Posts Tagged ‘TN’
Thursday, January 31st, 2013
 Even though this year’s flu virus is infecting people throughout the nation and New York and Boston even declared citywide health emergencies – you might not guess that Huntsville, Alabama is the city most concerned about it.
MaxPoint, a company that helps retailers and brands drive local in-store sales with its Digital Zip technology, announced its latest Interest Index, which reveals the cities most interested in flu-related remedies.
While that may or may not concern your company or your advertising clients specifically, MaxPoint notes that it is crucial for advertisers to dive deep into neighborhood and audience data when building campaigns.
For instance, New York and Boston did not even make the top ten list of cities most concerned about the flu this year.
By analyzing billions of in-store purchases and online data points, MaxPoint found that the 10 cities most interested in all things flu-related are the following:
1. Huntsville, AL
2. Knoxville, TN
3. Greensboro, NC
4. Greenville, SC
5. Des Moines, IA
6. Rochester, NY
7. Birmingham, AL
8. Boise, ID
9. Augusta, GA
10. Milwaukee, WI
nterest Data in Action
Using the data from this Interest Index, MaxPoint ran several digital advertising campaigns, including the following:
- A global pharmaceutical company with a diverse healthcare portfolio — including pharmaceuticals, eye care products and vaccines — wanted to drive adults over the age of 65 to select pharmacy locations to receive flu shots. Using MaxPoint’s hyperlocal advertising approach, the company achieved 164 percent lift in awareness of its flu vaccine at participating pharmacies.
- A manufacturer of analgesics wanted to increase brand awareness and drive sales of its products. By running digital ads with MaxPoint, the manufacturer achieved 3 percent sales lift in mass merchandise stores.
Tags: AL, August, Boston, flu, GA, Greensboro, Greenville, Huntsville, Knoxville, Marketing, MaxPoint, NC, New York, SC, TN
Posted in Alabama, Analytics, Carolinas, Georgia, Marketing, North Carolina, South Carolina, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 12th, 2012
 If you’re looking for that special restaurant in which to wine and dine a potential big ticket customer, woo a business partner, or just to have a great meal while at home or on the road, OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), a provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners guest management solutions for restaurants, has named the 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Best Restaurants in the United States.
These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration.
Qualifying restaurants were then sorted according to a score calculated from each restaurant’s average rating in the “overall” category along with that restaurant’s rating relative to others in the same metropolitan area and the average number of restaurants reviewed by diners who reviewed that restaurant.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Best Restaurants in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners.
2012 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for the Top 100 Best Restaurants in the U.S.
Acquerello – San Francisco, California
Addison at The Grand Del Mar – San Diego, California
Altura – Seattle, Washington
Andrea at Pelican Hill – Newport Coast, California
Annisa – New York, New York
Artisanal Restaurant – Banner Elk, North Carolina
The Ashby Inn – Paris, Virginia
Atelier Crenn – San Francisco, California
Auberge du Soleil – Rutherford, California
Bacchanalia – Atlanta, Georgia
The Belvedere – Beverly Hills, California
Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Binkley’s Restaurant – Cave Creek, Arizona
Bistro L’Hermitage – Woodbridge, Virginia
Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, New York
Bouchard Restaurant and Inn – Newport, Rhode Island
Bouley – New York, New York
Café Provence – Prairie Village, Kansas
Café Renaissance – Vienna, Virginia
Canlis – Seattle, Washington
Capital Grille – Kansas City, Missouri
Capital Grille – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Carpe Vino – Auburn, California
Castle Hill Inn – Newport, Rhode Island
Chachama Grill – East Patchogue, New York
Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse – Downers Grove, Illinois
Charleston – Baltimore, Maryland
Charleston Grill – Charleston, South Carolina
Chez Francois – Vermilion, Ohio
Chez Nous French Restaurant – Humble, Texas
CityZen – Washington, D.C.
Commis – Oakland, California
Cottage Place Restaurant – Flagstaff, Arizona
Daniel – New York, New York
Daniel-Lounge Seating – New York, New York
Del Posto – New York, New York
Eleven Madison Park – New York, New York
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant – Forestville, California
Fearrington House Restaurant – Pittsboro, North Carolina
Fountain Restaurant – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The French Laundry – Yountville, California
The French Room – Dallas, Texas
Geronimo – Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Goodstone Inn & Estate Restaurant – Middleburg, Virginia
Gracie’s – Providence, Rhode Island
Gramercy Tavern – New York, New York
Hannas Prime Steak – Rancho Santa Margarita, California
The Hobbit – Orange, California
Jean Georges – New York, New York
Joseph Tambellini – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
JUNGSIK – New York, New York
Kai – Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort – Chandler, Arizona
Keiko à Nob Hill – San Francisco, California
King Umberto – Elmont, New York
The Kitchen Restaurant – Sacramento, California
La Ciccia – San Francisco, California
La Folie – San Francisco, California
La Grenouille – New York, New York
L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, Virginia
Le Bernardin – New York, New York
Le Vallauris – Palm Springs, California
Le Yaca – Williamsburg, Virginia
L’Espalier – Boston, Massachusetts
The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach – Laguna Beach, California
Mama’s Fish House – Paia, Hawaii
Manresa – Los Gatos, California
Marcel’s – Washington, D.C.
Marinus-Bernadus Lodge – Carmel Valley, California
Menton – Boston, Massachusetts
Michael’s – South Point Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada
The Modern-Dining Room – New York, New York
n/naka – Los Angeles, California
NAOE – Miami, Florida
Nicholas – Red Bank, New Jersey
Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando – Orlando, Florida
The North Fork Table & Inn – Southold, New York
o ya – Boston, Massachusetts
ON20 – Hartford, Connecticut
Orchids at Palm Court – Cincinnati, Ohio
The Painted Lady – Newberg, Oregon
Palace Arms at The Brown Palace – Denver, Colorado
Per Se – New York, New York
Perry Street Brasserie – Galena, Illinois
Providence – Los Angeles, California
Restaurant Alma – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Restaurant Iris – Memphis, Tennessee
Rover’s – Seattle, Washington
Rudy & Paco Restaurant & Bar – Galveston, Texas
Saint Jacques French Cuisine – Raleigh, North Carolina
Saison – San Francisco, California
Scalini Fedeli – New York, New York
ShinBay – Scottsdale, Arizona
Sonoma – Princeton, Massachusetts
Splendido – Beaver Creek, Colorado
Studio at Montage Laguna Beach – Laguna Beach, California
Tony’s – St. Louis, Missouri
Tosca Ristorante – Washington, D.C.
Vetri – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
VOLT – Frederick, Maryland
Woodfire Grill – Atlanta, Georgia
Diners can also read more about the Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 Best Restaurants in the U.S. by visiting OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter’s “Dining Check” blog.
Tags: California, DC, Hawaii, Ill, Issouri, Kansas, MD, MN, NC, Nevada, New Mexico, NJ, Ohio, Open Table, Oregon, PA, RI, SC, Texas, TN, top 100 U.S. restaurants, Washington
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, July 27th, 2012
 The so-called “creative economy” is seeing record-breaking growth in online work, with earnings and job opportunities far outpacing the traditional employment economy around the world, according to the Elance quarterly Global Online Employment Report
Significant findings include skyrocketing demand for creative talent and traditional jobs moving online.
“The ease of working online — coupled with the ability to instantly connect with a highly specialized global talent pool — is driving massive adoption of online work,” said Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance. “For the first time, demand for technical talent is being matched by equally strong demand for creative talent.”
Q2 Highlights from the Report
Elance’s Q2 results set new records, with nearly 200,000 new job posts and contractor earnings of $47M. The number of businesses hiring on Elance jumped 35% over the same quarter a year ago. More than 80,000 of the new jobs posted in Q2 were in the Creative category, up 60% over a year ago.
Rise of the Creative Economy
While global economies remain uncertain, Elance’s leading indicators reveal business optimism, hiring growth and several hot job markets.
