Business : Malaysian Oil & Gas Firms Secure US$7.2 Billion In New Business Opportunities

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Opportunity for Industrial Firms Looking for Port Access and Infrastructure in Sept-Iles, Quebec, From Seven Islands Development Corp. - msnbc.com

SEPT-ILES, QC — Québec's soon-to-be-released $80 billion massive mining and industrial development plans, Plan Nord (plannord.gouv.qc.ca/english/), is the government's major effort to subsidize and expedite development of the huge mineral deposits in Québec. Much of this development will funnel through Canada's second-largest port city in tonnage shipped -- Sept-Îles. The massive Plan Nord project will revolutionize the area and maximize development of the huge mineral deposits throughout the area -- all flowing through Sept-Îles. Seven Islands Development Corp. is offering a substantial, strategically located site in the city for sale or development.

Plan Nord will generate at least 20,000 additional jobs per year for the next 25 years. It will create unprecedented, booming business opportunities and generate large population increases in Sept-Îles and the surrounding area. Sept-Îles has one of the finest all-weather harbors in the northern hemisphere. A $200 million expansion project is under way to allow the port facilities to accommodate ore carriers with capacities of up to 400,000 tons to handle the increased shipping activity.

Seven Islands Development Corp. is offering 5,000 acres for sale or development in Sept-Îles/Seven Islands. The land has 3 miles of ocean frontage and 2 miles of river frontage.

This large tract of continuous land, strategically located in the city, is expected to develop rapidly during the area's expected dramatic growth.

With the vast mineral wealth and the Canadian government's strategic Plan Nord, Sept-Îles will soon become one of the world's leading centers for mining, manufacturing and shipping.

SevenIslandsDevelopment.com

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FEATURE-Start-up firms bloom in wake of Arab Spring - Reuters UK

* Arab Spring underlines need to create jobs

* So governments, aid donors focus more on smaller firms

* This is drawing fresh interest among investors

* State welfare spending creates new business opportunities

* Government tenders become more transparent

By Mirna Sleiman

DUBAI, April 11 (Reuters) - Jordanian entrepeneur Majied Qasem waited three years before arranging outside funding for his start-up company, d1g.com, an Arabic social media and content-sharing platform. He finally succeeded in September 2011, eight months after Arab Spring uprisings erupted in the region.

The company now has over 35 million page views per month, with growth in traffic stimulated by online debates about a wide range of political and social issues, says Qasem, 40.

Like many entrepreneurs in the Arab world, he believes the region's political and economic upheaval has helped rather than hurt his business, by creating fresh demand for his products, persuading investors to seek new opportunities, and making governments more sympathetic to the needs of start-ups.

"Investors historically targeted well-established companies that had very low risk and provided high returns. But now, after the Arab Spring, investors are pouring the same amounts of money into multiple smaller companies, betting a few of them will see a remarkable success story," said Qasem.

"We're seeing unprecedented amounts of money paid by investors, governments and development funds to seed start-ups and small firms."

The economic damage caused by the Arab Spring has not yet faded. Egypt and Tunisia are coping with waves of industrial unrest as they seek to rebuild their tourism industries and lure back foreign investors. Libya is recovering from a civil war, while sectarian unrest still weighs on Bahrain's economy. In countries such as Jordan, governments have boosted welfare spending to try to buy social peace, undermining their finances.

But a positive result of the turmoil is that in some ways, conditions for entrepreneurs are improving, officials and businessmen say. Previously, start-up firms were sometimes discouraged by authorities as threats to small groups of privileged businessmen cooperating with authoritarian regimes. Now they are more often welcomed as tools to create jobs.

Arif Naqvi, group chief executive of Abraaj Capital, the Middle East's largest private equity firm with over $6 billion under management, said one of the most dramatic changes in the region's economic thinking since the Arab Spring was the realisation that smaller firms, not big state-linked ones, would be the engine for growth because they could create more jobs.

"I'm a great believer that the Arab Spring has more in common with the Occupy Wall Street movement, the street riots in London, and the food riots in Mumbai than it had with political change," said Naqvi.

"Mohamed Bouazizi wasn't sending a political message when he set himself on fire. He wanted to work, to live and to survive," Naqvi added, referring to the Tunisian vegetable seller whose suicide in December 2010 triggered the upheaval in the region.

FUNDING

Difficulty in obtaining loans from risk-averse Arab banks, which often focus on serving large clients, has long been a major obstacle to setting up businesses in the region. Foreign aid donors such as the European Union, the United States and multilateral lending bodies have stepped up efforts to fill this gap since last year.

Mouayed Makhlouf, regional director for the International Finance Corp, a unit of the World Bank, said the IFC had invested $2.2 billion in the Middle East and North Africa since January 2011, becoming a significant source of capital for private firms.

"Back in 2005 we were doing in the range of $300 million in MENA. We're now allocating more than $2 billion a year," mainly investments in small and medium-sized enterprises, he said, adding that the IFC saw investment opportunities in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia and Morocco.

While endorsing the idea of developing smaller firms, cash-strapped governments in oil-importing Arab countries have mostly lacked the resources to give them more access to funding. Distracted by political change, parliaments in those countries have been slow to make legal changes that would help start-ups, such as reforming tax and labour laws.

But governments in wealthy Gulf states, seeing unemployment as a potential source of social unrest, are paying more attention to funding smaller firms. Last year, the state-affiliated Saudi Industrial Development Fund began guaranteeing as much as 80 percent of commercial bank loans to small firms, up from 50 percent previously.

Increased government support is in turn encouraging more private investors within the Middle East to consider funding start-ups, businessmen say.

Abraaj, through its $650 million Riyada Enterprise Development Fund, has invested in 13 SMEs since 2009. It says the fund screened over 400 companies for possible investment in 2011, roughly four times the number in 2010.

