Brahmos missile flight tested successfully off Orissa coast

India on Wednesday successfully testfired version three of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile at theIntegrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the Orissa coast.

The test firing took place at around 11.22 a.m., a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) release said.

The release said that the missile flew through the designated 290 kilometer distance at Mach 2.8 and achieved high precision with steep dive once again.

The Network of telemetry stations and down range ships confirmed that the missile followed the pre designated flight path.

When contacted, Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai confirmed that it was a text book launch achieving 100 percent results.

"Today's trial was special, as for the first time, the Brahmos missilewas launched in a 'steep drive' mode," Dr. Pillai, the chief of Brahmos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture company.

The missile was completely integrated at the BrahMos Integration Complex at Hyderabad. The test flight was witnessed by senior officers from the armed forces. he Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Brahmos, along with Mr. S Som, Project Director, Brahmos and Rear Admiral S Mohapatra, Executive Director were present during the launch.

"The missile was test fired from a ground mobile launcher from the launch complex-3 at about 1122 hours and the trial was successful," a defence official said.

The supersonic missile is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kilograms.

The cruise missile, a surface-to-surface army version, was test fired in the presence of senior army officials and DRDO scientists, a defence official said.

The two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant, has already been inducted into the army and the navy.

The army has so far placed orders for the Brahmos missile to be deployed by three regiments of the army. Two of them have already been inducted operationally. he Defence Ministry has also given a go-ahead to the army to induct a third regiment equipped with the missile system to be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh along the China border. (ANI + inputs)

source: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Women-Owned Firms Make Strides in Federal Contracting

The U.S. government is the world’s largest single purchaser of goods and services, offering a worthwhile market opportunity for many small businesses—including women-owned firms. The 5 percent federal goal for agency spending with women-owned firms, as well as the newly-launched Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program in particular, can offer women-owned firms greater contracting opportunities.

A recent survey conducted among small business owners who are active federal contractors1 shows them to be working harder for less return than they were a year ago. A new report, Women and Minority Small Business Contractors: Divergent Paths to Equal Success, focuses on key trends among women- and minority-owned firms in federal contracting. This new report, published by American Express OPEN’s Victory in Procurement (VIP) program, finds that women business owners who are active contractors have reached the same level of contracting and overall business success as all active small contractors, with a similar level of effort—but they have not yet found that certification as a woman-owned small business (WOSB) has helped them achieve that success. Further, the pinch that all small firms are feeling over the past year with respect to fewer bidding opportunities and lower success rates have impacted women-owned firms even more severely than average.

Notable survey findings include:

Women-owned active contractors have achieved the same level of procurement and business success, with a similar level of effort, as all active small contractors. Over one-third (35 percent) of women active contractors have received $1 million or more in federal contracts over their lifetime of federal procurement activity, virtually identical to the 38 percent of all active contractors who have reached the same level of procurement success. In addition, 19 percent of women contractors employ 50 or more workers and 42 percent have $1 million or more in annual revenues, very similar to the 18 percent and 47 percent seen among all active small business contractors. Further, it took women business owners an average of 1.2 years and 4.0 unsuccessful bids to notch their very first victory in procurement, virtually the same as the 1.3 years and 4.4 bids seen among all small businesses.
Recent prime contracting bidding activity and success rates have declined for all small businesses, and even more significantly for women-owned firms. Over the past three years (2008-10) the level of bidding activity and the success rates for active small business contractors have declined compared to the 2007-09 period: prime contracting bidding activity is down 47 percent and prime bidding success rates are down 8 percent, and subcontracting bidding activity and success rates have declined 48 percent and 27 percent, respectively. The decline is even more severe among women business owners, especially with respect to prime contracting, where bidding activity has declined by 55 percent and success rates have fallen by 17 percent.
Women-owned firms are more likely than average to have a special procurement designation or certification. Getting on the GSA schedule has been most helpful, but being self-certified as a WOSB has not yet opened contracting doors. Self-certifications as well as qualified designations can increase procurement opportunities for many small firms. Over eight in 10 (82 percent) women-owned firms have one or more of these designations, compared to 70 percent of all active contractors. Women business owners are most likely to have self-certified as a WOSB (68 percent), gotten on the GSA schedule (24 percent) or qualified for small disadvantaged business/disadvantaged business enterprise (SDB/DBE) status (24 percent). Women business owners find being on the GSA schedule particularly helpful—41 percent of those who are on the schedule say it’s been very or extremely useful for getting federal contracts. Not so much the WOSB status—just over one-third (37 percent) of active women contractors who have self-certified as a woman-owned small business report that the designation has been useful to them, with only 17 percent saying that it’s been very or extremely useful. Of course, up until February 2011 there was no official government WOSB program, so the full impact of this program has yet to be seen.

