2008 Presidential Campaign Update

For several months I have been doing a series of articles called "See How They Run." This is the first time I have mentioned such in this blog since September. I did write a post at RedState on the poor performance of the person whom I thought I supported for President, Fred Thompson. In it I observed:

It was kind of fun at first. Watching Fred Thompson on the sidelines and critically pointing out the weaknesses of others and providing a resounding "I could do better."

Now that he is in the race, it still feels like we are waiting for him to jump in. He did a recent ad that slam dunks Romney on abortion and raised serious concerns about Huckabee's fiscal policies as governor, but as a rule, has done little to ignite conservatives. In fact, he almost seems relegated to hurting conservatives who have been in this race far longer in his efforts to catch up in this competitive niche.

Thompson is going to have to make the case for Thompson and not merely be the critic. Otherwise he will be lucky to be more than a footnote in this race. Also, after watching the debate tonight, it would also help if he memorized his lines. So much for all those years of acting.

So, why the lack of interest on my part in the election? It feels as though it is a forgone conclusion that Hillary Clinton is going to win the Democratic nomination and I get the impression that none of the Republicans will effectively challenge her. Unless something major happens, the 2008 election could become one of the least interesting in modern history.

Kevin Price Hosts the Houston Business Show Monday through Friday at 11 AM on CNN 650. Read the opinions of the Houston Business Show news team by subscribing to the weekly Houston Business Review newsletter.

Walmart: Save Money. Live Better

After years of "Always Low Prices," Walmart makes a shift in its message to "Save Money. Live Better." The shift is significant, in my opinion, and is a move from the emphasis on "cheap" to one that focuses on things like value and lifestyle.

I've discussed this company's "War on Poverty" at length in this blog and Walmart has done an excellent job of conveying how they help all Americans. In addition to fighting international poverty by creating stores and producing products in some of the world's poorest places and creating 1.3 million jobs in the United States (the country's largest employer), it actually significantly lowers the cost of living.

The result of making goods at a price that is a fraction of what they would cost in other parts of the world saves US consumers a significant amount of money ($2,500.00 a year on average). This is an incredible savings for consumers. Also, Walmart keeps competitor prices in check as well.

Walmart is an amazing force of efficiency and consumer sensitivity. It is a powerful economic machine that improves the quality of life of everyone. Walmart: Save Money. Live Better. I like it.

For great articles on excellent cities for business, get a free subscription to the Houston Business Review by clicking here. Get information on Kevin's radio show by visiting www.HoustonBusinessShow.com.

Stock Market Breaks 13,000 -- In the Wrong Direction

It doesn't seem that long ago when we celebrated the Stock Market breaking 13,000. We are doing it again, but it doesn't seem the word "celebrate" is appropriate. The market appears to be heading in the wrong direction.

We have been constantly told that the economy is in decline. Now we have the price of oil pushing $100 a barrel and mortgages in a crises mode for many. True reasons to be concerned. Now the Conference Board is likely to project a decline in consumer confidence -- an indicator of demand which largely drives the economy (or, at least, the Stock Market's view of the economy).

I believe the market may be due a time of adjustment, sub-prime loan corrections and the tightening of credit were necessary and bound to have an impact on the economy. It is time to think in terms of real stimuli to keep the economy growing. With the extremely low interest rates and a dollar that is considered "weak" internationally, cutting interest rates may not be a viable option. Instead, we should seriously look at making the tax cuts, which played a major role in our economy's growth, permanent. Most people don't seem to realize that, since permanence wasn't passed, we are operating with tax increases pending, and that will have a negative affect on the economy. With the current dominance of Democrats in Congress, such a reform will not likely happen without effort. The one driving that effort should be the President and he should take that message to the American people.

Kevin Price Hosts the Houston Business Show, Monday-Friday at 11 AM on CNN 650. Get weekly updates of the multimedia business content at that site through the Houston Business Review.

Intellectual Devotional Vs. Uncle John's Bathroom Reader

Okay, I confess, I'm a bookstore junky. Some times, before meetings that are near a bookstore, I slip in for as little as 10 minutes and look around. You really can't get much reading in during such a time frame so I often wander to the humor book section and in front of Uncle John's Bathroom Readers.