"Large pools of money are being set up to invest in the right venture. More than before, investors believe in the economic, social and financial value of seeding start-ups," said Fadi Ghandour, founder and chief executive of Dubai-listed logistics company Aramex.

Ghandour, along with Abraaj's Naqvi, founded a fund in 2010 which acts as an "angel investor" in Middle Eastern start-ups. It has so far made investments in over 40 companies, more than half of the deals closing in 2011.

TECHNOLOGY

Some entrepreneurs think the Arab Spring is creating business opportunities for them by refocusing the attention of governments on mass living standards and social welfare.

Two such entrepreneurs founded Agricel in Dubai earlier this year. The company is promoting a soil-less, water-saving farming technology which it says can be used in arid terrain including deserts as well as urban areas.

Kunal G. Wadhwani, co-founder of Agricel, says the firm will offer the technology to Arab governments which, thanks to the political upheaval, have become more sensitive to the dangers of high food prices, water scarcity and mass poverty.

"Against the background of young populations and popular uprisings, and given the challenges of food security and water scarcity in the medium term, the region will benefit from our ability to aid new governments face these problems," he said.

Agricel's founders say they initially funded the firm themselves with support from family and friends, but recently obtained funding from a bank in Dubai. Wadhwani is a veteran entrepeneur who was involved in setting up a regional business information service a decade ago; his colleague Yalman Khan is a former investment banker.

Other firms think they will benefit because the government will get out of their way. Tunisia's revolution has removed the grip of businessmen close to former ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from the economy, says Ridha Charfeddine, founder of Unimed, a group of pharmaceutical laboratories in the country.

"Generally speaking, now that the rules of the game are clear, everybody is equal and has their chance," he said, adding that deals and tenders involving the government had become more transparent.

Partly as a result, he said, Unimed's revenues grew at a double-digit rate last year. The company obtained a fresh investment from Abraaj Capital and investment firm Proparco in April 2011 to support its expansion. (Editing by Andrew Torchia)

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Opportunity for Industrial Firms Looking for Port Access and Infrastructure in Sept-Iles, Quebec, From Seven Islands Development Corp. - msnbc.com

SEPT-ILES, QC — Québec's soon-to-be-released $80 billion massive mining and industrial development plans, Plan Nord (plannord.gouv.qc.ca/english/), is the government's major effort to subsidize and expedite development of the huge mineral deposits in Québec. Much of this development will funnel through Canada's second-largest port city in tonnage shipped -- Sept-Îles. The massive Plan Nord project will revolutionize the area and maximize development of the huge mineral deposits throughout the area -- all flowing through Sept-Îles. Seven Islands Development Corp. is offering a substantial, strategically located site in the city for sale or development.

Plan Nord will generate at least 20,000 additional jobs per year for the next 25 years. It will create unprecedented, booming business opportunities and generate large population increases in Sept-Îles and the surrounding area. Sept-Îles has one of the finest all-weather harbors in the northern hemisphere. A $200 million expansion project is under way to allow the port facilities to accommodate ore carriers with capacities of up to 400,000 tons to handle the increased shipping activity.

Seven Islands Development Corp. is offering 5,000 acres for sale or development in Sept-Îles/Seven Islands. The land has 3 miles of ocean frontage and 2 miles of river frontage.

This large tract of continuous land, strategically located in the city, is expected to develop rapidly during the area's expected dramatic growth.

With the vast mineral wealth and the Canadian government's strategic Plan Nord, Sept-Îles will soon become one of the world's leading centers for mining, manufacturing and shipping.

SevenIslandsDevelopment.com

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© Marketwire 2012

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Tata Capital to help woo India firms

By Reico Wong

MORE companies from India are likely to set up bases and pursue business opportunities here, thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed yesterday by financial-services provider Tata Capital and the Economic Development Board (EDB).

Under the agreement, Tata Capital will leverage on its strong corporate-customer base and its core capabilities in areas such as commercial finance, investment banking and private equity to offer strategic advice and financial solutions to Indian companies planning to expand overseas.

It will also facilitate collaboration and information exchange between the Indian companies and EDB.

Tata Capital established operations here in September 2007 and upgraded its Singapore division into its international headquarters last year.

Its loan book stands at about $4.2 billion.

Mr Praveen Kadle, managing director and chief executive of Tata Capital, said the company aims to draw small and medium-sized Indian firms to Singapore to explore opportunities.

Companies it hopes to woo include those in the information- technology sector, pharmaceutical and drug-research companies, and those involved in trading and supply-chain-related activities.

"More and more Indian companies are looking for growth opportunities in Asia," said Mr Kadle. "Even if India's economy grows at a rate of 7 per cent over the next 10 or 20 years, we should still see very strong economic, trading and financial- services exchange between India and Singapore."

Singapore's strong human-resource capabilities and its double-taxation treaties with many countries will also serve as pull factors, encouraging Indian firms to set up headquarters here, he added.

Mr Kadle said that by working with EDB, Tata Capital will be in the best position to help Indian companies leverage on Singapore's regional and international influence, while also contributing to the city-state's long-term prosperity.

To date, some 5,000 Indian companies have established a presence here. They form the largest foreign business community in Singapore.

Mr Lee Eng Keat, director of Singapore Welcome Centre for Corporates at EDB, said there is an increasing awareness of the opportunities Singapore, as a strategic business hub, can offer to Indian companies.

There are more than 7,000 multinational companies here, he said, adding: "As Indian companies get to know the large international community here, they can explore and understand the opportunities even in resource-rich countries.

"We can serve as an excellent springboard for them to go into the rest of the Asia-Pacific."

