The next thing you know, you’re rounding the block, zeroing in on a neon sign containing an aquatic maiden surrounded by a distinctive green loop. Starbucks is beckoning you to over a Venti nonfat half-caff soy latte with extra whip.

So what inspired you to make the purchase? It was not the store location or the advertising that Starbucks pays for. This morning, it was that empty coffee cup you saw in the gutter.

The image of the Starbucks logo triggered your memory to think about your last cup of coffee — how it tasted when the hot liquid met your mouth and when your upper lip touched the frothy whipped topping. And on your way to work, all you can think about is that cup of coffee. You may normally walk past Starbucks, but today you went inside.

Brand logos have an incredibly high value because of their ability to make you, the consumer, instantaneously think about the bigger picture.

If a woman sees a CVS bag blowing down the street, it might remind her that she needs more Q-Tips and shampoo. And when she goes to make that purchase later, she is probably more likely to shop at CVS.

Think about an empty Cinnabon box you see at the mall. Not only are you going to be stopping at American Eagle and Express, but you will be finding your way to the food court to grab a bite of that cinnamony deliciousness. You know in the back of your head that every mall has a Cinnabon, but it is not until you see the empty container that you now want to go there.

What do the Starbucks cup, the CVS bag, and the Cinnabon box all have in common? They are trash!

Trash is driving sales all across America. It’s the company’s logo on the trash that is really driving the sales, but the fact is, it is free advertising for companies. When somebody litters or reuses a bag with a retailer’s name and logo on it, then that person is indirectly driving sales for the company.

There are so many advertisements which bombard us everyday that many times, we simply ignore the message. It seems that incremental sales growth is mostly likely to happen when consumers least expect it-when looking at trash.

Whether it is resting in a waste can or lying in the street, the logos on the trash remind us of things we may want. And once we get thinking, especially about food, many consumers make a purchase. During a difficult time for economic growth, litter-bugs may just be the secret step to growing sales.

The 26 year-old Colorado native co-founded the company FreeShipping.org with her husband, Luke, in December 2007. The company is the web’s premiere destination for online shoppers to find free shipping deals offered by more than 850 retailers.

Because their venture is a home-based business, Luke and Maisie Knowles have more time for themselves and to spend with their new daughter Isabelle.

“Typically, one spouse remains at home with the child while the other works long hours and doesn’t spend as much time with the family as he or she would like,” Maisie said. “I am able to continue working while caring for Isabelle, and Luke is able to spend more time with us.”

Maisie was able to take a longer maternity leave because she is her own boss. She stopped working three weeks before her daughter’s birth and was able to take off 10 weeks after. This is the type of flexibility, she pointed out, that is not typically offered in traditional office jobs.

Even as a new mom, Maisie is still able to devote the same time and energy to her business by setting her own flexible hours.

“I work when (Isabelle) is napping,” she explained. “To maintain productivity, I get as much done as possible in nap times and after she is in bed. … It’s a rewarding feeling because I feel like a productive part of our business, and at the same time I feel content knowing that I am there for Isabelle.”

There are other, finance-related, benefits of working from home. Luke and Maisie do not spend any time commuting to and from another building.  With the high cost of gas, working from home also saves the couple money.  Maisie’s flexible schedule of switching between work and parenting also means the couple does not have to pay for child care.

“I belong to moms groups and they tell me I’m lucky because I’m able to help with the business and give Isabelle the attention and care she needs,” Maisie added. “Most mothers who go back to work after having a baby don’t get to see their newborn as much.”

Maisie acknowledges the risk that comes along with starting one’s own business, but says that for her it’s been worth it.

“If you don’t take the leap and devote the time to build your business, you’re not going to succeed for the long-term,” she said.

The gamble has paid off, creating the ideal work/parenting situation for Maisie, where she welcomes the opportunity to work as both an entrepreneur and a full-time mom.

Ford: Not Asking, but Doing

Ford is a classic name in cars. But in an age when most people want new cars, ‘classic’ is not a good association. Ford released an advertising campaign aimed at showcasing the ‘new’ Ford, with greater quality, fuel economy, and added features. You may remember the little jingle at the end of their commercials, “Have you driven a Ford lately?”