The new ‘Creative Economy’ is particularly vibrant; demand for creative skills such as web design (+574%), voice acting (+295%) and content writing (+256%) were each up significantly over a year ago. Companies are investing heavily in creative talent, signaling a shift in how businesses engage customers and commitment to growth.
Europe Sees Bright Spots
With the 2012 Summer Olympics just a few days away, London proved to be a city on the move as the top earning city in Europe, where hiring was up 25% over last quarter.
While economic recovery continues to elude parts of Europe, online work is contributing positively to economic growth. In Southern Europe, Italy appears to be breaking out of a stalemate to experience 43% growth in online hiring and 74% growth in online earnings over last year.
Despite Greece’s record 22% unemployment rate, the country experienced a 33% increase in online hiring and 32% increase in online earnings over last quarter. In Eastern Europe, Slovak Republic saw online hiring jump 332% in one year, while Hungary and the Czech Republic saw triple digit increases of 248% and 519% year over year respectively.
Latin America Heating Up
Online work surged in markets worldwide, with Latin America in particular showing strong business optimism with increased hiring of independent professionals across Central and South America. Brazil saw a 104% increase in hiring, Chile realized a 225% increase and Colombia a 172% increase year over year.
Professionals working in Latin America also saw tremendous growth in work opportunities, with Chile (+104%), Venezuela (+91%) and Mexico (+43%) all seeing significant increases in contractor earnings over last quarter. Contractors in this region are increasingly being tapped for creative talent, as 51% of earnings came from this category in Q2.
U.S. Growth Fastest in Hawaii, North Carolina and Tennessee
In the U.S., businesses and contractors continued to fuel online job growth as more independent professionals ditch the cubicle and look online for more opportunity. Overall, earnings grew in 41 out of 50 states. States like Hawaii (+53%), North Carolina (+47%) and Tennessee (+33%) showed some of the biggest jumps in Q2, as online work continues to make its mark across the country.
Rural America Comes Online
Rural America is proving itself as more than fields and farmlands, with businesses in towns like Littleton, N.H. (with a whopping population of 5,800) creating jobs for hurting economies around the world. Businesses hiring online professionals are driving online job growth, and increases in demand for online talent over last quarter are triple-digit in towns like Littleton, N.H., (+702%), Southfield, Mich.(+316%) and Littleton, Colo. (+288%).
The adoption of the online work model has proven significantly beneficial, compared to the traditional job market in these states, where unemployment is currently 5% in New Hampshire, 8.5% in Michigan and 8.1% in Colorado.
Traditional Jobs Shift Online
While technology remains the top earning category for online jobs, more professionals in traditional careers are leaving the cubicle lifestyle for the freedom of online employment.
Skilled professionals like manufacturing designers (+241%), architects (+198%) and family attorneys (+179%) are joining the online work community faster than ever, with triple-digit increases compared to Q2 last year.
Engineering is another job category defying the conventional market, with skills like Chemical Engineering (+182%), Electrical Engineering (+126%) and Civil Engineering (+100%) increasing exponentially year over year.
Tags: creative economy, elance, Greece, Hawaii, Italy, Latin America, Littleton, London, MI, NC, NH, OH, Southfield, TN
Posted in Economic Development, Internet/New Media, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Thursday, May 31st, 2012
 DC is number one on the Norton list of the riskiest online U.S. cities. For the second year in a row, the Washington DC metropolitan area ranked as the strongest local economy in the United States in POLICOM’s annual “economic strength” rankings. With an expanding federal government as its economic anchor, the metropolitan area has been virtually immune to the national recession.
The Des Moines, IA metropolitan area placed 2nd in the rankings driven by the expansion of the Finance and Insurance sector.
POLICOM annually ranks the 366 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and 576 Micropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States for “economic strength” to enable POLICOM to study the characteristics of strong and weak economies in the country.
For the economic strength rankings for all areas, go to http://www.policom.com.
Concord, the capital of New Hampshire, is top among the 576 “Micropolitan” areas. Micropolitan areas are smaller economies and do not have a city with a population greater than 50,000 people.
The Huntsville, AL MSA improved significantly, jumping from 52nd to 16th place as a result of rapid growth in the high-wage Professional and Scientific Services sector.
“The top-rated areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time,” William H. Fruth, President of POLICOM. POLICOM, located in Palm City, FL, specializes in analyzing local and state economies.
“The rankings do not reflect the latest ‘hotspot’ or boom town, but the areas which have the best economic foundation,” Fruth continued.
The study measures 23 different economic factors over a 20-year period to create the rankings. The formulas determine how an economy has behaved over an extended period of time. Data stretching from 1991 to 2010 was used for this study.
POLICOM has created this study each year since 1997.
The following are the 10 strongest Metropolitan and Micropolitan areas.
2012 Ten Strongest Metropolitan Areas
1 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA
2 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
3 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
4 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
5 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
6 Salt Lake City, UT
7 Madison, WI
8 Kansas City, MO-KS
9 Sioux Falls, SD
10 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
2012 Ten Strongest Micropolitan Areas
1 Concord, NH
2 Helena, MT
3 Lexington Park, MD
4 Gillette, WY
5 Sheridan, WY
6 Durango, CO
7 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
8 Lebanon, NH-VT
9 Bozeman, MT
10 Grand Island, NE
Tags: Alexandria, Arlington, Austin, Concord, DC, Des Moines, Helena, IA, Kansa City, Lexington Park, Madison, MD, Micropolitan areas, MO, MT, Nashville, NH, Policom economic strength rankings, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, SD, Seattle, Sioux Falls, TN, top ten metropolitan local economies, TX, UT, WA, Washington, WI
Posted in Economic Development, Economy/Jobs, Studies, surveys, reports | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
 For the eighth year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business, according to Chief Executive magazine’s annual Best & Worst States Survey, released today.
Florida rose one spot to take the #2 rank, while North Carolina slipped to #3.
Tennessee remained at #4 while Indiana climbed a spot to capture the #5 rank. CEOs named the worst states to do business as California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan.
The Best & Worst States Survey measures the sentiment of CEOs on business conditions around the nation.
For the 2012 survey, 650 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states on a broad range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living and infrastructure. The survey was conducted from Jan. 24 to Feb. 26, 2012.
Louisiana biggest gainer
Louisiana was the biggest gainer in the survey, rising 14 spots to be the #13th most attractive state in the country to do business. The biggest loser was Oregon, which dropped nine spots to #42.
CEOs surveyed said California’s poor ranking is the result of its hostility to business, high state taxes and overly stringent regulations, which is driving investment, companies and jobs to other states.
According to Spectrum Locations Consultants, 254 California companies moved some or all of their work and jobs out of state in 2011, an increase of 26 percent over the previous year and five times as many as in 2009.
“CEOs tell us that California seems to be doing everything possible to drive business from the state. Texas, by contrast, has been welcoming companies and entrepreneurs, particularly in the high-tech arena,” said J.P. Donlon, Editor-in-Chief of Chief Executivemagazine and ChiefExecutive.net.
“Local economic development corporations, as well as the state Texas Enterprise Fund, are providing attractive incentives. This, along with the relaxed regulatory environment and supportive State Department of Commerce adds up to a favorable climate for business.”
Inhospitable business environments mean less jobs, as entrepreneurs and established corporations seek more cost-efficient and tax-friendly locales, said Marshall Cooper, CEO of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “This survey shows that states that create policies and incentives are rewarded with investment, jobs and greater overall economic activity.”
