Nearly four out of five small business owners admit that they have not taken full advantage of national and community resources dedicated to helping small businesses develop and grow, according to a survey recently conducted by Fifth Third Bank.
In advance of Small Business Week May 1-7, Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) conducted a national survey of more than 500 small business owners to assess the landscape – and diagnose common pain points – of U.S. small business owners. According to the results, 81 percent of survey participants said they haven’t worked with local small business resources (e.g., chamber of commerce, SCORE, etc.). Forty-one percent were unsure if the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) had resources to help them. Roughly 38 percent of small business owners say they need help growing revenue and increasing profits.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7723852-fifth-third-bank-small-business/
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announces the newest evolution of the Holiday Inn® brand’s Journey to Extraordinary campaign. This campaign, now in its third year, celebrates the unique journeys of the many guests who walk through the doors of Holiday Inn hotels each day. In this new year of the campaign, the Holiday Inn brand will highlight the extraordinary journeys of two small businesses – Sword & Plough and Perfect 10 Foods – and how Holiday Inn hotels can be a valuable partner in helping them succeed.
Eric Lent, Vice President, Holiday Inn Brand, Americas said: “The Holiday Inn brand carefully researched nearly 300 businesses before deciding to partner with Sword & Plough and Perfect 10. Both of these inspiring companies have a purpose-led mission to change the way business is done in their respective fields, and therefore have an incredibly unique story to tell. Sword & Plough and Perfect 10 embody the entrepreneurial spirit that is the foundation of the Holiday Inn brand. Founder Kemmons Wilson grew the brand from a small, family-owned business into a global brand that offers a consistent and affordable hotel experience that makes travel more enjoyable for all, and in doing so, changed the way people travel.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7824951-holiday-inn-journey-to-extraordinary/
With America’s nursing shortage and the soaring aging population, the nation’s largest senior living provider has launched a student loan reimbursement program with the goal of attracting more nurses to work in assisted living. Brookdale’s initiative comes as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the country’s nurse shortfall will exceed one million by 2022. People 65 and above are expected to comprise 16 percent of America’s population in 2020 and nearly 20 percent in 2030, compared to 13 percent in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Brookdale operates more than 1,120 senior living communities in 47 states.
At Brookdale assisted living communities, nurses are hired as health and wellness directors, overseeing clinical services at a community including setting standards, leading health and wellness programming, and managing care associates. “This is a different kind of path than hospital nursing and it is a very important one,” said Kim Estes, senior vice president of clinical services for Brookdale. “Rather than providing hands-on care, these nurses shape the overall quality and content of care their community’s seniors receive on a daily basis.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722156-brookdale-student-loan-program-nurses/
To outsource or not, and even if I do will I get it right? That’s the question on the minds of people who need some extra help in their lives but are unable to get it. Virtual Assistance is no longer a novelty, but ask someone who runs a small business, startup or is just too busy and can do with some help, if they would. And the overwhelming answer would be ‘I am unsure’. Yet there are millions of small businesses and busy individuals across the globe that need assistance, but are reluctant to try it because they are apprehensive.
‘GetFriday’, a leading global Virtual Assistance firm based in India that has been in service since 2005 was instrumental in making outsourcing accessible and more importantly, successful for busy individuals and small businesses across 60 countries.
Despite the numerous successful outsourcing stories of small-medium enterprises and individuals over the years, many first-timers remain indecisive about outsourcing, owing to the fears associated with sending off important work virtually to assistants halfway across the world.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7821451-global-virtual-assistant-everyday-getfriday/
General Mills announced today that by the end of 2020, oat farms that supply oats for Honey Nut Cheerios will host approximately 3,300 total acres of dedicated flower-rich pollinator habitat. It takes about 60,000 acres of oats to make Honey Nut Cheerios products each year. More than two thirds of the crops used to feed people, accounting for 90 percent of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees.1 Flower-rich habitat is critical in helping maintain the nutritional health of bees and the continued supply of crops that we depend on for food. Without bees and other pollinators, food as we know it would be forever changed.