I like these books because you can read summaries of entire books, profound philosophical concepts, scientific theories, and more, usually on one page. However, I could never own such a book. In fact, when I have been there, I would glance around my shoulder to make sure no one is watching me read them. But when time is short, they are a great source of information in, essentially, "capsule form."

Enter the Intellectual Devotionals. I saw these interesting books, one on US History and one summarizing the major areas of intellectual thought, during the Today Show. During the show, the authors David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim were interviewed by Matt Lauer and I was intrigued. The books offers immediate advantages to Uncle John's. The books look smart and they are more systematic than Uncle John's books. But are they actually any better?

The truth is, the Devotionals seem to have their share of errors. There are areas that I'm stronger in than others and noticed several mistakes (particularly in the "religious" categories). Still, the books are a lot of fun and will certainly look better by your toilet than Uncle John's Bathroom Readers.

Happy Thanksgiving and Spare a Turkey!

It is that time of year again. I time to be thankful. On your Thanksgiving day, make sure you count your blessings and you might even consider sparing some of the turkeys in your life!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Innovative Program Makes TV Ads Very Affordable in Houston

The Houston Business Show and Marketing Dynamics are implementing a unique marketing campaign that provides businesses with TV, radio, web, ezine advertising, and more for the typical price of utilizing one media. This from Houston's dBusinessNews on the elements of the program:

* 7 ads a day, M-F between 6 AM and Midnight on the hottest new channel in Comcast's interconnect -- Fox Business Network, which is in over 600,000 homes for 13 weeks

* Quarterly interview on the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650)

* Promotion of the ad campaign (and your business) on the radio show

* Campaign (and your business) featured on the home page of HoustonBusinessShow.com (under "As Seen on TV" link)

* Promoted in the

Houston Business Review that goes to over 50,000 every week during the campaign

* All production costs are included

* This ad campaign is below market on the TV alone, but includes all these other excellent elements. This is an excellent opportunity to have a multimedia campaign at a very reasonable cost.

I admit, I'm practicing a little "crass commercialism" here, but I am also providing something that I think many small business owners would be thankful for this time of the year. At only $4500 a business over three months, it is quite an opportunity. Get more information from Andy Valadez at Marketing Dynamics by emailing him at andy@marketingdynamics.org or by calling him at 713.560.3348.

Relocating a Business to Houston

I'm asked often by friends all over the country why they keep hearing about business relocating to Houston. Some facts showcased on the Greater Houston Partnership website might provide the best summary to such a phenomenon:

Number 1

Lowest cost of living among 24 largest metropolitan areas (ACCRA Cost of Living Index).

Fastest growing companies (Forbes Magazine).

Job Growth (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Number of building permits (Demographia).

Number 2

Most popular city with movers (U-Haul National Migration Trend Report).

Texas –– Best Business Climate in the Nation (Site Selection).

Number 3

Fortune 500 Companies (Fortune Magazine).

Best Metros for Business (Forbes Magazine).

US Metros for Business and Careers (Forbes Magazine).

The list goes on and I encourage readers to check it out. Houston is great for business which is exactly why we are attracting companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking for opportunity both nation wide and around the world.

The above video, produced by Houston Business Show Advisor Andy Valadez of Marketing Dynamics, is of Mayor Bill White's comments at a recent Houston Networking News event on why there is so much economic growth in Houston. To keep informed of the best in best news and information, subscribe to the Houston Business Review newsletter.

Fox Business Network Update

The Fox Business Network has been around since October and I thought it was about time to do a progress report. My assessment is that the company is making a major splash early and could alter the ways business news is delivered. Here are a few observations:

* Fox Business, unlike CNBC is more personality driven. It is true that the latter has its "money honeys", but even as a news junky, I have a hard time remembering who they all are.

* Fox Business gives each of its shows their own unique format. CNBC is driven almost entirely by stock related news and it is difficult to differentiate their shows from one another. Fox has different environments (an actual bar for "Happy Hour") and formats (such as Dave Ramsey on "financial freedom"). CNBC, which I actually like, tends to blur between the lines in a way Fox has successfully avoided.