For complete results, including individual state rankings on multiple criteria, methodology and more, please visitChiefExecutive.net.
| Best 5 States for Business |
Rank 2012 |
Rank 2011 |
| Texas |
1st |
1st |
| Florida |
2nd |
3rd |
| North Carolina |
3rd |
2nd |
| Tennessee |
4th |
4th |
| Indiana |
5th |
6th |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| Worst 5 States for Business |
Rank 2012 |
Rank 2011 |
| California |
50th |
50th |
| New York |
49th |
49th |
| Illinois |
48th |
48th |
| Massachusetts |
47th |
45th |
| Michigan |
46th |
46th |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| 2012 Biggest Gainers |
Positions Gained |
| Louisiana |
+14 |
| Mississippi |
+8 |
| West Virginia |
+8 |
| Ohio |
+6 |
| North Dakota |
+6 |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
| 2012 Biggest Losers |
Positions Lost |
| Oregon |
-9 |
| Kentucky |
-8 |
| New Hampshire |
-8 |
| Nebraska |
-7 |
| Minnesota |
-7 |
Source: Chief Executive magazine (ChiefExecutive.net)
Tags: Californian, CEOs rank best states for business, Florida, Ill, Indiana, KY, Lousiana, M&A, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, NC, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, NY., Ohio, Oregon, Texas, TN, W. Virginia
Posted in Carolinas, Economic Development, Economy/Jobs, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, West Virginia | No Comments »
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
 Interior of the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida, the number one meeting hotel in the U.S., according to Cvent Cvent, the world’s largest cloud-based provider of event management and venue selection solutions, has named the top 100 hotels for meetings in the United States, according to meeting and event planners in the Cvent Supplier Network.
The Cvent Supplier Network is a free online marketplace that connects meeting planners with over 200,000 venues worldwide; it generated $4 billion in business for hotels in 2011 and projects more than $5.5 billion to be generated in 2012.
In addition, over 100,000 meetings were booked on the Cvent Supplier Network in 2011 alone.
The list of hotels was compiled from a pool of 80,000 hotels in the U.S. on the Cvent Supplier Network. The ranking was then determined by a set of qualifying criteria, some of which included:
- The number of electronic request-for-proposals (RFPs) the property received from the Cvent Supplier Network in 2011;
- The hotel’s average response rate to the RFPs sent through the marketplace;
- The number of meeting rooms available;
- The total square footage of meeting space offered at the hotel; and
- The amount of business the property was awarded in 2011 by meeting planners through the Cvent Supplier Network.
The list is comprised of venues from a variety of locales, spanning 17 states and the District of Columbia. Florida represents the largest number of meeting hotels in the top 100, taking nearly one-fifth of the list at a total of 19 properties.
Nevada comes in second with 14 properties, and the state of Texas takes third place with a total of 13 hotels on the list.
Top 10 Meeting Hotels in the U.S.
1. The Peabody Orlando, Orlando, Florida
2. Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee
3. Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
4. Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Florida
5. The Venetian and Palazzo Resort, Hotel & Casinos, Las Vegas, Nevada
6. Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland
7. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
8. The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia
9. ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter, Las Vegas, Nevada
10. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
For the complete list of Cvent’s Top 100 Meeting Hotels in the U.S. visit http://www.cvent.com/top100hotelsus.
Tags: Atlanta, Cvent, DC, Florida, GA, Gaylord Opryland, Hyatt Regency, Lake Buena Vista, Las Vegas, MD, Nashville, National Harbor, Nevada, Orlando, Rosen Shingle Creek, The Peabody, TN, top 100 meeting hotels, Venetian and Palazzo Resort, Walt Disney Wrold Swan and Dolphin, Westin Peachtree Plaza
Posted in Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, Washington, DC | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
Business travelers frequently need restaurants that have great food, but also good service, since they’re often on the run. If you’re looking for U.S. restaurants with top notch service, here’s some help from Open Table.
OpenTable, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPEN), a provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, has disclosed the 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the 100 restaurants in the United States providing the best service.
Open Table founder Chuck Templeton is among the top speakers at the Southeast Venture Conference which started this morning in Tysons Corner, VA, and runs through tomorrow. Templeton created and defined the restaurant reservation space after founding OpenTable in 1998, after his wife spent a frustrating evening one night trying to make dinner reservations for his visiting in-laws one night in San Francisco.
OpenTable’s successful IPO in 2009 was a milestone that helped to reopen the public market for tech companies.
Awards reflect millions of opinions
These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Regionally, the honorees span 29 states and Washington, D.C. The South reinforces the notion of southern hospitality, with 22 restaurants in the region being singled out for best service. The Northeast boasts 15 winning restaurants, including 10 in New York alone.
The Pacific region accounts for 14 winners, 10 of which are in California, as does the Mid-Atlantic, with six restaurants in Virginia claiming spots. Eleven winners come from the Great Lakes Region, four of which are in the Twin Citiesarea.
The Pacific Northwest and the Southwest follow with seven honorees apiece. The Rocky Mountain States count five winners, while the Central Plains has four, three of which are in Missouri. One restaurant in Hawaii also earned a nod.
American food restaurants rack up 40 winners
Superior service can be found across a number of cuisines. Restaurants serving American food, however, account for 40 winners. French restaurants earned 25 places on the list.
Steakhouses followed with 17 spots. Seven Italian restaurants are among the winners. Other cuisines include continental, global international, Japanese, seafood, and sushi.
“The most memorable part of a meal may not be just what’s on your plate, but also, that exceptional staffer who goes the extra step to ensure an enjoyable dining experience,” says Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer.
“These winning restaurants understand this concept and have consciously created a culture of hospitality that is embraced by both front and back of house professionals. Whether it’s a grand gesture, such as a tour of the kitchen, or a simple one, like a warm smile from an attentive server, diners are coming away from these restaurants feeling special.”
The Diners’ Choice Awards for the top 100 restaurants providing the best service are generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between February 2011 and January 2012. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the highest average rating in the service category.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the top 100 restaurants with the best service in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners.
The complete list may also be viewed athttp://www.opentable.com/bestservice.
2012 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for Restaurants in the U.S. with the Best Service
Acqua Restaurant & Wine Bar – White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Acquerello – San Francisco, California
Addison at The Grand Del Mar – San Diego, California
Bacchanalia – Atlanta, Georgia
Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Binkley’s Restaurant – Cave Creek, Arizona
Bistro L’Hermitage – Woodbridge, Virginia
Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, New York
Bluestem – Kansas City, Missouri
Bones – Atlanta, Georgia
Cafe Renaissance – Vienna, Virginia
Canlis – Seattle, Washington
Capital Grille – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Castagna – Portland, Oregon
Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse – Downers Grove, Illinois
Charleston – Baltimore, Maryland
Charleston Grill – Charleston, South Carolina
Chez Francois – Vermilion, Ohio
Chez Nous French Restaurant – Humble, Texas
CityZen – Washington, D.C.
Congress – Austin, Texas
The Copper Door – Hayesville, North Carolina
Corbett’s Fine Dining – Louisville, Kentucky
Cyrus – Healdsburg, California
Daniel – New York, New York
Daniel-Lounge Seating – New York, New York
Del Posto – New York, New York
Dewz – Modesto, California
The Dining Room-Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina
Eleven Madison Park – New York, New York
Elizabeth on 37th – Savannah, Georgia
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant – Forestville, California
Fat Canary – Williamsburg, Virginia
Fearrington House Restaurant – Pittsboro, North Carolina
Fig Tree – Charlotte, North Carolina
Forage – Salt Lake City, Utah
Fountain Restaurant – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frasca Food and Wine – Boulder, Colorado
The French Room – Dallas, Texas
Genoa Restaurant – Portland, Oregon
Gordon Ramsay at the London – New York, New York
The Grill-The Ritz Carlton – Naples, Florida
Grouse Mountain Grill – Avon, Colorado
Halls Chophouse – Charleston, South Carolina
Hannas Prime Steak – Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Herons – Cary, North Carolina
Highlands Bar & Grill – Birmingham, Alabama
The Hobbit – Orange, California
joan’s in the Park – St. Paul, Minnesota
Kai-Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort – Chandler, Arizona
Killen’s Steakhouse – Pearland, Texas
The Kitchen Restaurant – Sacramento, California
La Belle Vie – Minneapolis, Minnesota
La Grenouille – New York, New York
La Mer at Halekulani – Honolulu, Hawaii
L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, Virginia
Le Bernardin – New York, New York
Les Nomades – Chicago, Illinois
L’Etoile Restaurant – Madison, Wisconsin
Madrona Manor – Healdsburg, California
Mahogany Prime Omaha – Omaha, Nebraska
Marcel’s – Washington, D.C.
