All posts by Amelia Jacobs

About Amelia Jacobs

Amelia Jacobs began her career in business following a surprisingly successful trip to China. Having visited the region as a tourist, she returned to America as an import-exporter. Today, Jacobs runs a thriving import-export company, splitting her time between Chicago and Shanghai. Contact Amelia at amelia[at]businessdistrict.com

Yes, Pun Intended!

Companies, , ,

Atlas Obscura is asking the public to help with a project that some might call “punny.” Yes, they are crowd-sourcing with the intent of putting together a map of the country’s businesses that utilize word play, or puns, in their monikers.

For instance, anyone familiar with the comedy television series “Friends” has heard of the much-visited neighborhood coffee house “Central Perk.”  And there are probably quite a number of cafes called “Bean There, Done That.”

This project is requesting the public to send in real businesses with pun names, whether good or bad. The folks at Atlas Obscura will rank them from best to worst, and will follow trends in playful names. They will then put together an interactive map of imagined literary road trips.

To participate follow the link and fill out the form before September 7.  Have a great time with this pun project!

Three US Wines Banned From Russian Market

News, , , ,

The Russian agency which oversees consumer rights, protection and human well-being, known as the Rospotrebnadzor, banned three different types of US-made wines after examining them for safety.

The three banned wines are Crane Lake Cellars Crane Lake Moscato, Geyser Peak Winery’s Geyser Peak Merlot, and the Gnarly Head Chardonnay from the Delicato Family Vineyards.

In a statement issued by the Rospotrebnadzor they said that after their investigation of the three wines they found high levels of phthalates in the Chardonnay, and both the Moscato and Merlot had unacceptable levels of phthalates and bifenazate, a pesticide.

“Phthalates are the first class of danger according to the sanitary and toxicological indicators, and can cause functional and other organic changes in the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as oncological illnesses, and fertility problems in both men and women,” the Rospotrebnadzor stated.

Over the last few months the Rospotrebnadzor has banned other foods from western countries, causing some to wonder if the bans are not entirely over safety concerns.

“Some observers see as a politically motivated move targeted at imports from countries that slapped sanctions on Russia over its support for separatists in Ukraine,” the Moscow Times stated.

The Super Bowl as Economic Barometer

Economy, , ,
Super Bowl ads represent industry confidence
Super Bowl ads represent industry confidence

Over the years, as the Super Bowl has gained a wider audience, the iconic football match has become a showcase for clever advertising at top-dollar costs. For many fans the halftime show and the ad breaks have almost as much appeal as the game itself, adding to the value of ad placement.

Companies must assess whether spending several million dollars on a few seconds of airtime is money well spent. An examination of which industries are spending their hard earned profits on ads is a pretty good indication of the health of that industry.

This year’s Super Bowl is expected to bring in about $360 million from advertising, at about $4.5 million for half a minute, for the broadcaster of the event, NBC. Industries represented during the great game include car manufacturers, beer brewers, snack suppliers, and high-tech firms. The government of Ecuador made history by becoming the first foreign government to place an ad during the Super Bowl.

According to Kantar Media ad spending over the past three years has risen by double-digit percentages. This can be explained by the fact that there are now fewer chances for companies to reach mass audiences all in one shot, making such opportunities all the more value-laden.

As the expense of placing an ad in the Super Bowl is so dear, it can be inferred that those companies willing to take a chance on spending are doing well.  Based on that theory, it looks like car makers, although spending by far the most money on Super Bowl ads, have stepped back slightly from last year’s spending.

Optimism Up Says Poll

Uncategorized,

According to the most recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, optimism among small business in the US is higher than it’s been at any time since 2008. The November overall Index score topped at 58, flying past July’s score of 49. The last time this number was so high was during the first quarter of 2008, when it peaked at 83. In spite of the positive trend, there is still a while to go to get to the pre-recession levels.

Gallup Poll

The data for the Index number was collected between November 10 and 14 from small business owners across the country. The highest this Index has ever been was 114, which was reached near the end of 2006. During the third quarter of 2010 the Index reached its all-time low of -28.

The upward movement is a reflection of the optimism small-business owners feel about the improving economic situation in the US.

Sell-Off Sends Canadian Dollar Into Slump

Economy, , , , ,
Canadian Dollar is called the loonie out of respect for the bird on the reverse side
Canadian Dollar is called the loonie out of respect for the bird on the reverse side

The Canadian dollar, also known as the loonie, sunk to its lowest exchange rate in five years, bottoming out at 87.88 cents to every US dollar. That was the smallest rate for the loonie since July 2009. By the end of the day on October 15 the loonie popped back a bit to 88.58 cents.

The Canadian dollar’s downfall is attributed to a market sell-off that is taking prices down for anything connected in any way with crude oil. Canada’s dollar was doing just fine until about a month ago when the price of oil began to head south. It was not long ago, only July, when the North American oil benchmark known as West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, was selling for $105 per barrel. Today the price has fallen down to $81/barrel, a shrinkage of 22 percent in just one quarter.

In recent times, at least as far as currencies go, “oil” and “Canada” are basically synonymous terms, and it’s the Canadian dollar which is bearing the brunt of the downturn.

“The weakness in oil prices is spilling over in a nasty fashion in Canada,” said Mark Chandler of RBC Dominion Securities.  “The more oil prices fall, the more [the loonie will drop],” Jeremy Stretch at CIBC added.