Filed under: Estates, Water

This home on 1.94 acres right on Long Island Sound offers more than a room with a view — how about a whole house with a view? Located in Riverside, Conn. (part of tony Greenwich, where Kathie Lee Gifford and hubby Frank live) and built in 1956, this estate is offered for $12,900,000.

Sited in the gated Harbor Point Association, a peninsula of more than 500 feet of shoreline, this Contemporary Colonial offers the next owner the chance to build under current zoning for a new 11,000-plus square foot custom waterfront estate or live in the existing home, which is light-filled and recently updated with a cook’s kitchen, built-in bookshelves, five tiled baths, new systems and new landscaping by a professional designer. There are two family rooms and two master suites among six bedrooms on both first and second floors. Three fireplaces and an artist’s studio complete the picture.

Walk or jog to Elias Point, a sandy beach. A spectacularly landscaped enclave, historic Harbor Point is situated on the sweeping grounds of the former 49-acre Frederick T. Bonham estate, “Walhall,” a legendary LI Sound private property with some of Southern Connecticut’s best water views. The association’s other amenities include a boat dock, boat mooring, picnicking and fishing privileges.

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Well, I spoke too soon on Sunday. Looks like the off/on/off bailout is off at the moment. The House of Representatives said “no” to the bailout, and already stock markets around the world are reacting.

I would say that “irrational exuberance” is rapidly turning to “irrational discouragement.” Hang on and don’t do anything irrational, folks.

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Not everyone has embraced the plethora of web apps that made on the internet collaboration what it is this day. Part of this might have to do with the fact that traditional collaboration is working well for the team, as well as the reluctance to adapt to new ways. Most of us, especially those working in a corporate environment, are used to boardroom meetings and conference calls. These tried and tested techniques have their place in the business world, but sometimes, adapting new technologies into our work process makes it more efficient.

If you’ve done your research and discovered that on the internet collaboration will increase your team’s productivity, what do you do if your team is reluctant to adapt? More importantly, how do you make it a less bumpy transition for everyone involved?

One way to start is by showing them your research. It helps to produce estimated numbers on how much time or money online collaboration will save you. Don’t use any Web 2.0 jargon as this might intimidate them further. After all, you’re supposed to make them comfortable with the idea of on the web collaboration. If you can find some case studies of actual teams that already reaped the benefits of on the internet collaboration, include and refer to them in your proposal.

Make the transition slowly. Instead of moving all collaboration online in one giant step, take small steps with your team by starting with the smallest tasks or projects first. A step-by-step move to web collaboration allows your team to adapt better, and even to give suggestions along the way to improve the workflow. This helps you work out small kinks in your system as you go along, which is preferable to making corrections only when all of your projects have moved on the internet.

Look for collaboration tools that aren’t too different from current software you’re using. People are less hesitant to accept new things if there’s some amount of familiarity. Choose collaboration tools that have a similar interface with software that they’re used to working with. This way, using the new tools will feel more intuitive for your team. If it’s possible, find ways for their new and old tools to sync, but lessen your team’s dependency on these syncing features as time progresses.

Offer your team some training resources that show them how to use their new tools. Whether it’s a video tutorial or a one-on-one teaching session, take the time to show them the features of their collaboration tools. While you’re taking the tools for a spin, tell them the actual benefits of each feature. For example, don’t just say “Google Docs allows you to share files with your other teammates.” Try adding something like “This means that there will be less emailing back-and-forth from everyone when we’re editing a report. There will be less clutter on your email inbox and hard drive.” This shows your team what a particular feature means for them. It’s very specific and it shows that you had their best interests in mind when proposing the switch to on the web collaboration.

It also helps if you let your team know that the switch to on the internet collaboration is reversible. Tell them “Let’s try it for a month, and if it doesn’t work out we have the ability to go back to the way we were doing things.” You’ll find that when they see the benefits of online collaboration themselves, it’s much easier to convince them to integrate it with their regular work process. Just make sure you can quantify when something doesn’t work out - whether it’s an efficiency rating, or money and time savings. Your basis of what works and what doesn’t has to be measurable, not just based on perception.