The Melting Pot – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Menton – Boston, Massachusetts
Michael’s-South Point Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mitchell’s Ocean Club – Columbus, Ohio
Morton’s The Steakhouse – Portland, Oregon
New York Prime – Myrtle Beach, Florida
Niche – St. Louis, Missouri
Nicholas – Red Bank, New Jersey
o ya – Boston, Massachusetts
Opus 9 Steakhouse – Williamsburg, Virginia
Orchids at Palm Court – Cincinnati, Ohio
The Painted Lady – Newberg, Oregon
Palace Arms at the Brown Palace – Denver, Colorado
Peninsula Grill – Charleston, South Carolina
Pepper Tree Restaurant – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Per Se – New York, New York
Plume at the Jefferson Hotel – Washington, D.C.
Rafain Brazilian Steakhouse – Dallas, Texas
The Restaurant at Meadowood – Saint Helena, California
Restaurant Iris – Memphis, Tennessee
Rover’s – Seattle, Washington
Rudy & Paco’s Restaurant & Bar – Galveston, Texas
Russell’s Steaks, Chops, and More – Williamsville, New York
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Jacksonville, Florida
Saint Jacques French Cuisine – Raleigh, North Carolina
Sedgley Place – Greene, Maine
Sonoma – Princeton, Massachusetts
St. John’s Restaurant – Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Steak House at Silver Reef – Ferndale, Washington
Tony’s – St. Louis, Missouri
TRU – Chicago, Illinois
Uchi – Austin, Texas
Uchiko – Austin, Texas
Vetri – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse – Las Vegas, Nevada
Vintage Tavern – Suffolk, Virginia
White Barn Inn – Kennebunk, Maine
Woodfire Grill – Atlanta, Georgia
Diners can also read more about the Diners’ Choice Awards for the Best Service restaurants in the U.S. by visiting OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter’s “Dining Check” blog.
Tags: Acqua Restaurant, Addison at the Grand Del Mar, Asheville, Atlanta, Austin, Avon, AZ, Bacchanalia, Baltimore, Bibou, Binkley's, Bistro L'Hermitage, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Bluestem, Bones, Boston, Boulder, CA, Castagna, Cave Creek, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chez Francois, Chez Nou, Chuck Templeton, Cincinnati, City Zen, CO, Congress, Corbett's Fine Dining, Dallas, Daniel, Daniel-Lounge, DC, Del Posto, Dewz, Eleven Madison Park, Elizabeth on 37th, Farmhous Inn, Fat Canary, Fearrington House, Fig Tree, FL, Forage, Forestville, Fountain Restaurant, Frasca Food & Wine, GA, Galveston, Genoa, Gordon Ramsay at the London, Greene, Grouse Mt. Grill, Halls Chophouse, Hannas Prime Steamk, Hayesville, Humble, Jacksonville, Kansa City, Kennebuink, KY, Louisville, Maine, MD, Memphis, MI, Missouri, Modesto, NC, Newberg, Niche, Nicholas, NJ, NY., o ya, OH, Open Table, Opus 9, OR, Orchids at Palm Court, PA, Peninsula Grill, Pepper Tree, Per SE, Philadelphia, Pittsboro, Pocantico Hills, Portland, Princeton, Raleigh, Rancho Santa Margarita, Red Bank, Restaurant Iris, Rover's Seattle, Rudy & Paco's, Ruth's Chris Steak HOuse, Saint Jacques French, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Savannah, Sedgley Place, SEVC, Sonoma, St. John's, St. Louis, Suffolk, The Copper Door, The Dining Room -Biltmore Estate, The French Room, The Painted Lady, TN, TX, Uchi, Uchiko, VA, Vermilion, VEtri, Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse, Vintage Tavern, WA, White Barn Inn, Williamsburg, Woodbridge
Posted in Internet/New Media, Studies, surveys, reports | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
 Tennessee-based Meritus Ventures, a venture capital fund and Rural Business Investment Company, announced the promotion of Chris Miller to Associate.
Meritus Ventures, is currently the only Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) in the United States.
The $36.5M venture capital fund invests to realize attractive returns for the fund’s investors while creating wealth and jobs in rural areas of central and southern Appalachia and Arkansas. In addition to providing equity investment, the fund may provide operational assistance to its portfolio companies.
“Chris is an exceptional member of our staff, making measureable contributions to the operation of our fund,” said Meritus Ventures Fund Manager Grady Vanderhoofven.
“In addition to his previous responsibilities as an analyst, we increasingly rely on Chris to participate in identifying and sourcing investment opportunities. He has become progressively more engaged in our due diligence process and will be more directly involved with our portfolio companies in the future.”
“We put an emphasis on mentoring and developing our investment professionals into assets for Meritus, our limited partners, our portfolio companies, and the region in which we invest. Sustainability of our enterprise requires depth of resources and the expansion of capacity, and this action is another step in that direction for Meritus,” Vanderhoofven concluded.
Miller has more than ten years of operating and investment experience with small and venture companies. Prior to joining Meritus Ventures in 2007 as an analyst, Miller received an MBA from the University of Tennessee and worked in operations and business development roles for a start-up. Miller is an active part of the regional entrepreneurial business community, and he is a point of access and information for regional venture development groups and for companies seeking to approach Meritus for investment.
Tags: Chris Miller, Meritus Ventures, Oak Ridge, RBIC, Rural Business Investment Company, TN, venture capital
Posted in People, Tennessee | No Comments »
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
 Chattanooga CHATTANOGA, TN – Alcatel-Lucent is investing $100,000 in the “The Gig PrizeTM,” a Chattanooga-based initiative to foster the development of gigabit per second Internet applications and business ventures.
“Last year, Chattanooga became America’s first and only city to complete a community-wide network capable of delivering up to 1 gigabit per second Internet speeds to every home and business in EPB’s 600 square mile service area,” said Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas Region.
“We’re proud to partner with Chattanooga as this extraordinary city establishes a groundbreaking model for demonstrating the direct linkage between investment in telecommunications infrastructure and economic growth.”
Vrij made his announcement as part of his keynote address during the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Innovation luncheon where community leaders announced an initiative to position Chattanooga as the Gig CityTM and unveiled the Gig PrizeTM.
The Gig PrizeTM is a competition in which students and entrepreneurs will create and test next generation Internet applications and launch businesses using Chattanooga’s blazing fast Internet.
“Chattanooga offers forward thinking entrepreneurs a huge head-start in leading the next generation of Internet commerce,” said Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Gig PrizeTM will provide the support and connections necessary to develop, prove and fund these paradigm shifting business models.”
Additional information about The Gig PrizeTM will be released in coming weeks. Interested students and entrepreneurs can learn more at www.chattanoogagig.com where challenge rules and details will be available soon.
Tags: 1 gig community network, Alcatel-Lucent, Chattanooga, Gig PrizeTM, priz, prize for Internet app or Internet business, TN
Posted in entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, IT, Other SE, Tennessee | No Comments »
Monday, August 1st, 2011
 AT&T says that starting Oct. 1, heavy data users may see downstream connections slow if they end up in the top 5 percent in use during any billing cycle.
The change will only affect unlimited data plan users. Data use on Wi-Fi won’t count toward the total.
The company says it is also investing in continually upgrading its network and attempting to acquire more network capacity. But AT&T says throttling heavy data users and its other efforts will not meet the data crunch challenge.
“Nothing short of completing the T-Mobile merger will provide additional spectrum capacity to address these near-term challenges,” the company said in a statement, speaking of the $39 billion merger announced in March. The deal faces some opposition from Washington legislators and competitors.
Symantec names Steve Bennet chair
Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) says its board intends to elect independent board member Steve Bennett to the position of chairman. Bennett will succeed John W. Thompson, former Symantec CEO and chairman. Thompson will continue to serve the remainder of his term, but has chosen not to stand for reelection in order to pursue other business and personal interests. Bennett will assume the Chairman position effective October 25, 2011, at the conclusion of Thompson’s term and immediately following Symantec’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders.