* Fox is multi-generational in scope. With the various settings and topics, as well as with the more youthful personalities, I see Fox Business creating a bridge that will make business news more relevant to a wider audience.

Fox is still early in its venture, so I don't want to jump to any dramatic conclusions, but my gut tells me that Fox should be good for business.

To keep up to date with the constant changes in media, subscribe to the free Houston Business Review Newsletter.

The Plum Card from American Express

I hadn't heard about it until today, but the image of the new Plum Card from American Express immediately caught my attention. Once I saw the image and clicked for more information, I was even more impressed.

According to American Express, the new card has the following unique features:

"Pay early, get up to a 2% discountPay your balance in full within 10 days of your statement closing date and get a 2% discount when your month's total spending is above $5,000 and 1% when it's $5,000 or below. The discount is applied to all new eligible charges in that month, and will appear as a credit on your following month's statement.Example: Charge $10,000 monthly and regularly pay your bills in full within 10 days, and your monthly savings will be $200 (Your yearly savings will be $2,400).

Pay 10%, defer payment up to 2 months, interest–freeTake up to two months from the closing date on your monthly statement to pay your new balance in full – all without interest or finance charges. Just make an initial payment of at least 10% by the Please Pay By date on your billing statement and you can extend payment on the rest until the next month's Please Pay By date.Example: If the new balance on your statement is $5,000, you can pay $500 by the Please Pay By Date and the rest by the Please Pay By Date on your next month's billing statement.

Set Your Own Billing CycleSelect when your monthly billing cycle closes — at the beginning, middle, or end of the month."

You can get more information about the card here (I'm not selling it, it simply looks like a potentially helpful program).

I'm always excited to see the major companies competing for the opportunity to finance small business activities. Such is good for the economy and business in general.

Virtually everything I have seen so far has been "marketing" in its approach, so I cannot yet vouch for the card. But I will keep my eyes open and report back my findings in the future. Meanwhile, I would love the comments of others on the viability of the program when it comes to their business.

For great articles on excellent cities for business, get a free subscription to the Houston Business Review by clicking here.

Too Fast Cities?

I've looked at the fast ones (which are suppose to be good), and I've looked at the slow ones (which are bad). Now we are tackling the cities that Fast Company believes are "too fast." "Too fast" has problems too.

Cairo, Egypt

"The push for democracy has stalled, and corruption is as rife as ever. No wonder so many Egyptian entrepreneurs are looking elsewhere for opportunities. "

I never knew Cairo or Egypt were ever fast. I have long perceived it as a city stuck and chaotic. I have never considered chaotic as "fast," but simply chaotic. I'm surprised it is on the list.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

"There's new construction everywhere. There's also crime, corruption, and nuclear waste. Culture? Uh, no."

This is true. The remnants of the corruption pervasive in the old Soviet Union remain alive and well in this old Republic.

Greenwich, Connecticut

"A luxe enclave of superrich hedge funds. But one meltdown and this party's over."
This small "fast money" empire has done well on hedge funds, but at some point you have to wonder how it is going to work long term.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"An environmental pileup in the making. Can the casinos find enough water to fill all those pools?"

Las Vegas is one of those few cities that I felt like I was getting motion sickness even while sitting still. On the other hand, when has it not been fast? And when has it not been making people uncomfortable about its future? I'm not sure if it is a smart bet to make a wager against sin city.

Shenzhen, China

"Think Vegas, except in China. Home prices have doubled in four years."

Home prices have doubled in four years because the vast majority of the people were virtually homeless. They have gone from rather primative conditions to big money in a very short period of time. Should Shenzhen make you a little nervous for investing? Maybe, but I'm not sure it can help its rapid pace of change.

I think "too fast" is a little subjective, but I still believe such a list has merit. I'm just not sure if I would have made Fast Company's choices. Maybe I will address those in a future post.

For great articles on excellent cities for business, get a free subscription to the Houston Business Review by clicking here.

Too Slow Cities?

