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Former Illinois lawmaker granted immunity, compelled to testify in corruption trial of ex-Speaker Michael MadiganAdrian Butler Elected to PRA Group Board of DirectorsKey Takeaways The holidays can be hectic, but one thing that always helps is a list. Even Santa Claus needs one — and I've heard he checks his twice! I have a holiday routine I follow every year to help me reflect on how my business performed over the past year and how it can improve in the next. These crucial tasks have helped me grow my business, PostcardMania , from nothing to over $100 million in annual revenue. The best part is that our revenue growth is accelerating, which is a big accomplishment for a 26-year-old business. Since 2020, our annual revenue averages 15% growth — three times better than the previous decade's average of 5% growth. This checklist will help guide you in the process of analyzing your results and preparing for the year ahead. Related: 4 Marketing Triggers You Need to Set Up Now to Supercharge Your New Year Review marketing metrics and focus on top-line (aka new sales) growth At the end of the year, take time to compile all of your results data — leads, sales, and where both are coming from. For me, I look at what's driving top-line growth (i.e., orders from new customers). A lot of coaches and consultants focus on bottom-line growth, but top-line is where I find the most useful information when it comes to marketing. What's driving sales? What brings in the best ROI? Once you know that, you can build in efficiencies down the line to improve profitability/bottom line, but getting that top line to grow is always my number one priority. For example, last year, we noticed that new orders were down. My beautiful VP of Sales, Ashlie, who has been with me for over 20 years, made an excellent observation and suggestion. She asked, "How about we increase the postcards?" Um, HELLO — I needed to practice what I preach!! We looked into it, and somehow, our outgoing postcard promotion had been cut from 205,000 weekly to 195,000. So, we increased our postcard outflow again (it's now at over 260,000), and new orders and revenue from first-time buyers is finally up. That increase is over $1 million in top-line growth year to date. As I write this, we still have four weeks left in the year. On top of that: We already know that half of those new clients will order more than once — and many will order for years and years to come. To me, this was huge! A "come to Jesus" moment — if we increase our postcard mailings, we increase our top line without fail. It's a little bit embarrassing because this is my mantra, and I missed it. What works for my business may not be what works for yours, but you have to put the work in to find that top-line growth driver. Once you know it, grow it like no one's business and build in efficiencies as you go. That has been the key to growing MY business. Look for year-over-year trends to make adjustments It's not just the current year's results you want to scrutinize. Compare the last five years to identify trends. If you don't have data that goes that far back, try to gather any information possible to obtain a bigger picture of what may have changed or stayed the same over a span of time. How have your marketing strategies evolved? I can tell you that at my business, PostcardMania, direct mail marketing continues to deliver massive results. We mail hundreds of thousands of postcards every week advertising our services like clockwork. But we've also tested other marketing strategies over time. For example, the majority of our social media ads were static images. Then, last year, we decided to launch a series of short video ads about our clients' successful marketing campaigns, and we witnessed a huge difference. As a result, our social media leads doubled, increasing by 105%! Since then, we've transitioned most of our ads on Facebook and Instagram to video instead of photos. What is your most significant marketing trend? It will be different for every business, but the crucial takeaway is that the more you market , the more your business will grow. That's a tried-and-true trend that will always stay the same. Related: What I Learned From Spending $5.9 Million on Marketing Last Year Analyze your sales funnel to discover opportunities for improvement Even if you have been relying on the same sales funnel for years to deliver customers, it's still beneficial to analyze its performance to see if there's room for improvement. Where do you normally witness prospects losing interest? Find the weaker spots in the communication channels and brainstorm strategies to draw them back in. Typically, an interested buyer will visit your website before making any final decisions. This is a key point where prospects will often fall out of your funnel — but you can do something about it. At PostcardMania, we use technology to match a website visitor's IP address with their physical address, then mail them a retargeted postcard within 24-48 hours following their website visit. The mailer sitting inside their house helps bring them back for a purchase. I also recommend creating a solid schedule of reminder ads, emails and phone calls to re-engage prospects who haven't converted yet. If you can automate these tactics to be responsive using your CRM , that's even more ideal. This will cut down on the workload on your end and create a more personalized experience for prospects. Win-win! Remember to work smarter, not necessarily harder. Track your competitors and compare for additional insights By now, you should have an idea of who your main competitors are. A well-thought-out marketing strategy includes an analysis of the competition and their marketing as well. What did your competitor offer this year? Was it better than the discounts or free items you advertised? Who did their ads appeal to in regards to audience? If you aren't sure, make sure to visit their websites and sign up for their newsletters or marketing promotions. I also suggest creating a Google alert for each competitor that will send any new mentions across the web right to your inbox. Take all of this information into account and detail any offers or messages that may have performed better than yours. Then, rally with your team to come up with even better strategies next year to get ahead of the competition. Just