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Wave-produced Energy The Wave Of The Future?

April 27, 2017 By Sherry Tingley

Will energy from waves become a usable source for power?
Scientists estimate that the energy inherent in the movements of oceans, if it were harnessed, could provide power to meet a quarter of America’s energy demands.

But even with increasing pressure on other energy sources, including oil, gas and coal, research into ocean activity as a source has not been urgent. The potential for wind and solar power tends to get more attention.

The U.S. Navy has stepped up with a test site in the waters off Hawaii to see if wave energy is a feasible area for more research. If it becomes a reality, it could be a boon to coastal cities around the world. In fact, Hawaii’s island cities have the highest electricity rates in the U.S., making the prospect attractive. The cities rely on fossil fuels shipped across the ocean. State officials have issued a mandate that Hawaii will be using renewable energy fully by 2045.

Surfers already know what the waves coming in to Hawaii are like. They are powerful and roiling. One of the challenges for the experimentation is to find buoys that can capture both the side-to-side and up-and-down ocean motions.

Any device designed to capture electricity generated by the motion would have to withstand long-term thrashing as well as the powerful storms that sometimes hit the coast. Not to mention the corrosive effects of constant exposure to salt water.

Patrick Cross, specialist at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute in Manoa, which manages the test site, recognizes the challenges but is confident buoys can be designed that will do the job.

Being able to harness the energy now going to waste in the oceans would go a long way toward achieving the U.S. goal of reducing emissions from carbon-based fuels by a third by 2030. Many states are involved in efforts to develop renewable energy sources as well.

Some European countries also are pursuing the wave energy potential. They have spent more than $ billion on the effort, while the U.S. has put about $334 million into its research. Marine Energy Council, a trade group representing Great Britain and other European countries, is heading the research effort there. China and Norway also have been building and testing devices.

At present, the U.S. effort off Hawaii consists of two buoys anchored a half mile offshore. The Azura extends 50 feet below the ocean surface and stands some 12 feet above. It converts both horizontal and vertical movements in the ocean to about 18 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power about a dozen homes.

Plans are for Northwest Energy Innovations of Portland, Ore., a company working with the Navy, to build a prototype that can generate at least 500 kilowatts of energy, enough to power hundreds of homes.

Researchers are aware that the prospect of hundreds of buoys bobbing in the ocean could trigger opposition from environmentalists – the same problem that has stifled some wind turbine research.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: business

Political Campaigns Spawn Economic Fallout

May 22, 2016 By Twila VanLeer

Political uncertainty causing economic angst.
Political uncertainty causing stagnant economy.
The rancorous 2016 election campaigns are having a negative effect on the country’s economy, the experts are concluding.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing has taken a dip, with the smallest improvement in sales since 2009 and the companies are blaming the political uncertainties for the difficulties. The Markit Economics manufacturing index fell to 50.8 in April, the lowest it has been since September 2009.

American Households

American households also seem to be retrenching as consumer confidence slides to the lowest level since last September. The unusual and more confrontational nature of the debates, rampant dissatisfaction with the major parties and the uncertainty of where the country would head under pending leadership all are factors.

Business Spending And Investing

Some businesses are delaying spending and investment decisions until there is more clarity about what might be on the minds of the various candidates vis a vis business regulation. Policies that might make a difference in bottom lines are still pending.

Presidential Nominees Positions

Donald trump, likely Republican presidential nominee, has thrown out such possibilities as putting big tariffs on Chinese imports, while Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton has waffled on some of the positions she has championed in the past that were pro-business.

Other Indicators

This sort of flux in political positions has caused a lull of sorts in business activity, economic experts say. Among other indicators, orders for business equipment were down by almost 3 percent in February. The Federal Reserve also has noted signs of increasing unease about the political situation as it makes surveys for the Beige Book. Eight mentions of the campaign were made in the three reports that have been published by the central bank so far this year. In 2012, the last general election year, there were two such mentions. In 2008, there were none.

consumer Angst

The University of Michigan’s monthly confidence survey also indicates more consumer angst about the direction of the country’s politics. The economy may be stagnant as it waits the outcome of the November balloting.

Filed Under: Business, Investing, Security, Spending Habits Tagged With: business, economy, Investing

Angry Patron? Cultivate An Ally

April 12, 2016 By Twila VanLeer

How to diffuse an angry patron.
How to diffuse an angry patron.
When you are faced with a screaming customer who is not satisfied with the service you have provided, don’t respond in kind, but use the opportunity to improve.

Marc Cosentino, co-owner of Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza in Staten Island, N.Y., found himself in that position, dealing with a husband who was very unhappy that Cosentino had hung up on his wife, who was treating the businessman to a tirade because she was not satisfied with his service.

Costenino did the right thing. Instead of escalating the situation with tit-for-tat jabs, he acknowledged that he had been wrong in the first instance. Then they had a level playing field to carry on a rational conversation and come to an agreement. The customer was mollified and ready to patronize the pizza parlor once again.

Joe McCullum, owner of Eagles’ Wings Business Coaching in Hamden, Conn., advises that an in-your-face irate customer really represents an opportunity to win a loyal fan for your business. He gives these tips for defusing a confrontation and turning it around:

Stay Calm

When confronting a situation, stay calm. Make eye contact with the grieved customer and ask what the problem is. You might want to take notes, a signal that you are really interested in knowing the details. Don’t rush things. This may be all it takes to set the scene for rational discussion. Most people aren’t used to having their consternation acknowledged. Don’t head for a back room to address the confrontation. That lets him or her know you are willing to face the complaint and try to work it out. Other customers may actually be impressed. The reputation will last longer than the incident.