The problem with the jingle is that it only asked a question. Viewers would answer either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Ford has since amended its campaign with a call to action, encouraging viewers to do something after watching the ad. The ads feature testimonials of non-Ford drivers who tried a new Ford and were pleasantly surprised by the results. The action message at the end of the commercial now reads “Drive One.”

Mercedes: Targeting Those Who Can Afford

In a sports arena, there are hundreds of places to advertise-on the Jumbotron, on the wrap-around digital banners, or over the public address system. These ads are aimed at everyone in the audience. But Mercedes found a place to advertise at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH that targets only their ideal customers.

Mercedes has a permanent display on the base of the Jumbotron-the large scoreboard suspended in the middle of the arena-featuring their three-point star and the locations of Northeast Ohio dealerships.

What makes the ad particularly interesting is that the only people who can see the ad are the ones on the lower levels of the arena. Mercedes’ logic is, if these customers can afford the most expensive seats to Cavaliers’ games, then they are more likely to also purchase a Mercedes.

Yearly tuition at many private universities has topped $40,000 per year. At that price, college administrators realize that they must offer much more than an education.  They must offer an experience. 

That experience includes anything and everything from activities to real-life work experience to a vibrant social life. A key ingredient to a memorable social life is a good mix of men and women. 

The New York Times article found that women make up 58 percent of those enrolled  part-time or full-time in college. In the late 60s, there were more men, and in the mid 70s, the genders were equally represented. But since the mid 80s, there have been more women than men.  That gap continues to widen. 

Admission offices at universities across the country are reacting with new strategies to attract more men to their colleges with the primary purpose of creating a more gender-balanced social and learning environment. 

Admissions materials 

Recruiting starts with admissions brochures sent to students at their homes. Dickinson College, a Carlisle, Penn. liberal arts school,  is actively recruiting more men than women, Time Magazine reports.  Since Vice President of Admissions Robert Massa started working at Dickinson College, the percentage of men on campus has jumped from 36 percent to 44 percent. 

Dickinson College’s website features proportionally more pictures of men and athletics.  They highlight their new physics, computer science and math buildings, and they started an international business program with the intent of appealing to potential male recruits. 

Several private colleges, including Dickinson and Chicago’s DePaul University send more admissions brochures to men than women, hoping to generate more interest from prospective male students.   

Athletic Presence 

Seattle University switched athletic conferences, moving up to a more competitive conference where other colleges have stronger athletic programs, reports PBS’ News Hour. The University has seen a drop in their winning percentages, but hopes to see an increase in the percentage of male students on campus.   

Women comprise 61 percent of the student body at Seattle University. Mike McKeon, the director of admissions, believes that “more prominent athletic programs — clearly male athletic programs — are going to help us to attract more men.”  

Other colleges are also using athletics to attract male students.  Shenandoah University in Virginia started a football program to not only lure football players but men who are looking for a college with a football team. 

Inequality in the response?

Susan Seckor, associate provost at Seattle University, fought for women’s equality in education for many years and wonders why there was no concern when more men attend college than women.   

“There’s a part of me that finds it outrageous and ridiculous that anybody would have the gall to suggest that when we’re now finally willing to recognize and applaud the gifts of over half of humanity, that there is this reaction that somehow sees it as alarming instead of exciting,” Seckor said in a PBS interview.  “I think it’s a sad day, frankly, and I think it’s a disgusting day.” 

A survey by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education said men still hold more of the upper management and decision-making positions at universities.  The survey also found that men also earn higher salaries. 

While women have made great strides, serving as college presidents of some of the nations top universities, including Harvard, UPenn, Princeton and Brown, women still account for only 20 percent of college presidents.   

The debate will continue, for now, as to how to best serve the students, effectively manage the university and properly represent both sexes, in both the student body and in upper administration.

It was originally thought that Kennedy may have suffered a stroke, but that appears not to be true.