Bees have experienced an unprecedented scale of habitat loss with more than 9 million acres of grass and prairie land converted to crop land since 2008.2 Although Honey Nut Cheerios famous spokesbee, Buzz Bee, and his honey bee friends may not be in danger of extinction like some other pollinators, in the interest of protecting our food supply, Honey Nut Cheerios is committed to helping all pollinators thrive through the planting of these habitats.
“Pollinator habitats are one of the most effective solutions in ensuring bees get the daily nutrition they need,” said Dr. Marla Spivak, a world-renowned bee scholar at the University of Minnesota who has been collaborating with General Mills on this initiative. “Every day, 4,000 species of North American bees are traveling from flower to flower, shopping for the variety of good nutrition they need in order to thrive. My hope is this partnership between farmers, the Xerces Society and General Mills will not only beautify the North American countryside with vibrant wildflowers, but also help the bees we all rely on so much get back on their own six feet!”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7803951-honey-nut-cheerios-pollinators/
Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Weather Service (NWS) urge Americans to take actions to prepare for a wide array of hazards by developing a family communication plan and downloading alerts and learning about local hazards. FEMA is encouraging people to take these actions in conjunction with America's PrepareAthon!SM, a grassroots, community-based campaign for action designed to increase preparedness and resilience.
America's PrepareAthon! provides an important opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills and exercises. Visit the America's PrepareAthon! website, ready.gov/prepare, to register your participation, for more information, and to sign up.
“Some disasters come with warning and others with little or no warning,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Families, businesses and organizations need to prepare today - know your hazards, assemble supplies and practice what to do in case a disaster strikes.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7770531-fema-national-prepareathon/
An international survey conducted by GSK and released for World Meningitis Day shows gaps in the knowledge parents feel they have about meningococcal disease and its potential consequences. Almost 7 in 10 parents said they don’t know enough about the different strains of meningococcal disease and the potential damage they can cause. On average, more than half of parents were either unsure or unaware that there are different types of bacteria that cause the disease.
The survey of 5,000 parents in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and Portugal also shows that out of a list of 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, meningococcal disease is considered by many parents to pose a top three health risk to their children. Fifty-seven percent listed meningococcal disease among the top three health conditions they considered of greatest risk to children followed by Hepatitis B at 34 percent, pneumococcal disease at 27 percent, polio at 25 percent, tetanus at 20 percent and pertussis at 17 percent.
A sudden, potentially life-threatening illness, meningococcal disease kills on average one person every eight minutes worldwide. It typically manifests as bacterial meningitis – an infection of the membrane around the brain and spine; or bacteraemia – a bloodstream infection. The disease progresses rapidly and it can lead to death within 24-48 hours of the first symptoms; globally up to 1 in 10 of those infected may die and in the US about 10-15 percent of people will die.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7814851-gsk-survey-world-meningitis-day/
What could an 87-year-young great-grandmother, a deaf dance instructor, and the Smirnoff ICE™ brand have in common?
They are determined to showcase how the world can become more inclusive through the platforms of dance and music with the launch of its Smirnoff ICE Electric Flavors line and the ‘Keep It Moving’ campaign.
Stemming from festival insights that adult music fans often have to choose between the dance floor and a beverage, Smirnoff ICE introduces its new line of flavored malt beverages (FMB) Smirnoff ICE Electric Flavors meant for fun, high-energy occasions. This new beverage option is non-carbonated so it will not weigh consumers down and packaged in a re-sealable plastic bottle so that consumers won’t have to make the choice between flavor and fun.
To launch the product, Smirnoff ICE has created the Keep it Moving campaign that shines a light on two inspirational movers: 87-year-old Instagram sensation and festival lover, Baddie Winkle (@baddiewinkle), and London-based deaf dance instructor, Chris Fonseca.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7811151-smirnoff-ice-keep-it-moving-campaign/
The Ad Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council today launched “Save The Food,” a major national public service campaign to combat food waste from its largest source—consumers, who collectively waste more food than grocery stores, restaurants or farms. The initiative hopes to encourage consumers to reduce the amount of food they trash in their homes, thereby saving the water, energy and money that are lost along with it. Watch the TV ad here.