Don’t Become Defensive

That will only escalate the irate customer’s frustration. If there is a misunderstanding, wait for a calmer moment to present your viewpoint. Acknowledging that you might be angry if you had found yourself in a similar situation may help.

Apologize

Apologize for the event and express thanks to the individual for bringing unsatisfactory service to your attention. Ask how it can be corrected and make a sincere effort to work out a solution together. Get the person’s contact information and do a follow-up to ensure that the problem was satisfactorily resolved.

Making the effort could ensure a loyal customer who is more than ever ready to bring you his business.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business, successful entrepreneurs

Amazon Home Services Marketplace

March 30, 2015 By Twila VanLeer

amazon-local-servicesAmazon has launched its Home Services (formerly Amazon Local Services). If you are looking for voice lessons, yoga classes, furniture assemble, mounting wall televisions, setting up baby gates, house keeping or even assembling those products you buy at Ikea, now you can order them directly on Amazon. You can list your services on Amazon if you are a service provider or you can look for services close to you. Using geo based technology, Amazon matches your queries with your zip code. How will this impact your lifestyle? Hopefully it will make it much easier for you to get help with simple to expert projects.

Amazon Home Services competes directly with Angie’s List and other online local services. The number of Amazon’s service categories and the number of cities in which they are offered are both ballooning. It will take some time for the public to get used to ordering local services this way and time for merchants to list their services on Amazon.

As of March 30, Amazon Home Services was available in Miami, San Francisco, New York, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Portland, Minneapolis, Detroit, Denver, Riverside, Tampa, Orlando, Austin, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Cincinnati, Charlotte and St. Louis. Other locations are being added regularly.

Quietly introduced in late 2014, the service initially featured service providers whose businesses could help Amazon shoppers with additional needs related to purchases, such as installers who could put up a new TV. The expanded program goes well beyond that concept.

Now the list includes such things as plumbers, home improvement sources, lawn and garden, auto mechanics, computer and electronics aids and yoga instructors. There is a “more” category for items that jibe with those listings. It includes such exotica as “goat grazing” and “singing performances.” The goal is to have a list for anything a customer is likely to need, including housecleaning and babysitting.

The introduction of the expanded service is a big step toward competing effectively in the on-demand economy. Amazon is partnering with some of the on-demand service startups, but not trying to replace them entirely. The approach is consistent with what Amazon has done with other initiatives, such as its online art store or the Amazon Sellers program. Experimentation has proved that the relationships can increase sales for small retailers of physical goods.

Amazon hand-picks the businesses it includes at its sites and ensures that they are licensed, insured and background-checked. The mega company had taken a 20 percent cut of services costing under $1,000 and 15 percent of those over that amount. But in conjunction with the new launch, service fees have been readjusted in three categories with varying fees. The company also has built in safeguards to assure the authenticity of user reviews and prevent spurious reviews by those who want to cause trouble for a competitor. Amazon shoppers buy services by putting them in an online cart so reviews can be authenticated.

The Amazon website says that prices quoted in the service are the same as those prospective customers would receive if they called the service provider direct. That answers some complaints from customers who sought services in the earlier phase of the program. Amazon also offers to match prices if the customer can find them cheaper elsewhere.

Filed Under: Business Development, Saving Money Tagged With: Amazon, business, entrepreneur, Local Services

Small Businesses Also Get Hacked

October 23, 2014 By Twila VanLeer

Scott Schrober, CEO of Varitronic Systems,
Scott Schrober, CEO of Varitronic Systems,
Everyone has heard, read about or seen the multi analyses of the disastrous computer breaches at JP Morgan Chase, Target and Home Depot, but what about the small businesses that have suffered similar (possibly greater when you consider scale) crises?

About 44 percent of the small companies in the country have been affected by cyber crime, according to a 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association. The average cost of dealing with the damage was $8,700, the association reported.

The small businesses often become part of the damage inflicted on the larger businesses. When JPMorgan Chase data was breached, for instance, 7 million small businesses shared in the fallout, along with 76 million households. Target Corp., Michael’s Stores, Home Depot and Neiman Marcus, who also reported compromised information in the past year, also have small contracting companies as customers.

Businesses lose revenue when they have to shut down their systems to allow the experts to ferret out the harmful viruses that caused the damage. Additional costs are racked up as the affected companies have to notify each company or individual who was affected by the breach. Most states require a compromised business to notify customers. If lawsuits are brought by injured customers, the costs go up again.

Small businesses sometimes become vulnerable to attack because the owners believe they can’t afford the software programs and consulting services that might protect them, or the time to deal with potential attacks. Some small businessmen and women simply are not aware of the risks. They don’t know that they can be attacked by what they believe is a relatively harmless source. An innocent-seeming email from a friend whose computer has been attacked may mean trouble. Not knowing how sophisticated the enemy has become can be fatal.

Scott Schrober, CEO of Varitronic Systems, took steps to protect his company after a hacker weaseled $50,000 from his company’s bank account recently, an Associated Press story related. Schrober took steps to prevent any further intrusion by investing $50,000 in security and plans and intends to spend another $20,000. He believes his company was targeted because computer security is his business. The thieves were sending a message.

While there is no security system that will absolutely guarantee immunity from hackers, experts suggests that small business owners take these precautions:

  • Pay a computer security consultant to evaluate your system and make recommendations.
  • Purchase insurance to cover potential losses. Premiums can be as low as $1,000 for a million dollars in coverage.
  • Install free anti-virus and anti-malware software that you can find online. Add firewalls that block attempts to access.
  • Make certain that your email provider has effective security.
  • Use a separate company to process orders to avoid having customer credit card information stolen. Be certain that the company you collaborate with has a secure system.
  • Look into a service that specializes in spotting fraudulent credit card transactions.

Filed Under: Fraud, Security Tagged With: business

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