Tata Capital also seeks to become a major player in the private-banking sector here.

reicow@sph.com.sg

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Matrix Product Expansion Increases Visibility and Growth Opportunities for Firms and Financial Advisors - Yahoo Finance

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Financial Solutions, a Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR - News) company, announced today a significant expansion of its core mutual fund trading platform. The offering provides broker-dealers access to a level compensation service -- a first in a completely open architecture environment -- and greater visibility into plan data. The offering also includes advanced plan proposal and management features for financial advisors.

The expanded Matrix product and service offering will help financial services firms and financial advisors more successfully navigate the retirement plan process, generate new business opportunities and comply with regulatory changes, all in an open architecture environment.

The new products and services offered by Matrix include:

Data Feed Service -- presents plan asset values, investment activity and other important information, and creates a window for broker-dealers into the activity of a firm's advisors.Level Compensation Service -- provides SEC Registered broker-dealers the necessary certainty that all investment options available to plan participants will pay the firm and the representative a levelized compensation structure.  The service is offered with two options -- 25 and 50 basis points. Matrix will manage all 12b-1 revenue collection and reconciliation efforts with the fund companies and offer a single payment and reporting via DTCC's Commission Settlement service.RetireToolKit Desktop Proposal Generator -- enables advisors to research, select and monitor funds on behalf of the plan from a universe of more than 20,000 investment options. Professional, customized proposals can be easily packaged with pre-printed sales materials giving advisors the ability to provide plan sponsors with a highly competitive package.  RetireToolKit Desktop Report Generator -- allows advisors to efficiently prepare and print professional looking quarterly and annual plan reviews for meetings with plan sponsors.

"The expansion of our service offering provides all the tools needed to help retirement plan providers comply and win in this evolving environment," said John Moody, President, Matrix. "With new fee disclosure regulations in place and fiduciary standards under review, increased visibility from an open architecture process, at both the firm and advisor level, is being viewed as the solution to help them gain new business and comply with new regulatory changes."

Level compensation, specifically, was created to provide certainty that the pay structure for investments would be level, regardless of the investment chosen by a plan sponsor or any of its participants. Prior to introduction of this service by Matrix, firms were typically restricted in their choice of investments with level compensation plans. This new service offered by Matrix offers a level payout and access to thousands of funds, and provides broker/dealers with a powerful competitive advantage.

About Matrix Financial Solutions
Matrix Financial Solutions, now part of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., is a leading provider of TrueOpen™ retirement products and services for third party administrators, financial advisors, banks and other financial professionals. Matrix serves more than 300 financial institutions with over $145 billion in customer assets processed through its trading platform. For more information about Matrix please visit www.matrixfinancialsolutions.com.

About Broadridge
Broadridge is a technology services company focused on global capital markets. Broadridge is the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries. Broadridge builds the infrastructure that underpins proxy services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America; processes more than $4 trillion in fixed income and equity trades per day; and saves companies billions annually through its technology solutions. For more information about Broadridge please visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contact:
Kelly M. Howard
Broadridge
+1-212-981-1347
kelly.howard@broadridge.com

View the original article here

Growth Consultant to CPA Firms Provides Interactive, In-depth Business Building Opportunities on its New Website

1st Global, a leading growth consultant for select CPA firms, now offers interactive, in-depth wealth management and business-building opportunities on its new website. With many CPA firms experiencing flat or little growth over the last five years, this information as well as exchange of ideas on the site will be very beneficial for CPA firm partners seeking sustainable profits.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) March 06, 2012

1st Global, a leading growth consultant for select CPA firms, now offers interactive, in-depth wealth management and business-building opportunities on its new website. With many CPA firms experiencing flat or little growth over the last five years, this information as well as exchange of ideas on the site will be very beneficial for CPA firm partners seeking sustainable profits.

According to 1st Global’s marketing executive, that’s one of the reasons why the company launched it. “We launched 1stGlobal.com for two reasons: to better illustrate our core mission of increasing overall CPA firm growth through unique and dynamic consulting engagements. And, to express our thought leadership and encourage conversation on this important topic,” said 1st Global Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Brian M. Finnigan.

“What’s exciting is 1stGlobal.com offers the ability for CPA firm partners and wealth managers to ‘weigh in’ in real time on these ideas and facts of growth consulting using the DISQUS comments platform that many online publications and blogs use. It will enhance the interaction we have with those in our industry,” he added.

Many of 1st Global’s thought leadership articles and whitepapers have been published on AccountingWEB but without this social media feature. In addition, 1stGlobal.com offers engaging testimonials from CPA firm partners about their experience with 1st Global’s consulting heritage and educational programs, an integrated social media button with LinkedIn and a careers page highlighting the multitude of career opportunities currently available as 1st Global continues to grow.

What’s more, the company plans to provide prospective firm partners an invitation to 1st Global’s Wealth Management Feasibility Analysis and Consultation™ on its website. This consulting engagement is designed to help firms of distinction discover the emotional and financial value of offering wealth management, in addition to their traditional accounting services.

“For more than 20 years, 1st Global has been a leading growth consultant for market-dominating CPA firms striving to be pre-eminent providers of high benefit services to their most valued clients,” said 1st Global CEO Tony Batman. “1stGlobal.com will be an additional resource of value for top-performing firms.”

About 1st Global
1st Global was founded in 1992 by CPAs who believe that accounting, tax and estate planning firms are uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive wealth management services to their clients. 1st Global provides CPA, tax and estate planning firms the education, technology, business-building framework and client solutions that make these firms leaders in their professions through dedicated professional client relationships built around wealth management.

More than 450 firms have chosen to affiliate with 1st Global, making us one of the largest financial services partners for the tax, accounting and legal professions.

1st Global Capital Corp. is a member of FINRA and SIPC and is headquartered at 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500 in Dallas, Texas, (214) 265-1201. Investment advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc., an SEC-Registered Investment Adviser. Additional information about 1st Global is available via the Internet at http://www.1stGlobal.com">1stGlobal.com.

