Communications

Advertising Communications Graphic Design Internet Marketing Media Publishing SEO
News Release Digital Asset Direct

43-Year Printing Business Graphic Communications Converts to Minuteman Press Franchise in Shelby Township, Michigan

Minuteman Press International Inc

43-year printing business Graphic Communications has been sold by Dennis Wrobleski to new owners Nathan and Jane Kogan. Following the sale, the business is being converted to a full-service Minuteman Press franchise. The new Minuteman Press in Shelby Township is located at 50671 Wing Drive, Shelby Township, MI 48315. On buying the business, Nathan Kogan says, “My background was in finance and accounting. I held a position as an Assistant Controller for a privately owned wealth management company for almost 19 years. My wife and I decided to become business owners because we wanted to build something for ourselves and our kids. Our hope is that someday, our kids will join us and want to be a part of this wonderful company.” Seller Dennis Wrobleski shares, “My main objective in transferring the business was the security of my employees and the care of our clientele. I was happy to learn that Minuteman Press franchise owners are supported and trained to handle the print and marketing needs of local businesses. I believe this will be a huge benefit to our clients adding access to more products and services. The most likely prospect of growth with the expansion of products available to our existing clientele and new clients ensures a beneficial outcome for the employees.” History of the Business Graphic Communications began as a Michigan partnership in 1980. Dennis explains, “My former partner Bill Schulz and I worked together at Kux Manufacturing Company in Detroit, Michigan. In the early 1950s, Kux Manufacturing Company, founded by Richard Kux, became the largest manufacturer of decals and identification markings for cars and trucks in the country. Kux was set up for high volume production of fleet graphics, and worked mostly with national brands. Our goal was to provide this same level of high quality graphic products and service to local businesses. Kux was very helpful and supportive of our venture and continued to outsource work to us as our business grew.” Dennis continues, “Graphic Communications made the transition from manual tooling processes to digital graphics. We rely on the latest software, computerized cutting machines, large format printing, and mostly our talented staff of graphic designers and production artists, to serve our clients with professional graphic art solutions.” Selling the Business As he was exploring his options for selling the business, Dennis ended up meeting with Minuteman Press Regional VP Rich DeRosa, who explained the benefits of Minuteman Press International’s conversion program that connects sellers like Dennis with buyers like Nathan and Jane Kogan. Dennis shares, “When I met Rich DeRosa, my business was already listed for sale with a broker. As soon as the broker contract expired, I called Rich and we set up a meeting. Rich not only had a very good understanding of my business, he had a potential buyer in mind that he had been working with. Rich explained the straightforward process and I also learned a lot from the Minuteman Press website. “I think it’s great working with an organization that is interested in success for the buyer and the seller. Knowing that the new owner of Graphic Communications will be equipped with the knowledge and support from Minuteman Press to continue to serve our clients is a big relief for me. I am confident that the business and employees will be in good hands.” -Dennis Wrobleski, Selling Owner, Graphic Communications Buying the Business From his perspective as a new business owner, Nathan Kogan found the right fit in buying a well-established business while also being supported by Minuteman Press as a franchisee. Nathan shares, “We chose to buy an established business because it gave us comfort and a feeling of stability to come into something that is already a proven model, but would also have tons of upside for growth. We chose Minuteman Press due to its incredible reviews and a support system for the owners.” Nathan continues, “Working with Minuteman Press International was extremely easy and comforting. Rich DeRosa was extremely supportive and helpful throughout this whole process. And patient, especially with me. The training and support is extremely important; it's definitely one of the main reasons we were drawn to this particular franchise.” “I look forward to building on the legacy that Dennis created with Graphic Communications for 43 years while also beginning this new chapter with Minuteman Press, Shelby Township.” -Nathan Kogan, New Owner, Minuteman Press, Shelby Township, MI Transition & Advice for Others With the transition of the business from Graphic Communications to Minuteman Press, Shelby Township already in motion, Nathan shares the following advice for aspiring business owners: “I would highly recommend following your passion and dreams. But before jumping in, do your due diligence and be sure you are ready for all that is to come.” As this chapter closes for Dennis, he reflects, “It wasn’t easy starting a business with few resources besides time and determination. In many ways, it’s even harder to make an exit. I’m thankful for everyone I met through this business. I’m blessed that I was able to use my talent as a graphic artist to serve so many great people and businesses in the Metropolitan Detroit area. I know the business is being left in great hands with Nathan and Jane Kogan and Minuteman Press.” Dennis also offers the following parting advice for business owners looking to secure a sale of their printing businesses: “Call Minuteman Press. Also, having all bookkeeping and financial reports up to date helps for a smooth transition.” Minuteman Press, Shelby Township (formerly Graphic Communications) is located at 50671 Wing Drive, Shelby Township, MI 48315. For more information, call 586-566-5200 or visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/mi/shelby-township/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. To learn about selling your printing business through Minuteman Press at no cost or broker fees to you, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 25, 2023 09:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

yourDigitalLab Announces Inaugural Digital Growth Summit Featuring Celebrated Economist & Retirement Guru Tom Hegna

