Five ways to prepare for an MBA while working

Balancing the demands of work with studying and applying for an MBA can be taxing. Here are a few tips from successful applicants that could help one cruise along. 

1. Plan in Advance: Professionals looking to do an MBA should start working on it a year ahead, says Chaitanya Kalipatnapu, co-founder of executive education programme provider Eruditus and Insead alumnus. Research business schools and interact with alumni, he says. 

2. Leverage Weekends: Vaibhav Pandey, a management student at ISB and an ex-software engineer, capitalised on his weekends for GMAT studies. It is equally important to find a support system, he says. 

3. Highlight Leadership: Highlight experiences that demonstrate your unique abilities, says Kalipatnapu. Mention instances that show your leadership potential and list cross-cultural experiences, he adds. 

4. Avoid Cliches: "Cliches do not work at all," says Kalipatnapu. Support your application with strong anecdotes. "Essays should tell your personal story," says Pandey. 

5. Apply in the First Round: While each B-school has a different admission format, Kalipatnapu says it's best to apply in the first round. "If schools have a quota or are focused on diversity, it becomes hard to justify yourself in the second round," he says.

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Indian students affected as Australia shuts three vocational institutes

 Australia has decided to close down three vocational colleges for non-compliance of training standards, a move that will impact more than 500 Indian students enrolled in these institutes. 

However, Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese today assured that Indian students affected by college closures will be protected. 

He was commenting on the move by Australia's vocational education regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), to shut down two non-compliant vocational education and training colleges in Victoria and one in New South Wales (NSW). 

Following comprehensive compliance assessments, including multiple site visits by ASQA officers, the ASQA audits concluded that the colleges were non-compliant with the standards that providers are required to meet in the delivery of training to domestic and international students. 

"The decision to reject a training organisation's registration is not one we take lightly but the interests of students and the integrity of training standards across the VET sector have to be upheld," said ASQA Chief Commissioner Chris Robinson. 

"The institutions have the right to have ASQA's decision reviewed which may delay or change the decision," he said. 

Depending on the outcome of any appeals, the decisions take effect from October 30 and apply to all courses offered by The Ashmark Group Pty Ltd and G Plus G Global Trading Pty Ltd. Both colleges have campuses in Melbourne, Victoria. ASQA also served notice last month on the Ivy Group in NSW. 

There are over 400 Indian students enrolled at the Ashmark Group college, over 100 Indian students enrolled at G Plus G Global and a further 30 Indian students enrolled at the Ivy Group. 

Varghese said in New Delhi that Indian students affected by the foreshadowed closure of three colleges in Australia will be covered by a legislated safety net. 

"The Australian Government has in place a comprehensive suite of protection mechanisms to safeguard the interests of overseas students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act)", said Varghese. 

He added, "If these education providers do close and do not meet their obligations to students, international students will be able to access the Australian Government's Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS). 

"The TPS will seek to place affected students in an alternative course or refund any unspent pre-paid tuition fees to the students". 

He said, "Australia is committed to maintaining high education standards and undertaking rigorous auditing of education providers". 

Recession is the best time to pick assets: Sajjan Jindal

There is a lot happening in the two sectors you are present-steel and power, for all the wrong reasons. Illegal mining, Coalgate etc. How do you view all this?

I think it is an evolving phase for an economy. Whenever an economy is shifting gears or moving from an underdeveloped economy or moving towards a faster growth economy then this kind of issues are bound to occur. Especially for a democratic country like India, which is so vast and diverse. These are part and parcel of the growth pangs of the growth economy. It is a phase that will pass. We'll have to allow this phase to pass. This is part and parcel of India's economy growing up.

What gives you such confidence? 

Twenty years ago, India probably was a $200 billion economy and today we are close to two trillion dollar economy. We have indeed grown. Any decision by the government today can have a huge economic impact on the industry, either ways ie positively or negatively. So therefore the magnitude of the impact has become so large that it reflects immediately. As a country we have to gradually move towards a transparent system.

Isn't that the basic issue? (lack of transparency.) 

