per share was seen moving at a 9% rate in the past five years.

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) is over -4% below analysts’ consensus price target of US$ 95.5. The stock has blown through analysts’ low price target of US$ 90, but is still below the high US$ 110 target. On a price appreciation basis over the past 12 months, the stock returned 31.3%.

Financial Times data shows, In 2016, Hays PLC reported a dividend of 0.03 GBP, which represents a 5.07% increase over last year. The 20 analysts covering the company expect dividends of 0.04 GBP for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 44.83%. The most recent short interest data show 6.08% of the company’s stock are short sold. It would take about 3.85 days to cover all short positions. In terms of volatility, it has a beta coefficient of 0.86 and technical analysis volatility indicator called Average True Range or ATR around 1.86.

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) closed 17.31% above its 200-day moving average which many technicians use as a guide to the long-term trend, so stocks above the line are considered to be in longer-term uptrends, while those below it are considered to be in downtrends. The stock is 13.35% above another chart threshold, its 50-day moving average and 5.99% above its 20-day simple moving average.

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Dividend Stock Buzz: Hasbro, Inc. (HAS)