AmeriLife

yourDigitalLab (YDL) – a nationally recognized digital marketing agency specifically servicing wealth advisors, insurance agents and independent marketing organizations (IMOs) – announced today the agenda for its highly anticipated Digital Growth Summit. Its focus: charting the course to navigate the complex digital marketing ecosystem. The summit is taking place virtually on Wednesday, July 26, and will feature a special guest appearance by noted economist, author and retirement expert Tom Hegna, who will also help introduce YDL’s newest digital marketing offerings for wealth advisors, all with one goal in mind: helping attendees drive real growth. “YDL is excited to host our first virtual summit showcasing how the various digital channels can be used by agents and advisors to strengthen their current sales strategies and introduce new tactics to grow their book of business” said JoAnna Barker, head of strategy and business development for yourDigitalLab. “This summit is for every agent and advisor in the life, health, annuities and financial services space who is interested in dominating their results from the previous year.” “I’m really excited about what yourDigitalLab is doing with its digital offerings, especially to help agents sell a broader suite of products such as annuities,” added Hegna. “One of the biggest reasons they often don’t is a lack of confidence and understanding of the products. Together with yourDigitalLab, I look forward to helping them fix that. We’ll show them the ‘math and science’ behind the selling and how adding these products – supported by the right digital marketing strategies – can increase their clients’ success in retirement.” Over the course of the day, attendees will have access to a variety of educational and thought-provoking sessions that will leave them with practical knowledge and a greater understand of the digital landscape that they must navigate today. Sessions will include: Tom Hegna on “10 Ways to Stand Out in 2023” Building Your Personal Brand Bringing Your Brand to Life – Website, Podcast and Radio, and More All About Email Marketing Driving Leads with Social and Video Launched in January 2023, yourDigitalLab has been at the forefront of digital marketing for the modern health and wealth agent and advisor, offering bespoke and pre-packaged services designed to drive more qualified leads and elevate its clients’ online brand presence. A full-service agency – created in partnership with AmeriLife for its national distribution network of more than 70 companies and their agents and advisors – YDL is a one-of-kind solution that combines deep expertise in modern marketing practices with extensive knowledge of the Medicare and wealth business, recruitment and regulatory landscape. “The Digital Growth Summit is an incredible opportunity to bring together Tom’s expertise and prestige in the retirement space with the proven capabilities of a premier agency such as yourDigitalLab,” said Ovi Vitas, Chief Marketing Officer for AmeriLife. “This event will undoubtedly be a gamechanger for attendees and help further cement AmeriLife and its family of companies as the partner of choice for agents and advisors nationwide.” To register for the Digital Growth Summit, click here. ### About yourDigitalLab yourDigitalLab (YDL) is a leading full-service digital marketing agency that was created exclusively for insurance agents and financial advisors with a focus on speed, cost and quality. For five years, YDL have been working to optimize various marketing campaigns designed to deliver the results agents and advisors want. YDL is the trusted choice for agents and advisors looking to drive sales and leads with modern, proven online marketing strategies. For more information about YDL or to schedule a consultation, visit yourDigitalLab.com. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors and 120 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Media Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols +1 727-726-0726 pnichols@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

April 24, 2023 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Shareholder to Urge Warren Buffett to Relinquish Some Power at Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting

National Legal & Policy Center

Ahead of the annual meeting for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. on May 6 in Omaha, National Legal and Policy Center is sponsoring a shareholder proposal and will again call for a separation of powers between the Chairman and CEO – with both roles presently held by legendary nonagenarian investor Warren Buffett – to proceed on what the company says is inevitable, and to smooth the oncoming leadership transition. NLPC presented a similar proposal at last year’s meeting, where the organization’s Chairman, Peter Flaherty, said in a speech that since Mr. Buffett is “the face of capitalism, why don’t you do something to save it?” Flaherty will again present this year’s proposal, and plans to address the company’s flawed reasoning for delaying the preordained outcome. NLPC filed a proxy memorandum with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, which explains why the transition from Mr. Buffett’s concentrated leadership and power should start now instead of waiting until he leaves. The Berkshire Hathaway board of directors oppose NLPC’s proposal in the company’s proxy statement, but state that “once Mr. Buffett is no longer Berkshire’s CEO, a non-management director should be named Board Chair.” “Warren Buffett turns 93 this year and his top advisor, Charlie Munger, is 99 years old,” said Flaherty. “We are not ageists, but Berkshire Hathaway has already designated who the next CEO and likely Chairman will be, so what are they waiting for?” Berkshire Hathaway has identified Gregory Abel, Chairman and CEO of subsidiary Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, as Mr. Buffett’s future successor as CEO. NLPC argues in its report to the SEC that the company’s identity is inextricably linked with Mr. Buffett’s, and if there is not an immediate transition or “handoff” to the next generation of leadership, it will only be more difficult for Berkshire Hathaway to shift from its personality-driven image to a performance-based one. Also, NLPC calls into question Mr. Buffett’s reticence to provide guidance to CEOs of companies in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, such as American Express, Apple, and Coca-Cola. All three companies have suffered a backlash over their involvement in divisive political issues, a practice the celebrated investor has warned against in the past. NLPC argues that Mr. Buffett’s influence could improve the performance of the companies owned by Berkshire Hathaway. “Warren Buffett clearly still has his mental faculties and his acumen,” Flaherty added, “but Berkshire Hathaway’s loyal investors need to see how the succession plan will work for the long-term interests of the company. He has been different from every other Chairman and CEO in history, he needs to recognize that, and he should give his successor Greg Abel a running start for the future.” Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 24, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Gamelancer announces company has teamed with Dubit to form a white-label partnership

Gamelancer Media Corp

Gamelancer Media Corp CEO Jon Dwyer joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has teamed up with games, experiences, and events builder Dubit to create a global white-label partnership. Dwyer tells Proactive the partnership grew out of a successful joint campaign for a Schedule-1 Canadian bank. The deal will give Dubit’s customers access to Gamelancer Media’s tailored User Generated Content. Distribution will be across the company’s 12 TikTok and 3 Instagram channels to over 34 of its over 38.8 million followers and subscribers. Contact Details Proactive Investors Canada +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2023 11:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

AmpliTech to Showcase its Pioneering RF Solutions at Ladenburg Thalmann Tech Expo 2023

Amplitech Group, Inc.

McapMediaWire - AmpliTech Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMPG) a designer, developer, and manufacturer of state-of-the-art signal-processing components for satellite, 5G, and other communications networks, and a worldwide distributor of packages and lids for integrated circuit assembly, as well as a designer of complete 5G/6G systems, today announced that it will present at the Ladenburg Thalmann Technology Expo 2023 in New York on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 3:30 pm EDT. AmpliTech’s founder and CEO, Fawad Maqbool, will present a corporate overview, highlighting AmpliTech's innovative solutions and growth opportunities. Conference Details: Thursday, April 27, 2023 3:30 pm EDT Ladenburg Thalmann Tech Expo Conference Convene 101 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed at: https://wsw.com/webcast/ladenburg9/ampg/2401665 About The Ladenburg Thalmann Tech Expo 2023 The 2023 Expo will feature presentations from the managements of approximately 50 public and private technology companies covering media and content-tech; software and service-tech; and hardware and defend-tech. The format will include three presentation tracks along with one-on-one meetings. In addition, a number of companies will be providing live demonstrations of their products and offerings in the ʻLadenburg Expo formatʼ, which will provide an additional opportunity to interact with management teams. For more information about the event, email to techexpo@ladenburg.com. About AmpliTech Group AmpliTech Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) microwave components for global satellite communications, telecom (5G & IoT), space, defense, and quantum computing markets as well as systems and component design consulting services. In December 2021, AmpliTech completed the purchase of the assets and operations of Spectrum Semiconductor Materials Inc. a global specialty distributor of semiconductor components based in San Jose, CA. AmpliTech has a 13+ year track record of developing high performance, custom solutions to meet the unique needs of some of the largest companies in the global industries we serve. We are proud of our focused team's unique skills, experience and dedication, which enables us to deliver superior solutions, faster time to market, competitive pricing, excellent customer satisfaction and repeat business. For more information, visit: www.amplitechgroup.com About Ladenburg Thalmann Ladenburg Thalmann is a full-service, diversified financial services firm that offers a full suite of investment banking and capital markets products and services, including equity and debt capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance advisory and fairness opinions. Ladenburg was established in 1876 and has been a member of the New York Stock Exchange for 135 years, until its merger with Advisor Group in March 2020. The combined platform now has over 10,000 financial advisors in the US managing over $450 billion in client assets. For more information, please visit www.ladenburg.com. Corporate Social Media Twitter: @AmpliTechAMPG Instagram: @AmpliTechAMPG Facebook: AmpliTechInc Investor Social Media Twitter: @AMPG_IR StockTwits: @AMPG_IR Company Contact: Shan Sawant, Director of Communications AmpliTech Group, Inc. Investors@amplitechgroup.com Investor Relations Contact: Kirin Smith, President PCG Advisory, Inc. ksmith@pcgadvisory.com www.pcgadvisory.com Contact Details AmpliTech Group, Inc. Investors@amplitechgroup.com Company Website http://www.amplitechgroup.com/