© 2012 1st Global

# # #

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebgrowth_consultant/cpa_firms_profits/prweb9254415.htm

View the original article here

Growth Consultant to CPA Firms Provides Interactive, In-depth Business Building Opportunities on its New Website

DALLAS, Texas, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 1st Global, a leading growth consultant for select CPA firms, now offers interactive, in-depth wealth management and business-building opportunities on its new website. With many CPA firms experiencing flat or little growth over the last five years, this information as well as exchange of ideas on the site will be very beneficial for CPA firm partners seeking sustainable profits.

According to 1st Global's marketing executive, that's one of the reasons why the company launched it. "We launched 1stGlobal.com for two reasons: to better illustrate our core mission of increasing overall CPA firm growth through unique and dynamic consulting engagements. And, to express our thought leadership and encourage conversation on this important topic," said 1st Global Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Brian M. Finnigan.

"What's exciting is 1stGlobal.com offers the ability for CPA firm partners and wealth managers to 'weigh in' in real time on these ideas and facts of growth consulting using the DISQUS comments platform that many online publications and blogs use. It will enhance the interaction we have with those in our industry," he added.

Many of 1st Global's thought leadership articles and whitepapers have been published on AccountingWEB but without this social media feature. In addition, 1stGlobal.com offers engaging testimonials from CPA firm partners about their experience with 1st Global's consulting heritage and educational programs, an integrated social media button with LinkedIn and a careers page highlighting the multitude of career opportunities currently available as 1st Global continues to grow.

What's more, the company plans to provide prospective firm partners an invitation to 1st Global's Wealth Management Feasibility Analysis and Consultation™ on its website. This consulting engagement is designed to help firms of distinction discover the emotional and financial value of offering wealth management, in addition to their traditional accounting services.

"For more than 20 years, 1st Global has been a leading growth consultant for market-dominating CPA firms striving to be pre-eminent providers of high benefit services to their most valued clients," said 1st Global CEO Tony Batman. "1stGlobal.com will be an additional resource of value for top-performing firms."

About 1st Global

1st Global was founded in 1992 by CPAs who believe that accounting, tax and estate planning firms are uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive wealth management services to their clients. 1st Global provides CPA, tax and estate planning firms the education, technology, business-building framework and client solutions that make these firms leaders in their professions through dedicated professional client relationships built around wealth management.

More than 450 firms have chosen to affiliate with 1st Global, making us one of the largest financial services partners for the tax, accounting and legal professions.

1st Global Capital Corp. is a member of FINRA and SIPC and is headquartered at 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500 in Dallas, Texas, (214) 265-1201. Investment advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc., an SEC-Registered Investment Adviser. Additional information about 1st Global is available via the Internet at 1stGlobal.com.

© 2012 1st Global

Media Contact:
Alissa Martine
214-706-6442
amartine@1stglobal.com

View the original article here

Matrix Product Expansion Increases Visibility and Growth Opportunities for Firms and Financial Advisors - Yahoo Finance

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Financial Solutions, a Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR - News) company, announced today a significant expansion of its core mutual fund trading platform. The offering provides broker-dealers access to a level compensation service -- a first in a completely open architecture environment -- and greater visibility into plan data. The offering also includes advanced plan proposal and management features for financial advisors.

The expanded Matrix product and service offering will help financial services firms and financial advisors more successfully navigate the retirement plan process, generate new business opportunities and comply with regulatory changes, all in an open architecture environment.

The new products and services offered by Matrix include:

Data Feed Service -- presents plan asset values, investment activity and other important information, and creates a window for broker-dealers into the activity of a firm's advisors.Level Compensation Service -- provides SEC Registered broker-dealers the necessary certainty that all investment options available to plan participants will pay the firm and the representative a levelized compensation structure.  The service is offered with two options -- 25 and 50 basis points. Matrix will manage all 12b-1 revenue collection and reconciliation efforts with the fund companies and offer a single payment and reporting via DTCC's Commission Settlement service.RetireToolKit Desktop Proposal Generator -- enables advisors to research, select and monitor funds on behalf of the plan from a universe of more than 20,000 investment options. Professional, customized proposals can be easily packaged with pre-printed sales materials giving advisors the ability to provide plan sponsors with a highly competitive package.  RetireToolKit Desktop Report Generator -- allows advisors to efficiently prepare and print professional looking quarterly and annual plan reviews for meetings with plan sponsors.

"The expansion of our service offering provides all the tools needed to help retirement plan providers comply and win in this evolving environment," said John Moody, President, Matrix. "With new fee disclosure regulations in place and fiduciary standards under review, increased visibility from an open architecture process, at both the firm and advisor level, is being viewed as the solution to help them gain new business and comply with new regulatory changes."

Level compensation, specifically, was created to provide certainty that the pay structure for investments would be level, regardless of the investment chosen by a plan sponsor or any of its participants. Prior to introduction of this service by Matrix, firms were typically restricted in their choice of investments with level compensation plans. This new service offered by Matrix offers a level payout and access to thousands of funds, and provides broker/dealers with a powerful competitive advantage.

About Matrix Financial Solutions
Matrix Financial Solutions, now part of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., is a leading provider of TrueOpen™ retirement products and services for third party administrators, financial advisors, banks and other financial professionals. Matrix serves more than 300 financial institutions with over $145 billion in customer assets processed through its trading platform. For more information about Matrix please visit www.matrixfinancialsolutions.com.

