FreshBooks redefines Four P's of Marketing

FreshBooks Redefines the Four P’s of Marketing: Parachutes, Pedicures, Pancakes and Parking

For over 50 years E. Jerome McCarthy’s 4 P’s of Marketing have gone unchallenged and unchanged, while the world of business has transformed itself in nearly every conceivable way. Noting the seismic shift in small and independent businesses, FreshBooks (www.freshbooks.com) commissioned an esteemed panel of business scholars and experts to redefine the 4 P’s for a new era of entrepreneurs taking the world stage.The result of their extensive 3-year study is being heralded as the new paradigm in business education, with business schools scrambling to update their curriculums. “This is like the Twilight of the business world,” says Professor John Frescalibros of Gray University, New Hampshire, “it happens once in a lifetime, there are four of them to swoon over, and it makes me squeal like a teenage girl.” Academic publishing house Grow McHill reports university-wide halts in book orders as faculties await new literature around the study.Below is a summary excerpt from the study defining the New 4 Ps of Business:

Parachutes 
A major commonality among subjects of the study was a thrill-seeking mentality marked by the desire to work for oneself in light of the risks usually faced by entrepreneurs. Often described “like jumping out of an airplane and not knowing if the parachute will open”, participants tended to be more independent and strong-willed than their 9 to 5 counterparts.
Pedicures
Independent business owners have both the time and the disposable income to indulge in domestic luxuries, most popular of which are massages, facials, and pedicures. Small business owners are 2.5x more likely to have a standing appointment at their local spa than those who do not work for themselves.
Pancakes The 21st century entrepreneur is defined by his/her mobility between home office, client office, and all points in between. There has been a significant trend towards ‘uninhibited inspiration’, where business owners do their work when and where they want, oftentimes at home during breakfast (also observed to be most productive when eating pancakes.)
Parking Coupled with high mobility are high transportation-related costs. Dubbed the “2:10 Phenomenon”, entrepreneurs consistently outrun their parking meters by 10 minutes when on business travel, resulting in an average increase of 26% in transportation costs (due to parking tickets) over the typical full time employee.

The new 4 Ps - adapted from the original Price, Product, Promotion, and Place – were “deliberately identified to represent a new crop of entrepreneurship that hinges on mobility and convenience” according to the study. Some dissenters have described the study as biased and skewed in its research, but the majority of academics and business community leaders are embracing it whole heartedly.Case in point, cloud accounting software provider FreshBooks is footing the bill for anyone who purchases any of the New 4 Ps when invoiced using the FreshBooks mobile app from September 1st to September 21st, 2012. The first 40 invoices for each New P (160 total) sent to FreshBooks via the mobile app will be paid by them for one of the following:

• Parachuting - Enjoy a thrilling skydiving session on FreshBooks. They’ll reimburse you up to $100 USD for your experience.
• Pedicure - Need an hour of bliss? FreshBooks will gladly send up to $40 USD for a pampering pedicure.
• Pancakes - Mmmm breakfast! FreshBooks will fork over up to $40 USD for enjoying a delicious pancake breakfast - so be sure to share the treat with friends.
• Parking – They’ll happily pay up to $40 USD to park anywhere you please so this time, choose the best spot on the street.

For compete rules and how to enter, visit http://www.facebook.com/FreshBooks

Raygun launches new website exposing textbook costs

Raygun (RaygunReports.com), a new website, recently launched to the public with something never done before — detailed reports that show students whether they need a current edition of a textbook or can get the same information out of a previous edition, avoiding unnecessary spending and saving up to 95 percent in textbook costs. 

The exorbitant cost of textbooks significantly contributes to the burgeoning state of student debt. Raygun estimates that students entering college will have to pay $81.30 per month for 5 years simply to pay for textbooks. A chain of price gouging starts with the publisher and ends with the bookstore, which commands a profit margin akin to what cigarette makers and Healthcare REITs enjoy. Raygun is breaking that chain by providing students with the information and transparency they need to stop paying for new, overpriced textbooks and still have the books they need to excel in school. Raygun exposes the differences (or lack thereof) between new and previous editions of widely used college textbooks in their C.L.O.N.E. Reports. 

New textbooks are carefully compared to their cheaper, previous edition counterparts for any differences in content, figures, and problem sets. C.L.O.N.E. Reports track if there are any discrepancies and, if there are, provide links to the new concepts and content online. Founders Aaron Priest and Adam Seithel, recent grad school students themselves, truly believe in higher education and founded Raygun as a way to bring college costs down. Adam and Aaron firmly believe that students can buy an older edition of a textbook, with a C.L.O.N.E. Report, and do as well academically as students who buy new editions. 

