Retail Renaissance

Sometimes, Louisville just stumbles into the spotlight. Even for all its strategic planning to bolster the city’s reputation – the merger, a new arena, a new branding plan – that wasn’t the goal when Mayor Jerry Abramson created the Corridors of Opportunity in Louisville program, or COOL. But the program has now become a model of sorts for the rest of the nation, including Las Vegas.

Part of the Metro Development Authority, COOL was created shortly after Abramson became the first metro mayor in 2003. While campaigning, residents frequently told him they’d like to see certain restaurants or stores in their area; COOL was created to bring in those businesses.

John Fischer, assistant director of the Metro Development Authority’s Retail Development Division, has led the program since its inception. The program serves as an “umbrella program,” coordinating retail development in a number of ways.

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The Path to Success - What's in Your Future?

A house? Money? A great career? It all starts with an education.

High school is a pretty tumultuous time - your classes are harder, the workload is greater, you're learning to drive and may be getting your first job. Add to that your extracurriculars, clubs and any sports, and it probably seems like there's time to do little else.

But there is one thing you should be making time for: getting ready for college. What you do after high school has a greater impact on your future than anything else.

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Take Charge of Your Finances

Get smart when it comes to managing your money

College expenses pile up fast - books, fees, laundry, a night out with friends - so managing your money will be more important than ever. If you're not using a bank to keep track of your cash, now is the time to sign up.

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The Art of the Essay

Tips on how to make your application essay shine

You've narrowed down your list of colleges and have all the admissions packets. They all seem fairly ordinary until somewhere toward the back you find it: the dreaded essay question.

But don't think of it as a torture tactic - the essay is the college's opportunity to get a feel for your individual talents and personality. This is the one place in the packet where you can show off who you really are and what makes you special. It's your chance to set yourself apart from all those other applicants.

And, believe it or not, you already have a head start on writing a college admissions essay. Many English teachers emphasize this type of essay writing during your last years of high school, and Kentucky public school students have had all those years of portfolio writing.

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Testing Tips

How to make college entrance exams pay off for you

The SAT and ACT tests are a required rite of passage in terms of getting into college. But what's the difference between the two? And which one do you need to take - or do you need both?

If you're like most people, the word "test" doesn't exactly conjure up warm fuzzy feelings, but a little planning and preparation can make it all worthwhile when you get your scores back.

Like most other things in school, if you give it enough effort, the pay-off can be great. In fact, pay-off is the operative word here: Score well enough and it's possible to earn some big-time money to put toward your college education.

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Technology Underground

One Louisville company looks to a cave for data security

If Louisville becomes the next Silicon Valley, it will be due to some very humble beginnings. “We wrote out a business concept on a napkin over lunch at a local Frisch’s Big Boy in about 30 minutes,” said Mark Roy, president, founder and chairman of e-Cavern, an underground technology park in Louisville. “And four months later I incorporated e-Cavern.”

Roy believes he can make Louisville a destination for secure data storage by tapping one of its natural distinctives: caves. Actually, one cave in particular – a huge one, nearly three million square feet.

The cave is intended to provide security for critical computer infrastructure and data, particularly servers where sensitive information must kept safe from terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The cave can be built-out to suit a variety of needs, including traditional office space, computer storage and vehicle warehousing.

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Good for Downtown, and Who Else?

Will a new arena in Louisville help or hurt existing venues?

Last September, the Louisville Arena Task Force submitted its final report recommending an arena be built – after much debate – in downtown Louisville.

But there are many people who don’t really care where the new arena goes – just as long as it’s built. All arguments aside, plenty of folks stand to profit from the increased tourism the arena will bring, particularly Louisville’s downtown convention-centered businesses.

Louisville boasts two main convention centers, the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) located downtown, and the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) located near the Louisville International Airport. Both facilities are managed by the Kentucky State Fair Board, an agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet. The arena task force recommends the fair board also manage the new arena.

