12 Words That Will Change Everything You Think About Entrepreneurship

From INC.

12 Words That Will Change Everything You Think About Entrepreneurship
Are you a true entrepreneur at heart? This short definition could help you find out.

By Bill Murphy Jr. 

There's a definition of entrepreneurship that has changed how I think about the way people choose their paths in life. It helped me to build a thriving business and find all kinds of great new experiences. Heck, it even helped me to meet my wife.

I believe it can have the same kind of positive impact for you, if you're willing to try to put it into practice:

                 Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources
                 currently controlled.

That's the 12-word definition of entrepreneurship that they teach at Harvard Business School. I first read it while researching my 2010 book, The Intelligent Entrepreneur. I remember staring at it on the page and feeling like a boy noticing girls for the first time: There's something really interesting here, but I know there's a lot more to it than I currently understand.

I'd like to break the definition down for you, because it not only gives insight into why people like you are so drawn to the idea of starting and building something, it will also improve the likelihood that you'll be successful. (As a quick aside, seeing that definition in another of my books is what originally led me to meet Inc.'s editor-in-chief, Eric Schurenberg. A column he wrote about it became the most-read article in the history of Inc.com at that time.)

1. "Entrepreneurship..."
Let's start with the word itself: Entrepreneurship. It's an unusual word--a noun with few true synonyms. (Believe me, as someone who writes about entrepreneurship all the time, that lack of real synonyms can be a real pain in the neck.) It's not simply a matter of being a boss or a leader or owning a business. In fact, as we'll see, there's nothing intrinsic at all in this definition about business, or risk, or even making money. It's something different--a way of looking at the world.

2. "...is the pursuit of opportunity..."
There are two key words here: pursuit and opportunity.

"Pursuit" means there has to be action involved (hence, my reader-inspired decision this year to change the name of my column to Action Required). You have to have impact; you have try to change something. Simply thinking about an idea doesn't cut it, and neither does coasting along doing what you've always done.

Similarly, a true entrepreneur is always pursuing "opportunity." That means something new, bigger, nicer, better, smarter, more useful. Moreover, it often also means pursuing the most amazing, appealing, enticing opportunities you can find.

Here's where we really start to differentiate true entrepreneurs from everyone else. There are a lot of good people out there running very nice businesses. However, if they're not chasing new opportunities--if they're coasting along, doing what they've always done--then maybe they've given up the mantle of true entrepreneurship.

3. "...without regard to resources currently controlled."
This might just be my favorite phrase in the world. I suppose if Harvard Business School had wanted to make the definition more accessible, they could have said "regardless of" instead of "without regard to," but no matter.

Read more from INC. >>
 

Internet Retailer 2014 Top 500: Sales Jump 26% for Market America

From Market America Blog

Internet Retailer 2014 Top 500: Sales Jump 26% for Market America

By JR Ridinger, CEO and President of Market America/Shop.com.

On April 23, 2014

All around the world entrepreneurs have been building a substantial ongoing income with their UnFranchise Business, and if the Internet Retailer 2014 Top 500 is any indication it would seem your tremendous efforts have really paid off. Thanks to you, Market America landed at #57 on the Internet Retailer Top 500, with a massive increase in revenue!

As our society continues to shift from Brick and Mortar to Click and Order, we saw overall e-commerce sales in the U.S. explode in 2013 at a growth rate of around 17%. That’s a very impressive number – but not nearly as impressive as the numbers Market America generated in 2013. Thanks to our amazing UnFranchise Owners, Market America was able to outpace the entire industry with a growth rate of 26%!

Because of you, we saw a huge spike in revenue last year as sales skyrocketed from $515 million to $649 million! This is a testament to our people power, the incredible products we sell, and the power of the UnFranchise opportunity. This achievement is something we all earned together, so take a moment to pat yourself on the back, and congratulate your fellow UnFranchise Owners.

As a team we have helped lead the online shopping revolution, and together we will continue to expand this life-changing business into new markets, bringing with it new opportunities for growth. We succeed by helping others succeed, so join us and leverage the incredible power of the UnFranchise!

Keep Growing!

