Resources

 

The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 mandates the use of electronic fund transfer for federal payments. You can get a copy of the act on-line at the Financial Management Service's Web site.

Prompt Pay Laws in the 50 States (The Foundation of the American Subcontractors Associations, 301-645-3574, $42 plus $9.25 shipping for nonmembers) summarizes for the construction industry the rights and obligations concerning payment of contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on public and private projects in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The National Institute of Federal Procurement offers a variety of resources for dealing with the federal government, plus a 500-page guide that is updated monthly. A subscription costs $219 a year; call 800-929-4824, ext. 347, for information.

General Services Administration (GSA) Business Service Centers around the country counsel small companies on how to obtain government contracts. For Atlanta, call 404-331-5103; Boston, 617-565-8100; Los Angeles, 213-894-3210; Washington, D.C., 202-708-5961; Chicago, 312-353-5383; and Denver, 303-236-7408.

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers help local businesses market and sell products and services to federal, state, and local governments. For the centers' locations and contacts, call 409-886-0125 or 703-767-1650.

If all else fails, Judy McCauley, a federal-contracts specialist for the SBA in Clarksburg, W. Va., can help you pin down local resources. Call her at 304-623-5631.

Anatomy of a Start-up: Errand Boy, page 60

"Virtual Shopping: Breakthrough in Marketing Research" (Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1996) explains how three-dimensional computer modeling is currently helping companies roll out new products, test brand equity, and try out new packaging. Author Raymond R. Burke, a professor at Indiana University and a consumer-behavior expert, says manufacturers and retailers can create computerized stores with virtual shelves and then watch as test shoppers "pick up" packages using a mouse or a trackball. Burke contends that 3-D computer simulations offer an inexpensive and effective way to collect market research. And it's practically impossible for the competition to get a whiff of what you're up to. Contact Harvard Business School Publishing at 800-545-7685, and ask for reprint number 96204; it's $5.

Peapod's Web site allows you to download and try out the software.

The Web site for Shopping Alternatives offers little more than public-relations propaganda, but it has links to sites of major consumer-goods companies such as Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay.

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) can provide you with just about any statistic on the food industry. Each year, FMI publishes reports on consumer trends and habits. Go to FMI's home page or call 202-452-8444.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Web site contains a treasure trove of market data and a powerful search engine for mining it. For example, you can download the Agriculture Fact Book 1996 to find out which foods Americans are buying.

The Problem with Profit Sharing, page 67

The Reward Plan Advantage, by Jerry McAdams (Jossey-Bass, 800-956-7739, 1996, $29.95), shows busy managers how to craft reward systems that promote initiative, productivity, and old-fashioned hard work. If you would like your employees to think and act like business owners, this book will help you design and implement incentives to get them to.

McAdams, the national practice leader for reward and recognition systems at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, in St. Louis, urges readers to skip around in the book. Starting from scratch? Don't miss the early chapters that explain how to meld incentive plans with business-plan objectives. Planning to reevaluate an existing plan's raison d'être and return on investment? Use chapter 4 as a diagnostic checklist to gauge whether it still serves its intended purpose. There's no lack of tips on eliciting feedback from employees, because, as McAdams points out, the goal is to involve them in the process.

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