Wendy's sales climb amid transformation push

(AP) ? Wendy's push to remake itself as a higher-end hamburger chain is starting to pay off, with a key sales figure rising for the sixth straight quarter.

The company, based in Dublin, Ohio, is trying to pull away from the image of the typical fast-food chain and cast itself as a purveyor of higher-quality burgers and sides. The move reflects the growing popularity of chains such as Chipotle and Panera, which offer better quality food for slightly higher prices.

Other chains have been taking cues from the new breed of fast-casual restaurants as well, with Burger King reworking its menu and Taco Bell rolling out its higher-end Cantina Bell bowls and burritos earlier this year. McDonald's Corp., meanwhile, said it plans to intensify its focus on value in the challenging economy. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain said Thursday that sales in October fell for the first time since 2003.

In the latest quarter, Wendy's said premium food offerings ? such as the Son of Baconator and the Asiago Ranch chicken sandwich ? helped lift revenue by 2.7 percent at restaurants open at least 15 months. That marks the sixth straight quarter the figure has climbed. The figure is a good gauge of a restaurant chain's health because it strips out the volatility of newly opened and closed stores.

The improvement helped Wendy's shares rise 27 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $4.53.

Wendy's said the increase was driven by greater spending per visit, although the number of transactions declined.

CEO Emil Brolick said in a conference call with analysts that Wendy's can keep improving the image of its food without paying that much more for ingredients. For example, Wendy's is considering different bread options such as wheat or focaccia buns for its burgers and sandwiches. Even though these wouldn't cost Wendy's much more, Brolick has said customers equate them with better quality and are willing to pay more for them.

He noted Thursday that it was the "perceived quality" that customers care about ? not the actual ingredients.

"We believe we can be more astute about that than we have been in the past," he said.

Another big part of Wendy's transformation is the remodeling of its outdated restaurants with a more modern, inviting look. Brolick, who was hired about a year ago, says that new look is needed to signal the chain's transformation to customers, as well as justify the higher prices. The look, which has a variety of seating options, light wood and flat-screen TVs, is intended to make people feel that they can relax to enjoy their meal ? not unlike the atmosphere at Panera.

Wendy's said it plans to accelerate remodeling of company-operated restaurants in the months ahead and recently introduced an incentive program to entice franchisees to remodel. Starting in March, it's also rolling out the first update to its logo since 1983.

For the three months ended Sept. 30, Wendy's reported a wider net loss, in part because of a charge related to the early payoff of debt. It lost $26.2 million, or 7 cents per share. It posted a loss of $4 million, or a penny per share, a year ago when it incurred costs related to the spinoff of the Arby's chain.

Not including one-time items, Wendy's said it earned 3 cents per share. Analysts expected 5 cents.

Total revenue rose 4 percent to $636.3 million, which fell short of the $640.6 million Wall Street expected.

The company declared an increase in its quarterly dividend to 4 cents per share from 2 cents per share.

The Wendy's Co. has more than 6,500 restaurants, primarily in North America.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-08-Earns-Wendy's/id-3b86bf1512734157b48f540ccd9acad8

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Minnesota School of Business-Plymouth Announces Early Fall ...

The Minnesota School of Business-Plymouth recently released its academic honors list for the 2012 Early Fall Quarter. Students with a GPA of 3.50-3.99 were recognized on the Honors List while students with a GPA of 4.0 were named to the High Honors List. Students are listed in alphabetical order, according to hometown.

Highest Honors

Andover
Andrea Kiefat, Veterinary Technology
Kadie Olesen, Veterinary Technology

Anoka
Julia Moz, Management Accounting

Big Lake
Angie Fisher, Business Administration

Bloomington
Margaret Duff, Veterinary Technology

Brooklyn Park
Freeman Kollie, Health Fitness Specialist
Laurel Zastrow, Veterinary Technology

Coon Rapids
Nicole Richard, Massage Therapy

Corcoran
Nichole Schilling, Massage Therapy

Crystal
Derek Bredesen, Business Management
Elisabeth Fischbein Palkar, Veterinary Technology
Karen Novy, Medical Administrative Assistant