About Broadridge
Broadridge is a technology services company focused on global capital markets. Broadridge is the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries. Broadridge builds the infrastructure that underpins proxy services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America; processes more than $4 trillion in fixed income and equity trades per day; and saves companies billions annually through its technology solutions. For more information about Broadridge please visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contact:
Kelly M. Howard
Broadridge
+1-212-981-1347
kelly.howard@broadridge.com

View the original article here

Matrix Product Expansion Increases Visibility and Growth Opportunities for Firms and Financial Advisors

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Financial Solutions, a Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR - News) company, announced today a significant expansion of its core mutual fund trading platform. The offering provides broker-dealers access to a level compensation service -- a first in a completely open architecture environment -- and greater visibility into plan data. The offering also includes advanced plan proposal and management features for financial advisors.

The expanded Matrix product and service offering will help financial services firms and financial advisors more successfully navigate the retirement plan process, generate new business opportunities and comply with regulatory changes, all in an open architecture environment.

The new products and services offered by Matrix include:

Data Feed Service -- presents plan asset values, investment activity and other important information, and creates a window for broker-dealers into the activity of a firm's advisors.Level Compensation Service -- provides SEC Registered broker-dealers the necessary certainty that all investment options available to plan participants will pay the firm and the representative a levelized compensation structure.  The service is offered with two options -- 25 and 50 basis points. Matrix will manage all 12b-1 revenue collection and reconciliation efforts with the fund companies and offer a single payment and reporting via DTCC's Commission Settlement service.RetireToolKit Desktop Proposal Generator -- enables advisors to research, select and monitor funds on behalf of the plan from a universe of more than 20,000 investment options. Professional, customized proposals can be easily packaged with pre-printed sales materials giving advisors the ability to provide plan sponsors with a highly competitive package.  RetireToolKit Desktop Report Generator -- allows advisors to efficiently prepare and print professional looking quarterly and annual plan reviews for meetings with plan sponsors.

"The expansion of our service offering provides all the tools needed to help retirement plan providers comply and win in this evolving environment," said John Moody, President, Matrix. "With new fee disclosure regulations in place and fiduciary standards under review, increased visibility from an open architecture process, at both the firm and advisor level, is being viewed as the solution to help them gain new business and comply with new regulatory changes."

Level compensation, specifically, was created to provide certainty that the pay structure for investments would be level, regardless of the investment chosen by a plan sponsor or any of its participants. Prior to introduction of this service by Matrix, firms were typically restricted in their choice of investments with level compensation plans. This new service offered by Matrix offers a level payout and access to thousands of funds, and provides broker/dealers with a powerful competitive advantage.

About Matrix Financial Solutions
Matrix Financial Solutions, now part of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., is a leading provider of TrueOpen™ retirement products and services for third party administrators, financial advisors, banks and other financial professionals. Matrix serves more than 300 financial institutions with over $145 billion in customer assets processed through its trading platform. For more information about Matrix please visit www.matrixfinancialsolutions.com.

About Broadridge
Broadridge is a technology services company focused on global capital markets. Broadridge is the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries. Broadridge builds the infrastructure that underpins proxy services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America; processes more than $4 trillion in fixed income and equity trades per day; and saves companies billions annually through its technology solutions. For more information about Broadridge please visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contact:
Kelly M. Howard
Broadridge
+1-212-981-1347
kelly.howard@broadridge.com

View the original article here

Rural firms across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire urged to bid for a slice of £60m to help boost business opportunities - EDP 24

Rural firms are being urged to apply for a slice of a £60m government grant to help their businesses

By shaun lowthorpe?Business editor
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
6:30 AM

Rural businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are being urged to bid for a slice of a £60m scheme to help boost business opportunities from farm produce to holiday cottages.

Grants worth up to £1m each will meet up to 40pc of the cost of projects that improve farm competitiveness, develop agri-food businesses, exploit tourism opportunities or make forestry more competitive and environmentally friendly.

Funding, which is distributed locally, will also be available to support small rural businesses.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said farmers will be able to apply for funding to improve areas of their farm businesses including animal health and welfare and water management.

Among those helped already by the scheme, which was first launched in 2010, include Cranswick Country Foods, which was awarded a grant of £408,250 for a sausage factory at Watton in Norfolk.

That has seen 71 staff taken on which is due to rise to 86 when the new venture reaches full production. The grant was used to upgrade existing premises and to construct a new unit for five production lines allowing Cranswick will expand their business in Norfolk and produce a range of pork sausages packaged and distributed in East Anglia with pig meat supplied by 17 local farms.

Bungay basesd JH Lambert also opened its new abattoir at Eye in Suffolk after receiving £1.4m which has seen 25 extra staff taken on with a further 10 jobs due to be created.

The project supports about 1,100 local livestock farmers who are able to cut travel time, costs and distress to their animals. The new facility is considered crucial to not only protect livestock and meat production in the region but also to promote East Anglia as a world class meat producer.

David Fisher, who received just over £30,000 to support his Wisbech-based apple juice business Watergull Orchards, which supplies 40 Waitrose stores, said the cash helped to invest in a new press and mill to enable the company to supply more stores over a larger area and enter the cider market.

“The grant has really helped me move the business forward and freed up some time to pursue more potential sales which are essential to keep growing the business,” Mr Fisher said. “The application process and follow up has been helped by the team and I really appreciate their help.”

Grants may also be available to rural companies to buy new processing and packing equipment which will allow them to sell their products to new markets.

And funding will help businesses exploit the growing tourism industry by allowing them to apply for backing to provide accommodation, visitor services and countryside activities.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “Businesses in rural England can play a significant part in helping to rebuild the nation’s finances.

“From today, they have the chance to turn their most ambitious and innovative business plans into a reality - boosting profits, supporting a thriving rural economy and improving the natural environment.

“Our £60m investment will give farmers and rural entrepreneurs life-changing opportunities to transform their business prospects for the long term.”

The scheme opens for applications today, with the first round running until the end of April. A second round of applications is expected in the autumn.