Sources say that Kennedy was spending time at the family compound in Hyannisport when he fell ill shortly before 8:30 a.m. He was first taken to Cape Cod Hospital before later being flown by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects physical actions for a short time, according to the Epilepsy Therapy Project. Seizures are not a disease, but rather symptoms of many different disorders that can affect the brain. Seizures can mimic stroke-like symptoms, but a stroke is a specific vascular problem.

The senior senator from Massachusetts had surgery in October to clear a carotid artery. Doctors hoped that this surgery would prevent a stroke. Family members said they are “guardedly optimistic” that he will make a full recovery.

Family members also said that Kennedy was well enough to call and cancel lunch plans he had made with them. Presidential candidates McCain, Clinton, and Obama sent wishes of a speedy recovery. Senator John Kerry was seen arriving at Mass General Saturday afternoon, presumably to visit with Senator Kennedy.

The senior senator

Senator Kennedy has represented Massachusetts since his election to the Senate in 1962. He is the currently the second most senior member.

According to Kennedy’s website, he has fought for the people of Massachusetts and the nation on issues ranging from health care to education reform to strengthening civil rights.

Senator Kennedy is the youngest of 9 children and is the brother of President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.

An aging Senate

Senator Kennedy is 76 years old and has served in the Senate for 43 years. Compared to Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia), Kennedy is young. Byrd is 90 years old and has served in the Senate for 49 years since he was first elected in 1959. He is the longest serving Senator in the history of the legislature.

The average age of a US senator is 62. The ages of senators range from 90 to 43. Six senators are age 80 or older and thirty-five senators are between the ages of 65 and 79.

Of those senators vying for the presidency in the 2008 election, Senator McCain is 71, Senator Clinton is 60 and Senator Obama is 46.

The increasing age of US Senators fuels a debate surrounding the trade-off between age and ability to serve. A more senior senator will most likely bring more political and overall experience to the position. However, age also leaves a senator more vulnerable to health issues and fatigue from the demands of holding a national political position.

Spring is in the air and with each spring, many new things emerge. In this brand-new section, it is only appropriate to feature news about baseball. The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry this spring starts out hotter than ever.

As the Yankees prepare to move into a new stadium in 2009, I hope you’ll enjoy reading about why the Bronx Bombers are tearing down their storied ballpark and why the Red Sox are annually investing in their legendary home on the Fenway.

Also, take the opportunity to read about a new beer on the market. Feeling cluttered from long winter nights in the office? Read some advice about how to do some spring-cleaning in your inbox to prepare for a more productive season. And finally, take the opportunity to ride with your car windows down after reading Car Sense.

The goal of the business section is to use analytical business tools to conduct a simplified, but still rigorous examination of the dynamic world in which we live. I want the content to be user-driven.

Your comments on articles and suggestions for future reports are welcome and encouraged. As is true in business, market feedback is invaluable to the advancement of any operation.

Happy Spring!

MJ Paradiso

One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports is between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. And two of the most legendary parks in baseball belong to these teams in Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

This year, the Bronx Bombers play their final season in Yankee Stadium. The building served as home to players like Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio and decisive championship moments forever etched in our memories. Like them or hate them, the Yankees’ home is one of the most storied ballparks in America.

So why is Yankee Stadium being torn down to be replaced by a new park? What pressures did the owners succumb to? Or what financial benefit do they see in the move? And, in that case, why are the Red Sox not following with their own new stadium?

There are six main ways baseball teams generate revenue: corporate sponsorships, luxury box sales, general ticket sales, concessions, local television contracts and merchandise.

Let’s compare Fenway Park to the new Yankee Stadium and see which team is mostly likely to have the strongest financial performance in each category.

Corporate Sponsorships: Even

The Red Sox and the Yankees are the most popular teams in baseball and both national and local companies are looking to sponsor with these clubs. Companies will line up to partner with these two teams, regardless of where they play. Revenues are strong for both clubs in this category.