Delano
Rachel Dibble, Medical Assistant
Shanna Hausladen, Medical Assistant
Jacqueline Ryan, Sales and Marketing

Eden Prairie
Tina Gagner, Health Fitness Specialist

Edina
Zoe Erickson, Single Subject
Eleanor Grazzini, Veterinary Technology

Long Lake
Kimberly Thompson, Single Subject

Maple Grove
Bradley Batdorf, Business Administration
Guy Nothem, Health Care Management
Makayla Posl, Single Subject
Jennifer Ross, Single Subject
Susan Worden, Massage Therapy

Maple Plain
Kaitlyn Alvarez, Medical Assistant
Renee Anderson, Medical Assistant

Medina
Deborah Newton-D?Taillefer, Business Administration

Minneapolis
Shannon Corbett, Veterinary Technology
Daniel Marlow, Single Subject
Jessica Quast, Veterinary Technology

Minnetonka
Alison Williams, Business Management

Montrose
Justin Doering, Accounting
Jennifer Hallman, Management Accounting
Nicole Schrupp, Medical Administrative Assistant

Mound
Kelsey Harms, Health Fitness Specialist
Jennifer Jerpbak, Medical Administrative Assistant

Plymouth
Sheri Barwig, Health Fitness Specialist
Diana Berbig, Business Administration
Marcus Booker, Health Fitness Specialist
Denis Chepurnoy, Accounting and Tax Specialist
Jennifer Flemming, Business Administration
Jennifer Graef, Business Management
Dawn Hansen, Business Management
Philip Normandin, Business Administration
Rebecca Ram, Veterinary Technology
Kathleen Rollins, Accounting
Brian Stessman, Single Subject

Robbinsdale
Rebecca Dvorak, Veterinary Technology

Rockford
Lisa Allen, Health Fitness Specialist
Ericka Currier, Business Administration
Juanita Kerrigan, Medical Assistant
Jenna Lubansky, Veterinary Technology
Kathleen Turner, Medical Administrative Assistant

Rogers
Marisa Kolasa, Massage Therapy

Savage
Yelka Gramaccioni, Accounting

St. Louis Park
Emily Johnson, Veterinary Technology
Rachel Raymond, Veterinary Technology

St. Paul
Marek Siedlecki, Health Fitness Specialist

Watertown
Kristi Olson, Business Administration

Waverly
Likhi Baltazar de Diaz, Medical Assistant

?

Honors

Andover
Edward Sears, Health Fitness Specialist

Becker
Daryn Holty, Business Administration

Big Lake
Natasha Gjerstad, Forensic Accounting

Blaine
Brittany Ferrence, Health Fitness Specialist

Buffalo
Roxana Butterfass, Medical Assistant

Cambridge
Tamara Tasler, Veterinary Technology

Crystal
Khrystina Northrop-Day, Veterinary Technology Management

Eden Prairie
Katherine Olson, Veterinary Technology

Glenwood
Meagan MacIver, Business Administration

Lester Prairie
Monica Anderson, Medical Assistant

Long Lake
Heather Lamp, Information Technology

Maple Grove
Kristina Senear, Veterinary Technology

Medina
Rebecca Frisch, Veterinary Technology

Minneapolis
Chad Bridgman, Business Management
Cristine Lyons, Veterinary Technology

Minnetrista
Shaun Ulrich, Business Management
Angelica Bisek, Health Fitness Specialist

Plymouth
Howard Barenburg, Veterinary Technology
Andrew Beddor, Business Administration
Michael Fennessey, Business Management
Scott Hansen, Veterinary Technology
Jenayah Jamison, Veterinary Technology
Ceresa Young, Forensic Accounting

Prior Lake
Ross Granlund, Health Fitness Specialist

Robbinsdale
Jason Heil, Massage Therapy
Michael McGrath, Information Technology
Nicole Super, Veterinary Technology

Spring Park
Sarah Anderson, Accounting

St. Louis Park
Brooke Hanten, Veterinary Technology Management
Darcy Heithecker, Veterinary Technology
Jason Strauch, Health Fitness Specialist
Karen Pederson, Veterinary Technology Management

Source: http://plymouth-mn.patch.com/announcements/minnesota-school-of-business-plymouth-announces-early-fall-quarter-academic-honors

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larafawcatt: afaik unripe: HEALTH and FITNESS | Aromatherapy For ...

