FERNDALE WORDPRESS MEETUP

About once a month there is a WordPress Meetup in Ferndale Michigan. Usually the meetings are at AJ’s Music Cafe [a coffee shop].

There was a good turnout at today’s event. There were probably about eight of us in total. It was cool that a few new people came out to see what was going on.

Aside from conversation about WordPress, we discussed Chris Brogan and his book Trust Agents as well as the domain registration site Joker. Another item mentioned was Moo cards, a distinct business card. They make an impact was the consensus.

A private Friendfeed group has been created for this group. If you are part of the group and would like access to the group request and invite.

MORE EPRIZE LAYOFFS?

The blog has been getting quite a bit of traffic regarding ePrize layoffs as a search topic. Last year ago I wrote two posts about ePrize [post 1 & post 2]. A recent Detroit News article confirms that there have been more layoffs.

The Detroit News: Number of jobless in Mich. hits 740,000 Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009

Ryan Duval, a 26-year-old software engineer, just got laid off from ePrize LLC, an online marketing firm based in Pleasant Ridge. When Duval joined the firm four years ago, ePrize revenues were growing almost monthly and the staff had doubled to more than 400 employees. "Now, I'm part of the latest round of layoffs," he said.

The firms that hired ePrize have likely pulled back spending on the kinds of promotions that were the bread and butter of ePrize revenues. Less business means that there is less need for the knowledge workers that drove the ePrize business model.

The current economic conditions in Michigan are some of the most challenging in a generation. In November 1982, Michigan unemployment peaked at 16.9%. Michigan will likely surpass that during the current downturn.

GAS PRICE TODAY…

 

Gas was $2.359 today at Mobil.

 

MICHIGAN JOB CLUB

Have been bouncing this idea around for a while, now is the time to make it happen. The employment situation is challenging to say the least. Below is an outline of thoughts and ideas regarding the formation of the Michigan Job Club.

A related post from November: "MICHIGAN IS HURTING" 

If you or someone you know may be interested... post a reply to this post or find my contact information on Twitter here.

Your IDEAS and comments are appreciated.

To: YOUR NAME HERE

From: David Damore

Subject: Michigan Job Club - 5 people [or more]

Date: 12/15/2008

Creation of a job club in SE Michigan... Metro Detroit... or anywhere in the state. Michigan has the highest unemployment in the nation at 9.3% [tied with Rhode Island]. The employment situation looks to get worse in Michigan before it gets better. 

Now is the time to take action. Building skills, knowledge and developing new talents. In doing so it is important to leverage these new skills to become, what Peter Drucker would call a knowledge worker. Knowledge is the way of the future. Those with it and using it will thrive as part of the US labor force. Flexibility is key and knowledge workers will be uniquely suited to benefit from opportunities as they arise. 

Mission: Create a small organization of...

• unemployed
• recent graduates
• reentering the job force
• Career transition [Boomer, new career/direction]
• Etc...

To: Leverage knowledge creation and social communication to advance for oneself and for society.

How: Using social networks and technology to...    

• Communicate
• Share technology
• Support
• Encourage
• Inspire
• Brainstorm
• Etc...

When: Meet formally for a conference call once every 2 weeks. Day and time are open for discussion. Time that works for all members will be the time we do. Time could be from 5 am to 1 am or so. Members can meet anytime using any of technologies listed below.

Tools: Technology

• Email
• Phone
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Skype
• Other IM clients... Google Talk, AIM [AOL Instant Messenger], Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger
• Talk Shoe and BlogTalkRadio are also possibilities.
• Google Docs
• Microsoft Office
• EtherPad "EtherPad is a web-based collaborative real-time editor, allowing up to eight people to edit a text document at the same time" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etherpad

EPRIZE LAYOFF AND MICHIGAN ECONOMY

Detroit News: "20 jobs cut by Internet's ePrize"
11/11/2008

"The company, which has 350 employees, has seen its sales increase 30 percent over the past year, Linkner said, but he hopes the cuts will fend off problems so the company can remain competitive."

• Sales are increasing 30% and you have too much talent?
• How did so many extra people get hired?
• What new technology has increased firm productivity enough to cope with such rapid growth and make the current labor force redundant?