Facebook offers bug bounty
 Facebook says it will pay hackers to uncover pr0blems on its website as long as they report it to Facebook’s security team first.
The company’s Web Bounty program, similar to efforts from Google and Mozilla, will pay a base rate of $500 to discover security problems such as cross site scripting flaws and will pay even more to uncover even more serious security problems.
Security researchers can sign up at Facebook’s Whitehat Hacking Portal.
Austin-Texas-based Kimbia lands $4M for online fundraising tech
Kimbia Inc.it raised more than $4 million in a Series 2 round of funding led by S3 Ventures to expand industry adoption of its Web-based fundraising and event management software. Kimbia’s innovative platform is designed to power the next generation of online fundraisers, event organizers and social advocates. Kimbia donation and registration forms are fully customizable through a Web-based control panel and are deployable anywhere on the Web via fully-secure form widgets — effectively allowing any Web page, blog or mobile device to accept credit card donations and/or registration fees.
Nashville-based EDO Interactive grabs $20M funding
EDO Interactive, which sells a digital deals and incentives platform, has reaise $20 million in a B round led by Baird Venture Partners and VantagePoint Capital Partners.
Hearsay Social raises $18M to connect local branches and reps
Hearsay Social, a San Francisco-based firm selling social media SaaS solutions for local branches and representatives of brands, raise $18 million from New Enterprise Associates with participation by existing investor Sequoia Capital.
BigCommerce nabs $12.6M for ecommerce software
BigCommerce, based in Austin, Texas, which sells ecommerce software for SME’s, has raised $12.6 million in a B round led by Madrone Capital. Sigma Partners participated in the round.
Tags: AT&T throttles heavy data use, Austin, BigCommerce, broadband data use, Facebook bug bounty, Facebook Whitehat Hacking Portal, financings, Hearsay Social, John W. Thompson, Kimba, Nashville, online charity giving, San Francisco, Steve Bennet, Symantec names chair, Texas, TN
Posted in Facebook, Internet/New Media, IT, Microsoft, Mobile, Money, social media, TechJobs, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
 For the seventh year in a row, CEOs rate Texas as the #1 state in which to do business and California as the worst. North Carolina maintained its #2 rank, while Florida rose three positions to the #3 spot. Tennessee fell one slot from last year to #4 while Georgia climbed two positions to claim the #5 rank.
Chief Executive magazine’s annual “Best & Worst States” survey takes the pulse of CEOs on business conditions around the nation. For the 2011 survey, 550 CEOs from across the country evaluated the states on a broad range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, education resources, quality of living and infrastructure.
“A handful of states have made business-friendly policies a priority,” says J.P. Donlon, Editor-in-Chief ofChief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “These forward-thinking states are the exception rather than the rule and include Utah, Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma.”
CEOs voted California as the worst state in 2011, with New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Michiganrounding out the bottom five.
“ABC — Anywhere But California,” said T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, a $668 million chip maker headquartered in San Jose, California, and with plants in 10 countries. “It’s expensive, it’s hostile to business, and environmental regulations are more of a drag on business than protecting the environment.” Cypress Semiconductor’s headcount in California peaked at 1,500. It’s now down to about 600.
With finances in shambles due to the weak economy, many states have been increasing tax rates.
“Today’s ‘soak the rich’ mentality hits business leaders especially hard,” says Marshall Cooper, CEO ofChief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “CEOs and entrepreneurs vote with their feet — and also pack up jobs and investment with them when they leave.”
It’s interesting that North Carolina, which has one of the highest tax rates in the Southeast, maintains its number two position, largely due to the talent available through its eduction system and its quality of life. It’s education system is about to take a huge cut as the state wrestles with the same type of budget deficit that plagues other states.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Georgia’s rise is also interesting. Another recent report noted that Georgia is right at the top when it comes to startup activitity, with more than 500 businesses a month launching.
Tags: Best States for Business, Chief Executive Magazine, FL, GA, NC, states ranked, Texas, TN
Posted in Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Other SE, Tennessee | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
 SAN DIEGO–Want to live a longer life? Move to Salt Lake City, the DC-Balitmore area, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, San Francisco, or Austin. On the other hand, Knoxville and Nashville, TN, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Tampa and Jacksonville, FL, may make you old before your time. So says and new report by RealAge.
Southeast and western cities are among the top ten on RealAge’s list of the “youngest” cities in America—metropolitan areas with such healthy lifestyles that on average their residents are physically at least two years younger than their chronological age, and many are years younger than that. RealAge analyzed data from the largest 50 metropolitan areas to compile the rankings.
A passion for fitness and a loathing for smoking are key factors in Salt Lake City’s number one ranking. At the other extreme, residents of Knoxville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Nashville are aging faster than they should. (Get an infographic of the 10 youngest and oldest cities here.)
What are the 10 metro areas where you have the best odds of staying young?
1. Salt Lake City, Utah
2. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif.
3. Austin, Texas
4. Denver, Colo.
5. Boston, Mass.
6. Washington, DC/Baltimore, Md.
7. San Diego, Calif.
8. Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
10. Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton, Wash.
Which metro areas are likely to make you old before your time?
1. Knoxville, Tenn.
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.
3. Nashville, Tenn.
4. Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, Mich.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
6. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
7. Oklahoma City, Okla.
8. Las Vegas, Nev.
9. Jacksonville, Fla.
10. Tulsa, Okla.
“Each city’s ranking is more than just a number,” says Keith Roach, MD, Chief Medical Officer of RealAge and a co-creator of its test. “It’s a unique assessment of the healthy lifestyles, or lack of them, in each metro area—of how people live there, what they’re doing right and what they need to change. If you live in one of the 10 oldest cities, take this as the alarm on your body’s aging clock going off! It’s never too late for a fresh start.”
Note that half of the 10 youngest cities are in the Western U.S., from Denver to Seattle.
“Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the mountains, but Western cities have adopted active lifestyles that can slow down the aging process,” says Dr. Roach.
Behind the Rankings
To compile the rankings, RealAge analyzed data for America’s 50 largest metropolitan areas generated by its landmark online assessment, the RealAge Test, taken by over 27 million people. This is the first time the company has analyzed aggregated results on a city-by-city basis.
A random sample of 1,000 RealAge members was drawn from each city. The sample data was adjusted for age differences, so a metropolitan area that’s a magnet for retirees wasn’t penalized, and a city jammed with university students didn’t benefit.
The Test uses a powerful algorithm that combines the latest scientific studies with lifestyle, genetics, and medical history to calculate your RealAge—how old your body thinks you are.
What Makes a City Younger or Older
While multiple lifestyle factors are involved, here are four big ones that help people in Boston (the 5th youngest city), for example, stay younger and healthier than those in Cincinnati (the 5th oldest):
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| 1. |
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Getting the right amount of sleep. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among those with stellar sleep habits. And (surprise) New York isn’t the city that never sleeps—the Big Apple ranks second in ZZZ’s; Austin is first. Sleeping six to nine hours a night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger. |
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Stubbing out cigarettes for good. Four of the five fastest-aging cities have the highest percentage of smokers. |
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Not sitting around. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among the most physically active in the country. A daily 30-minute walk can make your RealAge up to 3.5 years younger. |
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Controlling your blood pressure. Five of the 10 fastest-aging cities—Knoxville, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, and Tulsa—are among the worst for high blood pressure. Nothing ages you faster. Who has the lowest BP? Residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 9th youngest city. |
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
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Tags: Austin TX, Baltimore, Cincinnati, CO, DC, Denver, FL, Greensboro, High Point, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, MD, Nashville, NV, OH, OK, Oklahoma City, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Realage.com, San Diego, San Fransciso, Seattle, St. Petersburg, Tampa, TN, Tulsa, Winston Salem
Posted in Carolinas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Other SE, Potomac, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, Washington, DC | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
 ATLANTA – Ingenious Med Inc., which sells a practice performance management and charge capture platform, has received $3.25 million in funding from Council Ventures of Nashville, TN. Council Ventures joins existing investor Buckhead Investment Partners of Atlanta.