Aromatherapy For Beginners ? 5 Oils Toolkit
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Source: http://kashwealthsystem.com/health/2012/11/06/aromatherapy-for-beginners-5-oils-toolkit/

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Source: http://larafawcatt.blogspot.com/2012/11/afaik-unripe-health-and-fitness.html

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4 ways to speak up and share your ideas, opinions ? Business ...

microphoneYou?re intelligent. You?re competent. You get the job done. But is anyone noticing your great qualities and skills? The quickest way to make sure they do is to speak up and share your ideas and opinions, writes Joel Garfinkle for SmartBlog on Leadership.

Research has shown that people perceive those who speak their minds and act dominant to be competent?whether they are or not.

Here are some tips to help you speak up.

1.??Don?t wait for the perfect thought to come to mind. You don?t need to have the best idea or even a good one. All you need is to join the conversation and make sure people know you have an idea.

2.??Don?t wait for the perfect words. If you toss the thought around in your head, searching for the perfect way to say it out loud, you may miss your chance to speak altogether.

3.??Don?t give up if someone else says it first. You can still speak up and voice your support for the idea. While you?ve got the floor, you can add to the idea and explain why it?s a good one.

4.??Don?t hesitate to disagree with the majority. Differing opinions add depth to a discussion and considering a variety of ideas helps people come to a better decision in the end.

Speaking up is hard and scary, if you aren?t used to doing it. With a little work, though, you can learn to trust yourself and conquer your fear.

? Adapted from ?One simple technique to appear more competent at work,? Joel Garfinkle, SmartBlog on Leadership.

Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!

Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...

We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.

The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33112/4-ways-to-speak-up-and-share-your-ideas-opinions "

Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33112/4-ways-to-speak-up-and-share-your-ideas-opinions

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Biden to make cameo on 'Parks and Recreation'

The 2012 election is wrapped up, so what's next for Vice President Biden? A cameo on one of his favorite TV shows, Parks and Recreation.

Biden will make an appearance on the Nov. 15 episode of Parks and Recreation when city councilwoman Leslie Knope, who is played by Amy Poehler, goes to Washington, D.C. and meets the VP as a special surprise from her fiance, Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott.

Entertainment Weekly reports the scene was shot in at the White House in July when the show traveled to the nation's capital to shoot scenes with other politicians.

"Given that Eleanor Roosevelt and Bella Abzug are no longer with us, this is probably no. 1," executive producer Michael Schur told Entertainment Weekly. "[Leslie] has a lot of female heroes that cross party lines. She has a lot of social figures that she considers heroes, but the funniest hero is Joe Biden. There's an episode last season where she says, 'Joe Biden is on my celebrity sex list - well, he is my celebrity sex list'? It was amazing to have her meet Olympia Snowe and Barbara Boxer because that meant something to her politically. But this transcends that. She's meeting the man that she's in love with on some deep level. It was a bigger deal to us in some ways that she meet Joe Biden than it was that she meet Barack Obama."

But keeping the cameo under wraps was a difficult task since the vice president and President Obama were in the middle of the campaign.

"His staff really loves the show, and he apparently had watched the show with his family and his family liked it," Schur told Entertainment Weekly. "The hardest part was keeping it secret for so long because there's all these FEC rules and equal-time rules. We couldn't air it before the election because it was the equivalent of a campaign contribution to advertise for one candidate."

And what would have happened if the Obama-Biden ticket didn't win this week? Schur told Entertainment Weekly that the writers wrote some additional scenes in case the current occupants of the White House lost or if there was a recount.

In a radio interview last week, the vice president revealed that Parks and Recreation is one of the shows he's able to keep up with.

