Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity to Release Working Paper on Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Join us as Roger Martin, Chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity and Dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management releases our working paper on small business, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
The event will be held on February 23, 8:00-10:30 am at The Royal Sutton Ballroom at The Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto.
Introducing Roger at the release will be Doug Brooks, CEO of CGA Ontario.
At the release will be a panel consisting of a leading researcher on entrepreneurship and two CEOs of successful, innovative firms:
- Ajay Agrawal, Professor of entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity at the Rotman School
- Bud Morris, President of Canada’s Best Store Fixtures – a Profit Hot 50 company
- Harry Zarek, President & CEO of Compugen – one of Canada’s largest privately-owned IT services providers and PC systems integrators
This working paper is made possible by funding support from the Certified General Accountants of Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation.
To register for the event, click here. The event is free of charge, but spaces are limited.
Martin Prosperity Institute Blog
What Today’s Unemployment Report Means for Retail
By Brian Dodge, senior vice president, communications & state affairs at RILA
Today’s unemployment data is sure to be the top news story for the next 24 hours. I a little retail detail was in order as well as an explanation why RILA will continue to harp on the need for government to help, not hurt, businesses trying to create jobs.
The retail jobs numbers have been relatively positive over the past year. Last month, while job growth was uneven across the industry, the net gain was positive. While department stores and general merchandise stores added 19,400 and 15,000 jobs respectively, specialty clothing stores lost 13,600 jobs. In total, 10,500 new retail jobs were created last month. That’s good news and speaks to consumers spending and retailers investing again, but context is important.
The retail industry’s highest level of unemployment was in January of 2008 when the industry employed 15.6 million Americans. Retail employment bottomed out 24 months later in December 2009 at 14.4 million jobs, a net loss of 1.2 million retail jobs. Slow gains since then have resulted in the creation of roughly 380,000 jobs since December 2009, showing a total net loss from the 2008 high of about 830,000 retail jobs.
The chart below shows the trends over the past 4 years.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
One last point. Next week, RILA will announce its top legislative priorities for 2012. Closing the sales tax loophole that benefits non-store retailers, like Amazon.com, at the expense of brick and mortar retailers is number one. According to today’s data, of the 14.4 million U.S. workers employed in retail, 14 million of them work for stores with a physical presence.
That means the government sponsored loophole helps 2.7 percent of retail workers at the expense of 97.3 percent. Just sayin’… Time to close the loophole!
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Filed under Employment | Tags: Means, report, Retail, Today’s, Unemployment | Comment (0)A Look at Logistics 2012 with Lowe’s Mike Mabry [Video]
Mike Mabry, Executive Vice President of Logistics & Distribution for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. met with RILA earlier this year to discuss what’s in store for the Logistics 2012 Conference happening in Dallas, Texas on February 19-22.
There’s still time to register!
Join the conversation on Twitter at @RILAtweets or #RILAlogistics.
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Filed under Employment | Tags: 2012, Logistics, Look, Lowe’s, Mabry, Mike, Video | Comment (0)Call for Papers: Revisiting territoriality in the Experience Economy
CALL FOR PAPERS
Workshop title:
Revisiting territoriality in the Experience Economy: Territorial labour markets, networks, and institutional frameworks
Date: 13.-14. September 2012
Venue: Centre for Regional and Tourism Research, Bornholm, Denmark
Abstract submission deadline: June 15, 2012
Paper submission deadline: September 1, 2012
For further information:
kl@crt.dk or visit www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk or download the Call for Papers
Martin Prosperity Institute Blog
RILA Unveils First Ever Industry-Wide Retail Sustainability Report
RILA Unveils First Ever Industry-Wide Retail Sustainability Report: Report Highlights Retail Successes, Challenges, and a Vision for the Future
By Adam Siegel, vice president of sustainability and retail operations
Today the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) released the first ever industry-wide Retail Sustainability Report. A year in the making, this report comprehensively details strategies and tactics the industry is taking on a complete range of sustainability issue areas.
It is the first of its kind for the retail industry and features topics ranging from store operations; to product design, manufacture, and end-of-life; to employee, community, and other stakeholder engagement. Specific company efforts and case studies are highlighted.
Due to the size and dynamism of the industry and its sustainability activities, the report provides a snapshot of retail’s efforts. Data was collected from the most recent sustainability reports of 30 RILA retail member companies, which are representative of the industry’s diversity, from food to general merchandise to specialty stores, and from large to small format.
In addition to researching retail companies’ sustainability reports, RILA members were invited to submit case studies for the report, and detailed interviews were conducted with 20 diverse retail companies. Information was also compiled through multiple industry surveys, industry meetings, and company interviews, across all segments of retail. Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) was a key partner in the development of the report.
This report is not only the culmination of the retail industry’s activities, but specifically highlights the last year of retail sustainability efforts, which are constantly evolving and expanding over time. The origin of the report stems from RILA’s Retail Sustainability Initiative (RSI), a program that is comprised of industry executives across all segments of retail and is dedicated to supporting and enhancing retail sustainability activities.
The report highlights sustainability trends, shedding light on retail’s evolving business practices and the challenges the industry still faces. It also provides the retail industry and those it serves with a way to act on and engage in sustainability, through framing the critical issues, anticipating future trends, recognizing challenges, and sharing examples of how retailers are responding.
