Corrections or additions?
Resolutions: E-Commerce
These articles were published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on January 6, 1999. All rights reserved.
No less than $17 billion in business-to-business goods
and services will be sold over the World Wide Web this year, according
to Forrester Research, and that amounts to about three-fourths of
all the cyber-transactions. Three years from now that $17 billion
is expected to climb to $327 billion.
Whether small or large, companies will spend 1999 honing their skills
in electronic commerce. In our annual Survival Guide in this issue,
we summarize the wisdom we’ve published on this topic (turn to page
16 for the beginning of this special section), and all the major business
organizations continue to schedule seminars on it as well. Technology
New Jersey starts off with a series of five weekly breakfast meetings
on Tuesdays at the Hyatt beginning January 12 at 8 a.m. when Melvin
Powell of Commerce One and Jack Dooley of PricewaterhouseCoopers
tell how to "Log On, Link Up and Save Big!" Members come free,
and everyone else pays $30. Call 609-419-4444 (http://www.technologynj.org).
Many Fortune 500 firms solved their Y2K problems by installing new
enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Now that they have powerful
new (and expensive) systems to collect data, they need to find ways
to use that data and get more bang for their buck. That’s where Powell
and Dooley, the speakers at the Technology New Jersey breakfast on
Tuesday, January 12, enter the picture.
Commerce One provides the software and the system engineering (http://www.commerceone.com).
Based in California, it is a global leader in web-based enterprise
procurement solutions that link buying and supplying organizations
into real-time trading communities. It has the Web’s largest business
supplies catalog, listing more than 5,000 suppliers and 5 million
products. PricewaterhouseCoopers links with Commerce One to provide
the business reengineering consulting. They compete with, among others,
Ariba, a software company, and Andersen Consulting, which has joined
with Ariba to provide business solutions.
Powell is regional sales manager for Commerce One and has 12 years
experience providing technology-based business solutions such as electronic
commerce, enterprise data management, data warehousing, and enterprise
networking and architectures. Dooley is a principal consultant in
charge of PricewaterhouseCooper’s preferred relationship with Commerce
One. He has worked with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
and electronic procurement.
The ERP has corporate applications in accounting, manufacturing, and
human resource systems — the backbone systems needed to run a
company. Instead of buying separate suites, a company now has just
one system. ERP can also enhance information fed to the sales force,
integrate the supply chain, and help customer service capabilities.
Even if the term ERP is not familiar to you, this workshop can be
useful. Your company may have a product that can be sold on an ERP
electronic commerce system. "This is a great opportunity for suppliers
to find out more about becoming part of Commerce One’s dynamic trading
community," says Grace Polhemus, director of Technology
New Jersey. Or you may be able to purchase products on the Internet
and need to be familiar with Commerce One’s system. "Take advantage
of this Web-based procurement initiative that will significantly reduce
operational costs and increase efficiency," she says.
Other opportunities to learn about E-Commerce: The New Jersey Entrepreneurs
Forum covers the subject on Thursday, January 14, at 6:45 p.m. at
McAteers in Somerset, when "Protecting Your Intellectual Property"
includes Internet-related issues. Cost: $45. Call 908-789-3424.
The New Jersey Technology Council offers two-half day sessions starting
Tuesday, January 19, at its 500 College Road East headquarters. Charles
Levin of the Pathfinder Consulting Group teaches "Doing Business
on the Internet." Cost: $175 or $300 for two half-day sessions.
Call 609-452-1010.
The Electronic Commerce Resource Center of the University of Scranton
had been giving classes at the Middlesex Chamber. Now it moves to
Brookdale Community College in Lincroft and the PSE&G Training Center
in Edison. At both these locations, learn "Business Opportunities
through E-Commerce" on Tuesday or Wednesday, January 12 and 13,
9 a.m. to noon. Also that day from 1 to 4 p.m. take "Business
on the Internet." These classes are, thanks to the federal government
and the state Small Business Development Center, absolutely free,
though space is limited and preregistration required. Call 570-941-4123
or 800-575-3272.
"Using your computer to enter the richly rewarding electronic
marketplace will be the best resolution you can keep this New Year,"
says Mark Butler, Scranton ECRC education and training manager.
"These powerful workshops will teach New Jersey businesses how
to seize the power of the PC for opportunity and profit."
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Resale Brokers, Big
There is a huge market now and there will be an even
greater market in the future for technology equipment," says Josh
Mayberry, northeast regional manager of Cadac Inc. "This is
especially true if the used equipment is not Y2K sensitive."
Mayberry offers equipment recycling services to medium to large companies,
and these types of firms are scrambling to upgrade. "Many companies
see the Year2K problem as an opportunity to upgrade various technologies
which may have grown at disparate rates, so that all departments and
the communications between them operate more smoothly and efficiently
than ever," says Mayberry.
He stands ready to buy the used equipment. Based in Upper Saddle River,
Mayberry is a secondary market broker — buyer, dealer, reseller,
and remarketer — of out-of-service or excess technology hardware.
