Got a business idea and up for a challenge? If so, register to compete in our Innovation Whiteboard Challenge®. All that is needed for this competition is a great business idea, great communication skills, a marker and a whiteboard. The winner will walk away with $10,000! Registration closes July 27. Submit your unique idea online. Don’t delay!

Visit http://www.nbmbaa.org/Registration/2012/InnovationWhiteBoard/ to view the full article online.

 

We're melting. Since June 1, more than 6,000 high temperature records have been broken or tied in the U.S. The intense heat is worsening the drought conditions that cover large parts of the Midwest, where 1,297 counties in 29 states have been declared natural disaster areas. Crops are shriveling in the fields, and the ripple effects from their soaring prices will affect many companies and consumers. (Bloomberg)

Visit http://www.bloomberg.com/consumer-spending/2012-07-19/the-real-cost-of-a-sweltering-summer.html#slide1 to view the full article online.

 

It's no secret that an MBA is one of the most expensive gifts you could ever give yourself. Once you add in the lost income from quitting your job, the interest payments on student loans, and the ever-rising tuition and fees, the total cost of the degree can approach $350,000. So at a time when applications to most two-year MBA programs are down, it's probably not all that surprising that there's renewed and growing interest in one-year programs. (Fortune)

Visit http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/10/the-rise-of-the-one-year-mba/?section=magazines_fortune to view the full article online.

 

Defense-industry executives warned a House panel on Wednesday the nation will lose hundreds of thousands of jobs if Congress does not stop $500 billion in automatic cuts to the Pentagon. (The Hill)

Visit http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/budget-appropriations/238851-execs-sequester-is-a-big-jobs-killer to view the full article online.

 

Where "global knowledge" was once essential for leaders, IBM's 2010 Global CEO Study cited "creativity" as the most important leadership quality for the future. This is one of many signals that the business world is evolving out of the "Information Age," where left-brain technical skills, knowledge and expertise were king. (CNN)

Visit http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/17/opinion/work-skills-future-conceptual-bodell/index.html to view the full article online.

 

Seemingly innocuous multitasking behaviors can have distressing consequences on others. David, a young strategy consultant, sent me a frustrated email. Tasked with solving a complex growth problem for a key client under tight timeframes, he observed a team member whiling away the days by intermittently browsing blogs and Facebook on his iPhone in between real work, when the rest of the team was in heads-down mode on their modules. (Harvard Business Review)

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/multitaskings_real_victims.html to view the full article online.

 

You've tweaked and crafted your résumé, spell-checked it at least twice. But have you included a "QR code"? Those are the bar codes that are popping up in newspapers, on consumer products and elsewhere, that can be scanned by smartphones. Some people are adding these to their résumés to direct employers to online portfolios, contact information and other application materials. (Wall Street Journal)

Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304211804577504580447785746.html to view the full article online.

 

German lawmakers backed a euro-area bailout of Spanish banks after Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble gave assurances that Spain will remain liable for the aid and parliament will be consulted on each step of the rescue. (Bloomberg)

Visit http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-18/merkel-coalition-set-to-back-spain-bank-aid-in-parliament-vote.html to view the full article online.

 

Two new programs hope that giving the continent more business-degree holders will boost production and outside investment. But is an MBA really an indicator of potential success? (Fast Company)

Visit http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680190/are-mbas-the-solution-to-africas-problems to view the full article online.

 

The National Black MBA Association® Scholarship from University of Phoenix is awarding two full tuition scholarships for undergraduate or masters' degrees to NBMBAA® members with a record of community service. Don't miss this amazing opportunity. The application deadline is July 24, so apply today!
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A pair of recent Wall Street Journal articles (linked at right) highlighted the efforts top business schools around the country are making to boost their diversity numbers. Despite those efforts, many are finding it difficult to make sustained progress. Even the most elite schools find it difficult to attract applicants from traditionally under-represented groups, specifically African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. (University of St. Thomas)

Visit http://blogs.stthomas.edu/opusmagnum/2012/07/11/what-b-schools-including-ust-are-doing-to-boost-diversity/#more-4202 to view the full article online.

 

Register now and don't miss early bird discounts for the NBMBAA® 34th Annual Conference & Exposition, September 25-29 in Indianapolis. Visit the Conference website for our new Pre-Conference Planning Guide and get all the information on why Conference is for you, what you get for your registration, costs, hotels, programs and more!
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Verizon and AT&T, the two biggest carriers in the United States, are offering shared data plans, which will allow customers to pay for a single pool of data and share it across multiple smartphones, tablets and laptops. The concept of sharing sounds like a nice idea in principle, but the costs of these plans can tell a different story. (The New York Times)

Visit http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/shared-data-plans-verizon-att/?ref=business to view the full article online.

 

A lot of the things we do today will make our grandchildren burst out laughing. And if those squealing rugrats don’t believe us, we can crack open the history book to 2012, the dawn of the twilight of cash and credit cards. That was the year when, for the first time, paying for things in stores required nothing more than saying your name to the cashier. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/technology/personaltech/as-pay-by-phone-advances-square-takes-another-leap-state-of-the-art.html to view the full article online.