Luxury Box Sales: Yankees

The new Yankee Stadium will contain three times as many luxury boxes as the current venue, far surpassing comparable boxes in Fenway Park. The Yankees are building more boxes at the expense of regular seats because the revenue from each box is larger and more consistent. The boxes will sell out and the Yankees will collect revenue whether or not the ticket-holders show up.

General Ticket Sales: Red Sox

The Red Sox have one of the smallest seating capacities of any MLB stadium, while the Yankees have and will have one of baseball’s larger venues. At first glance, it would appear that this is a win for the Yankees, but it may not be. Seats do not generate revenue; people in those seats account for ticket volume and the amount they pay for those seats drives ticket revenue.

Entering the 2008 season, the Red Sox sold out 388 consecutive games-a trend that does not appear to be ending any time soon. The Bombers do not always sell out. They do fill all the seats during big games and weekends, but typically leave thousands of seats empty during weekday contests.

The Red Sox also have the highest ticket prices in baseball and will be raising tickets an additional 9 percent for the 2008 season, according to the Boston Globe. How can the Red Sox charge so much? It is a matter of supply and demand, or scarcity as CNN Money refers to baseball ticket sales.

A team like the Yankees knows it will not sell out every game and therefore must keep prices lower to encourage those price-sensitive fans to come to a mid-week game. The Yankees are controlled by the supply, meaning that in order to optimize revenue, they can only charge as much as the last person is willing to pay.

The Red Sox, on the contrary, have a surplus demand. With more people willing to pay for every game than seats are available, the Red Sox can continue to raise prices until exactly the same amount of people are willing to pay the premium price as there are seats in the stadium. (This is not entirely true because tickets for sporting events and concerts are kept artificially low to allow more people the opportunity to afford the tickets).

Therefore, what revenues the Yankees generate from high ticket sales, the Red Sox match and will arguably surpass with revenues from higher ticket prices.

Concessions: Yankees

The Red Sox charge more for ticket prices, but a team can only charge so much for a beer and a hot dog before fans say “enough” and do not to eat at the game. Since prices are even, concession sales are then dependant primarily on attendance volume. This benefits the Yankees who have a larger stadium and will have more people to potentially purchase concessions.

Local Media Revenue: Yankees

The Yankees received more than $91 million in local media contracts, including $67 million from the YES Network to broadcast games on television, Forbes.com reports. While the organization will not keep all of that money due to the league’s revenue sharing agreements, they still retain a significant share.

The Bronx Bombers benefit from a larger market, as the New York metropolitan region is by far, the most populous in the country. The Yankees also have a higher net worth than the Red Sox and can demand larger contracts. While the Yankees and Red Sox have roughly equal numbers of national fans, the fact that more people live in the New York area benefits the Yankees.

Merchandise Sales: Red Sox

Unfortunately, no census is taken of all Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. ESPN reports that since winning the first of two World Series championships in the past four years, Red Sox merchandise sales have skyrocketed. Sales from Sox and Yankees gear account for more than half of all MLB merchandise revenue. USA Today reports, that when on the road, attendance at the opposing ballparks is about 1,300 fans more when the Red Sox are in town than the Yankees.

There are several other reasons why I give the edge to the Red Sox. First, international sales should be up for the Sox. The New York squad has better name recognition, but the Sox have won the Series more recently and played a pair of games in Japan to begin the season. Second, the Red Sox are not involved in the steroid controversy. Roger Clemens’ jerseys are not flying off the shelves this spring.

The Verdict?

Both teams have a distinct business strategy and both are positioned to perform very well.

The Red Sox, by not building a new stadium and leveraging Fenway’s small seating capacity to produce more ticket revenue, are positioned to yield higher profits and retain more of their earnings.

The Yankees are growing their revenues, but also are incurring costs of higher player salaries and financing a new stadium. They have positioned themselves to generate higher overall revenue to supplement their costs. Each strategy compliments the team’s business model.

Regardless of where they play, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry will continue, escalating with the advent of October. Yankees fans will learn to love their new stadium and Red Sox fans will continue to fill every seat of every game at Fenway Park. A baseball stadium is, after all, is more than a home-it is the soul of a team and its fans.