-JR Ridinger

Market America / SHOP.COM Jumps 13 Spots on Internet Retailer’s 2013 Top 500 list

From PRWeb

Market America / SHOP.COM Jumps 13 Spots on Internet Retailer’s 2013 Top 500 list
North Carolina based Internet retailing company ranked #57.
Greensboro, NC (PRWEB) May 06, 2013

Market America / SHOP.COM proudly announces it has been named as one of the Top 100 Web Retailers in North America with an impressive 13 spot increase to #57 overall on Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide for 2013. In addition, it ranks #50 of the fastest growing e-retailers; #28 of retail sites with the biggest growth; and #14 in the Mass Merchandising category with e-retailers such as Amazon, Inc., Sears Holding Corp., Target Corp., Groupon, Inc. and LivingSocial Corp.

“This is great news for Market America / SHOP.COM as we pride ourselves on being an e-Commerce leader by providing a powerful social shopping destination to consumers worldwide,” said Market America / SHOP.COM Chief Operating Officer Marc Ashley. “We experienced tremendous growth in 2012 and we are well positioned for exceptional growth for years to come.”

In 2012, SHOP.COM became Market America’s exclusive e-Commerce site providing customers the fastest and most relevant search capabilities available on a comparative shopping website. In addition to it’s more than 2,000 exclusive products, SHOP.COM offers more than 40 million products from companies such as Walmart, Nike, GAP, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic, Macy’s and more. The website also offers the company’s highly successful Cashback program allowing customers to earn money for shopping and includes unique features such as the digital personal shopping assistant ShopBuddy™, ShipFree, etc.

The special 10th Anniversary Edition of Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide is the only authoritative ranking and most comprehensive analysis of the 500 leading players in North American e-retailing. This report includes company financial, operational and performance data. More information is available at http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/.

ABOUT MARKET AMERICA, INC. & SHOP.COM
Market America, Inc. is a product brokerage and Internet marketing company that specializes in One-to-One Marketing. Its mission is to provide a robust business system for entrepreneurs, while providing consumers a better way to shop. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the company was founded in 1992 by President and CEO JR Ridinger and has generated $4.3 billion in accumulated sales. Market America employs nearly 700 people globally with operations in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, United Kingdom and Mexico. Through the company’s shopping website, SHOP.COM, consumers have access to over 40 million products, including Market America exclusive brands and thousands of top retail brands. By combining Market America’s entrepreneurial business model with SHOP.COM’s powerful comparative shopping engine, Cashback program, Hot Deals, ShopBuddy™, social shopping integration and countless other features, the company has become the ultimate online shopping destination.

For more information:
United States: http://www.marketamerica.com or http://www.SHOP.COM



 

The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest

From New York Times

The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest

By David Leonhardt and Kevin Quealy
APRIL 22, 2014

The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction.

While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.

After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.

The numbers, based on surveys conducted over the past 35 years, offer some of the most detailed publicly available comparisons for different income groups in different countries over time. They suggest that most American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality.

Although economic growth in the United States continues to be as strong as in many other countries, or stronger, a small percentage of American households is fully benefiting from it. Median income in Canada pulled into a tie with median United States income in 2010 and has most likely surpassed it since then. Median incomes in Western European countries still trail those in the United States, but the gap in several — including Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden — is much smaller than it was a decade ago.

In European countries hit hardest by recent financial crises, such as Greece and Portugal, incomes have of course fallen sharply in recent years.

Read more from New York Times >>

 

60% of U.S. retail sales will involve the web by 2017

In view of this overwhelming change in US retail sales as well as around the world, wouldn't it be beneficial for you to be involved in internet marketing?


From Internet Retailer

60% of U.S. retail sales will involve the web by 2017
Direct online purchases will account for roughly 10.3% of total retail, Forrester says.
October 30, 2013, 10:36 AM

Amy Dusto
Associate Editor

By 2017, 60% of all U.S. retail sales will involve the Internet in some way, either as a direct e-commerce transaction or as part of a shopper’s research on a laptop or mobile device, according to a new report by Forrester Research Inc. entitled “U.S. Cross-Channel Retail Forecast, 2012 To 2017.” Approximately 10.3% of total retail sales in the U.S. in five years will be online purchases, or $370 billion in web sales compared to $3.6 trillion in total retail sales.

In contrast, last year e-commerce accounted for just 5.2% of total retail spending in the United States, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures that include items rarely if ever bought online, such as gasoline and restaurant meals. And in 2012, less than half—46%—of total U.S. retail sales were either transacted directly or influenced by Internet research on PCs, smartphones and tablets, Forrester says.