Key trends from the report include:
- Working across sectors to achieve sustainability goals
- Turning from sustainability as a cost and risk reduction measure to an opportunity for business growth
- Developing systems for continuous improvement
- Fostering transparency in operations and in the supply chain
The report also cites benefits recognized by those leading the retail sustainability charge, including:
- Developing an efficient business through environmental & financial efficiencies, reduction of energy, fuel, materials, waste, packaging
- Actively mitigating business and supplier risks
- Source new innovations that develop technologies & processes
- Strong sustainability programs attract & retain top retail top talent
- Higher likelihood to be welcomed in new locations by offering community and economic value
- Entering new product markets
- Improve reputation with industry stakeholders such as NGO’s, suppliers, vendors, consumers
For those who are familiar with corporate sustainability efforts they know that it is a rapidly evolving field, affecting strategy, operations, workforce engagement, and connection to consumers and communities. RILA will continue to drive leadership in sustainability.
For more information on how to join in the industry’s efforts, please contact: Adam Siegel, Vice President, Sustainability & Retail Operations, RILA, at adam.siegel[at]rila.org.
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Filed under Employment | Tags: Ever, First, IndustryWide, report, Retail, RILA, sustainability, Unveils | Comment (0)Call for Papers: Networked Regions and cities in times of fragmentation
CALL FOR PAPERS
Networked Regions and cities in times of fragmentation:
developing smart, sustainable and inclusive places
Sunday 13 – Wednesday 16 May 2012
Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
Register now, http://www.regionalstudies.org/events/2012/May-Delft/
Tweeting about this event? Please use hashtag #NL_RSA Deadline for submission: 10 February 2012
Regions and cities are increasingly interdependent; economically, socially and environmentally. They are, for example, becoming more reliant on interregional flows of trade, labour and resources. Patterns of interactions between regions are experiencing rapid changes as a result of dramatic shifts in production and consumption patterns, advances in communication technologies and the development of transport infrastructure. These changes pose many challenges for the analysis and management of regions. They are also leading to new patterns of activities and relationships and new forms of clustering and networking between regions. At the same time, regions are becoming increasingly fragmented in many ways; economically, socially, environmentally and also politically. Classic forms of government based on clear cut arrangements between administrative levels, policy sectors and the public and private domain are no longer sufficient. The governance of regions faces multi-level, multi-actor and multi-sectoral challenges. New spatial interactions at new scales demand new approaches for consultation and coordination. More flexible (‘softer’) forms of governance are beginning to emerge which seek to work around traditional governmental arrangements. The result is a complex pattern of overlapping governance and fuzzy boundaries, not just in a territorial sense but also in terms of the role of both public and private actors. These new arrangements pose many as yet unresolved dilemmas concerning the transparency, accountability and legitimacy of decision-making. The 2012 RSA conference in Delft provides a timely opportunity for participants to come together and reflect on the various strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities of networked cities and regions within these different contexts of fragmentation.
GATEWAY THEMES:
A. EU Regional policy and practice
B. Climate change, energy and sustainability
C. Migration, housing and labour markets
D. Social and environmental justice and inclusive places
E. Rural and peripheral challenges
F. Territorial cohesion and cooperation
G. City-regions, networks and urban systems
H. Spatial analysis and regional economiesI. Borders, border regions and cross-border learning
J. Industries, entrepreneurship, and regional competitiveness
K. Innovation and knowledge economies
L. Creativity, identities and branding
M. Territorial governance: planning policy and practice
N. Infrastructure and development
O. Local and regional economic development
Organisers welcome proposals for special sessions, themed workshops and innovative forms of networking and collaboration. If you would like to organise a session please contact: Elizabeth Mitchell at events@regionalstudies.org. A limited number of conference bursaries is available for eligible members. Academic organisers: Wil Zonneveld: W.A.M.Zonneveld@tudelft.nl, Evert Meijers: E.J.Meijers@tudelft.nl , Dominic Stead: D.Stead@tudelft.nl
RSA organiser: Elizabeth Mitchell: elizabeth.mitchell@regionalstudies.org
For more information: http://www.regionalstudies.org/events/2012/May-Delft/
Martin Prosperity Institute Blog
misconception of working as a sale associate and how to get a job as a buyer or store manager
www.fashiondesignerdiary.com what you need to know before you work as a sale associate; How to get a job as a fashion buyer or store manager.
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Filed under Employment | Tags: associate, buyer, Manager, misconception, Sale, Store, working | Comment (0)Final Expense Sales Jobs – Interview On How To Succeed
At www.finalexpense101.com, we teach you how to succeed at selling final expense life insurance. If you are looking for a final expense sales opportunity in the final expense market, you have found the right video to help you succeed. This is an interview with an agency in Florida that I did during my first six months in the business. My final expense appointment setter also chimes in on how she makes pre set final expense appointments.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
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Filed under Employment | Tags: Expense, Final, Interview, Jobs, Sales, Succeed | Comment (0)Dedicated Tab
As the sixth-largest truckload carrier in the country, US Xpress can offer you virtually every type of route you can imagine. Whether you’re interested in driving solo or as a team…whether you prefer OTR, dedicated or a local route…whether you’re a company driver or an independent contractor, we have the freight to get you on the road and the stability to keep you rolling. Plus as your career evolves with us, so to can your opportunities, ensuring your job is always a good fit for your lifestyle. We offer great pay, benefits, newer equipment and the latest technology standard, and much more. Visit www.usxjobs.com to learn more or to apply today.
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Filed under Employment | Tags: Dedicated | Comment (0)Green Jobs for Nevada
Lifelong Republican and Reno’s Sustainability Administrator Jason Geddes talks about Senator Reid’s work to bring green jobs to Nevada
Video Rating: 4 / 5