By implementing the tips above, it will be easier for your team to accept online collaboration as part of their working lives. If it’s done right, they’ll probably even wonder how they were able to work without these tools in the past.

Image by Mark Robinson  from sxc.hu

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Our minds must have relaxation: rested, they will rise up better and keener. Just as we have to not force fertile fields (for uninterrupted production will swiftly exhaust them), so continual labor will break the power of our minds. They’ll recover their strength, however, after they’ve had a tiny freedom and relaxation.
Seneca

Image by Leszek Nowak from sxc.hu

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Filed under: Estates

What is it about sports stars and Manhattan Beach, California? Over my years of real estate obsession I’ve noticed that a variety of basketball, baseball and football stars have made the seaside community their home. The rich and famous often cluster near the ocean but Manhattan Beach, with its soft beaches and relatively simple accessibility to Los Angeles, has seen more than average interest from those who make their living tossing, catching and chasing balls. In fact, the LA Times recently had a story on the phenomenon. Some past and current Manhattan Beach residents include Luke Walton, former NHL player Ken Belanger, former L.A. Clippers forward Yaroslav Korolev, L.A. Lakers’ assistant coach Jim Cleamons, Jeff Garcia, Lamar Odom, Tim Brown and Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed three sports stars with homes in the area put their places on the market so I’ve combined them into one triple threat estate of the day.

First up, Tony Gonzalez. The Real Estalker notes that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has put his four-bedroom home in Manhattan Beach on the market. Gonzalez bought in 203 for $1.575 million. HIs four-bedroom place is certainly nice enough but not particularly remarkable except for one fantastic feature: a huge roof deck with a barbecue area, shaded lounger and a hot tub. The home is a couple blocks from the ocean and so the deck has some truly fantastic views. It is listed at $3.999 million. The property website is here.

A little further from the beach but with a bit more room is a home owned by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jason Kendall. According to the LA Times Hot Properties column, Kendall doesn’t live in the home which is in the desirable hill area of Manhattan Beach. The home is still within walking distance of the beach and the main living spaces are on the upper floor for maximum view potential. The home has around 7,400 square feet of space which includes a formal living room and dining room, a great room, big kitchen with a separate breakfast room, a kids’ study room, game room, a master suite with an adjoining sitting room and a rather makeshift home theater. It is listed at $7.3 million. The property website is here.

The third home belongs to former Boston Red Sox and current L.A. Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe. The Real Estalker reports that Lowe purchased the home in 2006 for $5 million. It has four bedrooms and two outdoor terraces. The home is located a few blocks from the ocean. It is listed at $5.7 million.

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Filed under: General Electric (GE), Bank of America (BAC), Small business

With few job opportunities, people are looking at starting up franchises. In fact, I recently talked to someone who stated that the upcoming Franchise Expo conference has seen a doubling of registrations.

But according to the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], there are signs that the credit crunch is taking a toll on franchises.

After all, the upfront costs for a franchise can be significant. Moreover, there are the expenses for upkeep and maintenance.

Some of the franchises that are looking to pull back on expansion include major operators like Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC), Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) and so on as different finance firms such as GE’s (NYSE: GE) capital arm and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) are showing some restraint and putting a squeeze on financing.

Basically, until the capital markets stabilize and credit gets back to normal, it can be tough times for those who want to jump into the franchise game.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar On the web Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He’s also the founder of BizEquity, a valuation website

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Paul Newman died Friday of cancer at the age of 83. It’s hard to imagine this world without Paul Newman in it. He wasn’t only a great movie actor, but he was a humanitarian, a businessman, and, in a culture where people get divorced at the drop of a hat, he was married to actres Joanne Woodward for more than 50 years. He once stated, “why go out for hamburger when you can get steak at home?” Classy guy.

What do you most remember about him?
His hit movies - like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Hud? Cool Hand Luke? The Sting?
His salad dressing? (I have a bottle in my refrigerator right now, along with some really good cookies with the “Newman’s Own” name on them)
His race car driving?

