Organizations that make a deliberate choice to build and nourish innovation can earn a significant payoff for their efforts. This conclusion is among the results of the second annual Innovation Quotient (IQ) survey released today by the public accounting, tax and consulting firm Plante Moran and the executive education and innovation training institute NewNorth Center. Numerous studies have shown the connection between innovation and revenue growth. The IQ survey report released today goes one step further and turns the results of the 2012 survey of more than 550 innovators ...

LeadMaster Australia Pty Ltd, a provider of cloud-based CRM, Inside Sales and Data Management solution delivered by its B2B and B2C contact centre services, today announced the launch of its new Sales and Marketing Solutions Blog covering topics ranging from B2B sales and marketing strategy, sales forecasting management and revenue performance management to marketing automation, lead nurturing and lead generation, amongst others. The blog's main perk is free access to LeadMaster Australia's exclusive Master Series including how-to guides, white papers and kits with ...

Choice Hotels Australasia celebrated a fabulous year, bestowing its annual Franchisee of the Year awards at a gala dinner at Carousel in Melbourne on the 29th of August, paying homage to outstanding property performance over the past 12 months. The evening saw Choice Hotels present four properties with the prestigious Franchisee of the Year award, recognising the best properties across each of the Choice Hotels brands: Econo Lodge, Comfort, Quality and Clarion. And the results proved that Queensland 'knows its hospitality - with three of the four major award winners ...

Graphite Design, maker of some of the most widely played premium golf shafts on the PGA TOUR, announced today that the winner of the Women's British Open played Graphite Design Tour AD shafts. The second and third place finishers also played Graphite Design Tour AD shafts. "The winner stayed calm and persevered through miserable weather conditions to claim a record-breaking nine-stroke victory in the Women's British Open," said Tak Yamada, President, Graphite Design. "This is her second victory in two weeks and we are pleased that she has chosen to play ...

Stanbridge College, a technical college that offers Master, Bachelor and Associate of Science degrees and diploma programs in Allied Health and Information Technology, held its 2012 Commencement Exercise in July featuring Dawn Loggins, 18 year old high school graduate from North Carolina as a guest speaker. At the event, Ms. Loggins helped mark the achievement of over 120 vocational nursing graduates. She spoke of how she graduated high school and achieved acceptance to Harvard University all the while dealing with a disruptive family life and homelessness. In her speech, ...

A new phase release at Hampton Lane by Pardee Homes brought out many eager and ready-to-buy home shoppers. The builder released eight homes and was prepared for the crowd, with extra sales support and the services of Linear Financial on hand to discuss home financing options. "This past phase release was an outstanding indication that the real estate market is on the road to recovery," said Rachel Collins, director of sales for Pardee Homes. "We took deposits for all eight homes released for sale. Hampton Lane and Brightwater, our adjoining neighborhood ...

Global Communications Group, Inc. (GCG), a leading provider of business technology, telecommunications and networking solutions for over 100 providers worldwide, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Dizzion, Inc., a full service cloud-delivered desktop service provider. Dizzion's cloud desktop service provides its customers with the same access and security enjoyed at the office from any device, anytime, anywhere. Their all-inclusive managed solutions provide a cost-effective, highly customizable service at a low monthly fee, and easily enable ...

Environmental Intelligence, LLC has signed a distribution agreement to represent RamSoft's radiology workflow solutions to the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR). Environmental Intelligence has been awarded a contract with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to provide a full spectrum of healthcare IT solutions to state agencies and facilities across Texas. This contract between Environmental Intelligence and the Texas DIR is a milestone, because it is the first time that the Texas DIR has awarded a contract specifically for healthcare information ...

An introductory coffee on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 at 10 a.m. will kick off the organization's semi-annual membership recruitment. The informal event will offer an opportunity to meet several active members and will introduce the organization's new executive director, Aimee Runyon. Interested individuals should contact JoAnn at 602-826-1737 for further information. Assistance League is an equal-opportunity volunteer-driven organization, and membership is open to anyone without regard to age, race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. Members set their own ...

Today Dan Rhema is a visionary artist, writer and filmmaker, who lives in historic Old Louisville, Kentucky. Dan's art has been exhibited nationally, in solo and group shows, for the past decade. He has done a tremendous amount of exhibitions, seminars, lectures, and a multitude of radio and television interviews. Dan's children's picture books include: The Day The Animals Lost Their True Colors, a 2002 IPPY Awards Finalist, One Tiny Twig and Bluegrass Breeze. Dan has recently released the powerful eBook called "I Close My Eyes To See," which describes the near-death ...

National Cheeseburger Day is upon us yet again and several Chicagoland restaurants are honoring it by featuring juicy and delicious cheeseburger options for everyone's taste. Chicago French Market's, Frietkoten, is primarily known for its authentic Belgian fries and hearty selection of Belgian beers, both on tap and bottled. However the recently added menu of gourmet Belgian cheeseburgers, made from beef that is freshly ground daily, is proving that the Belgians know what makes up a great burger. It's offering of cheeseburgers include a combination of choice toppings ...

The Commonwealth of Virginia recently passed legislation that requires anyone convicted of drunk driving, including first-time offenses, to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. An ignition interlock device requires the driver to blow into the device before the car's engine will start. If the device detects alcohol, the car will not start. Virginia's new law greatly expands the use of ignition interlock devices and raises the stakes for those facing drunk driving charges. Virginia's New Ignition Interlock Law The new law is a change from previous ...

Banks have been initiating foreclosures on homes with unpaid mortgages at an increased rate during recent months, making up for time lost during last year's investigation of the robo-signing scandal, The Washington Post reported recently. Nationwide, the number of homes entering the foreclosure process increased in both May and June 2012 over the same period in 2011, according to RealtyTrac Inc., a foreclosure listing firm. Unfortunately, despite localized improvements in the real estate market, Connecticut foreclosures have mirrored the national trend, with new filings ...

