MANSUETO VENTURES PRESS RELEASES

Featured in the August Issue of Inc. Magazine

(On newsstands July 3 - August 21)

Inc.'s Guide to Office Fun, this package begins on pg. 84.
Fun in the workplace lifts the spirits, makes onerous tasks easier, and creates an environment in which everyone is willing - even eager - to work hard and well together. As employees and bosses alike put in longer and longer hours, having fun at work is almost a necessity. Inc. magazine surveyed more than 300 employees and found the most fun-obsessed CEO's and businesses that have come up with ingenious ways to relieve the tedium and transform stressful environments into over-the-top fun workplaces.

25 Ideas for Workplace Fun, pg. 90.
From cube volleyball and pet psychics to Olympic-inspired chair races and file relays, Inc. Senior Writer Stephanie Clifford is available to provide 25 tips on how to have fun in the workplace and ingenious ways to relieve the boredom of administrative tasks.

YouTube or Utube?, p. 23.
Since last fall, more than 100,000 Web surfers accidentally landed on Utube.com, the website of Universal Tube and Rollform Equipment, when they wanted to check out YouTube, the popular video-sharing site acquired by Google last October. This surge in traffic has left the company's 15 employees struggling to keep up with complaints ranging from its lack of videos to child pornography. Now this Ohio-based reseller of machinery has filed a lawsuit over domain-name confusion. Inc. Executive Editor Mike Hofman is available to discuss the details of this latest clash over domain names and their implications for companies doing business online.

No Free Pass: Anti-Bribery Law is Now Aggressively Enforced, p. 48.
What is considered a bribe? It's hard to tell what payments will violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Be careful! The Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice are stepping up enforcement, causing companies to rethink the way they do business overseas. Inc. Associate Editor Hannah Clark is available to discuss the frustratingly vague FCPA; recent investigations and indictments; and to provide a guide to culturally appropriate gifts and how to present them in five emerging markets.

Microsoft's Vista Looks Pretty, But It's a Challenging Upgrade, p. 51.
Six months after its release, Vista, is the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft's history with 40 million copies already out the door. Vista boasts a slick new interface that makes viewing and finding files easier and higher level security and protection. Is it time for you to upgrade? Inc. Senior Articles Editor Don Steinberg is available to discuss the benefits and vulnerabilities of this new operating system, as well as compatibility issues, cost considerations and the best time to upgrade.

The Departed, p. 128.
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have an employee resign! Some bosses hate being surprised by a defection - but for some it's worse to see it coming. Whether you lose a valued employee or one you're pleased to see the back of, there is usually a twinge of regret. Inc. Editor-at-Large Leigh Buchanan is available to discuss the emotions behind an employee resignation and a lesson that helps make it a little easier.

Boomer Benefits: As Workers Retire, Small Companies Face a Talent Crunch, p. 44.
For any company with older employees, the statistics are grim. Over the next two decades, 78 million baby boomers will turn 65, the traditional retirement age. That's going to create a talent shortage, particularly in industries such as health care, education, engineering, and financial services. Inc. Associate Editor Hannah Clark is available to discuss this trend and a few inexpensive, simple ways to get older employees to stay onboard a little longer.

Taking on Starbucks: How Independents Can Hold Their Ground, p. 65.
Sitting back and waiting is what a lot of small companies do when a giant moves in. They hope for the best and then react when the giant starts undercutting their pricing power and taking away market share. By then it may be too late to fight back. Inc. Editor-at-Large Norm Brodsky is available to discuss how small companies can build customer bonds, capitalize on their advantages, and outmaneuver the giants and change the outcome.

Cutting Prices Can Send a Powerful Message, but It Also Can Backfire, p.42.
Most people consider cutting prices to be a powerful way to attract new customers. But, it's not always so simple. A price tag, after all, says a lot about a product or service. Go too low, and buyers looking for quality may turn elsewhere. Indeed, there are cases in which the best way to attract new clients is to push prices higher. Inc. Senior Writer Stephanie Clifford is available to discuss what price says, in marketing terms, about a product or service.

Gifts Worth Giving: A Guide to the Best Company Swag, p. 39.
Promotional swag is supposed to be an easy way for businesses to build recognition and goodwill among their customers. In 2006, companies sank more than $18.8 billion into branded freebees according to the Promotional Products Association International. But many businesses fail to bring creative thinking or design savvy to these most tangible of marketing efforts, with the result that most swag ends up in the garbage - wasting precious promotional dollars. Inc. Executive Editor Mike Hofman is available to provide tips on how to choose an effective freebie and some unique promotional products worth considering.

Splitting Heirs, p. 103.
Family dynamics provide the wild card in any case involving succession planning. For all the paperwork covering who gets what shares and at what price, and who becomes president and who chief layabout - the family part gets everyone stuck. This issue of Inc. magazine tells the story of Sam's Wines and Spirits, a Chicago family business that isn't a family business any longer. Inc. Senior Writer Stephanie Clifford is available to discuss some of the difficulties of family planning and to provide pointers for making succession a little easier.