Recently I wrote two articles about "fast cities" according to Fast Company magazine. According to Fast Company, these cities are on the cutting edge of culture, entrepreneurship, innovation, and other areas that major progress. Fast Company's analysis didn't end there, however, they also have opinions about cities that they describe as "too fast" and "too slow." In this post I'm going to focus on this latter group.

Budapest, Hungary

"Breathtakingly romantic--but its economy is broken. Among the world's 150 biggest cities, last in predicted GDP growth, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers."

I have to agree. This is the most beautiful city I have ever seen and one very difficult to make a profit. I traveled extensively through out Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union following the fall of Communism and Budapest was one city I had a great deal of hope for and it is a city that has shown little progress. Very sad indeed.

St. Louis, Missouri

"Too normal for its own good. It ranks dead last on CityVitals' "Weirdness Index," a measure of passion and engagement."

My dad grew up near this once great city and he use to often sing its praises. It is sad to see that it to has reached such a lowly position.

New Orleans, Louisiana

"We wish it weren't so. But NOLA was slow before Katrina. The cleanup debacle has only reinforced that reality."

New Orleans is a tragedy that I believe we remain a shell of the city it once was. The political leadership in both the state and city have done everything they could, in my opinion, to prevent this community from turning around.

Detroit, Michigan

"Last one out, shut off the manufacturing line. Tragically, inevitably bound to the U.S. auto industry's failings."

When I left the Motor City in the 1970s the joke was "will the last person leaving Detroit please turn off the lights." Fast Company's statement may be better. In addition to being a slave to unions, the city hates innovation and seem to prefer dying a slow death than doing what is necessary to revive this once great city.

Havana, Cuba

Celebrating a half-century of economic decay. Thanks, Fidel. Seemingly no cars on the road made after 1968.

Well put.

I liked Fast Company's assessment of slow cities far more than those they described as "fast." What about those they deem too fast? Those will be examined in a future post.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Ellen DeGeneres and the Writers Strike

The Writers Guild of America (East) is mad and they are taking the usually likable Ellen DeGeneres to task. In a recent press release, the organization is taking the TV personality head on and in no uncertain terms. The following are excerpts from the press release and some of my thoughts.

Ellen DeGeneres went back on the air this week after honoring only one day of the writers strike. In anticipation of her plans to tape shows in New York City on November 19th and 20th, the Writers Guild of America, East is extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to stand with writers during the strike. Ellen's peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise.

It appears that Ellen loves her audience more than her writers. This is a healthy, free market attitude, in a business culture that often disregards such. The customer is boss and Ellen knows who that is.

Ellen has also been performing comedy on her show. Even if Ellen is writing those segments herself, since those segments would normally be written by the writers on strike, she's performing "struck work". Ellen is violating the strike rules that were clearly explained to all of the comedy/variety shows.

In other words, Ellen is a scab! Harsh, but that is what expressions such as "struck work" means. A scab is described as a person who crosses the lines of a strike to make income. I call it a person attempting to take care of him or her self and their responsibilites.

We certainly intend to let Ellen know our dissatisfaction in person if she decides to proceed with the shows she has scheduled in New York on November 19th and 20th. We will also make our voices heard the preceding week if she tries to pre-tape comedy segments on location.

I'm sure Ellen intends to have the highest rated TV shows during the day, during this strike. Of course, this is usually case any way, but will be all the more so during this strike.

We find it sad that Ellen spent an entire week crying and fighting for a dog that she gave away, yet she couldn't even stand by writers for more than one day - writers who have helped make her extremely successful.

WAAAAAAAAAAAIT a minute. Is the Writers Guild saying that dogs aren't as important as people? This isn't a very Hollywood attitude.

The writers did not cause this strike. The companies' greed caused this strike and it could end tomorrow if they were finally willing to negotiate a fair deal. We ask Ellen to cease doing shows immediately. She should stand by all writers and help us bring this strike to a quick conclusion. We owe that to the thousands of people who are caught in the middle.

Those poor writers. According to the TV Guide, writers seem to do pretty well. The typical childrens' show writer makes over $200,000 a year and the typical day time soap opera writer makes over $3,000 a script (with many writing two or more scripts a week). These writers are considered on the "low end" of the writing profession, writers of hour long weekly shows make over $30,000 per episode.

