SmartBrief: Recession spurs major changes in manufacturing

News and Trends Recession spurs major changes in manufacturing The recession has given rise to one of the most dramatic shifts in American manufacturing in decades. Major companies are re-examining their business models as they confront an unfamiliar economic landscape. The Wall Street Journal (2/3) U.S. job losses ease as midsize firms hire again, ADP finds Job losses in the U.S. private sector declined 22,000 from December to January, the smallest figure since February 2008, according to a survey by payroll-service company ADP. Hiring by companies with between 50 and 499 workers increased, adding a net of 9,000 positions, ADP said. Google/Agence France-Presse (2/4) , The Christian Science Monitor (2/3) Treasury adds capital to CDFIs to encourage lending The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that up to $1 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds will be channeled through Community Development Financial Institutions as capital for community banks to make small-business loans. The aim, Treasury Department officials say, is to enhance CDFIs' small-business lending ability in the hopes of getting loans into the hands of businesses serving low- and moderate-income areas. Experts say SBA-backed loans could take a bigger share of the overall market for small-business loans this year because of federal government incentives. The New York Times (2/3) , The Wall Street Journal (2/4) , BusinessWeek/The New Entrepreneur blog (2/3) Other News Spartan Stores Q3 earnings beat expectations The Grand Rapids Press (Mich.) (2/3) Weyerhaeuser partners with Mitsubishi on biomass fuel American City Business Journals/Seattle (2/2) United Rentals Q4 sales drop 30%, but loss is less than last year ABC News/The Associated Press (2/3) Beacon Roofing posts Q1 profit of $7.8M Reuters (2/3) PSS World Medical appoints Gary Corless as CEO RTT News (2/3) Change 70% of all change initiatives fail. But the odds turn in your company's favor if you approach change as a multi-stage process—not an event—and see persuasion as the key to establishing urgency, winning support, and silencing naysayers. Now the most important Harvard Business Review articles on change are in one place. Order here in print or PDF Best Practices 4 ways overmeasuring can lead to poor management Focusing too heavily on performance metrics can lead to poor management, writes Charles H. Green. Viewing people as human capital, for example, dehumanizes them in the eyes of a business. BusinessWeek (2/2) Creative tension can boost productivity A certain degree of confrontation and conflict can be healthy for organizations, contend Saj-Nicole Joni and Damon Beyer, authors of newly released book "The Right Fight." Tension, if properly managed, can spur creativity and innovation. Leadership Now/Leading Blog (2/3) Sales 9 common sales mistakes, and how to avoid them Geoffrey James describes the nine most common mistakes made by salespeople, and explains how to avoid them. One should never, for example, make a cold call to a prospective customer without doing some research first. Simple Web research, or using a more advanced tool such as InsideView, can provide the background information necessary to make a successful sales call. BNET/Sales Machine blog (2/2) Small Business Manager Don't forget to dream, says innovation expert Companies should put more of their energy into "ethical innovation," focusing not just on improving the bottom line but also on saving the world, says Glenn Llopis. Too many innovators forget their dreams as they find their feet in the business world, Llopis argues, and that's bad for the planet and for their companies. "In the end, connecting your product or service to a social cause is what gives your company authenticity," he notes. BusinessWeek (2/2) You're Up To Date On Industry News, But What About Life Insurance? Did you know that MetLife Life Insurance premiums can be as low as $12 per month for $250,000 of coverage? Or, as low as $18 per month for $500,000 of coverage. Stay on top of very affordable rates with America's #1 Life Insurer – MetLife. Request a Free, No-Obligation Life Insurance Quote Now Featured Content What's Next When the Banks Say No?Trent Hamm Everybody's Doing It...Michael Port Equip Your Team With New Time SkillsChris Brogan 5 Ways That Sales People Can Benefit From Using Social MediaJohn Jantsch Is Small Business Employment More Resilient to Economic Shifts?Scott Shane Industry Insights Best Practice: Fleet Cost Management Transporting products in and out is a vital function of every wholesale distribution operation, and every company must strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and customer service, writes the team from the Council for Research on Distributor Competitiveness. Their latest blog post outlines how wholesaler-distributors can keep their fleet costs in check. Managing in an Uncertain Economy blog (2/2) Executive Life Doctor offers tips on how to avoid getting sick while traveling Traveling can wear down one's immune system. Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is a professor at Emory University, offers suggestions for ways to avoid getting sick while traveling. For example, Kozarsky advises business travelers to spend as much time as possible outdoors to adjust their biological clock when hopping several time zones. The Wall Street Journal (2/1) Napa Valley wine prices fall to earth The market for high-end Napa Valley cabernets has weakened considerably, with customers no longer willing to spend $300 or more for even the most coveted bottles. "Sadly, far too many proprietors of high-end Napa wines are in denial, and have failed to recognize the dramatically changing parameters in the wine world of the consumer," said wine critic Robert M. Parker. Los Angeles Times (2/4) NAW Insider New must-read: Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors "Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors," by Steve Deist, Mike Marks and Mike Emerson, provides actionable insights about how wholesaler-distributors can use a market-driven strategy to increase enterprise value for customers and shareholders and to produce significant and rapid financial benefits. A market-driven approach is the key to creating true competitive advantage, permanently improving organizational performance and making real productivity gains. Turn your distributor-supplier relationship from dysfunctional to highly effective It takes a long time to develop good distributor-supplier relationships, but it only takes a short time to destroy them. "Working at Cross-Purposes" examines what drives these relationships, how often they go bad and why. Especially with today's challenges, both partners can avoid the economic and other consequences of a relationship turning sour by correcting problems before they become critical. Learn more about NAW -> Join NAW | Business Products | Publications | Meetings | Govt. Relations