April 24, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Largest International Student Design Competition Goes Global With 21 Design Association on Board

Taiwan International Student Design Competition

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 21 April 2023 - Established in 2008, the Taiwan International Student Design Competition (TISDC) has currently entered its 16 th year, it continues to be acknowledged by the global design industry as a student exclusive competition that is not only world-renowned but also highly credible. The competition serves as a paradigm for design education sponsored and promoted by the Taiwan's Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. The theme of this year, Compassion, is tightly connected to the SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the UN. It is hoped that students worldwide can observe and tap into people and things in need in daily lives as well as apply design thinking that embodies empathy and compassion to make this world a better place. Since 2015, iSee Taiwan Foundation and Sayling Wen Cultural & Educational Foundation have been sponsoring the TISDC and helping the competition set up special prize authorized by international design associations. The TISDC has forged a strong partnership with 21 international design associations, located in Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, all of which are world renowned and have a large scale. The international design associations that endorsed the special prize are: Cumulus Association, International Council of Design, World Design Organization, Bureau of European Design Associations, Pan-Afrikan Design Institute, International Poster Biennial in Mexico, and so forth. The judging panel delegated by the international design associations will select works that meet the evaluation criteria of each association among the shortlisted entries in the Product Design, Visual Design, and Digital Animation categories. Through this collaboration mechanism, an international design platform is built to provide a stage for students around the world to showcase their design ideas. Brand Specified Special Prize: This year the prize sponsored by the TPCA Environment Foundation will include Environmental Sustainability Award with 3 winners and Special Region Award with 6 winners. The Environmental Sustainability Award winners will be selected from the shortlisted entries in the Product Design, Visual Design, and Digital Animation that best reflect the concept of "Development of Circular Economy". As for Special Region Award, judging panel will prioritize selecting entries from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and India. The final selection process will be adjusted according to the shortlisted entries received in the year. Collaborators: This year the TISDC has also extended a special invitation to Chiayi City Government, Cultural Affairs Bureau of Chiayi City Government, Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kinmen County, and Foundation for European Cultural Exchange. Additionally, Chiayi City Government offers "Chiayi City Special Prize" with 1 winner. The jury panel will select winner out of entries in Visual Design category that can best meet the criteria of Chiayi City Government. The competition has three categories: Product Design, Visual Design, and Digital Animation Grand Prix (1 winner) will be selected from the finalists of the three categories: NT$400,000, a trophy, and a certificate. Gold Prize (1 winner from each category): NT$250,000, a trophy, and a certificate Silver Prize (1 winner from each category): NT$150,000, a trophy, and a certificate Bronze Prize (3 winners from each category): NT$60,000, a trophy, and a certificate Honorable Mention (several from each category): NT$10,000, and a certificate International Design Association Special Prize (21 winners) (Sponsored by iSee Taiwan Foundation and Sayling Wen Cultural & Educational Foundation) Each special prize from the 21 design associations comes with a prize of NT30,000, a trophy, and a certificate endorsed by the respective design association. Brand Specified Special Prize (Sponsored by TCPA Environment Foundation): Environment Special Prize (3 winners) NT$100,000, a trophy, and a certificate. Special Region Award (6 winners) NT$30,000, and a certificate. Chiayi City Special Prize (1 winner) (Offered by Cultural Affairs Bureau of Chiayi City Government): NT100,000, a trophy, and a certificate. The 2023 Taiwan International Student Design Competition is about to launch its call for entries. Online registration will soon be available on May 15 th, 2023 (Monday) and the deadline for submission is July 15 th, 2023 (Saturday) at 23:59 Taipei time (GMT +8:00). For more details, please visit: https://www.tisdc.org/en Contact Details Taiwan International Student Design Competition Executive tisdc.tw@gmail.com

April 21, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Futuris Files Amended Offering Circular Showing 12 month Revenues Increased 300%

FUTURIS CO.