Driving this e-retailing growth is the increasing ubiquity of smartphone ownership in the United States along with retailers’ investments in enabling e-commerce and mobile applications, such as mobile coupons, says Sucharita Mulpuru, a Forrester analyst and author of the report. By the end of 2013, 150 million (47.3%) of the country’s population of 317 million will be regular mobile Internet users, she says.

The categories that will be most influenced by Internet research in five years will be grocery, apparel and accessories, home improvement and consumer electronics, in particular through mobile activity like reading customer reviews while in the aisle, , the report says. Together, those categories will account for $1.1 trillion of the $1.8 trillion total web-influenced retail sales predicted for 2017. (The web-influenced figure does not include the e-commerce purchases of $370 billion.)

Read more from Internet Retailer  >>

5 Takeaways From the U.N. Climate Change Report

From Frontline

5 Takeaways From the U.N. Climate Change Report
April 14, 2014 by Jason M. Breslow

In the push to curb global climate change, 2015 could be a make or break year. World leaders will meet in Paris next year hoping to finalize an ambitious new climate treaty aimed at slowing emissions and reversing rising temperatures.

Ahead of the summit, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been issuing a series of reports examining the scale of the challenge and potential risks ahead. The panel’s latest report, released Sunday, focuses on how governments can mitigate the problem. Here are five main takeaways:

1) Greenhouse gases are rising at “unprecedented levels”
How bad has the global rise in greenhouse gases become? Roughly half of all CO2 emissions stemming from human activity between 1750 through 2010 occurred during a 40-year stretch that began in 1970. The report’s authors further noted that greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of climate change, “were the highest in human history from 2000 to 2010.”

2) Steep cuts in emissions are needed fast
Most of the world’s nations have signed on to a pledge to keep temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Emissions will have to fall between 41 percent and 71 percent of 2010 levels by midcentury in order to hit that target, according to the IPCC report. By the end of the century, emissions will have to fall to near zero of 2010 levels.
Inaction could be costly. In March, a separate U.N. report looking at climate change’s long-term impact on human survival found that warming temperatures are likely to lead to a drop in food production, causing a rise in prices for basic staple and a heightened risk of disease for the poor and malnourished. Climate change could also fuel the chances for armed conflicts over dwindling resources, the report found.

3) We have the technology to meet the challenge
The report isn’t all bad news. Renewable energies such as wind, hydro and solar power have reached “a level of maturity to enable deployment at significant scale,” according to the report. Improved fuel efficiency standards, as well as tougher building codes have helped as well.
If leaders fail to act soon, however, the report warns that nations could be forced to turn to completely unproven technologies, such as techniques designed to pull carbon out of the air.

4) Curbing emissions will be cheaper than doing nothing in the long run
To be sure, staying below the target of 2 degrees Celsius won’t be cheap. The report estimates that confronting the problem would shave between 0.04 to 0.14 percentage points off of global economic growth each year. “So instead of growing by, say, 3 percent per year we’d be growing by 2.94 percent,” notes Vox. Conversely, doing nothing could leave nations nearly 5 percent poorer than they would have been by the end of the century had they done nothing at all, according to the study.

5) The politics won’t be easy
If Sunday’s U.N. report is any guide, arriving at an international consensus ahead of next year’s Paris summit will be a painstaking process. Political wrangling overtook the IPCC report at times, with Saudi Arabia objecting to language detailing how large emissions cuts may have to be, and developing countries objecting to charts in a 37-page executive summary showing where the world’s carbon emissions are coming from. Developing countries wanted the graphs to fall into one of two categories — developed or developing — while wealthier nations wanted more specific categories.

Your gut’s what you eat, too

From Harvard Gazette

Your gut’s what you eat, too
Changing diet can quickly shift makeup of important microbes there, research says
January 2, 2014

By Peter Reuell, Harvard Staff Writer

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. But new evidence suggests that the same may also be true for the microbes in your gut.

A Harvard study shows that, in as little as a day, diet can alter the population of microbes in the gut — particularly those that tolerate bile — as well as the types of genes expressed by gut bacteria.

“What we are really excited about is we and others have shown in animal models that diet can rapidly have major effects on the microbes that are in the gut,” said Peter Turnbaugh, a Bauer Fellow at the Center for Systems Biology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He is senior author of the paper, which appeared in Dec. 11 edition of the journal Nature.

“But it still wasn’t clear how fast the microbes in the human gut respond to changes in diet, and to what degree those changes would be similar in different people. This study is really the first time we’ve seen that, over the course of days, a new diet can reshape the microbial community, and that those changes are consistent and reversible.”