Right now, it’s lime.

The Miller Brewing Company introduced Miller Chill in June 2007. The beer has done incredibly well — sales are about to surpass first-year expectations. According to Bloomberg Media, more than 325,000 barrels were sold in the first three months, allowing it to capture one percent of the US beer market-tremendous growth for an introductory product.

Anheuser-Busch just released Bud Light Lime. They intend to drive purchases amidst a struggling economy and stagnant beer sales. Just in time for summer barbecues, Anheuser-Busch is backing Bud Light Lime with a $35 million advertising campaign, MSNBC reports.

So how should beer companies react? Here are my recommendations for several well-known brands.

Bud Light Lime: You hopefully did the research and found that people like lime. Use your leverage as a mass-distributor to get your product to where people buy beer. Then advertise your lime beverage like crazy to get people to try it. A $35 million budget is a nice start. Drive sales up to make the investment worth it and then get out before sales tank.

Miller Chill: With another mass-market competitor entering, your brand will feel the pressure. So you have to make a decision. Do you pull out of the market, take your profit, and let Bud take the share? Or do you increase advertising and take on this new summer refreshment head to head? Not an easy call. I feel that you cannot just let Bud Light have the percent share of the market you worked hard to earn. You have done well this past year and with a little creative advertising, you should go challenge your largest competitor.

Coors Light: Stay out of the “lime craze.” You cannot win. First, you are too late to enter. You cannot compete after both Miller Lite and Bud Light have entered the arena. Second, you pride yourselves on “Rocky Mountain ice cold refreshment.” When people think about limes and beer, the most common association is Corona, which is a Mexican beer. The Rocky Mountain cold does not equate well with warm, Gulf coast beaches. A Coors Lime dilutes your unique positioning proposition.

Corona: Keep doing what you are doing, maybe step up advertising a little bit, but you are the import that owns limes. Lime plus beer equals Corona. What started as a seasonal beer is now the largest import beer in the United States. These other beers will fade and you will remain on top. Keep up the good work.

Guinness: Have no fear Guinness drinkers-your beer will not be changed. If there is one thing that will unite the Protestants and Catholics of Northern Ireland, it is a mutual agreement that fruit does not belong in thick, Irish beer. Your brew will remain unchanged.

Spring is the time of year when the weather becomes nice enough that we can open the windows, air out the house, and clear out the clutter that has accumulated over the winter months. In an increasingly digital age, we must also consider cleaning out our email inboxes.

Email is a tool that allows people to expedite communication and share information at unprecedented speeds. The effectiveness of email, however, depends upon a user’s ability to efficiently use the technology. Email should be used to assist with work and not be the work.

The time we spend going through emails adds stress and extra work to our daily routines. Instead of playing catch-up with email all the time, there are several proactive practices that can be used to increase the email productivity.

Kathleen Alessandro is a productivity expert and president of Energized Solutions in Dearborn, Mich. She offers these suggestions to increase email productivity, allowing you to spend more time doing what you need to do instead of playing catch-up on emails.

1. Keep your inbox manageable. When you get new emails, reply or forward if necessary and then delete or archive the email. Only leave “active” emails in your inbox.

2. Set aside time everyday to remove items that are no longer active from your inbox.

3. Get to the point. Sending short, clear messages without the fluff means you can get through messages more quickly. Tell your colleagues to do the same.

4. Put the message in the subject line. This makes finding and acting upon messages faster.

5. Use a full signature with all of your current contact information. This reduces the time it takes following up on messages.

6. Use folders. Label folders so you can easily sort, find, and manage your projects.

7. Create a casual reading folder. Place all of your electronic newsletters or mass updates in this folder. If you know where they are, you can come back to them when you have time.

8. For email strings, use a concise and relevant subject line. This makes sorting and following-up easier for all parties involved.

9. Think before hitting “Reply All.” Most times, not everyone needs to know every little detail and it just adds to overall email clutter.

10. Do not send “inspirational” emails or other forwards to work accounts. Enough said.