On July 1, 2012, Indiana became more in step with the rest of the country when the state ended its practice of requiring child support payments until a child reaches age 21. Under the new law, a child support obligation ends when a child turns 19, with some exceptions. Indiana Lowers Child Support Termination Age According to an Indiana county official, Indiana was one of only three states, plus the District of Columbia, that still required child support to continue to age 21. In the rest of the country, a child support order usually ends when a child reaches age ...

Eric C. Wilson, one of the "Norfolk Four," has been out of prison living in Texas for several years after serving 8-and-a-half years for the rape of an 18-year-old woman. DNA evidence later exonerated the Four, and Gov. Tim Kaine conditionally pardoned the other three members, convicted of rape and murder of the victim, in 2009. Wilson was ineligible for pardon because he was already out of prison. Texas Sex Offender Registration Wilson is not on probation, yet he recently made the argument to a federal appeals court that he remains in custody. His reasoning? ...

As social media becomes more ubiquitous in daily life, the information that people put online is beginning to affect their lives in ways they may not have anticipated. Debt collectors have started to use information on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to try to collect money from people. While the law limits what debt collectors can do when attempting to collect a debt, not all debt collectors follow the law, and debt collectors can make a lot use of the information they find on social media sites while still following the law. People can prevent creditors ...

In February 2012, the federal government announced that it reached a settlement with the four largest mortgage-lending companies in the U.S. and several state governments in the "robo-signing" scandal. Many had accused the lenders of committing improprieties in the foreclosure process and inappropriately foreclosing on countless homeowners during 2009 and 2010. The four lenders paid about $25 billion in fines to the federal and various state governments as part of the settlement agreements. What people may not know is that as part of the agreement, the federal ...

The Fifth District Appellate Court of Illinois ruled recently that Norfolk Southern Railway cannot be held liable for an employee's knee injuries because the statute of limitations had expired before the man filed a lawsuit against the railroad. The plaintiff in Axe v. Norfolk Southern Railway retired from his job as a conductor for Norfolk Southern in 2002 and was diagnosed with severe degenerative arthritis in both knees in 2006. Despite undergoing total knee replacement surgeries in 2006 and 2009, he did not file a lawsuit against his former employer until 2010. The ...

A recent study published in the professional medical journal Archives of Surgery reveals startling results: On average, surgical residents spend half of the time they are awake at less than 80 percent of their full mental capacity, and one-third of the time at less than 70 percent. The study tracked 27 orthopedic residents. The average resident got five hours of sleep per night, but some residents averaged as little as less than three. Overall, fatigue was very prevalent. Residential surgeons are prohibited from working more than 80 hours per week, but that number ...

Adaptiva (http://www.adaptiva.com), an award-winning provider of IT systems management solutions, is pleased to announce that the company has experienced an explosive growth rate of more than 900 percent over prior year, and has increased its installed base by more than a million PCs in just the past few months. This announcement comes on the heels of the company's recognition as a finalist for the Golden Bridge Award in Innovative IT Systems Software and as a winner of the Red Herring Top 100 Most Innovative Companies in North America. According to Gartner Executive ...

Jack Thurman, president of BKD Wealth Advisors, LLC, is proud to announce BKD has been named to Accounting Today's Top Firms by Assets Under Management list for 2012. This is the fifth consecutive year BKD has been recognized. The accounting publication's annual Top Firms recognition honors CPA firms with financial planning practices or subsidiaries and ranks each by assets under management (AUM). The sixth annual Top Firms ranking includes submissions from 192 CPA wealth management firms across the country. BKD was one of sixteen practices included on the list's "Billion ...

Hurricane Grill & Wings debuts new Legendary Cocktail menu with a collection of island-inspired drinks hand shaken to perfection. With an extensive list of beverages varying in intensity from Category 1 to Category 5, Hurricane Grill & Wings encourages guests to prepare for a storm of flavor. Keeping with their tropical vibe and flavors, Hurricane Grill & Wings' new hand-crafted beverage menu includes a variety of fresh, breezy favorites. Category 1 drinks are highlighted with light, tropical flavors like The Go LO Rita mixed with coconut water and hints ...

TuneNGo, Inc. (http://www.tunego.com), a cloud-based solutions provider for small business, is pleased to announce that Embracing the Muse (http://www.embracingthemuse.com), a southwest entrepreneur, and small business and personal coach, uses the TuneNGo online calendaring, e-scheduling, e-commerce and video conferencing solution suite. Recognized globally, Stephen Bruno, DD, CHt, MsD, RMT, IARP, of Embracing the Muse, has been providing life coaching services for more than 43 years and serves clients around the world. TuneNGo offers Bruno's clients an easy and convenient ...

Denon Electronics, a premier manufacturer of high-quality home and personal audio products, today launched visYOUalize Yourself (http://usa.denon.com/headphones), an unprecedented breed of microsite that uses advanced face mapping technology to provide visitors with an interactive headphone experience. The site offers consumers a unique method of selecting the right headphone for their lifestyle and personal style. Visitors can upload photographs or use their webcam to virtually try on the headphones and take a screenshot of themselves while wearing Music Maniac , Urban ...

Para-Plus Translations, Inc. (www.para-plus.com) was recently named to the Inc. 5000, a ranking of the fastest growing, privately-owned companies in the U.S. Para-Plus Translations, which provides language interpretation and translation services, joins such well-known companies as Levi Stauss, CDW and Publix Supermarkets on the list, which is compiled annually by Inc. Magazine. A copy is available at http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2012. Making the list this year was particularly notable given the economic climate, according to Inc. editor-in-chief Eric Schurenberg. ...