That is what we lack. I've been saying for many years that natural resources allocation should be done through a very transparent process. Whatever process we follow should be totally transparent and not discretionary. .Even now the new Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) bill, which is going to be put up in the parliament has discretionary powers. There needs to be total clarity, wherever there is discretionary power. That breeds corruption. We have to make things more transparent and more equitable.

Was transparency the issue relating to coal block allocation? 

It should not be because even in the coal blocks, there was a screening committee. There was a system put in place. There were many chief secretaries at the meeting and secretaries from different ministries who participated in the deliberations. But at the end it was all discretionary. To get approval from the state government was itself a process. If they don't like you, then your application was rejected.

How have you managed in all this? 

We built India's largest steel plant in Karnataka and till date we still haven't a single iron ore mine. I've been shouting from day one to auction the mines. Put it on auction. Then I've a chance to get a mine. If it is discretionary, I will not get for sure, despite having put up the largest steel plant in the country.

So I hope with all this hullaballoo that has happened in the last few months, the transparency may finally come. Of course, there is a flip side to it. If everything is auctioned there is a fear that the big players will corner most of it as they have the financial resources. So how will the smaller players grow.

How will the smaller players grow? 

I don't have an answer to that. But through a proper policy documentation, proper mechanism we can address all the misgivings.

So what you are saying that whatever is happening around you in the mining sector is a blessing in disguise?

I am a firm believer that whatever happens, it happens for the good. Ultimately, if you have a long term vision you'll understand that it is happening for the good of the nation. Of course, whatever is happening today is very painful to everyone. To me, our group companies are put into hardship obviously it is very painful but eventually it will bring in transparency. Transparency is a must, otherwise we will continue to be called as one of most corrupt countries.
copied from ET

Office Politics

More often then not one has to deal with office politics & “the dirty game” that goes on at the work place. But then like every coin has 2 sides…there is good side to it toooo…So let us see how to run a positive campaign at the workplace & how to handle the negative Yadavji & Guptaji in our work life. (No offense intended if your surname is Yadavji n Guptaji — I’m sure you’re still lovely)
Talking about it, how do we begin?? And what do we do to run a good campaign?? As a answer to this let me divide the entire “good campaign” process into 2 parts. One, wherein you promote yourself and your team in an effective way . And second, by engaging yourself in positive office politics. Combining both ways, following are some of the best practices that can help in positive office campaigning.
·         Finding a mentor (or two) because they can help navigate difficult personalities; look for solutions when you need sounding board. Most people like to help others — just be sure to come to him or her with a problem and a few possible solutions because Your mentor isn’t there to listen to you complain or to solve all of your problems for you.
·         Take initiative, try to start something new, even if it’s just a fun thing for you as well as your coworkers to do together. There are some activities like fundraising activities, office holiday celebrations etc. It doesn’t have to be something that increases revenue to show leadership and team-building skills. (Although if you can identify a way to increase revenue, by all means, just go for it!!!!)
·         Overcome your fear of speaking up. Many people have good ideas, but they’re afraid of being shot down or of what might happen if the idea bombs. But participation is an important part of good office politics. It shows that you’re engaged and thinking of solutions. If you’re too scared to speak up, talk to your mentor about ways to present your ideas at the next meeting or try joining a speaking group.
·         Think about the best interest of the team or company. Before asserting your opinion or arguing your case, ask yourself who will benefit. Are you against change because you don’t want to take the time to learn something new, even though it’ll improve a system? Think big-picture and beyond your immediate desires. When a disagreement starting going downhill, try to get the group to refocus on the big picture.
·         Be positive. This isn’t always easy. Believe me. But the people who constantly complain and play the victim are no fun to be around. People will start avoiding you, even if what you say has some merit. You want a reputation as a problem-solver, not a whiner.
·         Develop your skills and techniques. This will not only help you build your confidence but also others will start to trust you and believe in your work. 
Apart from all this, one should also know how to deal with “bad vibes” at the work place. Some of the tactics to handle them are:
·         Avoid gossiping. Gossip will inevitably reach your cubicle, but ask yourself if there’s any credibility to the rumors. Whether there is or there isn’t, don’t pass it on. People who enjoy gossip usually only have half the story, and taking part is a sure way to wind up with your foot in your mouth.
·         Watch what you say “in confidence.” Most things said in confidence will get out, usually starting with “I’m not supposed to say anything, but…” Disclose at your own risk. Try  to be professional and polite to everyone but watch out on whom to trust. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean you can trust them with your confidential information.
·         Instead of distancing yourself from the people who practice bad politics, get to know these people better. Get to know their motivations and goals to work more harmoniously with them (or at least to avoid in being in bad terms with them)