“As it turns out, we can’t blame the epidemic of food waste on our kids’ aversion to vegetables. We’re all culprits here, tossing out staggering amounts of food in kitchens nationwide,” said NRDC President Rhea Suh. “But with small steps, we can save large amounts of food —and along with it, money and precious natural resources. The more food we save, the more we can share with hungry Americans, the more we can reduce climate pollution, and the more water won’t go to waste.”
In the U.S., 40 percent of all food goes uneaten each year, at a cost of $162 billion annually. Consumers are responsible for 40 percent of this waste—more than any other part of the supply chain. It’s a problem that costs the average family of four roughly $1,500 per year.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7808251-ad-council-save-the-food/
The modern cotton industry has achieved significant environmental gains over the past forty years, but it is not resting on its laurels. Around the world, scientists and researchers strive to develop new ways to grow, process and manufacture cotton more efficiently and with increasingly less impact on the environment. Identifying and implementing new technologies and practices will help the cotton industry meet the current needs for productivity and profit, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Increasingly responsible production and manufacturing are not objectives the cotton industry take lightly. As a natural fiber, the success of cotton is directly linked to the land and its health. Being good stewards of the environment requires continuous attention to reducing impact throughout every link in cotton’s long supply chain—from the seeds from which cotton is grown, to the processing and manufacturing practices of finished cotton goods.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7613831-cotton-sustainability/
The Makers of the SPAM® brand are taking their gratitude on the road with the return of the popular SPAMERICAN™ Tour, thanking all of the chefs, fanatic fans and military for 79 years of support. Back for another coast-to-coast culinary journey, this year the brand is partnering with Operation Gratitude to bring their letter writing campaign into 16 communities, and supporting its goal of sending the 2 Millionth Care Package in 2018- by pledging a $1 donation for every letter written in-market and online at SPAM.com. Each letter will be included in a care package, assembled by volunteers, and sent to troops deployed overseas, as well as to new recruits, veterans and first-responders here at home.
Food Network Host and US Air Force veteran Sunny Anderson is once again joining the tour, supporting the Operation Gratitude cause and showcasing her new recipe: Operation SPAM® Gravy with Biscuits. Following the launch in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival, the SPAMERICAN™ truck will stop at military bases and popular community events in San Francisco, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago and more.
“We’re honored to partner with Operation Gratitude for the return of the SPAMERICAN™ Tour,” said Jennifer L. Nolander, SPAM® Brand Manager. “The SPAM® brand has a long tradition of supporting our nation’s military at home and abroad beginning with World War II, and we are honored to bring aboard a veteran like Sunny Anderson to help Operation Gratitude achieve its mission by providing an easy way for communities to give back to those who proudly serve us every day.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7810051-spam-spamerican-food-truck-tour/
John Frieda® Hair Care invented the frizz-fighting category with Frizz Ease®, the game-changing hair smoother. Gina Rodriguez happens to be really gifted at taming her own naturally wavy, frizz-prone hair. So they’ve teamed up for a new movement – the #FrizzFreeHairGoals campaign – designed to teach women everything they need to know about styling any curl, wave or ringlet.
To kick off the partnership, Rodriguez will appear in a series of engaging how-to videos, to be posted on John Frieda’s social channels starting this month. In each one, the popular young actress tosses vanity out the window, talking openly about her biggest hair issue—frizz—and demonstrating easy ways to achieve the most beautiful, flattering styles of the moment.
“I’ve been a devotee of John Frieda® Frizz Ease® for years,” says Rodriguez. “Since my hair’s naturally wavy, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time fighting frizz. Frizz Ease® is the only thing that can help tame frizz and leave my hair looking smooth, so this partnership feels like a natural fit. I’m excited to have the chance to show women that they don’t have to suffer from frizzy hair forever — there’s a better way to style.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7811051-john-frieda-frizzfreehairgoals-gina-rodriguez/