"Beyond Modern Family and Parks and Recreation, that's about it, those are ones that I spend most of my time," Biden said in an interview with Roxy Romeo on WMIA radio, a Miami radio station last Friday.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-cameo-parks-recreation-150920222--abc-news-politics.html

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UK lawmaker suspended for joining reality TV show

LONDON (AP) ? A British lawmaker was suspended by her party Tuesday after she swapped the political jungle for the Australian rainforest and became a contestant on a reality TV show.

Conservative legislator Nadine Dorries was under fire for taking part in "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here." The show strands C-list celebrities in the Australian wilderness, subjects them to trials involving assorted creepy-crawlies and lets viewers vote them off one by one.

The Conservatives, who lead Britain's coalition government, said Dorries was being suspended from the party's parliamentary caucus until she could return and meet with Chief Whip George Young, who is responsible for party discipline.

Dorries was criticized by fellow Conservatives for taking up to a month off from her duties to appear on the show. Former Conservative member of Parliament Harry Greenway called the decision "outrageous," and Home Secretary Theresa May said a lawmaker's job "is in their constituency and in the House of Commons."

But Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie said appearing on the show, which begins Sunday, could help Dorries "present an image of a Tory MP that defies some of the popular preconceptions and caricatures."

It could also backfire.

In 2006, George Galloway, a lawmaker with the small Respect party, appeared on the TV show "Celebrity Big Brother" ? and was widely mocked for escapades that included performing interpretive dance dressed in a red leotard and lapping imaginary milk while pretending to be a cat.

Dorries is an outspoken backbencher, best known for her prolific blogging and attempt to restrict access to late-term abortions.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-lawmaker-suspended-joining-reality-tv-show-182155717.html

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Five Avoidable Caregiver Mistakes ? AARP

Posted on 11/7/2012 by Sally Abrahms | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving Print

Trend alert or rather, trend-to-be alert. I recently heard of a new concept that sounds like a caregiver?s dream: a team of professionals from various disciplines (i.e. legal, financial, caregiving) who specialize in aging issues. Someone on the team steers you to other experts you need ? and may not even realize you need. These pros confer to make sure all your bases are covered.

Rod Chamberlin, a financial planner in Irvine, California, has one such team. Besides a financial planner and eldercare lawyer, it includes a senior care placement expert, long-term care specialist, family advocate aka mediator, personal business facilitator (helps Mom cancel subscriptions and insurance, arrange documents, pay bills) and geriatric psychiatrist.

Clients hire whichever specialists they need and pay each separately.

I asked Chamberlin for the most common mistakes his group sees boomers make regarding their parents? financial, legal, and care decisions. This applies to you, too!

Here are his top five:

  1. Becoming vulnerable to scammers and unqualified professionals. ?It doesn?t just happen to dumb people,? says Chamberlin. ?I?ve seen professionals whose parents were scammed!?
  2. Not having proper legal, financial, and healthcare documents. At the least, you need power of attorney, a will and/or trusts and an advanced care directive.
  3. Misunderstanding your options for senior care and how to pay for it: assisted living vs. a nursing home vs. memory care. They?re different, as is Medicare and Medicaid. Do you qualify for benefits i.e. a veteran or spouse of a vet may be eligible for paid in-home or long-term care? Some long-term care life insurance policies pay in advance on a death benefit (tax-free cash now), and, in some situations, a reverse mortgage makes sense to help bankroll care costs.
  4. Holding inappropriate investments and/or selling investments that trigger unnecessary taxes. A professional can identify the best assets to sell (to pay for care or simply maximize investments) that won?t have a big tax impact.
  5. Not taking advantage of tax credits, exemptions, exclusions and deductions. If you qualify, you may be able to claim your parent as a dependent or write off healthcare costs, for instance.

Chamberlin?s model is new; there aren?t many like it ? yet. If you can?t find a similar group, then look for a legal or financial pro able to coordinate efforts with other specialists.

Follow Sally Abrahms at www.sallyabrahms.com and on Twitter.

Source: http://blog.aarp.org/2012/11/07/sally-abrahms-caregiving-mistakes/

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