Announcing the 1st B2B Community for Networking, Marketing & Business Development
Networking, Marketing & Business DevelopmentA new company promises the ability to build wealth for its members, whilst eliminating many of the downsides of traditional business development. Mybusinessadvice.co.uk commenced its web based service in December 2007 with a goal of helping small to medium sized business owners throughout the UK, whether they are growing, running or even starting a new business create the profits and lifestyle they desire.What makes the business concepts behind mybusinessadvice.co.uk so effective is that these have been tried and tested, however they havent been available before under a single umbrella, or at such an affordable cost, to provide the help and support for business owners and entrepreneurs.Mybusinessadvice.co.uk provides networking, marketing and business development facilities to build inter-business relationships, increase sales and marketing, increase efficiency and profitability and to develop the business and its owner. For only 20p a day they get:NetworkingoRaise their on-line profile and opening up new marketsoSystemise their on-line and off-line networking referralsBusiness DevelopmentoSupport with an off-line mentoring and development Buddy GroupoTraining Events and Seminars to expand essential business skillsMarketingoOpportunities to promote their latest products/servicesoCreation of alliances to develop new marketsOther AspectsoAll their business supplies/services from trusted companiesoDetailed written/video business advice from expertsoEfficiency with soon to be added “Tools” section saving time & moneyoBusiness news to stay one-step sheds of their competitionThe Managing Director and co-founder of My Business Advice Ltd is Ian Donaldson who has been running his own businesses for over 18 years and grew up in both his fathers and grandfathers manufacturing businesses so he understands the pressures involved in setting up and running a small business.
State Treasurer Urges Vermonters to Speak Up on Rule Changes on Credit Cards MONTPELIER, Vt.—(July 2, 2008) As Vermonters work to meet the challenges of a struggling U.S. economy, the last thing they need is to be charged unfairly for the use of their credit cards. So said State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding, who today issued an alert to Vermonters that the deadline for public comment on new federal rules regulating credit cards and overdraft services is fast approaching. “I want to remind everyone that August 4 is the deadline for the public to formally share their views regarding proposed rules that would prohibit unfair charges and billing practices associated with credit cards and overdraft services,” said Spaulding. “The rule changes would ensure consumers have a reasonable amount of time to make payments and stop practices that unfairly maximize interest charges.” The State Treasurer’s Office has created a web site to make it easier for Vermonters to comment on the rule changes. People may go to www.VermontTreasurer.gov(link is external) and click on “Share Your Views!” The web page features a direct link to the public comment page for Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices as outlined in the Federal Register. Links are also provided to a highlights page of the proposed rules as well as the complete rule changes. The Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Thrift Supervision, and the National Credit Union Administration in early May proposed rule changes under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The identical proposed rule changes by each of the federal regulators will enable the rules to apply to savings associations, banks, and federal credit unions. The rule changes address public concern about fairness and transparency by:· Ensuring that consumers have a reasonable amount of time to make a payment;· Requiring that consumers receive the full benefit of discounted promotional rates on credit cards by applying payments in excess of the minimum to any higher-rate balances first;· Prohibiting unfair interest rate increases on outstanding balances;· Disallowing fees imposed when the credit limit is exceeded solely because a hold was placed on available credit (for example, when a consumer checks into a hotel, a hold is placed for the expected cost of the stay);· Addressing unfair methods of computing balances;· Prohibiting the practice of financing security deposits and fees for credit availability; and· Requiring the disclosure of what factors determine whether a consumer qualifies for the lowest APR and highest credit limit advertised.As the Senior Vice President for the National Association of State Treasurers, Spaulding is working with State Treasurers nationwide to urge the public to share their views on the proposed changes. Spaulding believes the rule changes will establish a uniform set of business practices that will benefit consumers and provide clear expectations for credit card companies.“Credit cards have become a convenient financial tool for many people,” said Spaulding. “These rule changes will ensure that unfair practices costing Vermonters money will be regulated. It is a question of fairness and of helping people stretch their personal financial resources.” -end-Lisa HelmeDirector of Financial Literacy and CommunicationsOffice of the State Treasurer109 State Street, 4th FloorMontpelier, Vermont 05609-6200Tel: 802-828-3706Fax: 802-828-2772