With MBA from US, Indians return to do business at home

More and more Indians graduating from top global business schools, including Wharton, Harvardand Stanford, are spurning traditional job offers in favour of starting up new business ventures back home.
Wharton's MBA batch of 2012 had 70-80 Indians, of which 10-15 turned entrepreneurs. And in the current class of about 100 Indians, 15-20 are alreadyentrepreneurs or are actively working towards founding their own businesses, according to ET estimates based on interviews with 10 alumni. Such instances were uncommon even as recently as 2009. 


Harvard Business School saw 5-6 out of 30-35 Indian students turning entrepreneurs from its class of 2011, according to alumni estimates. It hardly had any Indian entrepreneurs five years ago. Similarly, Stanford's B-school saw a record-breaking 16% of its class of 2011 starting their own firms, with a significant number of Indians in the group. 




"Global B-schools expose them (Indian students) to a strong entrepreneurial architecture with a greater number of role models, success stories and potential investors," says Kunal Bahl, founder and CEO of SnapDeal.com. "This gives them the much-needed confidence to do something of their own." 


Bahl passed out of Wharton in 2006 and immediately started work on SnapDeal. 


"This is definitely a key trend for our generation," says Anirudh Suri, an MBA from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) class of 2012, who currently runs an early-stage venture capital fund, The India Internet Group. 

Senior level professionals going back to B-school to acquire management skillsets

Senior level professionals going back to B-school to acquire management skillsets
  Liane Cabral Ghosh was working as a senior manager and strategist at Dell's research and development centre in Bangalore, when she decided to enroll for an INSEAD leadership programme for senior Indian executives last August.


"I was growing well in technical functions, but did not have management skillsets. I wanted a programme that could provide a career jump for senior leadership positions," says Ghosh. The programme concluded last month, and it seems that Cabral has been taught well. She joins Canadian IT company Innovatia this month as country manager.


Senior-level professionals across functions, profiles and industries are going back to school for short-term and long-term executive education programmes in order to reskill themselves. Ghosh's batchmates at INSEAD included Rajshree Naik, the marketing head of Forevermark, De Beers; and Manesh Nair, former director of business relationship consulting, India and Thailand, at American Express, and after the course, global director for partnership development posted at American Express, New York.


"We are witnessing a growth of 25% when it comes to participation in 'open enrollment' executive education programmes every year," says Deepak Chandra, deputy dean at the Indian School of Business (ISB).


Open enrollment programmes are meant for professionals from all fields looking at a specialisation in functions like marketing, finance or sales strategies. ISB will host 5,000 such students this year. It currently offers 45-50 such programmes, up from 5-6 a decade ago. The courses at ISB last anywhere from a week to a month.


"Reskilling assumes greater importance in challenging times," says Chaitanya Kalipatnapu.


Kalipatnapu is co-founder and director of Eruditus, a firm promoted by the alumni of INSEAD and Harvard Business School (HBS) to deliver executive education programmes. "Business schools witness a spike in activity during a slowdown, as candidates consider it safe to turn to education and feel the slowdown would be over and done with by the time they pass out."


Among the IIMs, Kozhikode is the only one to offer a two-year executive post-graduate programme in management for professionals. The batch size for this programme accredited by the London-based Association of MBAs (AMBA) has increased from 220 in 2010-12 to 333 for 2012-14. "We have increased the batch size owing to a significant demand for this course among professionals," says C Raju, professor, quantitative methods and operations management, at IIM Kozhikode. The institute will also have two new one-year executive education programmes on human resource management and IT this year.