A portion of the investment will be used to fund Ingenious Med’s continued growth and a portion of the proceeds will be used to re-capitalize existing shareholders. Ingenious Med has nearly doubled in terms of revenue, clients and personnel each of the past two years.
Founded in 1999 by a group of practicing physicians, Ingenious Med is an award-winning mobile platform that automates the activities of physicians when they are away from their office, whether they are rounding at a hospital, an outpatient clinic, a nursing home or even at home.
Ingenious Med automates the revenue and charge capture processes for over 9,000 users in more than 800 healthcare facilities across the United States.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
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Tags: Atlanta, Buckhead Investment Partners, Council Ventures, financing, healthcare charge capture platform, Ingenious Med, IT, mobile, Nashville, TN, venture capital
Posted in Georgia, Internet/New Media, IT | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
 Technology is a two-edged sword, as Japan’s continuing troubles at its nuclear plants shows, but technology will also likely be on the forefront of helping the nation recover.
Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, have all made calls and texting to Japan free for a time.
Time Warner said, “As a result of the events that took place on March 11, 2011, we have seen an increase in the number of calls made by our customers to Japan. All direct dial calls placed using our Digital Home Phone service to Japan will be free through April 15, 2011. This program includes both residential Digital Home Phone and Business Class Phone customers and will be retroactive for all calls starting on March 11, 2011.”
Time Warner is also offering Carolinas cable subscribers access to a 24/7 channel broadcasting continuous news about Japan.
In response to the earthquake in Japan, Time Warner Cable is offering a free preview of TV Japan to its digital cable customers in the Carolinas. Digital customers will have access to TV Japan’s earthquake coverage at no additional cost beginning today through March 25th on channel 880. TV Japan is a 24/7 Japanese broadcasting channel.
Google’s Person Finder tool
Google has created a person finder tool to help contact relatives, friends, or others in Japan.
Internet health
Keynote Systems, which provides an Internet Health report, says, “While public sites in Japan continue to do very well in download speed and site reliability, the hard-working folks behind the scenes have had plenty to contend with.
The top backbone provider in Japan, NTT, has seen some isolated performance degradation, both announced on their network status page and captured by Keynote’s InternetHealthReport.com site.
Radiation protection
A Tennessee company, RxBio,says that its lead product, Rx100, a potent radioprotectant as well as radiomitigator, protects against lethal, whole-body radiation when administered before, during, or up to 72 hours after exposure. We’re attempting to find out if the company has any way to help people who may be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation due to the nuclear plant problems.
Donations:
Verizon Wireless customers can make a $10 donation to their choice of ten non-profit organizations responding to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami by simply sending a text message – simply text the specific word to the organization’s designated short code:
- ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944
- American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999
- Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555
- GlobalGiving: text JAPAN to 50555
- International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888
- Mercy Corps: text MERCY to 25383
- Salvation Army: text JAPAN to 80888
- Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222
- World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555
- World Vision, Inc.: text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222
Verizon Wireless always waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, and 100 percent of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization. For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, the $10 donations will appear in customers’ next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company’s prepaid services, the $10 donations will be taken from customers’ prepaid balance.
We’ll attempt to update this post with additional resources and links as we find them.
Electronics supply chain effects
Mashable notes that Japan’s factories are a lifeline for electronics companies globally, with 20 percent of semiconductors and 40 percent of all flash memory chips are made there.
It reports that supply chain issues following the disaster are likely.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Tags: AT&T, donations to help Japan, Internet health, Keystone Systems, RxBio, Tech response to Japan earthquake, Time Warner Cable, TN, tsunami, Verizon Wireless
Posted in Events, Internet/New Media, Mobile, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
 Atlanta ATLANTA – Georgia and Nevada tied for the top spot for the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity in 2010, according to a report by The Kauffman Foundation. Both came in at a .51 percent rank, meaning 510 people per 100,000 created businesses each month during the year in the two states.
We have noted in numerous stories that the Atlanta entrepreneurial ecosystem has ramped up noticeably over the last year, with startup focused groups and events popping up almost monthly.
Tennessee’s high .41 rank and Florida’s at .40, both first tier performances topping North Carolina’s .35, were a bit surprising, although Tennessee, like Georgia, has seen increasing private and public efforts to boost entrepreneurial activity.
Southeast ranks
In the Southeast, North Carolina weighed in at .35 percent, putting in the second highest tier of entrepreneurial activity. South Carolina posted .23 percent, Florida .40, Virginia and Maryland at .24, Tennessee at a high .41 and Kentucky at .29. See: Entrepreneurial Activity by State.
The Kauffman Foundation report, however, points out that “While the economy and its high unemployment rates may have pressed more individuals into business ownership, most of them are going it alone, rather than starting companies that employ others.”
Nationally, according to the “Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity,” a leading indicator of new business creation in the United States, 0.34 percent of American adults created a business per month in 2010, or 565,000 new businesses, a rate that remained consistent with 2009 and represents the highest level of entrepreneurship over the past decade and a half.
In contrast, however, the quarterly employer firm rate has dropped from 0.13 percent in 2007 to 0.10 percent in 2010.
Too many founders go it alone
“Since it began, the recession has triggered annual declines in the rate of employer enterprise births,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation.
“Far too many founders are choosing jobless entrepreneurship, preferring to remain self-employed or to avoid assuming the economic responsibility of hiring employees. This trend, if it continues, could have both short- and long-term impacts on economic growth and job creation.”
Capturing new business owners in their first month of significant business activity, the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activityprovides the earliest documentation of new-business development across the country.
The percentage of the adult, non-business-owner population that starts a business each month is measured using data from the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Demographic breakdowns
In addition to this overall rate of entrepreneurial activity, the Kauffman Index presents separate estimates for specific demographic groups, states and select metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). It provides the only national measure of business creation by specific demographic groups.
activity increase between 2009 and 2010. The Latino business-creation rate rose from 0.46 percent in 2009 to 0.56 percent in 2010, the highest rate over the 15 years of Index data. The Asian entrepreneurial activity rate increased from 0.31 percent in 2009 to 0.37 percent in 2010, also the highest rate in the past decade and a half. Both African-Americans and non-Latino whites, on the other hand, experienced declines in entrepreneurial activity rates.
Entrepreneurship growth was highest among 35- to 44-year-olds, rising from 0.35 in 2008 to 0.40 in 2009. The oldest age group in the study (55-64 years) also experienced a large increase in business-creation rates from 2008 to 2009, contributing to a two-year upward trend to 0.40.
Among states, Nevada and Georgia had the highest entrepreneurial activity rates, with 510 per 100,000 adults creating businesses each month. Rounding out the top five highest rates were California (470 per 100,000 adults), Louisiana (460 per 100,000 adults) and Colorado, with 450 businesses started per 100,000 adults.
The five states with the lowest rates of entrepreneurial activity were West Virginia (170 per 100,000 adults), Pennsylvania (180 per 100,000 adults), Wisconsin (180 per 100,000 adults), South Dakota (190 per 100,000 adults) and Indiana (190 per 100,000 adults).
“Regional patterns have a significant effect on entrepreneurial activity rates,” said Robert W. Fairlie, the studys author and director of the masters program in applied economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “From 2009 to 2010, entrepreneurial activity rates increased in the West, further widening the gap between the West and other regions. Rates in the South remained steady, but declined in the Northeast and Midwest.”
Other key findings for 2010 include:
- The immigrant rate of entrepreneurial activity increased substantially – from 0.51 percent in 2009 to 0.62 percent in 2010 – and declined slightly for the native-born. This increase expanded the large positive gap that already existed between immigrant and native-born entrepreneurial activity rates.
- A growing immigrant population and rising entrepreneurship rate contributed to a rise in the share of new entrepreneurs that are immigrant, from 13.4 percent in 1996 to 29.5 percent in 2010.
