Attention: FIT Business Certificates Students Luncheon Meeting Wednesday, September 17, 2014 RETAIL INDUSTRY REVIEW & OUTLOOK A Panel Discussion with Experts from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm Arno Ristorante141 West 38th St., NYC(between Broadway & Seventh Ave.)
Our panelists will consider the following questions facing the retailing and supermarkets industries in 2015:
* Sears & J.C. Penney: Headed in Different Directions?
* Myths and Realities: The Long-term View of Online Retail vs. Bricks and Mortar
* Mergers, Acquisitions and Leveraged Buy-Outs: What’s Hot? What’s Not?
Panelists from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services: Bob Schulz, CFA, Managing Director, Analytical Manager, Retail & Restaurants Ana Lai, CFA, Senior Director, Analytical Manager, REITs and Homebuilders Toby Crabtree, Director (department stores, apparel, online retailers) Chuck Pinson-Rose, CFA, Director (supermarkets and specialty hard goods)
Moderator: Margaret Cannella, Adjunct Professor, Columbia Business School, former retailing analyst Scroll down for bios of our panelists.
Written by: David L. Colby, Esq., Managing Director of Colby Law Office, PC
When creative people start a business, interesting things happen. Cool things, Inspired things, game changing things. But sadly, also tragic, bad things. The users of this world prey on creative people far too often.
As an attorney who helps creative entrepreneurs, I will be the first one to say that creative people and business frequently are at odds. It is sometimes complicated for creative entrepreneurs to maintain control of their own companies. Indeed there are special challenges and disconnects that are almost directly proportionate to the level of originality and creativity in the entrepreneur.
I remind my clients of what Andy Warhol said: “being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.” With that clever mindset, a creative entrepreneur can maintain their creative integrity and still have a head for business. Moreover, you can learn to harness creativity to structure deals, work out complex business relationships, and offer up creative solutions during negotiations.
No doubt creativity really what its all about. After all, what is a business without creativity? Its not difficult to find examples: uninspired copy-cats, knock-off agents, struggling plagiarists, copy-cats, soulless hacks pushing their way into the market with profit as its primary motive; design a secondary concern at best. A noteworthy hallmark of these types is that in the long run, they are limited in their potential. They lack authenticity… an original core… a deep well to keep going back to for inspiration.
The opposite of this is a business founded and controlled by the original creative person or team. The designer, the artist, being at the center is actually the engine, the heart of the beast, to what truly matters in the long run.
But as important as creativity and originality is, we cannot escape the fact that business is business. To level the playing field, it is imperative to have a plan and a relationship with the right kind of lawyer. If you are looking to start or grow a fashion-based business—whether as a designer or in some other related way– it is of the highest importance to organize your business and protect your interests to succeed.
In short, creative entrepreneurs require special care. And they deserve to get it. It isn’t just looking out for their interests, a lot of time it is just actually listening to them, encouraging them, and reminding them that their creativity is the secret ingredient and the most valuable asset they have.
David L. Colby, Esq. is the Managing Director of Colby Law Office, PC, a law firm in NYC that represents many up and coming designers and their businesses worldwide. Colby Law Office works particularly with business formation and governance, intellectual property and contracts.
Colby Law Office is doing the second of their free legal clinics at FIT on May 19th from 5:30-7:30pm. Only RSVP’s may attend https://legalsalon-may.eventbrite.com. If no more space is available, David can be reached at dcolby@colbylaw.com to set up a free consultation.
April is National Heartworm Disease Awareness, month and I would love to share about how I got started with my non-profit organization called Wags 4 hope. My family began searching for three years through countless pet stores, rescue shelters, Newspapers, and private dog breeders, for a loving and loyal friend. A year and a half ago, our search happily ended when I was searching the Internet and found a two-year-old shaggy dog that had been rescued at a high kill shelter in Houston, Texas.
At his Veterinarian check up it soon was discovered that Teddy tested positive for heartworm disease through an antigen test. This blood test detects specific proteins, called antigens, which are released by adult female heartworms into the dog’s bloodstream. Teddy had to be given two injections of arsenic and remain in a crate. He had to be inactive and carefully monitored for a couple of months. The treatment for heartworm disease is very expensive and difficult for dogs to recover from. It can also be potentially toxic to the dog’s body and can cause serious complications, such as life-threatening blood clots to the lungs. Treatment is very expensive because it requires multiple visits to the Veterinarian, with the process of blood work, and X-rays. It broke my heart to learn that my dog had endured great pain.
Having learned devastating effects of heartworm disease from my loving companion, I seek to educate pet owners across the country about heartworm disease. I founded Wags 4 Hope in an effort to raise awareness and help support shelter animals’ medical needs. I combine my love of painting with my passion for animals. All of the proceeds raised through my paintings are given animal shelters and rescues.
