That’s the strategy [Indian] stores/outlets employ when you walk in.
Let’s visualize an Adidas outlet at a mall. You are greeted by a security guard with a BIG W I D E smile. The moment you put a foot in, a sales person is all over you asking you what you want and pointing you the […]
Archive for March, 2007
Your Last Day to Watch “Midnight Hot”
Published by March 30th, 2007 in Business & Management. 8 CommentsThe folks at the Information and Broadcasting (I & B) ministry have really gone nuts. Their latest decision is to ban Fashion TV (FTV) for two-months from April 01, 2007 to May 30, 2007 for telecasting programmes such as “Midnight Hot,” where “skimpily dressed and semi-naked models are shown, which is against good taste and […]
These days, a to-do list has become a necessity. It’s close to impossible to remember everything that you wish to do in one day. I have tried a great many techniques to maintain a to-do list - Post-It Notes (both physical paper and the desktop version), Microsoft Outlook (eeeeeks!), [constantly changing] mobile phones, an iPAQ […]
Review: 20,000 Km on the Hyundai Santro Xing XG
Published by March 28th, 2007 in The Bangalore Blog. 3 CommentsThe Santro Xing XG on the road to Coonoor.
Just hit the 20,000 kilometre mark on my Santro Xing XG’s odometer. You can read what my thoughts were at the 10,000 kilometre mark @ Review: Hyundai Santro Xing. Back in September, 2005, I had said:
How would I describe the Hyundai Santro Xing in one sentence?
It’s really […]
The Uselessness of Pre-Announced Mock Fire Drills
Published by March 28th, 2007 in Business & Management. 3 CommentsOn Tuesday, at work, we had a mock fire drill. Mock fire drills are necessary in order to teach basic survival techniques in the event of an actual fire and to measure the efficiency of the Emergency Response Team’s (ERT) response.
The only problem with this particular setup was that it was preannounced on Monday that […]
Since February, I have been asked many a time on how I managed to slim down so much. At one point in time, I came dangerously close to the three-figure mark (read 100 kilos). I have managed to shed 30+ kilos. Friends who I haven’t seen in a few years hardly recognize me. I thought […]
The Logic Behind Business Frameworks
Published by March 27th, 2007 in Business & Management. 0 CommentsThe work that I have been doing during my internship has taught me a lot. If you remember, last year, I really couldn’t figure out the logic behind those umpteen business frameworks. I had vented my frustrations here and here. I would scream the moment I saw a new framework. Turns out I was looking […]
The past one month has been wonderful - I’ve been on three trips already! It’s a wonderful feeling after an year’s hiatus. There’s nothing more rejuvenating than a great trip with your closest friends.
Here’s where I have been to recently:
Nandi Hills
Bandipur, Ooty, and Coonoor
Chennai (office trip)
Unfortunately, we accidentally deleted the Nandi Hills trip photos. I […]
The statistics for February are finally out. Here’s a quick summary:
3.05% increase in overall expenses
Zero credit card charges!
Loans constitute 40% of cash outflow
No income. I am still a student
There is one financial advise I’d like to give: “Try your best to have an EMI free life.” EMIs suck!
All You Wanted To Know About Chickenpox
Published by March 15th, 2007 in Public Service Ads. 0 CommentsPublic Service Advertisement.
This useful piece of information landed in my inbox today.
It is summer time and March-April is the season for diseases like chickenpox. It is a highly contagious disease and can spread rapidly specially in closed spaces. Please find attached some information on chickenpox, its vaccine and Herpes Zoster which is also caused by […]
Download the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Tracker
Published by March 13th, 2007 in General Stuff. 2 CommentsCourtesy Vinayak.
Enclosed is an MS Excel based ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Wallchart. You can use it to know about the teams, the playing venues, the rules and regulations, the World Cup schedules etc. The Schedule/E-chart work sheet can be used to keep track of the progress in the World Cup by updating the winners […]
India’s No. 1 Business Magazine
Most Read
Most Sold
That’s what BusinessWorld magazine claims on the cover page. I think it’s a better idea to rephrase that into:
India’s No. 1 Business Magazine
Most Read
Most Sought
Does “Most Sold” convey something negative? Which one would you pick if you were BusinessWorld?
Why You Should Invest in a Public Provident Fund Account?
Published by March 12th, 2007 in Finance. 92 CommentsIf you haven’t already started on a long-term savings strategy, you could begin on one this April with a Public Provident Fund (PPF) subscription. I believe that the PPF was started by the Government of India in lieu of social security. (I doubt if a Government can ever provide social security to a billion plus […]
Management Imperatives to Make IT Business-Smart
Published by March 11th, 2007 in Business & Management and The SP Jain Blog. 0 CommentsPay special attention to the Cisco case. Everyone talks of Supply Chain Management (SCM) - it’s a hot and happening buzzword. But that’s just one side of the equation - the push. Shouldn’t we focus equally on Demand Chain Management (DCM) - the pull?
Download the PowerPoint presentation.
IT Can Drive Innovative Strategies
Published by March 10th, 2007 in Business & Management and The SP Jain Blog. 0 CommentsOne more gem of a presentation from Dr. Lakshmi Mohan’s class. This one’s peppered with case studies.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.
Here’s an expense tracking template (Microsoft Excel workbook) I have been fiddling around with since January, 2007. It’s very simple to use and allows you to track your expenses to the rupee.
Fill in the “Sources of funds” section whenever you draw cash from an ATM or bank, make a payment from your savings account via […]
Here’s a job satisfaction quiz that appears in the latest edition of Outlook Money. It’s fun to answer. You would be surprised with the results!
Answer the following questions. Award yourself 10 points for every ‘yes’ and zero for every ‘no.’
Are you doing in your organization what it expects you to do?
Does your organization recognize your […]
blink: The Power of Forgetting without Screaming
Published by March 4th, 2007 in General Stuff. 0 Comments
An art expert sees a ten-million-dollar sculpture
and instantly spots it’s a fake
A marriage analyst knows within minutes
whether a couple will stay together
A fire-fighter suddenly senses he has to
get out of a blazing building
A speed dater clicks with the right person…
Cool. You on the other hand are left scratching your butt wondering why did you ever […]
Studio 95: Issue #4 - A View From V’s Garden
Published by March 4th, 2007 in The Bangalore Blog. 3 CommentsThe GEO Blog last toured through Vinayak’s garden last August (you can read all about that tour in this post - Things to put in your garden). Back then, I was in a BIG hurry to get back to Mumbai and hence couldn’t do an exhaustive photo shoot. Today, I took my time strolling through […]