- Entrepreneurial activity increased slightly for men and decreased slightly for women. For men, the entrepreneurial activity rate increased from 0.43 percent in 2009 to 0.44 percent in 2010. The female entrepreneurship rate decreased from 0.25 percent to 0.24 percent.
- The African-American entrepreneurial activity rate decreased from 0.27 percent in 2009 to 0.24 percent in 2010. The white entrepreneurial activity rate decreased from 0.33 percent to 0.31 percent.
- The entrepreneurship index was highest among the least-educated group, moving from 0.49 percent in 2009 to 0.59 percent in 2010, suggesting an increased number of people entering entrepreneurship out of necessity. The largest decrease in entrepreneurial activity occurred for high school graduates.
- Among the United States fifteen largest metropolitan statistical areas, Los Angeles had the highest entrepreneurial rate (0.62 percent) in 2010. Philadelphia had the lowest rate (0.15 percent)
Trend Data
Demographic Data
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Tags: Georgia, Kauffman Foundation Index of Entrepreneurial Actiivty, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA
Posted in Economic Development, Studies, surveys, reports, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
 NASHVILLE, TN – Entrepreneurs have until Friday, March 18, to apply for the 14-week Nashville JumpStart Foundry program that offers a $15,000 stipend, coaching and other resources. Applicants do not need to hail from Nashville or even Tennessee.
JumpStart becomes a “co-founder” of the startups it helps launch and takes a 6 percent equity stake in the companies in return for its services.
Solidus Company, an investment firm with four funds, started the JumpStart program in 2010. It’s Memphis-based sister program, Seed Hatchery, received more than 60 applicants, according to Milt Capp’s Venture Nashville.
The online application form asks entrepreneurs to describe how their idea or company is different, who its competitors may be, what it will do or make, what previous web projects members of the company team may have created, and how the startup will make money, among other things.
Those evaluating the applications include some of the 31 JumpStart Angels, the Nashville Capital Network, and the Angel Capital Group.
We had trouble accessing the JumpstartFoundry.com website Monday morning.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Tags: incubator program, JumpStart Foundry, Mephis, Nashville, seed funding, Seed Hatchdery, Solidus Company, TN
Posted in Money, Other SE, Tennessee | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
 By Allan Maurer
RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC - Have you ever purchased something from an online retailer such as Amazon to avoid paying sales taxes? A group called Alliance for Main Street Fairness (AMSF), argues that by failing to collect sales taxes, online retailers have an unfair advantage over brick and mortar stores that is costing jobs, killing businesses and contributing to state budget deficits.
AMSF says it is funded by and advocates on behalf of employers who believe there must be a fair and balanced approach concerning the sales tax collection system. The group distributes the increasing number of media editorials supporting collection of sales taxes from online retailers.
We have reported on North Carolina’s attempts to get Amazon and other online retailers to collect sales taxes. The state, which requires residents to pay sales taxes on online and catalog purchases whether the retailer collects them or not, lost the first round of a federal court battle in which it sought to collect information on its resident’s purchases from Amazon. It has threatened to bill residents for sales taxes on Amazon purchases going back to 2003.
Federal law currently requires retailers to collect sales taxes in states where they have a nexus (a physical presence such as a store, warehouse or other facilities). Since Internet-only retailers do not have a nexus in most states, they are not currently required to collect the taxes.
Other states wrestling with the problem include Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. The National Conference of State Legislatures says states lost about $8.6 billion in 2010 in failing to collect sales tax from online and catalog sales. The number is projected to be approximately $37 billion from 2009 to 2012.
Personally, we can see how buying a big ticket item from an online retailer might save a significant pieces of change, but even there, we doubt that most people buy online just so they won’t have to pay sales taxes. We buy online because it is convenient. We can do our shopping from our desks, which has inherent advantages that will not disappear when online retailers collect sales taxes.
We shop online because we often find a much wider selection available at the lowest possible prices online, whether we are looking for a book, a camera, or a refrigerator. We save gas and wear and tear on our vehicles and ourselves. But we have never bought an item online to avoid paying a sales tax.
Sooner or later, we suspect, this problem will be resolved through legal means that require online retailers to collect state sales taxes. That’s fine with us, although we think states threatening to collect years of back taxes are certainly wrong-headed as well as on legally shaky ground.
In the meantime, the way states and the online retailers are going about dealing with the problem is just causing more problems: such as Amazon dismissing its associates in North Carolina and other states attempting to use their status to say the reatailer has the physical presence in the state to create a nexus.
That move causes grief for many online startup businesses. Some larger ones actually left North Carolina when Amazon fired its state associates, and others complain it makes it harder to get that early revenue necessary to achieve outside growth funding.
Amazon is not helping matters by negotiating not to pay sales taxes even in states such as Texas, Indiana, Nevada and Tennessee where they have distribution centers.
The whole mess will likely require action on the part of the US Congress. “The Main Street Fairness Act,” H.R. 5660 was introduced in the US House in July 2010, and it would behoove Congress to vote on the bill.
While requiring online businesses to pay sales taxes may indeed help ailing state budgets and possibly help some brick and mortar retailers of big ticket items, we do not think it will do much to save book stores large or small or most other on the ground businesses from their online rivals.
E-commerce gained remarkable ground during the 2010 holiday season and we doubt that is because shoppers could avoid sales taxes. Brick and mortar retailers would be better off focusing on how they can develop an online marketing program and an online sales presence than bemoaning the perceived sales tax advantage. The real advantage of selling online, 24/7, is far greater than saving a few cents on the dollar.
Just today, AMSF launched a new web page in response to online-only retailers like Amazon.com threatening to terminate relationships with in-state affiliates to avoid playing by the same rules as Main Street and collecting sales tax. AMSF says it is ready to help small businesses thrown under the bus by Amazon connect with other retailers who are interested in doing business with them and collect the sales tax at the point of purchase.
NC Settles Amazon sales tax dispute, reserves the right to go after customers – This piece includes links to a considerable amount of background information on the online sales tax dispute.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
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Tags: Amazon tax, Ark., CA, NC, Nevada, online shopping advantages, Stand With Mainstreet, Texas, The Main Street Fairness Act, TN
Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
 MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis-based Computable Genomix has secured an investment in an undisclosed amount Memphis-based venture capital firm Innova to pilot a novel process for developing genetic biomarker tests.
Biomarkers are used to predict how a person will respond to drug therapy or to determine their risk of contracting a disease.
Leveraging its next-generation computational discovery capability (patent-pending), Computable Genomix is developing highly targeted genetic biomarker tests for clinical researchers.
These tests will help address pressing pharmacogenomic and other clinical questions and enhance the ability of physicians to bring personalized medicine to their patients.
“Current approaches to genetic biomarker development require clinical researchers to work with thousands of patient samples and sift through millions of possibilities to pinpoint a handful of potential biomarkers for further evaluation,” said Brad Silver, CEO of Computable Genomix.
“Using Computable’s very targeted tests, clinical researchers need fewer patient samples to assess a small number of high-value biomarkers. The end result is savings of time and money.”
“As an incubator company at the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, we have closely followed the evolution of Computable Genomix from a supplier of software to a developer of proprietary biomarker tests,” said Innova partner Jan Bouten. “We are very excited about Computable’s opportunity in the burgeoning biomarker market and its prospects for accelerating their use in clinical practice.”
Tags: biomarker tests, Computable Genomix, financing, Inova, Memphis, TN
Posted in Other SE, Tennessee | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
 - Atlantans print out more savings coupons and seek them out on mobile devices more than those in other cities.
Attention, shoppers: Atlanta residents are saving more money than you are. Or at least, they’re printing out more money-saving coupons, according to the “Most Frugal Cities” list compiled by Coupons.com. Tampa, Florida came in second on the list, while Charlotte, NC was six and Raleigh ten, and Nashville, TN, landed at seven.
Atlanta also heads the list of cities where people use mobile devices to tap coupon deals.