keep in mind that your business should maintain its unique mission and identity despite any changes in advertising and promotions. Ask your customers for feedback through surveys and reviews I can't preach this enough, but the only way you are going to get more positive reviews is by asking! The end of the year is the perfect time to send out an email or text message to customers and ask them to rate your products, services and customer service. By giving customers an opportunity to provide feedback, you not only increase your credibility online, but you also gain more information about what your customers love and don't like as much. My staff regularly takes time to ask happy clients for reviews. If someone's had a good experience, they're very likely to leave a review when asked! Once we put a process in place to do this, our five-star reviews skyrocketed. I'm B2B, and I noticed my competitors — even publicly traded competitors that are 10x our size — have far, far fewer good reviews than we do. Create a comprehensive plan for the new year You don't have to wait until the new year to make changes. As soon as you digest your business's results data, you can begin a new marketing strategy. The best time to make purchases is before the end of the year so that you can reinvest otherwise taxable profits back into your business and reduce your tax burden. Some purchases might even be eligible for tax credits ! If you are a B2B business like we are, go ahead and mail a letter to your prospects and customers and give them the great idea to pre-buy your product or service before the end of the year. Some of them inevitably will, and you'll see a boost in December when people are usually too preoccupied with the holidays to spend that taxable income. We do this every year, and December is often our biggest month of the year! Related: 3 Secrets to Finishing the Year Strong — Make These Smart Moves to Boost Your Revenue in the Final Quarter Celebrate your successes and acknowledge those who contributed The year shouldn't end before you acknowledge all of your wins! Even if this year wasn't your best, you can still celebrate any accomplishment . Include these victories in end-of-year events, or create a company email newsletter full of positive highlights. Make sure to give credit to anyone who contributed to the growth of your business. It will boost company morale and encourage the whole team to do even better in the coming year.wild casino craps 。

By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored from corners to give Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, cutting the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool and ending Ruben Amorim’s unbeaten start. The Gunners threatened from set pieces but little else in a strangely subdued first half, with Thomas Partey unable to direct a dangerous Declan Rice corner that injured defender Gabriel may well have converted. United goalkeeper Andre Onana twice needed to punch clear from corners, with the second presenting a half-chance for Gabriel Martinelli who sliced his shot high and wide. The visitors were content to slow the game down and retain possession, but went close before the break as Diogo Dalot dragged his effort wide from a tight angle. Arsenal were sharper after the restart and took the lead from another Rice corner in the 54th minute, with Timber heading in from a tight angle. United nearly levelled from a set piece of their own shortly after, but David Raya produced a superb fingertip save at full stretch to claw away Matthijs de Ligt’s goalbound header. Arsenal put the game to bed in the 73rd minute when Partey’s header from a Bukayo Saka delivery bounced off Saliba and in for Arsenal’s 22nd league goal from a corner since the start of last season. “Until the set pieces the game didn’t have too many opportunities for both sides, the set pieces killed the game,” Amorim told the BBC. Rice nearly added a third before substitute Mikel Merino headed past the post from the resulting corner, as each set piece generated a roar of expectation. ARSENAL CLOSE GAP Arsenal saw the game out to capitalise on Liverpool’s draw at Newcastle United, with the victory putting them third behind Chelsea on goal difference on 28 points from 14 games — with the gap to the leaders now seven points. During a small wobble while influential captain Martin Odegaard was injured, critics had questioned Arsenal’s title credentials but Rice said that was premature. “People get carried away with the title talk,” he told Amazon Prime. “I was involved in my first one last year and you just need to be in and around it in February time.” His manager Mikel Arteta told reporters: “It’s true that we went through a lot in that period ... you have to react. It’s about trying to do it next. “Today, now we’ve won four in a row — it doesn’t matter, we have to go to Fulham and be better than them.” Amorim’s first loss as United manager — and his first league defeat since his former club Sporting were beaten by Vitoria de Guimaraes in December, 2023 — left them 11th on 19 points. Amorim saw positives from United, especially in the first half. “I make the evaluation of a game regardless of the result, he told reporters. “The 4-0 (win against Everton), you can take positive things but you have to improve and you already knew that. “You can feel it in the first half, especially at the end of the first half, you can feel that they were not comfortable, you can feel it in the stadium, so you can take that.” (Reporting by Sam Tobin,Editing by Toby Davis and Ed Osmond) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );The Energy Industries Council (EIC) has awarded premium multipurpose, heavy lift carrier AAL Shipping (AAL) the Innovation & Digital Award at the World Energy Supply Chain Awards (WESCA) 2024 APAC. The award recognises AAL’s contribution to the energy sector, particularly the innovations from the past year that has enabled the shipping operator to increase its scope in energy projects of all kinds while bringing greater levels of efficiency and emissions reductions to its operations and clients. A particular highlight for AAL has been the delivery and deployment of the newbuild Super B-Class fleet, of which four vessels out of the eight-strong order are now busy plying their trade supporting energy customers worldwide. A critical design change compared to the other