"Many of ePrize's clients -- from the automakers to financial services companies to retailers -- are seeing profits dwindle or disappear, leaving fewer dollars to invest in advertising."

• The firms that hire ePrize are cutting spending?
• How is the firm growing at 30% in the throws of a recession?
• Fewer dollars for advertising and promotions?

"The laid-off workers received a severance package, though the company wouldn't disclose details. There are no plans for more layoffs, Linkner said."

• Severance packages are good for the people let go. These are smart and talented folks.
• No firm ever plans for more layoffs down the road. Cut once and cut deep. It seems that ePrize had a major RIF [Reduction in Force] last Summer.
• Two rounds of job cuts in less than one year is a signal of concern

There are no easy answers

In the past several weeks there was elevated traffic for search terms such as "eprize layoff". The increase was so dramatic, it indicated that the word on the street was that something was happening. Sure enough, the Detroit News reported ePrize layoffs in today's online edition.

Michigan Economic Conditions

Michigan is facing some very turbulent economic conditions. In October the Michigan unemployment rate was reported as 9.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, tied with Rhode Island for worst in the nation. The automotive sector, which makes up a large segment of the Michigan economy is likely to continue deteriorating.

Your constructive comments and criticisms are welcome

What say you?

MICHIGAN IS HURTING

IDEA: Michigan Job Support and Training Group

"Teach, Train, Coach, Create Businesses..."

Post and IDEA created as a result of a New York Times article + a job group [Boston Salty Legs Career Club ] [Thanks Susan]

The people of Michigan are hurting. Rapidly increasing job loss is creating some very bad consequences. Michigan has relied on certain business sectors to heavily and [automotive, furniture, etc] for too long. It is time to diversify.

In doing so we need to create a skilled, talented and capable work force. Human Capital!

The goal is to create small teams of people all across the state that are connected and supporting one another. This is an idea in progress. It will be developed with the input from many different people [Google Docs]. No one person has the 'answer'.

As a small group and through team work we can create winning solutions that lead to talent creation. This talent can then be deployed in different industries and fields because it will be flexible. In being flexible it will have resources to further create value.

Are you interested in being an IDEA Solution Creator?

What say you?



#MakeItHappen

SMALL BUSINESS POWERS EMPLOYMENT IN MICHIGAN

The data nearby indicates that more people in Michigan are employed by businesses with 100-249 employees than any other firm size. Small business is an economic engine.

Michigan Private Employers
Size of Firm
1St Quarter 2007
Firm Size
Number of Employees		Number of Firms	March Employment	Average Weekly Wage ($)
0		53,622	0	NA
1 - 4		98,472	201,507	$692.00
5 - 9		40,332	266,435	$624.00
10 - 19		26,446	356,202	$658.00
20 - 49		17,786	536,961	$712.00
50 - 99		6,589	456,536	$766.00
100 - 249		4,106	615,962	$841.00
250 - 499		1,097	371,036	$889.00
500 - 999		336	224,254	$1,129.00
1000 +		215	464,800	$1,309.00
Totals		249,001	3,493,693	$854.00

STARBUCKS & BIGGBY COFFEE

Interesting post that lauds Biggby Coffee and overstates the troubles of Starbucks.
Excerpt below.

As Starbucks Closes Stores, Biggby Coffee Opens New Ones

by Juan Guillermo Tornoe

As Fourbucks closes 19% of its stores, Michigan-based Biggby Coffee, formerly known as Beaner’s (yes Beaner’s) is celebrating the opening of their 100th store - a 30% increase since January 31st, 2008.

Nice article but... Calling Starbucks Fourbucks seems a bit over the top. Not sure where the 19% comes from. Starbucks is closing 600 stores out of 11,434 U.S. locations.

"At the end of March, there were more than 16,226 Starbucks stores globally and 11,434 in the U.S."

So, if we take just U.S. locations, we see what the store closing percentage is...

600/11,434 = 5.25%

It may the case that Starbucks is closing 19% of Michigan locations. If this is the case it was not made clear by the post. Essentially the post was implying that Starbucks is going out of business and that it was cutting nearly 20% of its locations.

One more thing, not a fan of having to be logged in to submit comments. Does one really need to join and have a WordPress ID to comment on a blog?

What do you think?