"We buy from end users and sell to dealers," says Mayberry.
The dealers refurbish the equipment and provide warranties, and if
you want to find a dealer, you need to look in the specialty magazines
in your field.
Selling your equipment (if this were your full-time job you would
be known as an asset recovery specialist) requires a certain amount
of energy and time. Realistically, you need to have a company of at
least 50 employees to make asset recovery worth your while. "A
third of our clients are from the Fortune 500 and another 20 percent
from the New Jersey 500," says Mayberry.
Mayberry can broker data communications and networking equipment,
telephone and telecommunications hardware, mainframe and mid-range
computer hardware, laser and system line printers, Pentium laptop,
notebook, and desktop computer hardware, test equipment, and radio
and television broadcast equipment.
Sometimes a mainframe that cost $5 million several years ago is worth
just $5,000 now, he points out. It might be worth selling only for
parts — and it might be so bulky that it would have to be junked.
In sum: Selling your equipment versus donating it can be compared
to the difference between holding a garage sale and making a phone
call to have the Salvation Army truck come for a pick-up.
Still interested? Mayberry offers a free "Guide to Sellers of
Surplus Technology" that tells how to present your equipment to
get the best offer, what information you should have about the equipment
you are selling (and where to find it), and how to evaluate the condition
of the equipment. Call 201-934-5990. E-mail: cdacbob@ix.netcom.com.
Home page: http://www.cadacny.com. For tips on how to
donate used equipment go to http://www.princetoninfo.com/1998/81223c02.html.
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Hamilton Parking
Commuters who want to park at the new Hamilton Amtrak
station can choose between a $60 monthly permit for a space closer
to the station or a $40 monthly permit for a space further away. Daily
parking will be $3. Permits for the 1,615-space parking facility at
the new station, which is scheduled to open in late February, will
be available from Nexus Properties Inc. of Trenton beginning the second
week of January. Call 609-599-9614.
Nexus Properties Inc., which operates the 1,800-space New Jersey Transit
parking deck at the Trenton Rail Station, is New Jersey Transit’s
choice to operate the parking facility at the new Hamilton station.
The $40 million station, on the Northeast Corridor Line between the
Trenton and Princeton Junction stations, is located on a 65-acre tract
at Interstate 295 and Sloan Avenue. The site includes a 13,000-square-foot
station building.
"I have consistently heard from commuters about the daily challenge
they face getting a parking space at our Princeton Junction Station.
With the opening of this new facility, we hope to be able to provide
sufficient parking at Hamilton for all those who want to use this
facility," says Shirley A. DeLibero, New Jersey Transit’s
executive director. New Jersey Transit authorities expect to provide
enough parking permits for all customers, regardless of where they
reside, who would want to use the Hamilton facility.
The cost for permits at Hamilton are more expensive than Princeton
Junction permits but not as expensive as permits at the Trenton station.
The Princeton Junction permits are $30 per month and $2 daily. Ground
floor preferred parking at the Trenton Station costs $155 per month
or $85 per month with a New Jersey Transit or Septa pass. Daily parking
for 12 hours at the Trenton Rail Station is $6.75.
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Easy/Safe Travel
Engineering consultant Tracy Uzell has been through
enough travel troubles — losing luggage, having jewelry stolen
right out of her hotel room — that she is speaking up to help
people avoid the headaches she’s endured.
A seasoned business traveler, Uzell has flown so often in the course
of consulting that she says "the guys at the airport knew me."
For more than two years Uzell worked her way through the United States
and abroad in Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina. She will be sharing
travel tips and tricks on Monday, January 11, at 5:15 p.m. at the
Middlesex NJAWBO (American Women Business Owners), Clarion Hotel,
Route 27, Edison. At the same meeting Pam Maiolo of the American
Automobile Association will offer "Safety Tips for Winter Driving
and Traveling Alone." Cost: $37. Call 732-651-1495.
Uzell graduated in 1991 from North Carolina State University (Agricultural
& Technical, Greensboro) with a degree in science and mechanical engineering.
She founded the Reid Group, LLC, a New Brunswick-based engineering/consulting
company specializing in technical writing, mainly for pharmaceutical
companies.
Never one to go anywhere unprepared, Uzell will arrive at the talk
with a suitcase to demonstrate packing techniques. Her tips are useful
for any business traveler, but she will focus on traveling and safety
tips for women:
You will get your luggage back, and this way no one in the airport
can learn your home address while your house is vulnerable.
it to go on the conveyor belt . Carry single dollar bills to tip
for each piece of luggage you check — luggage can be deliberately
lost by disgruntled workers.
the container into ziplock bags. Use containers with lids (as opposed
to a pump which can leak). Carry extra ziplock bags along; these are
useful for many things, including storing wet bathing suits.
get stuck in an airport where a burger can run $5. Also, if you
have a special diet — lactose intolerant, vegetarian, diabetic
— call the airline ahead to be certain they can accommodate you.
alone with a man, always push a different floor than the one you are
staying on, and return when he is gone, or walk to your floor.
original away. Once in a new country, don’t let anyone hold the
passport, because they may not give it back. A photocopy is just as
valid. Keep the real thing in the lockbox in your hotel.
or four-piece suit — jacket, skirt, pants and vest if you can
get it," says Uzell. "When you mix and match one suit and
two tops, you can be prepared for four days. With two suits and five
blouses, one pair of heels, and one pair of low-heeled shoes, you’re
packed for one and a half weeks."