I most remember his beautiful blue eyes. The grabbed you and wouldn’t let go.

I also remember a little known motion picture of Newman’s called The Verdict _(1982), in which he plays a run-down drunk of a lawyer who gets involved as the lawyer for a plaintiff in a malpractice case. I used to play the motion picture in my Business Law classes, and I never got fatigued of seeing him act - he was nominated for a ideal actor Oscar for the role; it’s worth seeing if you haven’t already seen it.

What do you remember about Paul Newman?

Photo: Newscom.com

Tags: , baby boomers, Newman’s Own, Paul Newman

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A presentation on personal branding via the internet. Created by David Armano, found it via Slideshare.

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Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Last week, we looked at a home in Santa Monica, California that was pretty charmless but this week I’ve got something in Santa Monica more to my (and I hope your) liking, It’s the home of actress Julianna Margulies, the curly-haired brunette actress ideal known for her role on the NBC drama “ER.” Her home is currently rented to Kyra Sedgwick, star of TNT’s “The Closer” and the wife of Kevin Bacon. There’s much to love about this home, which was built in 1927. It’s a cozy three-bedroom with charming details like a living room with a wood beamed ceiling (the listing describes this as an “emotional living room”) and a restroom with Delft-style tiles. The small property includes a pool and directly opposite the pool is an cute guest house with one bedroom, kitchen and bath. You might need to rent that out to afford this one, it is listed at $4.5 million which seems a bit ambitious given the fact that the main house is under 3,500 square feet.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living massive with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

[via LA Times Hot Properties]

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When the idea of Web 2.0 first surfaced, many businesses found themselves facing new challenges and opportunities. The new world wide web landscape was more collaborative and more user-oriented, and the new audience was more keen to try out the new tools at their disposal. As these tools are integrated into the business world, work processes change - along with workplace culture.

Organizations have polarized attitudes to Web 2.0. Generally, businesses either embrace Web 2.0 tools absolutely or consider them distractions or security risks. Both reactions are, of course, justified. Web 2.0 afficionados are disappointed when they’re working with a team who isn’t as tool-savvy as they’re. On the other hand, evangelists of traditional communication stick to familiar ground, rolling their eyes when they see coworkers spend hours on instant messaging or social networking. If there’s no proper dialogue established, this makes the workplace seem like a battlefield of Technology versus Tradition.

There’s a struggle to combine old tools with new ones. Workers who are eager to try a Web 2.0 approach to collaboration find themselves awkwardly stuck halfway, usually because of the steep learning curve of new technologies, being caught up in an undeserved hype, or because of the resilience of time-tested processes.

The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t ditch one system for the other. Instead, find a way for them to work together and slowly integrate them until you find a seamless, more efficient workflow. There’s no such thing as the perfect tool or process - it’s all about what your business needs. Don’t fix what’s not broken, but if something can be improved, don’t let it stagnate. What are the pros and cons of each approach and how do you strike a good balance?

The lines between ‘personal’ and ‘business’ are blurred. Look through an average professional’s MySpace or Facebook page. Usually, you’ll find that they’ve added both personal and business contacts to their friend lists. Web 2.0 has made it possible for our supervisors to view our family photos, and our friends to see what we’re up to at work. True, you can create a different account for each of your worlds, but doing so is hardly worth the trouble.

There are some bonuses that come along with having your personal and professional life mix. Establishing a tighter rapport with your colleagues and supervisors can help improve your standing in the company. However, there are times when personal can get too personal, creating awkward situations that are detrimental to your team’s work. Take advantage of the customizable privacy settings of the social networks you belong to. This ensures that your colleagues won’t view items that were intended for friends or family.

If we want Web 2.0 to work within our businesses, we need to be aware of these changes and how to deal with them accordingly. Since technology changes so rapidly, we should also make room for the changes that will arrive as a result of Web 3.0.

 How have Web 2.0 tools changed things in your workplace?  Were these changes welcome or not?

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