As evidence mounts that the gut microbiome not only plays a role in digestion but may also affect overall health, Lawrence David, the paper’s first author and a former junior fellow at Harvard’s Society of Fellows who was recently appointed an assistant professor at Duke University, said the ability to manipulate those populations may offer new avenues for treating certain conditions.

“That’s part of the excitement of this work: that the gut microbiome in humans responds to changes in diet on a much shorter timescale than people thought,” David said. “That suggests it’s at least feasible to — through host action — alter the gut microbiome, so we see this as establishing the dynamic range for those changes, and the amount of latitude individuals have in potentially altering it.”

Read more from Harvard Gazette >>
 

Is college worth it?

From The Economist

Is college worth it?
Too many degrees are a waste of money. The return on higher education would be much better if college were cheaper

Apr 5th 2014 | CHICAGO

WHEN LaTisha Styles graduated from Kennesaw State University in Georgia in 2006 she had $35,000 of student debt. This obligation would have been easy to discharge if her Spanish degree had helped her land a well-paid job. But there is no shortage of Spanish-speakers in a nation that borders Latin America. So Ms Styles found herself working in a clothes shop and a fast-food restaurant for no more than $11 an hour.

Frustrated, she took the gutsy decision to go back to the same college and study something more pragmatic. She majored in finance, and now has a good job at an investment consulting firm. Her debt has swollen to $65,000, but she will have little trouble paying it off.

As Ms Styles’s story shows, there is no simple answer to the question “Is college worth it?” Some degrees pay for themselves; others don’t. American schoolkids pondering whether to take on huge student loans are constantly told that college is the gateway to the middle class. The truth is more nuanced, as Barack Obama hinted when he said in January that “folks can make a lot more” by learning a trade “than they might with an art history degree”. An angry art history professor forced him to apologise, but he was right.

Read more from The Economist >>

 

Why Alibaba Is a Big Deal

From Wall Street Journal
Asia

Why Alibaba Is a Big Deal
By Juro Osawa | Apr 16, 2014

Many consumers in the U.S. go to Amazon.com when they shop online. But for hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers, online shopping is synonymous with Taobao and Tmall, the two marketplaces run by Alibaba Group Holding.

Helped by the sheer size of its domestic market – China has over 600 million Internet users – Alibaba’s business has expanded rapidly over the past decade and its sites already handle more transactions than those for Amazon and eBay combined.

Now, Alibaba is facing a major turning point as it prepares to go public in New York in what could be the largest Internet initial public offering in U.S. history. Analysts and bankers say Alibaba’s IPO could raise $15 billion or more, possibly surpassing Facebook $16 billion IPO in 2012.

Even though there is so much hype over its IPO in the U.S., Alibaba’s actual e-commerce operations are still largely unfamiliar to U.S. investors, let alone U.S. consumers many of whom have never used Alibaba’s services. While some businesses in the U.S. have used Alibaba.com to find Chinese suppliers, that business-to-business website is now a relatively small part of Alibaba’s revenue, compared to its Chinese consumer shopping sites Taobao and Tmall, which together account for the company’s revenue according to analysts.

Read more from Wall Street Journal >>

 

How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent

 

U.K. e-retailers post strongest Q1 performance in three years

Another great reason to be involved with internet merchandizing. Shop.com /Market America is now expanded to UK, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Panama, Singapore, New Zealand besides US, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.

From Internet Retailer

U.K. e-retailers post strongest Q1 performance in three years
Online retail sales increased 17% year over year to more than $38 million.

Abby Callard
Associate Editor

E-retailers in the U.K. saw the strongest first quarter growth since 2011, according to a report from technology consultancy Capgemini and U.K. e-retail association Interactive Media in Retail Group, or IMRG. Sales were up 17% year over year for the first quarter of 2014, to 23.1 billion pounds ($38.7 billion) and 16% year over year for the month of March, from 6.7 billion pounds ($11.2 billion) to 7.8 billion pounds ($13.0 billion).

Conversion rates are also increasing. The average conversion rate for March hit 4.2%, the highest rate for that month since March 2009. U.K. web shoppers are also spending more. The value of the average shopping cart, or basket as it’s known in the U.K hit 86 pounds ($144) in March, its highest rate since September 2012. That compares with just 77 pounds ($129) for February 2014 and March 2013. The average order value figure excludes travel purchases.