McapMediaWire -- Futuris Company (OTC: FTRS), a Human Capital Management company focused on the areas of Staffing, Consulting, and IT Services has just filed its Regulation A amended Offering Circular with the SEC. As stated in this offering circular, Futuris Company has grown revenues in the past twelve months over 300% from $11 million to over $46 million. Futuris has grown these revenues by completing acquisitions in the Human Capital Management field as well as related IT companies. It plans to continue this acquisition strategy of revenue accretive companies to grow the company. Futuris has more good news from its companies to support this stellar growth: Akvarr Company was contracted by Augusta Health (18 location Health Plan provider) to initially assist with UKG system configuration, process improvement and carrying out day-to-day HR tasks. Over the past 3 months, Akvarr expanded its role to support process automation, tax form compliance as well as organization reporting & optimization, resulting in a contract renewal and many hours expansion from its initial SOW. As the ROI, Akvarr is now the premier provider for Augusta and its affiliates for overall systems integration. Cadan Technologies, a leading managed IT, managed security, IT staffing, and IT Project Services provider brings our world class IT Services offerings to organizations of all types and sizes across the United States. The company’s experts design, integrate, deploy, and maintain technology solutions for maximum productivity and minimum downtime. It is exciting to report their best revenue year ever in 2022 and they are positioned to continue to grow its most profitable lines of business in 2023 through growth in existing services and the addition of new value-added services. As a part of this commitment to world class IT services, Cadan Technologies has introduced Siris Datto Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery to its IT services portfolio. SIRIS is fundamentally different than traditional backup and recovery solutions. Utilizing a cloud-first approach, Cadan Technologies can now offer clients an all-in-one solution that incorporates local backup and recovery with a secure, cloud-based repository and full disaster recovery in the cloud. All of this is administered from a cloud portal that allows Cadan and its clients to view, manage and recover client data from a single interface. In another story of Cadan’s success, in less than 60 days Cadan refreshed an entire fleet of laptops with new laptops while also implementing Microsoft Intune organization-wide for a 500-employee national nonprofit organization headquartered in Minnesota. This has streamlined employee on-boarding and off-boarding by adding the ability to remote provision and remotely decommission devices across the organization regardless of where the employee is located. “All of us at Cadan Technologies are pleased to bring Siris Datto Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Services to our current and future managed IT services clients. These are excellent examples of our enduring commitment to bringing organizations of all types and sizes best in class tools and services that meet their IT management and security needs” – Charles LeVoir, President Cadan Technologies Health HR is a provider of quality therapy (Physical, Occupational and Speech) staffing services to its Home Health and Facility partners. Health HR has been in business in South Florida for 20+ years as a Health Care Service Pool licensed by the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) currently servicing Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. Health HR continued its growth during the 1st quarter 2023 due to closing on an acquisition in mid-January, coupled with the continued organic growth of the company. Revenue for the company is based, in large part, on the number of patient visits that are scheduled from quarter to quarter. In the 4th quarter 2022 Health HR had a total number of scheduled visits of 6,887 versus scheduled visits in the 1st quarter 2023 of 9,165 amounting to an approximate increase of 33 percent from the prior quarter. During the last quarter of 2022, a concerted effort was undertaken to spend more time in the field meeting with current and potential clients. Face to face meetings with clients had been limited over the past couple of years due to Covid concerns, but meeting with current and potential clients in their respective offices allows Health HR to get updates on marketing efforts, meet with new office staff, discuss industry initiatives and changes, etc. The TASA Group, the nation’s most experienced expert referral service is known for providing expert witnesses in all areas of the legal industry – medical, technical, business, consulting, etc. Since the pandemic, Tasa has continued to conduct business and has seen a stable and even book of business over last year. The medical division, TASAmed is up 10% in revenue over last year. The company continues to market through advertising – digitally and in print, through networking events, expert-authored articles, and through webinars presented by experts. The TASA Group continues to be top-of-mind in the legal industry and the go-to for all things requiring expert witnesses! Computer Deductions Inc. (CDI) has over five decades of experience in analyzing, designing, developing, testing, integrating, supporting, and maintaining complex solutions for a myriad of public and private sector customers, CDI has a broad set of skills, practices, and resources to bring to our customers that we believe will have a strong positive benefit. Our mission is to deliver quality services to our clients. CDI’s experience includes more than 50 years supporting various National, State, and Local Agencies, focusing primarily on the Law Enforcement and Public Safety sectors. In particular, CDI played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of the current California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) statewide communications network, the automated field office system and Driver’s License issuance system. CDI provided, installed and operates the hardware and software for the California DMV DL/ID/SP servers, database to maintain the largest DL/ID photo-database in the country, supporting 250M DL/ID photos/signatures for the DMV along with an associated WEB server providing access to all law enforcement agencies real-time access to this photo database. CDI developed and maintains several WEB based DMV photo servers, providing California DMV photos to the law enforcement community in California and nationally. CDI designed and assisted in the development of all the databases at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and totally designed and implemented the California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (CLETS) for DOJ. Talent Beacon has announced that Stratus Technologies has partnered with Talent Beacon to establish their India presence, setup all their related HR policies, and hire their executive team and core team members. This partnership has resulted in a team of 100+ systems design and development individuals, and they are continuing to work with them. About Futuris Company Futuris is a Human Capital Management (HCM) company focused on Executive Search, Staffing, Consulting services and Tech Services specializing in verticals such as Medical, Accounting/Finance, Information Technology, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Legal. The Company is committed to building a global HCM company through highly targeted and accretive acquisitions and operational efficiencies. For more information, please visit https://futuris.company/ Contact Details: Futuris Company info.it@futuris.company Website: www.futuris.company Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/futuriscompany Contact Details Futuris Company info.it@futuris.company Company Website http://futuris.company/