“Higher-education in the U.S. isn't affordable anymore,” said Raygun co-founder Adam Seithel. “And the textbook market is broken, at best, and predatory at worst. Higher-education has taken the focus away from the most important element – the student. At Raygun, we are empowering students to make informed decisions when purchasing their textbooks. An informed student base will have the best chance at shifting the market away from these outrageous prices. The best part is, we can make these changes today.”

David Cassidy appears at Scottsdale's Talking Stick Resort

David Cassidy’s role as Keith Partridge on “The Partridge Family” made him a teen idol in the 1970s. And his hits “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” “I Think I Love You” and “Cherish” made him a pop icon of the ages. Three decades later, he’s still winning fans around the globe through his thrilling and memorable performances. It’s your turn to see David Cassidy live when he takes the Talking Stick Resort Showroom stage on Friday, August 24.

Cassidy’s career has run the gamut in the entertainment industry, from television to recording and record-breaking concert tours to Broadway, London’s West End and Las Vegas production show. At each turn, Cassidy’s talent and creativity have shined, winning him nominations and awards in nearly every arena. Cassidy’s incredible one-night show will include singles from the Partridge Family best selling album such as “Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted” and ”I Woke Up In Love This Morning” plus hits from his solo career including “Could It Be Forever,” ”How Can I Be Sure,” ”Rock Me Baby” and “Lyin’ to Myself.”

For tickets, call the Box Office at 480-850-7734 or click on the link below.

Guitarmania to Beatlemania featuring Laurence Juber

Grammy guitarist Laurence Juber

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) and C. F. Martin & Co. are proud to present in August “Guitarmania to Beatlemania: The Evolution of the Acoustic Guitar,” featuring renowned Grammy Award-winning guitarist Laurence Juber. 

The show begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, at the MIM Music Theater, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. Tickets range from $22.50 to $27.50 and can be purchased by calling 480.478.6000, visiting online at theMIM.org or visiting the MIM Ticket Office.

Acoustic guitar aficionados are in for a rare treat during an evening that will showcase one of America’s favorite instruments and feature a concert performance by a true guitar virtuoso. Presented by Dick Boak, Martin’s museum director and archivist, Juber will discuss his work composing, recording, and performing as the lead guitarist with Paul McCartney in his band Wings and Juber’s own successful solo career. 

LJ plays the Beatles' "Drive My Car"

“The Beatles inspired me play guitar. Martin build the guitar that I am inspired to play and it’s an honor that this historic company make my signature instrument,” Juber said. “I’ll look forward to performing my concert set at MIM and accompanying Dick Boak as he explores the history of the C.F.Martin company and of the acoustic guitar in America.” 

Juber embarked on a career as a solo artist, composer, and arranger after years spent playing lead guitar with Paul McCartney and Wings. Juber’s solo albums include "LJ Plays the Beatles", one of Acoustic Guitar magazine’s all-time top recordings. Boak, author of Martin Guitar Masterpieces and Martin Guitars: A History, is also a woodworker, draftsman, guitar designer and builder, Martin’s public relations liaison, guitarist, and is responsible for some of the most unique collaborations with top celebrity guitarists to design and build the finest instruments made at C. F. Martin & Co. 

LJ interviewed by Jim Deeming

This past April Juber released “Soul of Light” (Solid Air Records), his 20^th solo project. He recently contributed to “Chimes of Freedom”, an Amnesty International benefit disc on which he joins Seal and Jeff Beck for a version of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Diablo 3, the latest version of the popular video game, features his music. An instructional app for the iPad is also in the works and he and his wife Hope, just inked a deal with a New York City producer bring “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical” to Broadway.

Steve and Barbara McQueen, circa 1978.

Barbara Minty McQueen, alongside the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), will speak at the U.S. House of Representatives staff briefing, “Asbestos: Environmental and Occupational Exposure Continues” in Washington, D.C. on July 24th to discuss how asbestos took the life of her husband, actor Steve McQueen, and why the U.S. should ban asbestos.

On July 25^th, ADAO is hosting a press conference where McQueen will discuss her late husband’s December 1979 diagnosis as well as the physical and emotional pain he endured as a result of trying to find mesothelioma treatment in the U.S. and Mexico. McQueen, author/photographer and former model, will unveil her newly published Steve McQueen: TheLast Mile…Revisited, which details her life with her husband, the late silver screen icon, Steve McQueen - including his battle with mesothelioma. Linda Reinstein, ADAO Co-Founder, will discuss the consumer, environmental, and occupational exposure in USA.

“Mesothelioma is a horrible disease. It robbed me of my life and future with Steve and took away an icon beloved by millions around the world,” said Barbara McQueen. “Most people think that asbestos is banned in America but that’s not true. I want to ask President Obama and Congress to get off the bench, get in the game, and immediately ban the importation and use of asbestos,” stated McQueen. “By coming to Washington, D.C., I want to bring awareness that asbestos is still legal in the U.S. and continues to kill. It can kill a movie star, a musician or a construction worker. It takes no prisoners.”