"The number of requests and applications for customised and open enrollment programmes have more than doubled this year," says Eruditus' Kalipatnapu. It offers executive education programmes from INSEAD (one-year), Wharton (both short-term and long-term), and Tuck School of Business in India. While Wharton has introduced open enrollment executive education programmes in the country this year, Tuck School of Business entered into a first-of-its-kind by-invitation consortium with a few companies like TCS, Mahindra & Mahindra and HSBC this year, wherein the companies nominated their senior managers for a programme on innovation and leadership. The Tuck programme is spread over nine months.


Individuals often opt for these programmes on their own, but companies too nominate and shortlist candidates and even work with universities on customised case studies to address their business needs. "Companies are realising that education is a good motivating tool to attract and retain talent," adds ISB's Chandra.


"Companies realise that the economic challenges demand a more targeted approach to talent management," says Kalipatnapu. Firms like Bharat Petroleum, Accenture and IBM work with these top schools for programmes tailor-made to suit their needs.


Harvard Business School India Research Center, which handles executive education programmes in India, has diversified its portfolio of executive education programmes this year. "We had three executive education programmes last year, and we plan to have around 10 this year," says Amrita Chowdhury, associate director, education, at HBS India Research Center. It has introduced new programmes on leadership and corporate accountability and innovation. "As senior professionals move up the leader, they realise they need specialised skills in general management and leadership," says Chowdhury.

IIM SEAT: CLASS 10TH AND 12TH SCORES MORE MATTER THAN CAT

By all the means, you need to work hard to do well in your combined admission test (CAT) to get into an IIM's. But how well you do in CAT after you have been shortlisted which means you have made it to at least  the top 10% of all applicants, makes up only a fifth of your final score when it comes to securing an IIM admission.

In fact it's your class 10th and 12th result that accounts for more 25% of the final score , your bachelor's degree 15%. The factor with the maximum weightage is your performance in group discussion(GD) GD summary and personal interview 35%. the balance 5% depends on work experience and whether you taken a "professional course".
And if you thought a B.Tech from IIT gives you an extra advantage,sorry. Only a CA qualifies as a "professional course" .
when it comes to work experience, three years will get u the maximum score depending on the quality and relevance of your job, anything more than three years.
Such details have been revealed for the first time by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore which conducted the CAT last year after it was forced by the Central Information Comdardised scores in each category for IIM (B) in 2007 class 10th and 12th exam ; Bachelor's ; Group discussion and interview and work experience has now been posted on www.iimb.ernet.in Other IIMs are expected to follow a similar method.
IIM applicants in the general category have long known that they need to be in the top ten percent in CAT scores but it's now been revealed that to be even considered for the interview call, they must be in the top 15% in each section of the test verbal,logic and data,quantitative. SC/ST and disabled applicants need to be in the  top 50% in the logic and quantitative, top 45% in verbal.In overall score,however,SC applicants need to be in the  top 25% while ST in the top 35%.

F.D.I

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is investment directly into production in a country by a company located in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is done for many reasons including to take advantage of cheaper wages in the country, special investment privileges such as tax exemptions offered by the country as an incentive to gain tariff-free access to the markets of the country or the region. Foreign direct investment is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country such as stocks and bonds.

As a part of the national accounts of a country FDI refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown the balance of payments. It usually involves participation in management, joint-venture, transfer of technology and expertise. There are two types of FDI: inward foreign direct investment and outward foreign direct investment, resulting in a net FDI inflow (positive or negative) and "stock of foreign direct investment", which is the cumulative number for a given period. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares.FDI is one example of international factor movements.

the total retail of the year

 2011-- RS 1572550cr.

2012--- $ 400 billion 

2015--- $ 800 billion( expected) 

india has apporx. 98 lakh food retailers 

SOME POINTS RELATED TO FDI :-

1  in next 3 years 10 millions are likely to be raised in retail sector 

2  farmers and agro producers will get 12 to 15% more price for their produce 

3  70% of retail is in food items most of which are locally sourced.