April 21, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Freelance Creative Jobs Thrive Despite AI Surge

FREELANCER.COM

New data released today by Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN) (OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, shows an incoming startup boom amongst an unprecedented surge in freelance creative design and AI job growth. The Fast 50 Q1 2023 Index, the world’s largest forward indicator of freelance job trends, analyzes over 304,000 jobs posted to Freelancer.com between January and March 2023. The index finds that jobs for T-Shirt Design (up 33.1%, from 1,403 to 1,868), Covers & Packaging Design (up 27.3%, from 1,128 to 1,436), and Corporate Identity Design (up 24.2%, from 2,474 to 3,073) were the three fastest growing job types by total percentage growth when compared to Q4 2022. These were followed by Product Design (up 22.9%, 1,214 to 1,493) and 3D Design (up 22%, from 5,027 to 6,135) jobs. Design skills with the largest job counts on the platform also grew significantly this quarter. There were a whopping 7,495 extra Graphic Design jobs in Q1 (up 12.1%, from 61,709 to 69,204), followed by an additional 6,731 Logo Design jobs (up 20.4%, from 32,963 to 39,694) and 5,902 extra jobs requiring skills in Photoshop (up 15.4%, from 38,224 to 44,126). Design is both the most in-demand and the highest paying skill on Freelancer.com, as found in the Freelancing in 2022 Report. These types of jobs, particularly logo design, packaging design and t-shirt creation, are typically the starting point for many founders launching a new business. The sudden influx of design, eCommerce and marketing jobs are a key indicator of a boom in startups. Simultaneously, jobs requiring skills in Artificial Intelligence were the seventh fastest growing skill on Freelancer.com (up 20.62% in Q1 2023 from 1,038 to 1,252). Jobs demanding Generative AI skills, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney and Chatbots, grew by more than 325% from 286 in Q4 2022 to 1,216 in Q1 2023. “While many speculate whether AI will take design jobs, our latest data shows that this is certainly not the case. Design jobs are the most popular job type on the platform and continue to grow despite advances in hyper-realistic generative AI tools,” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. “What’s more interesting in this data is zooming out and looking at the main trend: the startup boom. The most in-demand jobs on the platform for this quarter are all related to the launch of new businesses. New logo, website and branding jobs. In fact, there were 75 extra logo design jobs posted each day last quarter, which could suggest the launch of 75 new businesses.” The data also shows an increase in Digital Marketing (up 12.8%, from 1,524 to 1,720) and Videography (up 14.2%, from 2,716 to 3,102) jobs which also suggests businesses are focusing more on their online marketing and content creation strategies to amplify their brands. Fastest Falling Jobs of Q1 2023 While design jobs dominated the fastest growing, the jobs that were in less demand in this quarter are related to tech, development and writing. Software Development, which was ranked as the fastest growing job in Q2 2022, began to decline this quarter and was down by 34.4% (from 2,001 to 1,311). Similarly, programming related jobs which were one of the fastest growing skills in Q4 2022 also declined this quarter by 20.9% (from 5,899 to 4,665). Demand for these types of jobs surged last year as many tech employees were laid off globally. However, the new data suggests demand is beginning to stabilize and return to pre-mass layoffs levels. Seasonality also plays into employers moving away from specific types of jobs quarter-to-quarter. Report Writing, Technical Writing, Research Writing and Business Plans were ranked as the fastest growing jobs in Q4 2022 as many employers traditionally turn to freelance support to help prepare end of year reports and 2023 plans. These types of jobs naturally reduce in the first quarter of the year. Fast 50 Q1 2023 - Data Analysis Startup Boom Fuels Creative Design Job Growth Historically, more businesses are started during a recession. Economic downturns have led to the creation of some of the world’s most well known brands, such as Microsoft, Uber and Burger King, just to name a few. Only a few years ago, the world witnessed this trend playing out as COVID sparked a startup boom, which saw a 24 percent increase in new business applications in the United States alone. According to the latest US Census Business Formation Statistics, the number of new business applications is beginning to grow in 2023 by an increase of 451,752, an increase of 4.5 percent compared to February 2023. Data from the latest Freelancer Fast 50 Index suggests there’s a sudden increase in the number of new businesses and startups being launched globally. The fastest growing