multipurpose, heavy lift ships in the fleet is the revolutionary retractable weather deck extension system, the ‘AAL ECO-DECK’. This boosts the clear deck space to over 5,000 sq m and brings a host of benefits for energy clients including greater economies of scale, which in turn reduces the number of voyages required and thus the costs, fuel, time and emissions. Emissions reduction is a core feature of the Super B-Class. In addition to the superior cargo intake capabilities reducing the number of voyages, the dual fuel vessels meet the highest possible emission standards and are methanol ready. Further fuel-efficiency measures from AAL include the use of digital solutions such as the Performance and Optimisation Control Room (POCR), in partnership with sister company Columbia Shipmanagement, offering routing technology to enhance sailing efficiency. “We at AAL regularly reinvest in new innovations to enhance our services and offering to our global energy customers – be it digital solutions for emissions reduction or larger investments in the future of the energy sector with the Super B-Class vessels,” said Kyriacos Panayides, CEO of AAL Shipping. “Not only have these vessels been purpose-built to handle the energy components being moved today, but their design also anticipates the future requirements of the sector, ensuring they can be relied upon for years to come. “It is a great honour to be recognised by the EIC with the Innovation & Digital Award 2024 and be amongst the energy sector’s top supply chain players. It is recognition for our teams’ hard work and their solution-driven approach.” Source: AAL Shipping

MTVA stock touches 52-week low at $2.04 amid market challengesWhat does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump?President-elect Donald Trump is trying to get the Georgia election interference case against him dismissed, asserting that the state's courts will not have jurisdiction over him once he returns to the White House next month. The Georgia case against Trump and others is mostly on hold pending a pretrial appeal of an order allowing prosecutor Fani Willis to remain on the case despite what defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest. Trump's attorneys on Wednesday filed a notice with the Georgia Court of Appeals saying a sitting president is “completely immune from indictment or any criminal process, state or federal.” The filing asks the appeals court to consider before he becomes president next month whether it has jurisdiction to continue to hear the case. It says the court should conclude that it and the trial court lack jurisdiction “as the continued indictment and prosecution of President Trump by the State of Georgia are unconstitutional.” Trump's lawyers ask that the appeals court dismiss his appeal for lack of jurisdiction and instruct the trial court to immediately dismiss the indictment against him. RELATED STORY | American foreign policy is flowing through Mar-a-Lago as Trump prepares for White House return Also Wednesday, former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case, asked the trial court judge to invalidate that plea. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the case in the months following the indictment. Representatives for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis declined to comment on Trump's and Chesebro's requests. The Georgia case, which originally included 19 defendants and dozens of charges, was the most sprawling of four criminal cases against the once-and-future president. U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith last week told judges he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. One of those cases charged him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate. The other accused him of scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost. Trump on Monday asked a Manhattan judge to throw out his conviction in his hush money case , saying that continuing to pursue it would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ The New York case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. In the Georgia case, Trump and some of the other remaining defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, were already seeking to have Willis removed from the prosecution or to have the indictment dismissed. They cited a romantic relationship she had with Nathan Wade , a special prosecutor she appointed to lead the case. Willis and Wade have acknowledged that they had a relationship but have said it began after he was hired and ended before the indictment against Trump was filed. Trump and other defendants argued that the relationship created a conflict of interest that should disqualify Willis and her office from continuing with her prosecution of the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis’ actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment,” but he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He said she could continue her prosecution as long as Wade stepped aside, which he did. The appeal of that ruling remains pending but must be decided by March. Chesebro was charged in August 2023, alongside Trump and 17 others , in the sprawling indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months later after reaching a deal with prosecutors just before he was to go to trial. His lawyer on Wednesday asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to invalidate the plea after McAfee in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. “In Georgia, a defendant cannot plead guilty to a charge that does not constitute a crime,” defense attorney Manny Arora wrote, adding that a failure to invalidate his plea would violate Chesebro's constitutional right to due process. Prosecutors have said Chesebro was part of a plot to have a group of 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely saying that Trump had won Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents related to the the filing of that document with the federal court in Atlanta. In a September ruling, McAfee wrote that punishing someone for filing certain documents with a federal court would “enable a state to constrict the scope of materials assessed by a federal court and impair the administration of justice in that tribunal to police its own proceedings.” He concluded that the count must be quashed “as beyond the jurisdiction of this State.”