4  multi brand retail will be on economic driver pushing india growth to beyond 8%.*

*FIGURES COME FROM  STUDY DONE BY CII

5. in india the organised retail market is less than 5%.in other countries the figures are as follows 

US-- 85 %

MALAYSIA-- 55 %

BRAZIL-- 36 %

CHINA-- 20 %

6. organized retail & multi brand retail will greatly encourage refrignaion,reservation, and food irradiation. 

ACCORDING TO APEDA( AGRO PROCESSING EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) RS 27000CR. FOOD AND VEGTABLES ARE WASTED. 

when multi branding comes in it is directly going to be done procument under the APMC*  act

*APMC-- agricultural produce marketing community 

ORGANISED RETAIL SECTOR IN INDIA-- 

CLOTHING-- 36 %

ELECTRONICS-- 14 %

FOOD -- 12 %

FOOTWEAR -- 9 %

THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WHICH WILL COME AFTER ALLOWING FDI

                                                       WALMART 

Sam Walton, a businessman from Arkansas, began his retail career when he started work on June 3, 1940, at a J. C. Penney store in Des Moines, Iowa where he remained for 18 months. In 1945, he met Butler Brothers, a regional retailer that owned a chain of variety stores called Ben Franklin and that offered him one in Newport. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations. However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's Five and Dime." There, he achieved higher sales volume by marking up slightly less than most competitors.

On July 2, 1962, Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City store located at 719 Walnut Ave. in Rogers, Arkansas. The building is now occupied by a hardware store and an antique mall. Within five years, the company expanded to 24 stores across Arkansas and reached $12.6 million in sales. In 1968, it opened its first stores outside Arkansas, in Sikeston, Missouri and Claremore, Oklahoma. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations.However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's Five and Dime." There, he achieved higher sales volume by marking up slightly less than most competitors., Arkansas.

                                                        CARREFOUR

Carrefour S.A. (French pronunciation: is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Boulogne Billancourt, France, in Greater Paris.It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world (with 1,395 hypermarkets at the end of 2009, the second largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue and third largest in profit after Wal-Mart and Tesco). Carrefour operates mainly in Europe, Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also has shops in North Africa and other parts of Asia, with most stores being of smaller size than hypermarket or even supermarket. Carrefour means "crossroads" in French. Previously the company head office was in Levallois-Perret, also in Greater Paris.

The first Carrefour store opened on 1 January 1958 in suburban Annecy near a crossroads (carrefour in French). The group was created by Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey and Jacques Defforey and grew into a chain from this first sales outlet. In 1995 it merged with Promodès, known as Continent, one of its major competitors in the French market.

Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey and Jacques Defforey had attended several seminars in the United States led by "the Pope of modern distribution" Bernardo Trujillo, who influenced other famous French executives like Édouard Leclerc (E.Leclerc), Gérard Mulliez (Auchan), Paul Dubrule (Accor), and Gérard Pélisson (Accor). Their slogan was "No parking, no business".

The Carrefour group was the first in Europe to open a hypermarket, a large supermarket and a department store under the same roof. They opened their first hypermarket on 15 June 1963 inSainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, near Paris in France.

In September 2009, Carrefour updated its logo.In April 1976, Carrefour launched a private label Produits libres (free products – libre meaning free in the sense of liberty as opposed to gratis) line of fifty foodstuffs, including oil, biscuits (crackers and cookies), milk, and pasta, sold in unbranded white packages at substantially lower prices.

In May 2011, Carrefour reviewed its situation under conditions of stagnant growth and increasing competition in France from rivals including Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA, and planned to invest €1.5 billion ($2.1 billion) to change the supermarket with the new concept of Carrefour Planet in Western Europe.

                                                           TESCO 

During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, and also through acquisitions, until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamson's stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960, beating Express Dairies' Premier Supermarkets to the deal), 97 Charles Phillips stores (1964) and the Victor Value chain (1968) (sold to Bejam in 1986).