Danforth Pewter Named Addison County’s Business of the YearMiddlebury, Vermont – October 6, 2008 – The Addison County Chamber of Commerce has announced that Danforth Pewter was the recipient of its Business of the Year award which was presented at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting last month. Recipients for the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year, Community Achievement and President’s Awards were also named at the function held in Middlebury’s newly renovated Town Hall Theater.The Business of the Year award is given to a business located in Addison County that has shown a significant improvement in the development of their business, positively impacting the economy on a local, regional or international level. According to Andy Mayer, Chamber President, “Danforth Pewter, and its owners Fred and Judi Danforth, have been active in serving the Addison County community by expanding their business through the years, and they have created an environment that their employees love being a part of. Danforth Pewter has donated time in the community and contributed to many events. Additionally, Fred and Judi encourage their employees to donate time back to the community.””Danforth has been making pewter in Addison County since 1978. We love this community and we’re proud to be able to contribute in a variety of ways to its vitality,” said Judi Danforth.Danforth Pewter has opened three stores in the past three years throughout Vermont, and in 2006 celebrated the opening of a destination store in Middlebury called the Workshop & Store where visitors can view the pewter making process. Danforth Pewter is both an attraction and a destination that brings people from all over the world. Their numerous areas of involvement in the community include being an integral part of the Exchange Street Group along with being members of the Better Middlebury Partnership, Middlebury Area Artisans Group and Arts Connect. Judi and Fred have both been on the Board of the Frog Hollow State Craft Center and are currently on the United Way’s Robert Frost Society board.In addition to the Business of the Year award, the Addison County Chamber of Commerce presented its Citizen of the Year award to Doug Anderson, executive director of the Town Hall Theater; the Community Achievement Award was awarded to Porter Medical Center; and the President’s Award, given to an individual or business who has donated time and effort for the continuing benefit of the Chamber, was given to Darcy Tarte of Chittenden Bank.About Addison County Chamber of CommerceThe Addison County Chamber of Commerce (ACCOC) is an association of individuals representing business interest, working together to promote commercial business in Addison County. The Chamber can be found on the Web at www.addisoncountychamber.com(link is external).###Photo caption: ACCOC Business of the Year banner is presented to Danforth Pewter. From L to R: Ted Shambo, membership director; Fred and Judi Danforth, owners; Andy Mayer, chamber president. Danforth Pewter employees look on in the background.
Entergy Vermont Yankee is reporting today that one of the newly installed monitoring wells, located just to the east of the nuclear power plant’s condensate water storage tank and some underground piping, appears to be closer to the source of a tritium leak because its concentration is 774,825 picocuries per liter. Vermont Yankee engineers working to identify the source of tritium in the plant’s groundwater are installing new wells closer to several plant structures to further characterize the tritium concentration in the groundwater near equipment and buildings. The continuing sampling of monitoring wells should help the investigation team locate the source. The EPA has set 20,000 picocuries per liter as a safe level for drinking water. To date, the tritium samples have been found only in monitoring wells on site in Vernon, and not in any public wells or the adjacent Connecticut River.The well that was first identified with tritium is now at 36,261 picocuries per liter. However, a well about 75 feet to the south of that one that has been as high as 80,458 picocuries per liter, is now down to 69,392. Another recently installed well further south is at 1,940 picocuries per liter, up from a recent level of 1,800. Such variation is as expected with variations of groundwater flow. As has been the routine during this investigation, this information is being used with hydrology and monitoring studies already under way. The data received is helping direct investigators toward the source. For more details on the tritium investigation, the Vermont Department of Health has a thorough status report on the investigation at this web link: http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/rad/yankee/tritium.aspx(link is external)Also helpful is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission web page on tritium monitoring: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/grndwtr-contam-trit…(link is external)Source: Entergy Vermont Yankee. 12.4.2010.
For the week of October 9, 2010, there were 752 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance, a decrease of 88 from the week before. Altogether 7,405 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 55 from a week ago and 2,166 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,787 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 54 fewer than a week ago. In addition, there were 1,516 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 23 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/(link is external). Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc(link is external)
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is now accepting applications for the new Meat Processing Capacity Expansion Grant Program. This program was created by the Vermont Legislature to provide matching grants for capital investments that will result in increased capacity at meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities in Vermont. The goals of the Program are to support meat and poultry processors and producers, create jobs, and enhance Vermont’s livestock industry. In order to qualify for funding consideration a business must: be primarily involved in the processing of meat or poultry products; be providing services to more than five farm businesses; be located (preferably headquartered) in Vermont; and be licensed for either commercial or custom use. To be eligible for funding, the participant must be in good standing with the Agency of Agriculture regarding regulatory requirements and resulting penalties. A total of $50,000 is available. The eligible use of this funding is capital improvements including but not limited to construction costs, materials and equipment, and wastewater system improvements. Applications are due on Monday, August 22 at 5pm. Please contact Chelsea Bardot Lewis, Agricultural Development Coordinator, at 802-828-3360 or chelsea.lewis@state.vt.us(link sends e-mail) for the full application packet or more information.