skills, such as T-Shirt, Covers & Packaging, and Corporate Identity Design, as well as the growth of major jobs such as Logo Design, are all usually posted by founders at the starting point for a new business or venture. T-Shirt Design jobs, as an example, are growing as people hire freelancers to create t-shirts with their business logo as a way of promoting a brand or creating business uniforms. An uptick in Covers and Packaging Design jobs are the result of businesses turning to freelancers for new product labels and marketing brochures. Growth in website building jobs, such as Shopify (up 20.5%, from 2,302 to 2,775), Shopify Templates (up 16.1%, from 1,392 to 1,617) and eCommerce (up 15.5%, from 4,212 to 4,866), also support the rise of new businesses last quarter. Almost three quarters of the fastest growing jobs (72%) posted on Freelancer.com in the last quarter required skills in creative design or marketing. Serial entrepreneur Davuud Ghani, who recently founded Pivitt, a creative and branding support agency based in the United Kingdom, is just one example of how founders are turning to freelancers to support the growth of their business in 2023. “As a start-up, agility is our advantage over mature businesses with similar service offerings. It’s becoming easier for businesses to locate and leverage global talent, with platforms such as Freelancer.com. We are able to really finetune the skills needed on a project basis to drive excellence through our service offering to our partners, keeping us competitive in the market. That’s what our model is built from and has allowed us to secure partnerships with the likes of BMW & MINI,” said Davuud Ghani, founder of Pivitt. Generative AI Jobs Triple In Last Quarter Advancements in artificial intelligent and generative AI are impacting almost every faucet of business and creativity. Powerful AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Dall-E and Midjourney, are becoming smarter and more sophisticated by month, resulting in rapid leaps in capabilities and applications. In the first quarter of 2023, Open AI released GPT-4, introducing a more powerful and intelligent version of the application which could exhibit human level performance on several benchmarks. In the AI image generation space, research lab Midjourney also released the alpha iteration of its 5th version which allowed users to create photorealistic generations. Growing interest for AI is represented clearly in the Fast 50 Q1 2023 data which ranks jobs for Artificial Intelligence as the seventh fastest growing job on the platform, growing by 20.6% up to 1,252 jobs in total. Many projects posted in the first quarter aim to harness AI text generators or automate mass image generation, while some look for freelance experts who can help create their own AI models and applications. Generative AI skills (ChatGPT, Dall-E, Midjourney, Chatbots) grew the fastest over the quarter, recording a total percentage increase of 325% from 286 last quarter to 1,216 in Q1 2023. In total, there were 5,262 jobs requiring skills in AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, TensorFlow, ChatGPT and Dall-E. Digital Marketing & Content Creation Popularity of content marketing is growing amongst businesses. Major success stories, such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive series or Spotify’s Wrapped, are pushing businesses and marketers towards incorporating content marketing within their strategies. It’s a trend that was identified in the Fast 50 Q3 2022 Index and is continuing in Q1 2023. Videography (up 14.21%, from to 3,102), Digital Marketing (up 12.86% to 1,720), YouTube (up 11.30% to 1,576), and Video Production (up 10.25% to 5,401) were all in-demand skills last quarter. This finding suggests that businesses are increasingly focusing on online marketing and content creation strategies to reach their target audiences. While YouTube remains as the main platform people are turning to freelancers for support, employer interest in TikTok video creation is also growing, increasing by 25% in Q1 2023, from 405 projects in Q4 2022 to 507 total jobs Q1 2023. Product Design Jobs Apart from design projects specific to branding and new business ventures, the number of 3D Design, Product Design and general Design collectively grew over Q1 2023. ##### Freelancer Fast 50 The Freelancer Fast 50 index is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 304,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer platform between January 1 to March 31 2023. Fast 50 Quarterly Index – Q1 2023 About Freelancer Freelancer.com is the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 64 million registered users have posted over 22.3 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer also owns Escrow.com and Loadshift. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details freelancer.com Marko Zitko +61 404 574 830 mzitko@freelancer.com