Other key insights in the report include the finding that women business owners are much more likely than the average active small business contractor to point to agency purchasing officials and outside consultants as having had a positive impact on their contracting success.

This report is the second in a series of four reports that will be published from the second annual survey among active small business federal contractors. The first, Trends in Federal Contracting for Small Businesses, focused on the overall situation for small firms in the federal marketplace today as well as key trends seen over the past year. Other upcoming reports will focus on how strategies and outcomes change with level of procurement experience, and what lessons can be shared from firms that focus on subcontracting as a procurement strategy.

To download and read the entire 11-page report click here, and to learn more about American Express OPEN’s VIP program, visit www.openforum.com/governmentcontracting.

1An active contractor is defined as a business that is registered on the Central Contractor Registry to do business with federal agencies and is either currently performing on a federal contract or has performed on a contract within the past five years.

Source:http://www.openforum.com

How to Avoid Work-at-Home Scams

There are genuine work-at-home business ventures and, unfortunately, there are work-at-home scams. It’s vital to be able to tell the difference between the two. Although it's difficult to tell with absolute certainty which opportunities are fraudulent and which are authentic, there are warning signs that scream “SCAM.” Here's how to spot the scams while finding legitimate opportunities.

Do your research

Before embarking on any business enterprise, do the necessary background research. It’s time consuming, but crucial to avoiding a costly mistake.
Verify that the company truly exists.
Is there readily available contact information including a physical location, email address, and phone number?
Is the company legally registered as a corporation, LLC, or other type of business entity?

Assess the company’s stability. A firm that has been in operation for two years or more is more likely to be stable than a fresh startup. Explore their reputation; check with the local Better Business Bureau or the National Fraud Information Center. If the company has a lot of negative publicity, there’s likely a reason. A few complaints are expected; a pattern of unresolved complaints is not.

Be cautious about investing money

An up-front fee required just to discover details about a business venture is highly suspect. Information should be provided free of charge so an informed decision about whether or not to pursue the prospect can be made. Legitimate companies are interested in partnering with people who can be successful; scammers, on the other hand, are only interested in money.

Be wary of unbelievable claims

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Be wary of claims of easy money with little or no effort. Starting a home-based business is just like starting any other kind of business. It requires time and effort. Claims of “guaranteed money” are also an indication of a scam. No company can guarantee profitability.

Understand the nature of the business

A legitimate work-at-home business, whether it’s selling a product or service, or freelance work, should be able to explain clearly what they do and how they do it. Also, make sure there is an actual product, service, or task involved. If the only way to make money is by recruiting other people, it’s most likely a pyramid scheme.

The ability to work from home should be secondary to the actual business. If the headline screams "WORK AT HOME," it’s most likely a scam. Legitimate opportunities tend to list the nature of the job or business first. They disclose specifics, not just the promise of working in your pajamas.

Some legitimate options

Whether you choose to be an entrepreneurial business owner, or do contract work for another company, certain types of businesses are more easily conducted at home.

Sales, whether creating or re-selling your own products or selling another company’s products or services, is a good option. Customer service, inbound sales, and telemarketing are also viable alternatives.