Jack Cohen founded Tesco in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall at Well Street Market, Hackney, in the East End of London.The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name came about after Jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T. E. Stockwell. He made new labels using the first three letters of the supplier's name (TES), and the first two letters of his surname (CO), forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex. Tesco was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited. The first self-service store opened in St Albans in 1956 (which remained operational until 2010, with a period as a Tesco Metro), and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956.

Originally specialising in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, electronics, financial services, telecoms, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet services and software.

Jack Cohen's business motto was "pile it high and sell it cheap", to which he added an internal motto of "YCDBSOYA" (You Can't Do Business Sitting On Your Arse) which he used to motivate his sales force.

In May 1987 Tesco completed its hostile takeover of the Hillards chain of 40 supermarkets in the North of England for £220 million.

In 1994, the company took over the supermarket chain William Low, successfully fighting off Sainsbury's for control of the Dundee-based firm, which operated 57 stores. This paved the way for Tesco to expand its presence in Scotland, which was weaker than in England. In 2006 Inverness was branded as "Tescotown", because well over 50p in every £1 spent on food is believed to be spent in its three Tesco stores.

Tesco introduced a loyalty card, branded 'Clubcard', in 1995 and later an Internet shopping service. As of November 2006 Tesco was the only food retailer to make online shopping profitable.In 1996 the typeface of the logo was changed to the current version with stripe reflections underneath, whilst the corporate font used for store signage was changed from the familiar "typewriter" font that had been used since the 1970s. Terry Leahy assumed the role of Chief Executive on 21 February 1997, the appointment having been announced on 21 November 1995.

On 21 March 1997 Tesco announced the purchase of the retail arm of Associated British Foods, which consisted of the Quinnsworth, Stewarts and Crazy Prices chains in the Republic of Irelandand Northern Ireland, plus associated businesses, for £640 million. The deal was approved by the European Commission on 6 May 1997. This acquisition gave it both a major presence in (and marked a return to) the Republic of Ireland and a larger presence in Northern Ireland than Sainsbury's, which had begun its move into Northern Ireland in 1995.

In 1997, Tesco and Esso (part of Exxonmobil) formed a business alliance that included several petrol filling stations on lease from Esso, with Tesco operating the attached stores under their Express format. In turn Esso operates the forecourts and sells their fuel via the Tesco store. 200 Tesco/Esso sites now exist across the world.

                                                             IKEA 

IKEA  is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds, chairs, desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer. Founded in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad in Sweden, the company is named as an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his hometown (Agunnaryd, in Småland, South Sweden).The company is known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliance and furniture, often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design.

Product names

IKEA products are identified by single word names. Most of the names are Scandinavian in origin. Although there are some notable exceptions, most product names are based on a special naming system developed by IKEA.

Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish placenames (for example: Klippan)

Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian place names

Dining tables and chairs: Finnish place names

Bookcase ranges: Occupations

Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays

Kitchens: grammatical terms, sometimes also other names

Chairs, desks: men's names

Fabrics, curtains: women's names

Garden furniture: Swedish islands

Carpets: Danish place names

Lighting: terms from music, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, seasons, months, days, boats, nautical terms

Bedlinen, bed covers, pillows/cushions: flowers, plants, precious stones

Children's items: mammals, birds, adjectives

Curtain accessories: mathematical and geometrical terms

Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions

Boxes, wall decoration, pictures and frames, clocks: colloquial expressions, also Swedish place names

                                                 RADIO SHACK 

The company was started as Radio Shack in 1921 by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted to provide equipment for the then-nascent field of amateur, or ham, radio. The brothers opened a one-store retail and mail-order operation in the heart of downtown Boston at 46Brattle Street, near the site of the Boston Massacre. They chose the name "Radio Shack," which was the term for a small, wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment. The Deutschmanns thought the name was appropriate for a store that would supply the needs of radio officers aboard ships, as well as "ham" radio operators. The term was already in use - and is to this day - by "hams" when referring to the location of their stations.