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Jerry Yang didn’t speak English when he started school at L.A. Nelson Elementary. Now, as a Guyer High School sophomore, Yang is a budding teacher, and among 18 Denton ISD students qualified to advance to nationals from their work in Texas Association of Future Educators contests. Yang and his peers are also eligible for the Educators Rising National Conference. How did the high school student go from being a Mandarin speaker in an English as a second language program to a competitive aspiring teacher? Yang credits Denton ISD’s Teach Denton and how it channeled his enthusiasm for learning in elementary school. “I believe it’s because I was not a native speaker,” he said. “And I usually excel more, like faster than others. So then I helped others, and then it clicked for me at the same time.” Guyer High School sophomore Jerry Yang qualified for a national competition for future educators. Yang is a member of both Teach Denton, a Denton ISD program that offers training and development for students who want to be teachers, and his campus chapter of Texas Association of Future Educators. Yang said his ESL teacher nominated him for the program. “I was like ‘OK,’” he said. In elementary school classrooms across Denton ISD, teachers notice when some students help their classmates out. They might explain part of a small group activity, or help a friend stand in the right spot. They are eager to learn, too. Since the 2016-17 school year, teachers have tapped those students to join Teach Denton, a program that introduces students — some of them as young as prekindergarten — to teaching. Since its founding, Teach Denton has fed campus chapters of the Texas Association of Future Educators, a three-year education training program at LaGrone Academy that certifies students to work as classroom aides. Teach Denton is also a pathway to LaGrone’s teaching internship, a program that gives students professional development and student teaching experience ahead of college programs. Since the program was founded, 88 of Teach Denton’s alumni have returned to Denton ISD in full-time teaching positions. Denton ISD leaders are proud of that number, and officials from the Texas Education Agency have visited campuses to meet Teach Denton students and the school leaders who are shepherding them toward a career in the classroom or administrators’ offices. “We’re planting these seeds; we’re planting Christmas trees,” said Leah Zavala, the coordinator of Teach Denton. “We’re not going to have all of our vacancies and spots filled tomorrow. But this is that long-term goal. It’s building Rome, you know?” Leah Zavala, Denton ISD’s Teach Denton coordinator, speaks at a event for Teach Denton students in February. Zavala said the program has attracted attention from school districts across the country. The program grew out of a campus improvement plan, a sprawling project that the leaders of each campus complete regularly to align classrooms with everything from state standards to the needs of the regional and national labor market. Zavala said a deputy superintendent likened the initiative to planting trees that would bear fruit generations later. District leaders routinely consider the challenges that face public schools. Texas has been dealing with a teaching shortage for more than a decade, a situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and political upheavals. Denton ISD has fared better than other Texas schools. It’s a destination district, and boasts an 81.8% teacher retention rate. But the program isn’t about filling vacancies, Zavala said. It’s about connecting students who excel in the classroom and who show leadership traits to a vocation that makes an impact on lives, and on a granular level. Texas public schools act on a 2019 mandate from state lawmakers to make sure students can graduate from high school ready for college, a career or the military. Denton ISD has the typical pathways for students to pursue those outcomes. LaGrone Academy, the district’s advanced technology complex, offers certifications in longstanding trades, such as cosmetology, nursing, auto mechanics and welding. The campus also has a menu of newer certification programs, such as commercial photography, animation, law and forensics. Zavala said the campus improvement plan process sparked conversations about teaching. Every teacher and administrator knows students who are clever, curious and willing to lead. “The questions came up: Why are we not marketing our profession?’” Zavala said. “We have the career-tech complex. We have law enforcement, we have health science. All of these were feeding into a profession. And education is feeding into that same profession, but there was this disconnect with students dropping off and not going into education [in their] postsecondary [education]. And so we started asking, ‘Why are we not doing this?’ “It was really just an idea from [a Denton ISD deputy superintendent] of, like, ‘Hey, why don’t we?’ And if we are in the business of education, why are we not marketing for education?” Zavala said elementary school students and even prekindergarten students who demonstrate empathy can be considered. The youngest students can take part in activities that develop empathy and positive interactions. When they get into kindergarten, Zavala said, they can start attending monthly Teach Denton meetings. Middle and high school students in the program can join their campus chapter of Texas Association of Future Educators. Student in the Teach Denton program at Denton ISD are set on education and career paths in teaching, with the ultimate goal of returning to Denton ISD for their careers. Among their peers and with their faculty advisers, those students drill down on teaching and focus on things like differentiation in education, which prepares them for a typical classroom and its varied students and abilities, to classroom management. Yang will compete in the Area 10 TAFE Conference at Texas Woman’s University over the weekend. The conference at TWU, hosted by the College of Professional Education and the Educator Preparation Program, includes students from Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties. Staci Scott, one of the two coordinators of the LaGrone Academy education internship program and campus TAFE chapter, is helping guide 85 students through the internship, which offers dual credit to students who plan to become certified teachers. The program, separate from Teach Denton, starts with five weeks of preparation, and then interns travel to Denton ISD campuses, where they do hands-on work and student teaching with younger students. “The more that I meet other teachers from other districts, I feel like our district is leading the way with this program,” Scott said. “So many districts want to get it going, but they’re not where we are.” Scott is in her third year sharing the helm of the internship, and she said she’s seeing some important things happen for the interns. “I think starting at an elementary level, keeping kids engaged and excited through their entire [school] career matters,” she said. “I think the fact that they are in classrooms actually teaching — it’s not for everyone, right? Teaching? I tell them, ‘This is such an opportunity for you to spend $75 to take this course and get to do what juniors in college do.’ “Because let’s be real, some people make it that far in college and then they do their student teaching and they’re like, ‘Oh, maybe this is not the route that I want to take.’ So the opportunity to be able to try it out and see is huge.” She also sees that the internship puts students in the classroom, a challenging place that is changing fast, early. By the time alumni are in collegiate teacher preparation programs, they’ve seen how students learn and interact. They’ve had a front-row seat to the challenges and the triumphs that students start experiencing the moment they start school. Scott said she sees room for growth in Teach Denton. “I think the earlier we can get kids in TAFE, and keep building that, we’ll be even better.” Students as young as pre-K can enter Denton ISD’s Teach Denton program. Many times, teachers notice certain characteristics, like helping others and a passion for learning, and recommend them for Teach Denton. An event in February honored the hundreds of Teach Denton students in the program. Yang is two years from graduation from Guyer High, but he’s already considering teacher preparation programs at the University of Texas and University of California. He’s also thinking of a career teaching high school biology and perhaps trying his hand as a public school administrator or college professor. And when he thinks of the future, he imagines teaching in a public school. Until then, Yang said, he’s going to mentor new TAFE students and continue competing while studying honors courses. As a Teach Denton student, Yang is already thinking about what the classroom will be like when he starts his career. “Our world is changing right now,” he said. “Technologies are more advanced, and new generations are coming up. We have to adapt to like the ever-changing present. I believe we should use resources, like AI, to help us, because that’s becoming a big thing. And I know ... teachers think that AI is cheating or something like that. But I think that in the future, AI is going to become like a useful resource.” Yang said both Teach Denton and TAFE have created a community for its members. Just like in team sports, Teach Denton students forge friendships. The students have built a support system for one another. And Yang said the skills students develop in Teach Denton don’t have to stay in classrooms. “I think a lot of people think that you’re in the program, you’re going to be kind of teacher and stuff, but I don’t think that I think that you’re in the program just to become a teacher,” Yang said. “You can do [work] in the program just to build your relationship with others, and basically strengthen your skills.” Zavala said Teach Denton has attracted attention from districts across the country. “Dr. [Robert] Stewart used to be our assistant superintendent of human resources, and he used to tell me all the time, ‘We’re going to take Teach Denton on the road, we’re going to take Teach Denton on the road!’” she said. “And we essentially have. We have gone to several different states in the U.S and talked about Teach Denton, and helped other education agencies in different states develop their grow your own program. Teach Denton is an exemplar for other districts.” Success! 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