Recession/Crisis Meals. Can They Really Make Money Off the Dollar Menu?

Recession/Crisis Meals. Can They Really Make Money Off the Dollar Menu?

(Source Yahoo Finance) McDonald's "Dollar Menu." Subway's "$5 Footlong." Quiznos's "Million Sub Giveaway." As the U.S. tries to climb out of the recession, these bargain fast-food meals have become familiar subjects of TV ads and radio jingles -- and for many consumers, they are some of the best food values around.
But few of the hungry diners who bite into those discounted subs and burgers realize that their cut-rate meals can be a flashpoint between big fast-food companies and the franchise owners who operate local stores.
How much money are local stores making -- or losing? To find out, we surveyed franchisees about some popular current and recent promotions. On top of paying royalties (of about 11% to 12% of sales) to the franchisor, franchisees often bear the brunt of a promotion's cost. We also asked franchisees about their wholesale costs for food, as well as labor, rent and utilities, among other things. Prices and menu for a particular promotion also vary depending on location.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/107106/Can-They-Really-Make-Money-Off-the-Dollar-Menu?mod=career-selfemployment

Tiffany Losing It's Bling?

Tiffany Losing It's Bling?

The luxury retailer's big drop in Q1 profit prompts its shares to trade lower, with Stacey Widlitz, Pali Research retail analyst.

Let’s Focus on Saving Journalism, Not Newspapers, Huffington Says

Let’s Focus on Saving Journalism, Not Newspapers, Huffington Says

CARLSBAD, CALIF. – With demographic changes crippling the old-guard newspaper world, all eyes are on the future of media.
While newspapers won’t go away entirely, Huffington Post Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington says the focus should be on saving and strengthening quality journalism, not being fixated on the traditional newspaper model.

Huffington says multiple working models will emerge from the current media shakeup – but a subscription-based model probably will not be among the long-term survivors, she says in the accompanying video, taped at the All Things Digital conference here. (Click here for Huffington’s presentation with Katharine Weymouth of the Washington Post.)

In the “new models” department, the Huffington Post recently launched an investigative fund, a combination of for-profit and nonprofit models and will be available on open source.
To help fund these and other new ventures, the Huffington Post closed $25 million in a third round of funding from Oak Investment Partners back in December. Huffington says her business is now breaking even, with a new push in technology coverage coming, and reach into Chicago and New York.

Job Booms Typically Follow Recessions

Job Booms Typically Follow Recessions 5/7/2009

History shows that job booms typically follow recessions. What will be the next boom industry? Stacey Delo reports. (Barrons Video)

Is the beer industry losing its fizz?

Is the beer industry losing its fizz?
Carlsberg's first quarter earnings are expected to show that drinkers are quaffing less beer as customers feel the pinch of the recession.


Economy Beers Give Brewers Lift in Downturn

(Source: Wall Street Journal)
Mark Lehr's favorite beer is Heineken, but one recent afternoon, the Chicagoan emerged from a 7-Eleven with a 12-pack of Busch that cost him $8 -- about $7 less than a dozen Heinekens.
"My funds are limited right now," said the 39-year-old house painter, noting that he has had far fewer customers during the recession.
Sales of so-called economy brews, including Busch, Miller High Life and Pabst Brewing Co.'s Pabst Blue Ribbon, are rising faster than the nation's beer sales overall, and are helping industry giants Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and MillerCoors LLC weather the economic downturn.
Anheuser, based in Leuven, Belgium, is expected to report healthy sales at its U.S. unit when it posts first-quarter results Thursday, thanks in part to its stable of low-priced brews such as Natural Light and Busch Light.
Though less profitable, these brews are helping Anheuser offset slower sales growth for its larger brands. "We feel we have brands that can meet any consumer need," said Dave Peacock, president of the company's U.S. unit.
Read Article...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124165010171893491.html

Is Google Any Help in Tracking an Epidemic?

Is Google Any Help in Tracking an Epidemic?
(Source: Time Magazine Permalink)

When the first U.S. patients fell victim to the new H1N1 flu, they may not have thought immediately to call their doctor or run to the nearest emergency room. Instead, they probably sat down in front of their computers and Googled "flu symptoms" or "fever" or "chills" or perhaps even "treatment for flu."
That behavior is exactly what the folks at Google are counting on. Since last fall, the search-engine giant has been nurturing a spin-off service called Google Flu Trends, which aims to identify outbreaks by tracking searches for flu-related terms, and provide health officials with early warnings of potential epidemics. The reasoning is that if people are searching for flu, they're probably sick themselves or know someone who is — and a geographic cluster of like-minded Googlers could represent a burgeoning outbreak or, worse, the roots of a new pandemic. (In the case of H1N1, however, the distant and initially small number of cases in the U.S. meant the search service wasn't very helpful for predicting the current epidemic, but the strategy may prove useful in keeping track of disease progression.) Read Article...
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1895811,00.html?iid=perma_share