The company issued its first catalog in 1939 as it entered the high-fidelity music market. In 1954, Radio Shack began selling its own private-label products under the brand name Realist, but was subsequently sued and consequently changed the brand name to Realistic. After expanding to nine stores plus an extensive mail-order business, the company fell on hard times in the 1960s. Radio Shack was essentially bankrupt, but Charles Tandy saw the potential of Radio Shack and retail consumer electronics and bought the company for $300,000.

RadioShack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation)   is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown Fort Worth, Texas. RadioShack is also a sponsor for the Samsung/RadioShack 500NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. On July 21, 2009, RadioShack announced a partnership with T-Mobile USA, and started offering the service in August 2009. The T-Mobile partnership ended on September 15, 2011, when Verizon Wireless launched in over 4,000 of the retail stores nationwide.

RadioShack's current proprietary brands include RadioShack branded products (parts, adapters, telephones and other legacy/classic products), AntennaCraft (outdoor antennas and amplifiers), Auvio (audio/video cables, LCD TV's, headphones, premium surge protectors and speakers),Enercell (batteries and power), Gigaware (computer, GPS and iPod accessories, mp3 players and accessories, as well as digital cameras, digital camera accessories and digital picture frames) and PointMobl (Wireless Phone Accessories).

Discontinued brands include Accurian (audio and video equipment and accessories), MyMusix (MP3 players; now marketed under the Gigaware brand), Kronus (tools), Optimus (formerly audio and PA/DJ equipment; later used for digital camera accessories), Presidian (audio and video equipment, telephones, flashlights, calculators, and 2-way radios), VoiceStar (wireless phone accessories), Archer (wiring and antennas), Duofone (telephones & accessories), Micronta (scientific and educational equipment) and Realistic (sound equipment).

In 2009, the company became the main sponsor of a new cycling team, Team RadioShack, with Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel as two of the members.

                                                              BEST BUY 

In 1966, Richard M. Schulze and business partner Gary Smoliak, opened Sound of Music, an audio specialty store, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 1967, Sound Of Music acquired Kencraft Hi-Fi Company and Bergo Company. Two additional Sound of Music stores were opened near the University of Minnesota and in downtown Minneapolis. The Sound of Music ended its first year with gross sales of $173,000 (USD). In 1969, Sound of Music's stock began trading as a publicly held company, the company enacted its first employee stock option plan, and three stores opened in the Twin Cities area. In 1970, Sound of Music hit the $1 million mark in annual revenues. In 1979, Sound of Music became the first suppliers of video and laserdisc equipment including Panasonic, Magnavox, Sony and Sharp.

On June 14, 1981, a tornado hit the Roseville, Minnesota store. Sound of Music responded with a "Tornado Sale," (with the sale promoted as a "Best Buy") and it became an annual event. In 1983, Sound of Music's board of directors approved a new corporate name: Best Buy Co., Inc.,the company opened its first superstore in Burnsville, Minnesota, featuring expanded selling space, a wide assortment of discounted brand-name goods, central service, and warehouse distribution. Stores began selling appliances and videocassette recorders. In 1985, Best Buy (symbol BBY) debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with an offering of 8.3 million shares. In 1987, Best Buy's brand logo changed to the yellow tag. In 1989, Best Buy unveiled a new "grab-and-go" store format.

Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates under both the Best Buy and Future Shop label. Together these operate more than 1,150 stores domestically and internationally In addition, the company operates over 100 Best Buy Express Automated Retail stores or "ZoomShops", operated by Zoom Systems, in airports and malls around the U.S. The company is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota, United States.

Best Buy was named "Company of the Year" by Forbes magazine in 2004, "Specialty Retailer of the Decade" by Discount Store News in 2001,ranked in the Top 10 of "America's Most Generous Corporations" by Forbes magazine in 2005 (based on 2004 giving), and made Fortunemagazine's List of Most Admired Companies in 2006.