Funding will prioritise small businesses in rural growth networks, a £15m pilot project which aims to address some of the hurdles faced by countryside areas including a lack of suitable premises and poor broadband and mobile facilities.

A large electrical shop in Dereham will shut this weekend nearly a year after the business was rescued by its rival Hughes Electrical.

Read full story »

View the original article here

Rural firms across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire urged to bid for a slice of £60m to help boost business ...

Rural firms are being urged to apply for a slice of a £60m government grant to help their businesses

By shaun lowthorpe?Business editor
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
6:30 AM

Rural businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are being urged to bid for a slice of a £60m scheme to help boost business opportunities from farm produce to holiday cottages.

Grants worth up to £1m each will meet up to 40pc of the cost of projects that improve farm competitiveness, develop agri-food businesses, exploit tourism opportunities or make forestry more competitive and environmentally friendly.

Funding, which is distributed locally, will also be available to support small rural businesses.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said farmers will be able to apply for funding to improve areas of their farm businesses including animal health and welfare and water management.

Among those helped already by the scheme, which was first launched in 2010, include Cranswick Country Foods, which was awarded a grant of £408,250 for a sausage factory at Watton in Norfolk.

That has seen 71 staff taken on which is due to rise to 86 when the new venture reaches full production. The grant was used to upgrade existing premises and to construct a new unit for five production lines allowing Cranswick will expand their business in Norfolk and produce a range of pork sausages packaged and distributed in East Anglia with pig meat supplied by 17 local farms.

Bungay basesd JH Lambert also opened its new abattoir at Eye in Suffolk after receiving £1.4m which has seen 25 extra staff taken on with a further 10 jobs due to be created.

The project supports about 1,100 local livestock farmers who are able to cut travel time, costs and distress to their animals. The new facility is considered crucial to not only protect livestock and meat production in the region but also to promote East Anglia as a world class meat producer.

David Fisher, who received just over £30,000 to support his Wisbech-based apple juice business Watergull Orchards, which supplies 40 Waitrose stores, said the cash helped to invest in a new press and mill to enable the company to supply more stores over a larger area and enter the cider market.

“The grant has really helped me move the business forward and freed up some time to pursue more potential sales which are essential to keep growing the business,” Mr Fisher said. “The application process and follow up has been helped by the team and I really appreciate their help.”

Grants may also be available to rural companies to buy new processing and packing equipment which will allow them to sell their products to new markets.

And funding will help businesses exploit the growing tourism industry by allowing them to apply for backing to provide accommodation, visitor services and countryside activities.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “Businesses in rural England can play a significant part in helping to rebuild the nation’s finances.

“From today, they have the chance to turn their most ambitious and innovative business plans into a reality - boosting profits, supporting a thriving rural economy and improving the natural environment.

“Our £60m investment will give farmers and rural entrepreneurs life-changing opportunities to transform their business prospects for the long term.”

The scheme opens for applications today, with the first round running until the end of April. A second round of applications is expected in the autumn.

Funding will prioritise small businesses in rural growth networks, a £15m pilot project which aims to address some of the hurdles faced by countryside areas including a lack of suitable premises and poor broadband and mobile facilities.

A large electrical shop in Dereham will shut this weekend nearly a year after the business was rescued by its rival Hughes Electrical.

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Proposed Corporate Tax Cut Could Mean More Business For Small Firms - msnbc.com

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) -- The corporate tax cut proposed by President Obama last week could mean more business opportunities for small firms across the country.

The proposed tax cut, which takes the tax rate from 35% to 28%, is aimed at more job creation and keeping jobs from leaving the country.

One University of Saint Francis professor says those cuts could benefit businesses of all sizes.

University of Saint Francis Professor Doug Meador, Ph.D. says, “Mega-corporations pick up their buying. Some of that is going to purchased from the very small corporations.”

Meador says small business will have a tougher time getting tax shelter however.

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Local firms, businessmen urged: Explore UN market

By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News

Local design and construction industry players are encouraged to explore business opportunities abroad especially projects funded by the United Nations (UN).

Provincial Director Nelia Navarro of the Department of Trade and Industry gave this advice to companies and businessmen in these sectors during last week’s  forum on doing business with the United Nations.

The creativity and skills of local designers, architects and engineers could easily win them projects under the UN, said Navarro.

“All they need to do is register in the UN (United Nations) website and satisfy the requirements that the organization seeks for in a project contractor,” said Navarro.

Navarro described the business opportunities at the UN as a still “undertapped market”

“This is another form of exporting, which is a very huge market that our exporters and even those who are not into exports can start looking into. UN is a gateway for our local companies to go global,” said Navarro.

According to Toshio Mikami, chief for the United Nations logistics and transportation under the procurement division, the United Nations total procurement value of the goods and services that they sourced from different suppliers around the world was at $14.5 billion.

“Out of that, our division’s total procurement value was $3.1 billion last year. We are inviting Filipinos to participate,” said Mikami.

Major items that UN mostly requires from suppliers include food products, pharmaceutical supplies, vehicles, computers and softwares, shelter and housing, telecommunications equipment, laboratory equipment, chemicals, building materials, security services, outsourced personnel services, engineering services, construction, corporate services, freight services, printing services and equipment rental, consultancy services and telecommunications services.

“Based on their data, the value of services and goods that they have sourced from the Philippines since 2007 was only at $48,364. This can still be increased because we have the capacity. Our construction players are already using advanced building technologies and we have local designers and architects that they can tap,” said Navarro.

She said, the local firms or businessmen should however adhere to the specific requirements that the United Nations would impose or ask from their suppliers.

“The United Nations is made up of a variety of organizational entities like Funds and Programmes under which includes the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization. We also have the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund and World Food Programme. Each of these have different specific requirements but follow common principles in finding partners and suppliers,” said Mikami.