 

I'm utterly convinced that the key to lifelong success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: gratitude. People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what's wonderful in their life. Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success. (Inc.)

Visit http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/gratitude-true-secret-to-success.html to view the full article online.

 

Here's a startup conundrum: You need to stay lean in order to stay in business, but in order to stay in business, you need to land some clients. And to land said clients, you need to have client meetings. But you don't exactly want to have them over to your garage, dorm room, or your mom's kitchen. (Upstart Business Journal)

Visit http://upstart.bizjournals.com/resources/advice/2012/07/18/office-alternatives-for-your-startup.html to view the full article online.

 

Ben Caudle poured his life savings of $5,500 and 70-hour work weeks into Ben's Tire Center. And over decades, he gradually built his business. "I wanted a business dealing with every part of the automobile, not just tires," he said. "But also auto repairs, collision, auto salvage, car crushing. I had no limit." (Buffalo News)

Visit http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article929647.ece to view the full article online.

 

The unemployment benefits system was built on a combination of wishful thinking, generosity, and skimpy funding during good times. Today, it's likely impeding job growth. (Fortune)

Visit http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/19/the-silent-job-killer-our-unemployment-system/?iid=SF_F_River to view the full article online.

 

In a normal housing market, lack of supply is generally considered a good thing. When demand outweighs supply, home prices rise and homeowners gain equity. Like so many things in this historic economic recovery, that premise doesn’t exactly apply. (CNBC)

Visit http://www.cnbc.com/id/48243400 to view the full article online.

 

The $7 billion settlement between Visa, MasterCard, some large banks and retailers, if approved, sends a strong message to consumers: Buck up and plan on paying for the privilege of using a credit card or any other payment method. (MarketWatch)

Visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/credit-card-pact-no-deal-for-consumers-2012-07-18 to view the full article online.

 

One hundred thousand dollars. Since the 1980s, the magical "six-figure" salary has been a benchmark for financial success. Not too long ago, that income often meant two nice cars in the garage of a large house, fun family vacations and plenty of money left over to save for retirement and college tuition. But times have changed. (Bankrate.com)

Visit http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/100-000-income-no-big-deal-anymore-1.aspx?ec_id=m1078093 to view the full article online.

 

Ask any money manager about people who don't invest in stocks, and the answer is probably a little condescending. They just don't understand the market; they're not thinking about the long-term; they're unsophisticated, preferring to stick their money under a mattress. (CNBC)

Visit http://www.cnbc.com/id/48241179 to view the full article online.

 

The business deal from hell began to crumble even before the Champagne corks were popped. The deal, the $580 million sale of a highflying technology company, Dragon Systems, had just been approved by its board and congratulations were being exchanged. But even then, at that moment of celebration, there was a sense that something was amiss. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/business/goldman-sachs-and-a-sale-gone-horribly-awry.html to view the full article online.

 

As you may have heard, Marissa Mayer is now CEO of Yahoo, ready to turn it into a leaner, fitter, more successful firm. It's a great move for Yahoo, and it could mean great things for you, the consumer. But the entity that may benefit the most? Google. (Fast Company)

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/1842972/why-joining-yahoo-is-the-best-thing-marissa-mayer-ever-did-for-google to view the full article online.

 

Mail processing plants are shrinking, thousands of postal workers are moving and thousands more are retiring. And there's the possibility of a default on a payment due to the federal government in two weeks. (CNN/Money)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/19/news/economy/postal-service-problems/index.htm?iid=Lead to view the full article online.

 

This inland port on the San Joaquin River recently became the largest city in the country to declare bankruptcy, but evidence of its unraveling has been mounting for years. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/us/years-of-unraveling-then-bankruptcy-for-a-city.html to view the full article online.

 

Warning: You could be at risk of contracting "CEO-itis." An affliction of arrogance that plagues many people picked for powerful posts, its symptoms include a tendency toward isolation, belief that you're smarter than others, preference for loyalists, aversion to changing course even in the face of failure – and love of royal treatment. (Wall Street Journal)

Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303919504577522942797047870.html to view the full article online.

 

People will perform all kinds of mental backflips to rationalize their choices, especially when it comes to business. We're seeing this play out again and again in the finance world. (Fortune)

Visit http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/19/banks-unethical-behavior/?iid=HP_River to view the full article online.

 

In your 30s and 40s, plenty of new people enter your life, through work, children’s play dates and, of course, Facebook. But actual close friends – the kind you make in college, the kind you call in a crisis – those are in shorter supply. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/fashion/the-challenge-of-making-friends-as-an-adult.html to view the full article online.

 

A co-founder of TheKnot.com relates how he went from a life of layovers and red-eye flights to flying only first class. Here's the debate over whether you should follow his lead. (Inc.)

Visit http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/fly-first-class-over-economy-coach-business.html to view the full article online.