                                                        

                      SOME INDIAN COMPANY OF THE RETAIL SECTOR 

FUTURE GROUP :-

1 SPENCER

2 BIG BAZAAR 

3 PANTALOON

4 PARK X 

5 COLOR PLUS 

ADITYA BIRLA GROUP :- 

 MORE 

K. RAHEJA :- 

1 SHOPPER'S STOP 

2 CROSSWORD

TATA GROUP :-

1 LANDMARK 

2 TITAN 

3 WESTSIDE

FDI ALLOWED IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE SUCH AS :-

CHINA- 100%

RUSSIA-100 %

BRAZIL-100%

 *IN 2002 MONASOLI MARAN PROPOSED 100% RETAIL IN INDIA. 

* IN 1997, 51 % FDI WAS ALLOWED BY DR. MANMOHAN SINGH

* ALL FIGURES ARE TAKEN BY SOME SURVEY 

copyright to ashish lohani

UPDATE YOUR SONY ERCISSON PHONE MANUALLY WITH THE HELP OF THIS BLOG

Sony Ericsson W8 owners have long waited for the official Android 2.3.3 update to roll out for their devices. Preponed from Q4 to Q3 and then pushed back again to Q4, the prayers have now been answered and Android 2.3.3 can now be seen running on many Sony Ericsson W8 around the world. 

However, I am sure that there are a lot of people who are still using the outdated OS version 1.6 and haven’t updated their phone to Android 2.3.3 yet. 
This is a tutorial for those people who want to update their Sony Ericsson W8 to the latest update from the company. 
If you follow the instructions clearly then, by the end of the tutorial, you would have your phone running on Latest Android Version. 

Step 1. 

Download and install Sony Ericsson PC Companion and Sony Ericsson Update service inidually from http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/support/ Don't forget to select the type of your phone ( Sony Ericsson W8 ). Images below is use for example only, later appearance will not be much different. 




Step 2. 

Make sure that you backup all the data on your phone like messages, contacts, market applications etc before you proceed with the update. 

Its not necessary to backup the photos and songs as they are stored on the memory card and would not be lost in the process. But to be on the safer side it is recommended that you keep a copy of them on your computer. 

Step 3. 

After you are done with the backup, run update service on your system. Make sure that your system is connected to the internet before you run the update service. 

This step is ided into a checklist which needs to be considered before you begin. 

a. Check that you have the USB cable for the phone. 

b. Make sure that the phone battery is charged to at least 50%. 

c. Make sure that your phone is not connected to the system. 

The screen should look like the one below. 

Check the license agreement statement and click Start to begin. 
Step 4. 

Now, amongst the list of other Sony Ericsson phone, select Sony Ericsson W8 and click Next. 
Step 5. 

Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. For your convenience, find the instructions written below as well. 

a. Turn off the phone and wait at least 30 seconds. 

b. Connect the micro- USB cable to the USB port on the system. 

c. Press and hold the Back key on the phone while connecting the USB cable into the phone. 

d. Continue holding the Back key until a message saying, “Release the Back key” appears on the screen. 

Step 6. 

Let the update service check your phone and search for the latest update. 
I already updated my phone to 2.3.3 before creating this tutorial, hence, the message I got was that my phone already has the latest software. But, if you are on Android 1.6, you would see the message that a new software update is available for your phone. 

Click on Update\Install to proceed with the same. 
The update service would now start downloading the software which is approximately 161 MB in size. The download may take several minutes depending on the speed of the internet connection. 
Step 7. 

After the software file has been downloaded, the service would begin installing the new operating system on your phone. During this time, make sure that the phone remains connected to the system. It may take several minutes to complete, so please be patient. 
Step 8. 

After the software has been installed, a message saying, your phone has been updated successfully, would appear on the screen. Click on Exit to close the update service. 
Now, you can disconnect the USB cable and switch on the phone. 
Step 9. 

The phone might take a long time to boot up after fresh installation of the operating system. So, give it some time and set up the phone once it starts. 

The phone would also seem to be a bit slow and laggy in the beginning. This is because the hardware needs to get accustomed to the new operating system. Play around for a couple of hours with the new update and you would find that the phone has resumed its fluidity. 
This is the method that I used to update my phone and it worked flawlessly for me. If you run into any problems, do let us know and we would help you out. 
Alternatively, you can try updating your phone with PC Companion, the video for which can be found on Sony Ericsson’s Support website.