In the end, I give two thumbs up for Ellen when it comes to the writer's strike. You won't find that kind of endorsement very often in this blog.

I apologize for the subtitles. This was the only video I could find with Ellen's explanation.

ABC Dabbles in Infomercials

One of my favorite news magazines is ABC's 20/20. The stories are excellent and the personalities (John Stossel and Elizabeth Vargas) are among the best in the industry, in my opinion.

On tonight's show the focus was a follow up on a story about Camden, NJ with an emphasis on the positive developments that the city has seen through the eyes of a particular family (sprinkled with many examples of a lack of progress). The story includes a family that lives in a horrible home and receive an Extreme Makeover on the ABC network program. That was followed with an interesting human interest story on a brother sister competing against each other on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

I don't know about you, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is a duck. Tonight's 20/20 was a very interesting and well done infomercial. It was about other ABC programs. It was done in a tasteful and entertaining manner. Believe me, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have watched it. But one of the program's major objectives was to clearly sell other programming.

That is the future of media: advertising messages intertwined in the content. Most people won't even notice the smart shows that pursue this objective.

Request a free copy of an article by Kevin Price entitled Two Marketing Trends that Affect Your Business. In it he explains some of the most important trends in business marketing today.

Fox Business Network Gets Interesting Endorsement

Call it what you want, but I call it "interesting" at the very least. A TV personality of one network that is being directly challenged by another network usually finds "mums the word" about the new kid on the block or choose to even get a little ugly. One personality at CNBC has had select words for the leaders behind the new Fox Business Network, but not the kinds of words that most would have expected.

According to Media Bistro, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner ((and host of his own program on CNBC) had praise for the new network's founders:

Former Disney CEO and current show host on CNBC, Michael Eisner chimed in on the launch of FBN this morning. Speaking at the Dow Jones/Nielsen Media and Money conference in New York, Eisner was asked about FBN's chances: "It's not crazy if you have [Rupert] Murdoch and [Roger] Ailes. It's probably crazy if you have two other people, but those guys are pretty good. So you can't bet against them."

Many have underestimated the Fox Business Channel and its leadership at their own demise. On many occasions I have heard people describe Murdoch (and Ailes) as "crazy." Yes, crazy like a FOX (pun intended).

The video is of Charlie Rose and Michael Eisner. Kevin Price's Houston Business Review newsletter includes excellent articles on business finance, marketing, media, and more. Get your free subscription here.

Do-Gooders are After Your Cell Phone

I'm concerned about the Do-gooder police. Sure, I don't smoke (and hate smoking), but I don't like it when the government tells restaurants they can't allow smoking. Before such impositions, I simply avoided restaurants that had too much smoke.

If that wasn't bad enough, that was followed by a move by some to force restaurants to serve healthy food. You can already say "goodbye" to trans fats (why french fries taste great, in my opinion) and soon to other things that simply makes food more tasty. Laws against such fats were passed in New York City and restaurants across the country were seeing that the writing was on the wall as franchises began to pull such from their ingredients.

Now Do-gooders are aiming at your cell phone. Maybe it is in the name of noise pollution or mere irritation, but they want to take your phone away from you. Restaurants are already beginning to require such ("Please turn off your phone while dining here"). Right now it is only voluntary with restaurants making that choice. As long as it stays that way, I'm fine with it. But knowing those Do-gooders, I wouldn't hold my breath. They might make that illegal too.

Fast Cities Continued

In my last post I reviewed Fast Company's comments on the fast cities and reviewed several categories. In this post that review continues with a look at "Urban Innovators," "Culture Centers," "Unexpected Oases," and "Startup Hubs."

In the "Urban Innovators" section we find "Salt Lake City" as the only US representative of the list. Salt Lake City, urban? Yes, it is a city, but as a person who grew up next to 10 Mile near Detroit, I have a very difficult time considering a city like Salt Lake, an urban area. It doesn't have the social or economic demographics pervasive in most large cities. When I think of Urban innovators, I have a hard time not seeing Houston on such a list. This town was largely dead two decades ago and after several years has brought entertainment into the downtown areas to encourage night life and the conversion of old buildings into popular and successful lofts, Houston is one of the nation's most vital cities. It has incredible opportunities, it is a great place for entrepreneurs, and enjoys low unemployment.