University of Vermont,A half-million-dollar gift to support the Alumni House project at the University of Vermont is giving a name to a room with one of the best lake views in town.Davis Ballroom will be named in recognition of a gift from alumnus William Davis ‘71 and his father Robert Davis ‘41 toward renovating the historic Queen Anne home at 61 Summit Street in Burlington, Vt., that will become the university’s Alumni House.The third-floor ballroom in the stately old home commands a sweeping view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. It was once the setting for the social gatherings of Burlington’s most prominent citizens and will host a variety of alumni and other campus functions when renovations are complete.”We’re excited to support the University and do it in a way that has some meaning to our family,” said Bill Davis. He and his father were both members of the Delti Psi Fraternity, which owned the home from 1924 until it was acquired by the university in 2007 as the future Alumni House.”All of us who have been a part of Delta Psi and are supporting this project feel very good about the fact that we’re able to help UVM bring the house back to its original grandeur and that the university has made the commitment to maintain it over time,” Davis said.Davis family roots run deep at UVM. In all, four generations of the Davis family are represented among the UVM alumni community including Bill ‘71 and his father Bob ‘41, daughter Heather ‘05, sister Laurie Davis Callahan ‘75, and grandparents Max Davison ‘24 and Priscilla Rose Davison ‘23. Other Davis family members among the UVM alumni are cousin Jeff Davis ‘76, uncles Ralph ‘29 and Donald Davis ‘36, and aunts Elizabeth Davison Post ‘51, Patricia Davison McDonald ‘52, Rhoda Davison Rochat ‘53, and Amanda Davison Parker ‘59.”This house has so many fond memories embedded in it for UVM alums over the years, it’s fitting that a multi- generation UVM alumni and Delta Psi family should give their name to one of its signature spaces,” said Ted Madden, president of the University of Vermont Alumni Association. “We are very grateful to Bill and Bob Davis for their generosity, and we couldn’t be more excited at the prospect of celebrating their gift when the Davis Ballroom is ready to host its next big event.”Work is under way to stabilize the windows and exterior on the house prior to the onset of winter. A total of $2.2 million has been raised for the $13.5 million project to date. UVM 11.11.11
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Recharge:Poland’s ministry of state assets has published a much-anticipated draft of legislation to promote offshore wind power, aiming to award more than 10GW in the Baltic Sea by 2027, the Polish wind power association (PWEA) said.Up to 4.6GW from pre-developed wind projects could be granted support by Polish energy regulator ERO by the end of 2022 under a contract for difference (CfD) system with a fixed price set by the government.Andrzej Kazmierski, director for renewable and distributed energy at the Polish ministry of energy, in late 2018 told Recharge that the complex legal situation for pre-developed offshore wind projects called for different treatment than future projects to be developed from scratch.The projects in an advanced stage of development that will be entitled to a CfD with a fixed price must fulfill certain criteria, such as a grid link permit and a valid environmental permit, PWEA told Recharge. Projects that are likely to fulfill those criteria are two owned by private Polish utility Polenergia and Norway’s Equinor (Bałtyk II and III, which have a combined planned capacity of 1.44GW). The consortium also jointly owns the less developed Bałtyk 1 project with up to 1.56GW. Two projects by Polish utility PGE (Elektrownia Wiatrowa Baltica 2&3 with a joint capacity of 2.5GW) may also be in line for the first batch of projects receiving support. Denmark’s Ørsted is in advanced talks to buy half of the PGE projects.The remainder of the capacity is slated to be tendered-off in competitive CfD auctions of at least 500MW in 2023, and 2.5GW each in 2025 and 2027. Support will be granted for 25 years, compared to only 15 years for other renewable technologies. First, electricity must be generated seven years after a successful bid.[Bernd Radowit]More: Draft Polish offshore wind act aims to award more than 10GW by 2027 Poland looks to add 10GW of offshore wind capacity by 2027
This spring, a juvenile female coyote in Great Smoky Mountains National Park repeatedly approached visitors, looking for human food. Rangers eventually had to euthanize the coyote. “We hardly ever deal with nuisance coyotes,” says wildlife biologist Bill Stiver. “They don’t come into our campgrounds and picnic areas as regularly as bears do.”Although there were no coyotes in the Southeast prior to the 1950s, their presence is now growing quite rapidly. Virginia, for instance, is witnessing a population increase of 29 percent each year. Native to the Midwest, the coyote has migrated east to fill the predator niche of the red wolf and eastern cougar.Ranging in size from 20 to 50 pounds, coyotes are extremely adaptable and opportunistic. During the winter, a coyote is likely to eat almost entirely meat, while during the summer, meat only makes up about 30 percent of its diet.In the Southeast, farmers have reported millions of dollars in losses due to coyotes preying on cattle, sheep, and goats. Yet their existence serves important ecological benefits. As top-level predators, coyotes help control populations of rodents, deer, rabbits, geese, and woodchucks.