April 21, 2023 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

LUX stands with female athletes and challenges sports media to "Change The Angle"

LUX

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 20 April 2023 - Unilever's global beauty brand, LUX, is rallying people once more to stand up against everyday sexism. This time it is calling out the objectification of women’s bodies in sport, highlighting how the media zeroes in on female intimate body areas rather than focus on their sporting prowess. At South Africa’s highly anticipated Durban Open Women’s Beach Volleyball tournament this week, female athletes sported QR code on precisely those areas the cameras tend to focus on. Upon scanning, these ‘viewers’ were directed to a short film – ‘ Hey Camera’, which calls on those behind the cameras to end the blatant objectification of women and, instead, focus on their strengths. Bringing this campaign to live, LUX partnered with one of South Africa’s leading broadcaster, The South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC Sport, which has an audience of 19.7 million in South Africa to livestream the event on 15th and 16th of April. LUX’s #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to get broadcasters and photographers reconsidering their portrayal of women in sport. The integrated campaign has also been pulled through online, social and PR channels with thousands of generated content via influencers, celebrities, athletes and media such as Gsport4girls, 2 times olympic gold medal Caster Semenya, Cricket commentator Kass Naidoo, Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi. LUX understands the need to stop objectification of women as it can lead to more serious forms of sexism. According to its research, women are 10 times more likely to be objectified than men. While this objectification is rife across society, the brand saw that sports was the perfect, attention-grabbing example to call this out. Men in sports are frequently portrayed as strong role models who are at the top of their game. On the contrary, women's body parts are what receive the most attention, with cameras zooming into their breasts or exposed butt cheeks. LUX believes this objectification can diminish female achievements and also undermine confidence. The #ChangeTheAngle campaign aims to create a sense of urgency among people to call out what are increasingly unacceptable behaviours in real time and put pressure on broadcasters to change the camera gaze by sharing 6 guidelines for them to adhere to while filming women in sport. “Women in sports are 10 times more likely to be objectified by camera angles that focus on certain body parts compared to their male counterparts. When we found out that this is also an issue for top female athletes who have achieved incredible things, we knew we had to act,” Severine Vauleon, Global Brand Vice President of LUX says, “This doesn’t only devalue the female athletes’ professional performance and achievements, but also perpetuates the objectification issue many women face every day. At LUX, we believe that beauty should be a source of strength, and that the focus should be on celebrating the beauty of their strength, skills and achievements in sport.” “This is a bold and powerful move for a beauty brand like LUX to take, and it makes me even prouder to be a part of the LUX family. I am hoping to see the change that we need in the sports fraternity so that women athletes are celebrated for the amazing talent that they have rather than being objectified in a sexual manner. I encourage everyone to do what they can to participate and push media in South Africa and across the world to #Change the Angle” Says Zozibini Tunzi former Miss Universe. “This initiative is part of our Positive Beauty mission, which is at the heart of our Beauty, Wellness and Personal Care category, championing progressive commitments and actions for our brands into a new era of beauty which is equitable and inclusive. LUX is one of South Africa’s most iconic heritage brands representing women, earning itself a heartfelt voice to challenge stereotypes by supporting woman in different aspects of their lives. A woman’s beauty is inclusive of her strength, her capabilities and her talent. LUX #ChangeTheAngle”, amplifies the voices of women in sport and their strength on the field or on the court.” - Sphelele Mjadu Unilever Beauty, Wellbeing & Personal Care Senior PR Lead for Africa. Hinoti Joshi, Global Business Lead, from Wunderman Thompson, Singapore, who spearheaded the campaign says, “The media and broadcasters have the power to change the sexist portrayal of women. We are actively calling them out so that they can recognise the flaws in this antiquated practice and become change agents to end everyday sexism.” Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/nNhekoeNh2g Contact Details Media Contact Paula Fisher, Director paula.fisher@ogilvy.com Media Contact Priya Veeriah, Senior PR Manager priya.veeriah@ogilvy.com

April 20, 2023 02:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

1 ... 94 95 96 97 98 ... 308