When it comes to "Culture Centers," we find Miami, Florida making the cut from the US among the three cities cited. I'm sorry, but my first exposure to Miami was Miami Vice (the TV series), so I have a very difficult time seeing it outside that prism. I'll have to take their word for it.

No US Cities made it to the "Unexpected Oases" categories. I would think that with all that water that Miami would make the cut, but... Oh well. Instead cities like Dubai, Istanbul, and Sydney. Istanbul...Turkey (see video)? My primary exposure to Turkey was the movie Midnight Express (starring Brad Davis). Enough said.

Finally, there are the "Startup Hubs" that feature Austin, TX; Tuscon, AZ; and Madison, WI. This might surprise you, but I have no argument here. They are all noted for being cutting edge in entrepreneurship.

I have been a little rough on Fast Company's choices because they seem so predictable and so political. The choices were "sexy," "diverse," and "surprising." But are they accurate? I would have produced a different list. That will have to be done on a later post.

Fast Comments on Fast Company's Fast Cities, Part 1

Fast Company has rated fast cities, too fast cities and cities that are slow. I always find lists fascinating and appears others do too, since we seem to see them virtually everywhere.

You can find the complete list of fast cities here. I'm going to comment on a few that I found interesting.

In the "Creative Class Meccas", New York, NY and San Francisco, CA turned up in this list of five. This isn't a surprise, but certainly seems predictable. It would seem a little creative to me if they chose some where, any where else, for such distinctions.

In the "Global Villages" section there was no US representative. The US has a reputation of being "ethnocentrist" and the "Ugly Americans." You couldn't expect to find the US there. Although I would think New York, San Francisco, or even my Houston, Texas would be excellent candidates for such.

In the "R & D Clusters" section the US had two of the three destinations (Ft. Collins, CO and Raleigh-Durham, NC). Seoul, South Korea showed up to represent the rest of the world. I'm sure many will point to this as an example of the US being "Ugly Americans."

In the "Green Leaders" department we find Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon making up two of the four cited. Chicago, Illinois? I realized it has made some serious advances, but should a city get such high recognition for simply playing catch up? It is easy to look like you made major progress when you start at zero.

"High Tech Hot Spots" has Boise, Idaho in with Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Chandigarh, India. This seemed a little weird. I read many high tech magazines and these names simply don't come up that often. It was almost like they said, "let's see if they notice." Very strange indeed.

In other posts I'm going to review the magazine's "Urban Innovators," "Culture Centers," "Unexpected Oases," and "Startup Hubs." Finally, I'm going to review the cities cited as "Too Fast" and "Slow." I would love to hear your thoughts on these cities.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

Fox Business Comes To Houston Comcast

I don't write very often about local business issues, but I have to mention the latest happenings of Fox Business in Houston. I have Direct TV so I had it a couple of weeks before, but Comcast now has the Fox Business Channel in the Houston market and I assume it launched nationwide on the cable provider. It couldn't come a minute sooner.

All my friends have heard rumors about it; "isn't Fox Business coming soon?," "when is Murdoch's business channel going to be on?," and "I can't wait to see Fox Business." The resentment has been huge. "I already have it," I would say innocently to frowns and groans. Then I would add insult to injury by going into detail about how much I love it. I was relieved by the news it was added to Comcast and learned several things from the exchanges with friends:

* Comcast seems to have many customers. The vast majority of my friends have it. Yes, this is anecdotal, but it seems to ring true.

* Not every Comcast subscriber will necessarily benefit. According to Comcast, 600,000 homes in Houston will get Fox Business. But I think there are over 800,000 homes in Houston's entire interconnect. I'm concerned that everyone I know will fall in that unfortunate group that doesn't have the channel. We will wait and see.

* Murdoch knows how to create buzz. People have been talking about the network for almost a year, I have rarely seen so much interest in a new TV channel.

In Houston, Fox Business Channel is big news. If you are a Comcast subscriber, visit their site and find out whether the channel is now waiting for you.

Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.