And if you get clothes back from the cleaner’s, keep them in the plastic
bags when you pack them in the suitcase — this prevents wrinkles.
— Vickie Schlegel
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Temporary Workers
For Census Bureau
The Census Bureau needs 690 temporary workers in Mercer
and Burlington counties for its year 2000 census. The bureau is accepting
applications for two positions — enumerators and crew-leaders.
These eight-week positions pay $13.75 and $14.75 respectively. Enumerators
or census takers will conduct door to door interviews, updating the
lists, filling out questionnaires, and verifying information compiled
by the bureau. Crew leaders appoint, train, and supervise the census
takers.
Applicants should be U.S. citizens, 18 and above, with a valid driver’s
licence and car. Applicants will be selected based on a written test.
Call the Census Bureau at 888-325-7733 to apply.
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Donations Needed
For Career Closet
The Mercer County Chapter of the New Jersey Association
of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) will be collecting clothing donations
from its members and the public on Tuesday, January 12, from 6 p.m.
at the Palmer Inn on Route 1. The donations will benefit the Career
Closet at the Urban Women’s Center in Trenton.
Clothes (all sizes, but especially size 14 and up) must be clean,
in good condition, and on hangers — suits, dresses, blouses, skirts,
slacks, shoes, accessories, even brief cases — anything for the
working woman. Carol Clark, executive director of the Urban
Women’s Center/Career Closet, will attend the meeting to receive the
clothing.
These donations are for women actively seeking employment, at the
interviewing stage, with an up-to-date professional resume, who cannot
afford professional attire. A woman with a scheduled interview may
select two outfits. Once she becomes employed, she can select an additional
three outfits.
For more information about donating or dropping off clothing, contact
Lisa Snyder at 609-538-1943.
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Motivating HR
The secret behind a truly productive environment is
a great and insightful motivator. Learn how to motivate others and
"get things done through people" from Joni Daniels,
founder and principal of Daniels and Associates, a consulting practice
specializing in management training, based in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
Daniels will be discussing the "Four Keys to Being a Great Motivator"
at the monthly meeting of the Human Resource Management Association
(HRMA) on Monday, January 11, at 5.30 p.m. at the Hyatt. Cost $35,
$15 for members of area SHRM student chapters. Call Bill DelGesso
at 215-576-6230.
Daniels’ presentation will discuss findings of 11 motivational theories
and she will illustrate how these theories can be applied to increase
employee motivation and productivity. Learn how you can encourage
others as well as understand how to avoid the behaviors that demotivate.
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Traffic Untied
Headed for the Philadelphia airport and worried about
traffic conditions? Call SmarTraveler, a phone service with minute-by-minute
updates on traffic tie-ups in South Jersey and Philadelphia.
SmarTraveler lets you telephone for minute by minute updates on specific
roads on weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Event and construction
information is available 24 hours a day. The information is gathered
from aircraft surveillance, from more than 35 closed circuit cameras,
radio and cellular mobile units, and direct connections to police,
fire, and emergency services. When the "smart road" installation
is complete in Central New Jersey, SmarTraveler may also be available
here. The service is free, funded by Pennsylvania DOT.
To use Smart Traveler call 215-567-5678 (or #211 on a cellular phone,
which is free for ComCast and Sprint PCS customers). For traffic conditions
around the Philadelphia International Airport, for instance, ask for
7451*. For information on I-95 north of the airport, ask for 952*.
Or consult the website: (http: www.smartraveler.com).
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Free Tax Guides
The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants
(NJSCPA) is providing tax brochures for individuals and small businesses
as well as an online tax guide. Both resources include basic tax planning
tips, money-saving advice, and updated tax rates and information on
new tax laws for the 1998 season.
"Watching the Road Ahead," a tax guide for small businesses,
includes information on business organizations and finding the correct
"tax identity,’ along with tax-trimming tips for small businesses.
The brochure for the individual taxpayer, Chart Your Course, provides
basic tax information and savings tips for 1998. In addition this
resource outlines this year’s new tax laws and rates, as well as provides
tips on claiming higher education credits.
The online tax guide is available at the Society’s website, the Source,
at www.njscpa.org/taxguide. Along with tax tips, the site also
contains a complete list of state tax offices throughout the country.
To obtain copies of these free brochures, contact Jeanette Miller
at 973-226-4494 or jmiller@njscpa.org.
Corrections or additions?
This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com
— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
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