Known as cinema’s ‘King of Cool,’ Steve McQueen was a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1947 to 1950. He believed he contracted mesothelioma as a result of removing asbestos-filled insulation from the massive pipes in a ship’s hold while working in the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard. It is also possible the actor and racing enthusiast was exposed to significant amounts of asbestos on New York and Hollywood sound stages or in his protective racing suits and helmets.

“Tragically, Steve McQueen, an American legend, lost his life at age 50 to a preventable asbestos-caused disease. The facts are irrefutable and the United States Surgeon General, Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and International Labour Organization agree, asbestos is a human carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure,” said Linda Reinstein, ADAO Co-Founder. “History is a great teacher to those who listen. Asbestos is still legal and lethal in the United States. Although asbestos has not been mined in the United States since 2002, the United States imported 1,100 tons of chrysotile asbestos to “meet manufacturing needs” just through July 2011. Presently, the only two ways to eliminate environmental and occupational asbestos-caused diseases are prevention and a cure. One life lost to an asbestos disease is tragic; hundreds of thousands of lives lost is unconscionable.”

More than 30 years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared asbestos to be a human carcinogen. The World Health Organization estimates the mineral, regardless of the type, causes 107,000 preventable deaths each year around the world.

Liverpool actor scores role in new Stephen King film

Actor Paul Hilts

Actor Paul Hilts is living proof that the harder you work, the more luck comes your way. After a decade in the film business, the Liverpool actor is finding his luck is improving each day.

A 20-year veteran of more than 50 film and theater productions, Hilts recently snared a part in Mute, a 2007 short story by best-selling author Stephen King.

Hilts will play the part of a priest who listens to the confessions of a traveling book salesman after he discovers his wife is having an affair.

“The idea of me in a Stephen King movie is a bit surreal because he’s one of the greatest known authors of our time. It doesn’t hurt to have an association with an icon,” Hilts said. “The past few years have been pretty amazing.”

Hilts is referring to his relationship with Shivilenco Pictures, a Liverpool-based production company which makes shorts and feature films. The company is owned and operated by director Colin Hives, who has hired Hilts for almost every one of his projects.

“Paul is probably the most professional actor I have ever worked with. He's so well prepared it's scary,” Hives says. “He will lament over a part but when you are ready to shoot he is the part. Paul is what I wish every actor was – helpful. I don't after worry about Paul, who is a godsend.”

Paul Hilts in Tangled Tales

And if the name Hilts sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because it’s based on Steve McQueen’s character from the classic World War II flick, The Great Escape. Hilt’s was born Paul Taylor, but changed it professionally to honor of his screen idol.

“Working class Brits love and underdog, someone who fights against the odds and triumphs over adversity, which Steve McQueen mastered,” Hilts says. “It was because of Steve that I wanted to become an actor. He made me feel if he could do it, so could I.”

Shooting on Mute will start later this month and will be entirely filmed on location in Liverpool.

Mercury & Suns' Ann Meyers Drysdale to Host Book Signing

Phoenix Mercury and Suns Vice President Ann Meyers Drysdale will host a pre-game and halftime book signing of her autobiography You Let Some Girl Beat You? - at the Mercury - Seattle Storm game at US Airways Center on Friday, July 13. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Fans will have an opportunity to purchase the book for $16.95 and have it signed by Meyers Drysdale from 5:30 - 7 p.m. in the Casino Arizona Pavilion at US Airways Center and during the halftime in main concourse outside sections 119/120.

"You Let Some Girl Beat You - is a must-read for any basketball fan as it recounts her one-of-a-kind experiences that led her to becoming the Hall of Fame basketball player and broadcaster she is today. Meyers Drysdale opens up about the struggle to play sports in school, receiving the first full athletic scholarship awarded to a female by a Division I university and becoming the only woman to sign a contract with an NBA team. Plus, she shares intimate memories of falling in love with baseball great Don Drysdale and the heartache of being widowed with three children under the age of five.

The autobiography was released nationally on June 15 in time for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX passing into law.

"The book is about hopes and dreams. I've been blessed to be part of so many incredible experiences and I thought it was time to tell my story," said Meyers Drysdale. "I hope that the book serves as a reminder to people that anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it. Plus, releasing the book in conjunction with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX is a perfect reminder of how far female athletics has come and to honor that I'll be donating a portion of the book proceeds to Phoenix Mercury Charities."

The book also features a forward by Julius Erving as well as photos from Meyers Drysdale's life.
The Mercury hosts the Seattle Storm on Friday, July 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available by calling 602-252-WNBA or visiting phoenixmercury.com.