Navarro said that interested companies could check out individual websites of the organizations to learn more about the specific requirements  to participate.

“They have what they call the UN Global Compact which follows 10 principles which highlight mostly sound labor practices like no child labor, human rights in place, environmental responsibility and works against corruption, extortion and bribery,” said Navarro.

The UN procurement division purchases $478 million worth of architecture, engineering and construction related services in 2010 which according to Navarro is a huge market for our local contractors to tap.

“If they participate and get selected by UN, they can earn more and be able to expand their operations easily in the areas where the United Nations will need their services,” said Navarro.

“The organization needs contractors to rebuild their offices that were destroyed during wars and other crisis like calamities,” she said.

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Tags: Business , construction industry , Entrepreneurship , local design , United Nations (UN)

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Business : Int’l firms target Gulf food market to boost business

DUBAI - Gulfood 2012, the premier event for food and hospitality industry, on Monday continued to attract government officials, trade visitors and investors seeking business opportunities in the food and beverage industry. While high-rank government officials used the platform to promote their local products, the trade visitors showed interest in national pavilions and stands set up by various companies to increase their customer base in the region.

Over 3,800 exhibitors from more than 88 countries showcased various products and expect trade deals worth millions of dollars with local and regional competitors during the four-day event.

On Monday, the UK Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said his country has great opportunities to sell more food and drink to the Middle East.

During a mission to promote British produce at one of Asia’s biggest food and hospitality trade shows, Paice backed the 60 UK companies exhibiting cheese, chocolate, crisps, curry and other British classics.

“From cheese to chocolate our foods are already known the world over for their quality. Successful, vibrant places like the Middle East represent a fantastic opportunity for growth,” Paice said.

The focal point of Paice’s visit to Dubai was to the Gulfood trade fair, which is regarded as the premier event for food and drink exporters seeking new sales in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The visit was part of a UK government-backed drive launched last month to boost exports of British food and drink to high growth markets to generate significant economic growth and jobs.

Ambassador of South Africa to the UAE Yacoob Abba Omar, who was present at Gulfood Expo, also highlighted the increasing export trends between the two regions.

“Gulfood is a fantastic opportunity for the hard working food producers of South Africa to showcase their world class products to a high-level food industry audience. Since Middle Eastern countries import most of their food products, food security is naturally an issue that South Africa is well positioned to provide support with as part of a mutually beneficial relationship,” Omar said.

The UAE is of great importance to South Africa and is considered one of the top five countries, which contribute to South Africa’s GDP and exporting activities; equating to a total bilateral trade between both at approximately $1 billion.

Singapore companies unveiled more than 40 new products at the event. The Singapore pavilion represents the largest range of new-to-region products ever to be brought to the trade exhibition in Singapore’s 12 years of participation.

Emirates General Petroleum Corporation, or Emarat, stand attracted visitors, especially from investors seeking opportunities to secure franchise rights to Emarat’s trade names ‘Freshplus’, ‘Bakeria’ and ‘Cafe Arabicca’, all of which are participating in the exhibition under one roof.

—muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com

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Business : Int’l firms target Gulf food market to boost business

DUBAI - Gulfood 2012, the premier event for food and hospitality industry, on Monday continued to attract government officials, trade visitors and investors seeking business opportunities in the food and beverage industry. While high-rank government officials used the platform to promote their local products, the trade visitors showed interest in national pavilions and stands set up by various companies to increase their customer base in the region.

Over 3,800 exhibitors from more than 88 countries showcased various products and expect trade deals worth millions of dollars with local and regional competitors during the four-day event.

On Monday, the UK Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said his country has great opportunities to sell more food and drink to the Middle East.

During a mission to promote British produce at one of Asia’s biggest food and hospitality trade shows, Paice backed the 60 UK companies exhibiting cheese, chocolate, crisps, curry and other British classics.

“From cheese to chocolate our foods are already known the world over for their quality. Successful, vibrant places like the Middle East represent a fantastic opportunity for growth,” Paice said.

The focal point of Paice’s visit to Dubai was to the Gulfood trade fair, which is regarded as the premier event for food and drink exporters seeking new sales in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The visit was part of a UK government-backed drive launched last month to boost exports of British food and drink to high growth markets to generate significant economic growth and jobs.

Ambassador of South Africa to the UAE Yacoob Abba Omar, who was present at Gulfood Expo, also highlighted the increasing export trends between the two regions.

“Gulfood is a fantastic opportunity for the hard working food producers of South Africa to showcase their world class products to a high-level food industry audience. Since Middle Eastern countries import most of their food products, food security is naturally an issue that South Africa is well positioned to provide support with as part of a mutually beneficial relationship,” Omar said.

The UAE is of great importance to South Africa and is considered one of the top five countries, which contribute to South Africa’s GDP and exporting activities; equating to a total bilateral trade between both at approximately $1 billion.

Singapore companies unveiled more than 40 new products at the event. The Singapore pavilion represents the largest range of new-to-region products ever to be brought to the trade exhibition in Singapore’s 12 years of participation.

Emirates General Petroleum Corporation, or Emarat, stand attracted visitors, especially from investors seeking opportunities to secure franchise rights to Emarat’s trade names ‘Freshplus’, ‘Bakeria’ and ‘Cafe Arabicca’, all of which are participating in the exhibition under one roof.

—muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com

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Japanese drug firms eye opportunities in Kingdom

Home » business » Japanese drug firms eye opportunities in Kingdom Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit
The Nation February 8, 2012 1:00 am

Yasuhiko Shioi, vice president of Toyama Pharmaceutical Association and chief executive officer of Kokando Co, said some drug firms considered Thailand a key production base because of its geographical advantage, able to distribute their products into neighbouring nations such as Burma, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Their investment will take different forms including joint ventures, joint marketing research and market development, long-term partnerships, importing products from Japan, trading Thai products to Japan and other nations, and joint product development, he said.