We think this information is likely interesting to the social deals companies, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, as well as to Internet and digital marketers in general. It also points to where people are looking for deals online and where the use of mobile devices to aid shopping is trending.
It’s interesting that the South and Midwest dominate these lists, while the Northeast and far West cities show up much further down.
Atlanta tops for second year
For the second year in a row, Atlanta took the top spot on the ‘Most Frugal U.S. Cities’ list, according to the 2010 Savings Index released today by Coupons.com, a California-based Web destination for coupons and savings. On average, regular users of Coupons.com in Atlanta printed more than $1000.00 dollars in coupon savings from the site in 2010. That is almost twice as much as during 2009, when they printed $531 in savings.
Tampa cashed in with coupons and maintained its position as the city with the second most savings. On average, regular users of Coupons.com in Tampa printed $863 in savings.
The South is a mega-saver: more than one-third of the top 20 frugal cities are in the Southern region of the United States. In addition to Atlanta and Tampa, other Southland cities on the list include Charlotte (#6), Nashville (#7), Raleigh (#10), Oklahoma City (#13), Miami (#13) and Dallas (#14).
Once again, Ohio is the country’s most frugal state. The Buckeye state is represented three times on the ‘Most Frugal U.S. Cities’ list – Cincinnati (#3), Cleveland (#8) and Columbus (#19).
North Carolina is Ohio’s biggest challenger, climbing the penny-pinching ladder with two cities in the top 10: Charlotte and Raleigh.
For the first time it was raining green in the Pacific Northwest as Seattle (#18) joined the list. Seattle is the only city on the West Coast that made the cut.
Nationwide, more than $1.2 billion in savings was printed or saved to loyalty cards from Coupons.com and the Coupons.com network during 2009.
The Top 20 couponing cities are below.
| 2010 Rank |
|
|
Change Since 2009 |
|
|
City |
|
|
State |
|
|
Savings Index |
| 1 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Atlanta |
|
|
GA |
|
|
997 |
| 2 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Tampa |
|
|
FL |
|
|
569 |
| 3 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Cincinnati |
|
|
OH |
|
|
497 |
| 4 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Saint Louis |
|
|
MO |
|
|
420 |
| 5 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Minneapolis |
|
|
MN |
|
|
329 |
| 6 |
|
|
↑ 1 |
|
|
Charlotte |
|
|
NC |
|
|
303 |
| 7 |
|
|
↓ 1 |
|
|
Nashville |
|
|
TN |
|
|
291 |
| 8 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Cleveland |
|
|
OH |
|
|
289 |
| 9 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Pittsburgh |
|
|
PA |
|
|
250 |
| 10 |
|
|
↑ 1 |
|
|
Raleigh |
|
|
NC |
|
|
235 |
| 11 |
|
|
↓ 1 |
|
|
Kansas City |
|
|
MO |
|
|
233 |
| 12 |
|
|
↑ 3 |
|
|
Washington |
|
|
DC |
|
|
207 |
| 13 |
|
|
↓ 1 |
|
|
Miami |
|
|
FL |
|
|
202 |
| 14 |
|
|
↑ 4 |
|
|
Dallas |
|
|
TX |
|
|
198 |
| 15 |
|
|
↓ 2 |
|
|
Oklahoma City |
|
|
OK |
|
|
198 |
| 16 |
|
|
↓ 4 |
|
|
Boston |
|
|
MA |
|
|
192 |
| 17 |
|
|
— |
|
|
Denver |
|
|
CO |
|
|
170 |
| 18 |
|
|
↑ 5 |
|
|
Seattle |
|
|
WA |
|
|
153 |
| 19 |
|
|
↑ 1 |
|
|
Columbus |
|
|
OH |
|
|
147 |
| 20 |
|
|
↓ 1 |
|
|
Wichita |
|
|
KS |
|
|
146 |
Table 1: Top 20 Frugal U.S. Cities
Most On-the-Go Frugal U.S. Cities
Super-savers are tapping into savings via mobile apps for their cell phones, including Coupons.com’s Grocery iQ and the Coupons.com mobile apps.
When it comes to saving on-the-go, the citizens of Atlanta have the most frugal fingertips, based on use of the Coupons.com apps according to the Index, which is reflected in the city’s top position on the Most On-the-Go Frugal Cities list in Table 2. The rest of the South is also smart when it comes to cellular savings. In fact, the South is home to 10 cities represented on the top 20 cities using mobile apps to access, browse, print and save coupons.
“More and more, people are taking advantage of coupons using mobile devices,” comments Pavini. “People are not just clicking for coupons from their computer, they are accessing them on-the-go and even at the supermarket.”
Some cities have a higher propensity to access coupons via mobile phones. For instance, savers in Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Las Vegas and Philadelphia are quick to look to their mobile device to maximize savings and advance on the On-the-Go list relative to their position on the ‘Most Frugal U.S. Cities’ list.
While they’re on the couponing wagon, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Seattle missed the mobile train: these cities ranked high on ‘Most Frugal U.S. Cities’ list, but each moved down several pegs on the On-the-Go list.
Top 20 Most On-the-Go Frugal Coupon Cities are below.
| 2010 Rank |
|
|
City |
|
|
State |
|
|
Savings Index |
| 1 |
|
|
Atlanta |
|
|
GA |
|
|
906 |
| 2 |
|
|
Tampa |
|
|
FL |
|
|
531 |
| 3 |
|
|
Saint Louis |
|
|
MO |
|
|
490 |
| 4 |
|
|
Cincinnati |
|
|
OH |
|
|
374 |
| 5 |
|
|
Oklahoma City |
|
|
OK |
|
|
363 |
| 6 |
|
|
Dallas |
|
|
TX |
|
|
282 |
| 7 |
|
|
Charlotte |
|
|
NC |
|
|
280 |
| 8 |
|
|
Pittsburgh |
|
|
PA |
|
|
246 |
| 9 |
|
|
Tulsa |
|
|
OK |
|
|
241 |
| 10 |
|
|
Miami |
|
|
FL |
|
|
238 |
| 11 |
|
|
Minneapolis |
|
|
MN |
|
|
235 |
| 12 |
|
|
Washington |
|
|
DC |
|
|
232 |
| 13 |
|
|
Nashville |
|
|
TN |
|
|
226 |
| 14 |
|
|
Raleigh |
|
|
NC |
|
|
222 |
| 15 |
|
|
Wichita |
|
|
KS |
|
|
219 |
| 16 |
|
|
Kansas City |
|
|
MO |
|
|
214 |
| 17 |
|
|
New Orleans |
|
|
LA |
|
|
198 |
| 18 |
|
|
Cleveland |
|
|
OH |
|
|
196 |
| 19 |
|
|
Denver |
|
|
CO |
|
|
177 |
| 20 |
|
|
Memphis |
|
|
TN |
|
|
165 |
Table 2: Top Frugal U.S. Cities – Mobile
Tags: Atlanta, Charlotte, Coupons.com, Dallas, FL, GA, Miami, Most Frugal Cities list, NC, Raleigh, Tampa, TN
Posted in Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Internet/New Media, North Carolina, Other SE, Tennessee | No Comments »
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
 CHATTANOOGA, TN – Signix Inc., a Chattanooga-based company that provides digital signatures for secure online transactions to financial services, health, government, real estate and education clients, has raised $750,000 of a targeted $2 million equity raise, according to a regulatory filing.
The company says it helps enterprise transform and expedite transactions, scale their business processes and reduce costs with the proper controls required by regulation, legislation and industry best practices. A SIGNiX digital signature produces legally enforceable documents and electronic records while moving to a true paperless environment.
The company disclosed its equity raise in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which cites one investor in the round so far. Principals listed, in addition to company executives, include Cameron Newton and Dan Marcum from Nashville’s Marcum Capital and director Tory Johnson from Chattanooga Bakery.
Tags: Chattanooga, digital signatures, financing, Marcum Capital, Nashville, Signix, TN
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Money, Other SE, Security, Tennessee | No Comments »
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