“We know coyotes are taking deer and small mammals,” says Stiver. “We’ve seen a lot of evidence of coyotes taking feral hogs. So, in some respects, the coyote is our ally, because we have a pretty aggressive wild hog control program here in the park.”Wild coyotes are also aiding environmental efforts in Fairfax County, Va. They kill Canada geese (which can spread harmful bacteria) and deer. Virginia is one of the top ten states for deer-related automobile accidents; there were 51,000 in 2009.Still, some livestock farmers would rather do without this top predator. As a result, at least 15 counties in Virginia pay bounties for the killing of coyotes. Bounties range from $25 to $100 per coyote killed.But wild dogs and hunting dogs pose an even greater threat to their animals than do coyotes, say Aaron Wilson and Anna Bedell, owners of White Oak Dairy Goat Farm. “Coyotes are only going to put in the energy to attack and kill one thing at a time. But dogs will just kill for fun.” In a 2004 report on livestock protection in West Virginia, the USDA concluded that dogs had been “the most significant predator of sheep in Appalachia.”As the coyote population continues to migrate and expand eastward, both the natural and human landscape will inevitably be changed by the coyote’s presence. “They’re stealthy, crafty, difficult to track, and nearly impossible to eradicate,” says Stiver. “They’re here to stay.”
The federally funded National Optical Astronomy Observatory reports that poorly-aimed, unshielded outdoor lights waste 17.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the U.S. each year. Photo cred: Brand X PicturesEarthTalk®E – The Environmental MagazineDear EarthTalk: Has anyone calculated the energy wasted at night by unnecessary lighting in and around buildings? What can we do to reduce our light footprint? — Bill Rehkamp, via e-mailAmericans do squander a lot of electricity keeping things lit up at night while most of us sleep. This light blocks our view of the night sky and stars, creates glare hazards on roads, messes with our circadian sleep-wake rhythms, interrupts the patterns of nocturnal wildlife, and is by and large annoying. It also takes a financial toll: The federally funded National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) reports that poorly-aimed, unshielded outdoor lights waste $2 billion (17.4 billion kilowatt-hours) of energy in the U.S. each year.NOAO has monitored outdoor lighting levels across the U.S. and beyond for the past six years through its GLOBE at Night program whereby citizen-scientists track nearby outdoor lighting levels over a two-week period beginning in late March and submit their observations to NOAO electronically. A simple star map provided by NOAO is all that participants need to track their slice of sky. “All it takes is a few minutes for a family to measure their night sky brightness by noting how many stars are missing from an easy-to-find constellation like Leo (in the northern hemisphere) or Crux (in the southern hemisphere),” says GLOBE at Night project director Connie Walker. “This tells us how much light is directed upwards into the sky.”Over the last six annual campaigns, participants from 100-plus countries have contributed almost 70,000 measurements, giving project organizers a detailed picture of light pollution globally. Unfortunately, analysis of the data shows that participants have seen brighter skies and fewer stars over time, meaning that light pollution is a growing problem. The free and publicly-accessible data gathered by the project is not only useful for educational purposes but can also help inform planners and policymakers on decisions about increasing public safety, reducing energy consumption and even identifying parks and green spaces that can serve as “sky oases” where city dwellers can appreciate the night sky from a safe, dark place.According to the McDonald Observatory’s Dark Skies Initiative (DSI), the solution to light pollution is 90 percent education and 10 percent technology. “We can reclaim vast amounts of energy currently wasted inadvertently into the night sky…by using light fixtures that are shielded to reflect light down where it is needed, as well as using the smallest number of lights and lowest wattage bulbs necessary to effectively light an area,” says DSI. Leading by example through the installation of downward-pointing outdoor light fixtures is a great place for home and building owners to start: “Once people see it in action, and understand its implications for cost savings and enhanced visibility, they are far more likely to adopt good lighting practices on their own.” Another group committed to reducing light pollution, the International Dark-Sky Association, maintains a list of distributors that sell approved fixtures to prevent light pollution.Some cities have instituted standards to limit outdoor night lighting to protect citizens against unwanted light (or “light trespass”). The International Dark-Sky Association has developed a set of model lighting ordinances that cities and towns can adopt and modify to suit their needs accordingly. Also, the U.S. Green Building Council has incorporated a credit for buildings seeking to reduce the amount of light trespass and sky glow through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.CONTACTS: GLOBE At Night, www.globeatnight.org; Dark Skies Initiative, www.mcdonaldobservatory.org/darkskies; International Dark Sky Association, www.darksky.org.EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.