The overall e-retail sales increase is due to the increase in basket value instead of more people shopping online, Capgemini and IMRG report.

"With online transaction values reaching the highest level recorded in six months, and the average conversion rate for March at pre-recession levels, these results not only demonstrate an overall increase in consumer confidence, but also that online shopping is becoming a larger part of our everyday lives,” says Tina Spooner, chief information officer for IMRG.

Read more from Internet Retailer >>
 

Berlin Fears a High Court Ruling Could Threaten the European Union

Why should you worry about what happens in Europe? Your pocket book will be deeply affected by instability in the European Union.

From Stratfor Global Intelligence

Berlin Fears a High Court Ruling Could Threaten the European Union
Geopolitical Weekly

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

By Marc Lanthemann

The Greek economy ended its four-year exile from international markets last week with a triumphant 3 billion euro (about $4.1 billion) bond sale. The global financial media trumpeted this somewhat unexpected achievement as a sign that things were finally turning around in the European Union's most blighted country. Media reports to the contrary, Greece's return to the market does nothing to resolve Greece's systemic economic deficiencies. Instead, it enables Greece to build up more debt, which will leave it a permanent bailout state for the foreseeable future.

In any case, events in Athens, a city perennially destined to be a dependent on the great powers of any given time, will not be pivotal to the future of the European Union. Nor will decisions made in Spain, Italy or even France. Instead, the Continent's fate in the 21st century will be decided in Germany. Germany stands increasingly alone as the guardian of the very European order that allowed it to prosper and quelled its historical insecurities about its neighbors.

Something as seemingly banal as a conversation at an Italian restaurant in Berlin does a much better job of illustrating how far Europe actually is from recovery, and how the fate of the Continent lies in Germany's hands. In the first days of April, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere met with a group of scholars of constitutional law for dinner and discussion of the options for limiting the reach of Germany's powerful Federal Constitutional Court. The meeting stands testament to the German fear of seeing the European order crumble and to the severity of the political crisis brewing under the surface in the Continent.

The Perils of Unemployment

Stratfor has warned for years that the economic downturn that began battering Europe in 2008 would evolve into a full-blown social and political crisis. Nearly six years have gone by, and the European system remains as dysfunctional today as it was then. Great Depression-levels of unemployment have become the norm in Southern Europe, and have begun to creep northward.

Growing numbers of the unemployed and underemployed are fertile ground for political radicalism. Now, hopelessness about the future of Europe is moving into the mainstream. In election after election from France to Hungary, nationalist and Euroskeptic parties continue to gain in popularity to the point that they are becoming entrenched parts of the political system.

They remain a minority, for now. But many of them, in particular the National Front in France, have had to moderate some of the more radical parts of their platforms to break into the political mainstream. As popular discontent against what is seen as the failures of the pro-European mainstream parties grows alongside the economic crisis, so does support for some of the more nationalistic policies espoused by the far right.

Read more from Stratfor Global Intelligence >>
 

Power Profiles: Bruce Roethle

Bruce Roethle:

"Where were you 5 years ago? Where were you a year ago? Where are you today? Are you where you want to be? How much you have saved for your retirement? If you keep doing what you are doing now where are you going to be a year from now? Five years from today?"

"I rather have money. I think your rather have money too."

 

A Little Spring Break

It was great to take a little spring break and do nothing for 6 days!

I took long walks along the shores of Long Island Sound to think and reflect, stopping every now and then to watch the hypnotic sea waves, seagulls, sailboats and lonely fishermen. The sea breeze has a calming effect and refreshingly soothing.

I took subway rides into Manhattan just to remind myself why it is such a wonderful feeling to not have to commute into the city to work. During peak hours, the subways and subway stations are hell holes packed with humanity, with everyone on the platform trying to squeeze in to the subway cars to beat time to work. Freedom from such daily commuting stress is a blessing. No word can describe the joy of being freed from such a brutal daily chore.

Watching close-up and from a distance reminds me why I do what I do - work for myself - no boss to report to.

This is freedom!

Put down the cotton swabs!

From Cleveland Clinic Wellness

April 13, 2014

Put down the cotton swabs! The rule that you should “never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear” really is true.

