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Archive for February, 2009

Solar Power and Labor Unions

The appointment on Rep. Dina Titus’ calendar last Saturday didn’t appear controversial at first glance.

She was to tour the new 10-megawatt Boulder City Sempra Generation plant — the largest solar power plant in North America to use widely praised thin-film technology. The project also produced the kind of environmentally friendly jobs that elected officials covet and tout.

Yet Titus soon realized that she was wading into a political firestorm.

In Carson City, Nevada legislators had blasted Sempra for its hiring practices, part of an intensifying debate here and nationwide over who is to benefit from growing state and federal renewable energy incentives aimed at saving not only the environment but also the economy.

Titus was a last minute no-show at Sempra.

Sempra had provoked the ire of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for hiring nonunion electricians, who the union insists were not properly certified to install photovoltaic panels. (Sempra spokesman Art Larson said he wasn’t aware of and couldn’t respond to those accusations).

Building Trades, IBEW and AFL-CIO representatives said although they have told politicians not to visit Acciona’s plant, they do not have the same request regarding Sempra.

What is a Domain Name?

The Domain Name … A Business Essential!

In today’s business world, a domain name and a web presence are a must. Your domain name is your online identity, which allows internet users from around the world to locate and browse your web site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It can be used as your email address and your web address. A domain name can also be used as a supplemental pointer to your existing site name (ie. flowerdelivery.com may be bought as a separate domain name and pointed to your site www.bobsflowers.com. )

Choosing The Right Domain Name.

This is perhaps the most important step in the entire process of building your online identity, and due to the recent “gold rush” for domain names, it can also be one of the most difficult.

Over the past few years it may seem that nearly every good domain name has been registered, which is true to a point. This does not mean, however, that there are no good domain names left, you just have to be a bit more creative.

1. Your company name or something like it may not always be the best choice unless it’s a well known name, or actually describes your product or service e.g. “airfreightcompany.com”.

2. A word or words which describe what you sell, such as “airfreights.com”.

3. Something which is meaningless but memorable. The auction web site “www.ebay.com” is very well known, but who actually knows what an ebay is?

A memorable, marketable and brandable name is essential to create your internet presence. As internet traffic increases, businesses will realize that they can no longer ignore the internet.

Using Keyword Domains Can Increase Your Business.

• Think not only of nouns, but also of adjectives and verbs that describe how your product or service is used.
• Think of words both directly and indirectly related to your product or service.
• Ask your friends, family, associates and clients what words and phrases they would be most likely to use in searching for products or services like yours.
• Investigate which keywords your competitors use. See which keywords are used frequently on their pages and in their meta tags.
• Think geographically, and include keywords that describe the area you serve.

What A Domain Name Can Do For You.

If you decide to purchase a domain name that matches the concept of your business (instead of the exact business name), you might draw web surfers in search of that topic.

For instance, a music store that purchases “classical.com” might get visitors looking for classical music in particular. (If you wish, you can even register multiple domain names and arrange for them all to redirect visitors to a single central web site).

Having your own domain name makes your company look professional. If you publish your site through an ISP or a free web hosting service, you’ll never have complete control of your web site or email address and you will end up with a URL such as “www.acmehosting.com/mailboxservices”.

Web savvy visitors will recognize that you don’t own your own brand and may question your company’s size and/or ability. In contrast, “www.mailboxservices.com” shows that you have committed to marketing and operating your business professionally.

Incidentally, owning your own domain name lets you take that name with you if you decide to transfer web hosts or switch to your own house server. If you don’t own your domain name, you’ll have to switch to a new URL/domain name, which will destroy the branding that you built up with your first address.

Having your own domain name indicates you’re part of the new economy, it implies that you’re technologically up to date. If perception is reality, having your own domain name might just put you ahead of your competitors.

Jobless Claims Jump to 26 Year High

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment insurance spiked, and those living on unemployment benefits hit a record high, according to a government report released Thursday.

For the week ended Feb. 21, 667,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims, up 36,000 from a revised 631,000 the previous week. That’s the highest figure since October 1982.

Obama Says We Cannot Let Big Three Fail

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama scolded the domestic carmakers Tuesday night for “years of bad decision making,” but said “the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.”

In a speech to a joint session of Congress, the new president offered no details as to how he would help the industry restructure, and no promise to grant the billions of dollars in new aid that General Motors and Chrysler seek.

But it was his strongest commitment yet to preserving the companies that have defined Michigan’s economy and identity for a century.

“We are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win,” he said. “Millions of jobs depend on it.”

Obama Unveils Home Mortgage and Foreclosure Prevention Plan

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — President Obama unveiled a $75 billion multi-pronged plan Wednesday that seeks to help up to 9 million borrowers suffering from falling home prices and unaffordable monthly payments.

The long-awaited foreclosure fix marks a sharp departure from the Bush administration, which relied mainly on having servicers voluntarily modify troubled mortgages.

Obama, on the other hand, will make it easier for homeowners to afford their monthly payments either by refinancing the mortgages or having their loans modified. The president is vastly broadening the scope of the government rescue by focusing on homeowners who are still current in their payments but at risk of default. And he puts billions of federal funds into enticing servicers to modify the loans of those who’ve already stopped paying.