Virtual assistance, data processing, and transcription are popular options. Bookkeeping, tax preparation, and other financial services, as well as insurance claim processing and medical billing, are also good candidates.

Freelance writing, content creation and blog posting can be done on a contractual basis and are excellent possibilities for a self-employed writer. Some lesser-known opportunities, such as writing for greeting card companies or creating grant proposals, are often overlooked. For those with a background in a design field, opportunities exist in graphic design, website creation and illustration.

Finding work-at-home jobs

Job search engines such as LinkUp and Simply Hired search for jobs on company web sites, while Monster, CareerBuilder, and Yahoo! Careers compile vast job databases. Sifting through the massive numbers of job postings can be time-consuming, use keyword such as "telecommute" “freelance,” or “work from home” to narrow your search.

A successful home-based business is certainly possible. Make sure you research each opportunity thoroughly, screen carefully and consider which opportunities are a good fit. You’re less likely to be successful if you lack the necessary skills or dislike the work involved.

Royale Scuderi is a freelance writer and success coach. She is the founder of Productive Life Concepts and has been featured on top rated blogs such as Stepcase Lifehack and The Huffington Post. You can also find her musings on life and business at GuardWife.com and Twitter.com/RoyaleScuderi.

Source:http://www.openforum.com

5 Ways to Overcome Today's Challenges in the Financial Industry

Finances are very personal. They are often discussed quietly and confidentially with trusted financial advisers. That's why many of the challenges that financial services providers face don't have to do with dollars and cents. Emotional issues are involved with finances.

These are some strategies that help financial services managers meet the challenges of doing business in today's market.

1. Attract and retain clients

Banks and financial services firms have to stand out in the crowd by offering customers something extra.

"The bottom line is there is nothing that can differentiate one bank from another, other than making a connection with customers," says Joe Sullivan, CEO of Market Insights. Sullivan's company helps financial institutions with business strategy, planning and marketing. "Make an emotional connection with the consumer and let them know you understand their financial needs. Then come at them with solution-based thinking, not product pushing."

The financial services providers that help customers take ownership of their finances and teach them to become better money managers will have larger client bases, says Sullivan.

2. Know your customer

In a rapidly changing world, financial services providers must be aware that their customers are changing, too.

Consumers are savvier and more aware of their finances than they were five years ago, according to Sullivan. The best providers engage customers and learn how their needs are evolving.

If a bank or a business has not looked at its market or its customers to learn "what is going on with them in the last year, you don't know your customers." Sullivan said.

3. Promote confidence in the economy

The economic crisis that began in 2008 is still very fresh in customers' minds. Large financial institutions collapsed and the government bailed out troubled banks. The stock market lost value and in much of the country the housing market eroded.

Now financial advisers are called on to provide factual evidence to customers that the economy is getting stronger.

4. Use technology that customers expect

"Technology has changed the expectations consumers and small businesses have of their bank," Sullivan said.

Clients use information on the Internet to compare financial service firms. Many more customers are comfortable with managing their money online and they expect user-friendly tools to do so.

E-mail messaging and chat interaction may now be primary ways financial advisers communicate with clients. Companies must react to changes in technology to keep reaching customers in the most effective ways.

5. Watch your reputation

The financial services world is like high school in some ways: Reputations can be difficult to control or change. At the moment, consumers are not forgiving many of the companies that were front and center during the economic crisis.

A recent Harris poll surveyed consumer opinion on the reputations of America's 60 most visible companies. The top nine most disliked companies list includes six of the large financial services firms.
Wells Fargo
Citigroup
JPMorganChase
Bank of America
Goldman Sachs
AIG

Financial services companies that stay focused on customers and their needs will be the companies customers keep at the top of their "like" list. These companies have to stay in tune as customers' needs shift and they have to provide workable solutions.

Carla Turchetti is a veteran print and broadcast journalist who likes to break a topic down and keep her copy tight. That's why this bio is so brief. Carla blogs for Contently.

Source:http://www.openforum.com