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Event celebrates two new Yew Dell buildings

Yew Dell Gardens will celebrate another step in its development Friday with a gala opening of two new components of the Oldham County property.

The third annual Twilight in the Garden Gala features a cocktail reception, dinner on the lawn and the grand opening of the Gheens Barn and Peyton Samuel Head Trust Pavilion. The refurbished Gheens Barn is one of the nation’s few remaining bank barns and, along with the glass-and-timber pavilion, forms a new meeting facility for Oldham and eastern Jefferson counties.

Yew Dell is the 33-acre former home, gardens and arboretum of plantsman Theodore Klein. When he died in 1998, development threatened his estate, but a group of volunteers formed the non-profit organization committed to preserving the gardens. Work began to restore Klein’s treasure to its former glory, and countless hours and dollars have been poured into the task.

Read the whole release, published by The Oldham Era.

The Cyber Customer Across Town

Tapping the local market on the World Wide Web

If you’ve ever searched on Yahoo for the nearest bookstore or pizza place, then it’s not news to you that the World Wide Web has become as much a tool for exploring your own neighborhood as it is for planning a vacation to some far-off land.

And as consumers turn to the Internet to find local services, the advertisers are following close behind. Both Google and Yahoo offer the “local search” feature to advertisers, giving them even greater control over who sees their ads.

If your company is not tapping into local googlers, it might be time to give it a thought.

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Taming the Savage Email

What to do when you're drowning in your inbox

Even after mastering the art of spam filtering, most people wade through a deluge of e-mail every day – not to mention what happens when you’re on vacation. Sure, cleaning out your inbox is a great way to put off all those other things clamoring for your attention, but just looking at an endless string of bold-faced messages can be enough to cause stress. Here are some fast and easy tips for getting a grip on your e-mail. None require you to be a computer whiz.

Read the whole story - and all the tips.

Two Cents -- Logistics

What is a unique or memorable shipment your company handled?

Interviews with five industry professionals.

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Two Cents -- Web Design

What's your favorite or most memorable recent Web design project?

Interviews with five professionals.

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Catering to the Dog

Pet services are a growing business breed

Consumers will cut back on a lot of things in a recession, but don’t count on it being Fido. Pet-related expenditures in America totaled an estimated $35.9 billion in 2005, up $1.5 billion from 2004 and more than double what they were a decade earlier, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).

“This is one of the areas in which sales don’t decrease in a recession,” said Bob Vetere, COO and managing director of the APPMA. He cited several reasons for growth, including “growing uncertainty about the future” and more empty homes, as baby boomers’ children move out and young professionals wait to have children.

Not to mention that people are treating their animals more and more like, well, people.

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Cell Phones Are For Kids

Companies are taking wireless to the last untouched demographic

Not too long ago, the only people with cellular phones were always-in-touch executives and bustling soccer moms. From there, most adults – and of course teens – adopted them, many of whom now can’t imagine life without a cell phone. Children can reach their parents whenever necessary – except for when the children are away from a phone.

All that is starting to change. While cell phone companies have been targeting the teen demographic for quite some time with family plans and cheap line additions, now the “tween” market – children between 8 and 12 – is up for grabs.

Give a child a cell phone, and it becomes easy to make arrangements for last-minute plans and easier to keep track of the modern-day child-on-the-go.

In Kentucky, the 8- to 12-year-old market – via their parents – forms a noticeable segment of consumers. Census Bureau estimates put the demographic at 277,336 strong as of July 1, 2004. By comparison, there are 283,015 teens – 13- to 17-year-olds – in the state.

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Biz Blogging 101

Could blogs improve your internal and external communications?

Your teenager is blogging. So are thousands of political hacks and self-proclaimed, online journalists.

But what about your company?

While the blog, or “weblog,” rose to prominence during the 2004 presidential election, it is also finding a foothold in the business world. Blogs can be useful tools for owners of businesses large and small – and not just to rant about your supplier being late.

Some companies are turning to blogs to help disperse information to both employees and customers.

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