"The investment outlook here is still positive. I am not worried about politics and flooding. Thailand is a [good] choice because Thais are familiar with Japanese culture and there are a lot of Japanese living here,'' he said.

Not only does Thailand see rising demand for medications driven by its economic growth, the local pharmaceutical industry has long been established.

This makes it easy to find full-scale production equipment and skilled producers.

Hosted by DKSH Thailand Co, a Switzerland-based trading firm, in cooperation with the Bangkok arm of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), drug-company representatives attended a presentation yesterday to learn how to do business here, especially local regulations under the Food and Drug Administration.

All of them came from Toyama prefecture, Japan's biggest pharmaceutical production base with 89 companies. They mainly produce generic and over-the-counter drugs.

Currently, Japan is the world's second-biggest drug producer behind the United States in terms of value. Sixty per cent of its output is exported, particularly to the US and Europe.

But entering the Thai market may not be easy. At present, the total drug market is valued at Bt110.8 billion. It is dominated by multinational companies, mainly from the West, such as Pfizer International and Sanofi-Aventis, which between them hold 74 per cent of the market.

The remaining 26 per cent is controlled by local companies.

The market is also witnessing a decline in growth. Last year, it grew only 3.5 per cent, compared with 18-19 per cent before 2008. The sharp drop in growth was blamed on the national economic slowdown, which hit the government's healthcare budget.

However, Shioi said Japanese drugs were competitive, relying on innovation and differentiation compared with others sold in the market, especially generic drugs. But companies will not launch a pricing war to gain market share, he insisted.

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Explore Business Opportunities In India, Malaysian Firms Urged

January 27, 2012 20:55 PM

Explore Business Opportunities In India, Malaysian Firms Urged

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysian businesses have been urged to explore business opportunities in India as the country is the largest trading partner for Malaysia among South Asian countries.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KLSICCI) president Datuk V.K.K. Teagarajan said the bilateral economic engagement between the two countries is expected to get a further fillip after the full implementation of the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

"CECA, that was inked on July 1 last year, is a free trade agreement which covers trade in goods and services, investment and economic cooperation that will open up new businesses between the two countries," he said.

He said Malaysia is the 21st largest investor in India with cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows from 1991 to 2008 valued at US$1.8 billion.

"In addition, about US$6 billion in Malaysian investmments are believed to be invested in India through the Mauritius route, notable among them are Maxis Communications in Aircel, Axiata in Idea Cellular Ltd, Khazanah with IDFC, Appolo Hospitals, Yes Bank and many more," Teagarajan said.

He was speaking at a news conference after a business delegation meeting between KLSICCI and India's Young Entrepreneur School at the Royal Selangor Club here today.

Also present were MIC deputy president and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Vijay K. Gokhale.

Teagarajan said total trade between Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi in 2010 was US$7.1bil (RM21.6bil).

Malaysian construction companies also have a large presence in India, having completed 52 construction projects worth US2.34 billion in India while 35 projects of similar value are under various stages of implementation, he said.

Among the successful projects are the Malaysian Airports Bhd (MAHB) partnership with GMR Group of India which completed an airport in Hyderabad in 2008 and the second airport in Delhi in July 2010, he said.

Meanwhile, Subramaiam said India' economy is rapidly growing at around nine per cent annually.

"India also has a large middle class of 450 million people, offering many business opportunities for Malaysia especially," he said.

He also expressed hope that the meeting between the Malaysian and Indian business communities would result in more joint-venture construction projects and other business opportunities.

-- BERNAMA

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Kuwait- UK firms seek business opportunities

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Explore Business Opportunities In India, Malaysian Firms Urged - Bernama

January 27, 2012 20:55 PM

Explore Business Opportunities In India, Malaysian Firms Urged

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysian businesses have been urged to explore business opportunities in India as the country is the largest trading partner for Malaysia among South Asian countries.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KLSICCI) president Datuk V.K.K. Teagarajan said the bilateral economic engagement between the two countries is expected to get a further fillip after the full implementation of the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

"CECA, that was inked on July 1 last year, is a free trade agreement which covers trade in goods and services, investment and economic cooperation that will open up new businesses between the two countries," he said.

He said Malaysia is the 21st largest investor in India with cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows from 1991 to 2008 valued at US$1.8 billion.

"In addition, about US$6 billion in Malaysian investmments are believed to be invested in India through the Mauritius route, notable among them are Maxis Communications in Aircel, Axiata in Idea Cellular Ltd, Khazanah with IDFC, Appolo Hospitals, Yes Bank and many more," Teagarajan said.

He was speaking at a news conference after a business delegation meeting between KLSICCI and India's Young Entrepreneur School at the Royal Selangor Club here today.

Also present were MIC deputy president and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Vijay K. Gokhale.

Teagarajan said total trade between Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi in 2010 was US$7.1bil (RM21.6bil).

Malaysian construction companies also have a large presence in India, having completed 52 construction projects worth US2.34 billion in India while 35 projects of similar value are under various stages of implementation, he said.

Among the successful projects are the Malaysian Airports Bhd (MAHB) partnership with GMR Group of India which completed an airport in Hyderabad in 2008 and the second airport in Delhi in July 2010, he said.

Meanwhile, Subramaiam said India' economy is rapidly growing at around nine per cent annually.

"India also has a large middle class of 450 million people, offering many business opportunities for Malaysia especially," he said.

He also expressed hope that the meeting between the Malaysian and Indian business communities would result in more joint-venture construction projects and other business opportunities.

-- BERNAMA

We provide (subscription-based) 
news coverage in our Newswire service.

View the original article here