If you’ve been tempted to dig out earwax using a cotton swab or some similarly pointed object, just don’t do it! Here’s a safer way to clear your ears of excess wax: Put a drop of mineral oil in your ear, and lie down on your side with a book or a magazine. Leaving your ear facing up will let the oil seep in. Lie still for 20 to 30 minutes — meditate while you’re waiting! — and allow the wax to dissolve. Turn over and place a towel or paper towel under your ear to soak up the oil and wax as it drains out, and repeat, if necessary, on the other side. Using cotton swabs to clean your ears is dangerous. Earwax serves as protection and has lubricating and anti-bacterial properties. Using a cotton swab — or anything else for that matter — to clean your ears only serves to push the wax in even deeper.

Tiny particles may pose big risk

From MIT News

Tiny particles may pose big risk
Some nanoparticles commonly added to consumer products can significantly damage DNA.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office
April 8, 2014

Thousands of consumer products — including cosmetics, sunscreens, and clothing — contain nanoparticles added by manufacturers to improve texture, kill microbes, or enhance shelf life, among other purposes. However, several studies have shown that some of these engineered nanoparticles can be toxic to cells.

A new study from MIT and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that certain nanoparticles can also harm DNA. This research was led by Bevin Engelward, a professor of biological engineering at MIT, and associate professor Philip Demokritou, director of HSPH’s Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology.

The researchers found that zinc oxide nanoparticles, often used in sunscreen to block ultraviolet rays, significantly damage DNA. Nanoscale silver, which has been added to toys, toothpaste, clothing, and other products for its antimicrobial properties, also produces substantial DNA damage, they found.

The findings, published in a recent issue of the journal ACS Nano, relied on a high-speed screening technology to analyze DNA damage. This approach makes it possible to study nanoparticles’ potential hazards at a much faster rate and larger scale than previously possible.

The Food and Drug Administration does not require manufacturers to test nanoscale additives for a given material if the bulk material has already been shown to be safe. However, there is evidence that the nanoparticle form of some of these materials may be unsafe: Due to their immensely small size, these materials may exhibit different physical, chemical, and biological properties, and penetrate cells more easily.

“The problem is that if a nanoparticle is made out of something that’s deemed a safe material, it’s typically considered safe. There are people out there who are concerned, but it’s a tough battle because once these things go into production, it’s very hard to undo,” Engelward says.

The researchers focused on five types of engineered nanoparticles — silver, zinc oxide, iron oxide, cerium oxide, and silicon dioxide (also known as amorphous silica) — that are used industrially. Some of these nanomaterials can produce free radicals called reactive oxygen species, which can alter DNA. Once these particles get into the body, they may accumulate in tissues, causing more damage.

Read more from MIT News >>

Power Profiles: Selton and Patricia Hodge

Power Profiles: Gilbert Lee and Ellen Lo

"You do this business for yourself but not by yourself.
When people search, they google it, when they want to socialize, they facebook it, and when people shop, they shop it!"

The Single Most Important Chart for Long-Term Investors

From InvestorPlace

The Single Most Important Chart for Long-Term Investors
Buy-and-hold strategy has produced some astounding results for traders who followed this chart
By Sam Collins, InvestorPlace Chief Technical Analyst  |  Apr 1, 2014

Biotech stocks led Monday’s rally accompanied by small caps and other stocks that had been beaten down during the month of March. The Russell 2000 gained 1.8%, and the Nasdaq rose 1%, compared to smaller gains for the Dow industrials and S&P 500, both up 0.8%.

Buyers were encouraged by comments from new Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who indicated that the central bank would continue to support a low interest rate policy. She went on to say that the Fed is short of its employment and inflation goals, and that the economy will require “considerable support for some time.”

At Monday’s close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 135 points at 16,458, the S&P 500 rose 15 points to 1,872, and the Nasdaq jumped 43 points to 4,199. The NYSE traded a total of 3.3 billion shares, and the Nasdaq crossed 2.1 billion. Advancers outpaced decliners by 3.1-to-1 on both major exchanges.

For the quarter, the Dow was down 0.7%, the S&P 500 gained 1.3%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.5%.



After a miserable January, February rebounded with solid gains, and March, though volatile, held its own. Thus, the 17-month moving average (MA) chart of the S&P 500 shows an advance for the year. The index is now 13% above its 17-month moving average, as compared to the end of January, when prices were just 11% above the MA.

For long-term investors, a buy-and-hold strategy has worked well since 1999, as long as they followed the guidance of this chart. Buying when the black price line crosses above the red moving average line and selling when the black line crosses below the red line has produced some astounding results.

Read more from InvestorPlace >>