Male mice exposed to chronic social stress have anxious female offspring

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2012) ? A study in mice conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine suggests that a woman's risk of anxiety and dysfunctional social behavior may depend on the experiences of her parents, particularly fathers, when they were young.

The study, published online in Biological Psychiatry, suggests that stress caused by chronic social instability during youth contributes to epigenetic changes in sperm cells that can lead to psychiatric disorders in female offspring across multiple generations.

"The long-term effects of stress can be pernicious. We first found that adolescent mice exposed to chronic social instability, where the cage composition of mice is constantly changing, exhibited anxious behavior and poor social interactions through adulthood. These changes were especially prominent in female mice," said first author Lorena Saavedra-Rodr?guez, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the Larry Feig laboratory at Tufts University School of Medicine.

The researchers then studied the offspring of these previously-stressed mice and observed that again female, but not male, offspring exhibited elevated anxiety and poor social interactions. Notably, even though the stressed males did not express any of these altered behaviors, they passed on these behaviors to their female offspring after being mated to non-stressed females. Moreover, the male offspring passed on these behaviors to yet another generation of female offspring.

"We are presently searching for biochemical changes in the sperm of stressed fathers that could account for this newly appreciated form of inheritance" said senior author Larry A. Feig, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at Tufts University School of Medicine and member of the biochemistry and neuroscience program faculties at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University. "Hopefully, this work will stimulate efforts to determine whether similar phenomena occur in humans."

This research was supported by award numbers MH083324 from the National Institute of Mental Health, and NS047243 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), both part of the National Institutes of Health. The research was also supported by award number P30NS047243 from NINDS to the Tufts Center for Neuroscience Research.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Tufts University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Lorena Saavedra-Rodr?guez, Larry A. Feig. Chronic Social Instability Induces Anxiety and Defective Social Interactions Across Generations. Biological Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.035

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/qJjxLFunJNk/120822091604.htm

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Engadget's back to school guide 2012: accessories

Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we've got a slew of accessories -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here!

DNP Engadget's back to school guide 2012 accessories

Sure, you may need ultraportables and such to get the bulk of your work done, but you also need a few add-ons to make tasks just a bit easier. In this installment of the back to school guide, we'll offer a collection of accessories that will do just that. From extra batteries to external hard drives and peripherals, what you'll find here should help you get through a day of back-to-back classes, without the need to worry about losing all those term papers if something goes wrong with the SSD. Of course, not all of these are meant to aid in serious, head-down studies. We also tackle a few options for keeping fit and iPad-powered study breaks, too. So head on past the break for the rundown on a gadget stash that'll help you ease back into the flow of things this fall.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/22/back-to-school-guide-accessories/

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Noodle-slicing robots invade restaurants, steal jobs

10 hrs.

As China?s economy continues to grow,?albeit at?slowing rate, finding workers willing to perform the repetitive task of slicing noodles into pots of boiling water is becoming difficult, according to restaurateur Cui Runguan who built a robot to do the job.

The robot, Chef Cui, works akin to set of windshield wipers going back and forth, shaving off noodles with up and down movements, he explains in a video brought to our attention by Eater.?

The robot costs about $2,000, which is less than half the $4,700 a year a noodle slicer can expect to earn in China, Runguan notes. He?s already sold about 3,000 units.

?The young people don?t want to work as chef to slice noodles because this job is very exhausting,? he says. ?It is the trend that robots will replace men in factories. It is certainly going to happen in sliced-noodle restaurants.?

Customers give the robot?s noodles good reviews, but one has to wonder how long until Chef Cui too tires of slicing noodles. Those yellow eyes may suggest not much longer. We?d hate to see what happens when a mad noodle robot is set loose with its shaver.

? via Eater?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website . For more of our Future of Technology ?series, watch the featured video below.


Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/noodle-slicing-robots-invade-restaurants-steal-jobs-956437

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Turkey blames Kurd rebels for blast

Firefighters seen with burning cars after an explosion near a police station in southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, Turkey, late Monday, Aug. 20, 2012. Turkish media reported at least eight people were killed and dozens were wounded amid an escalation in fighting between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, where tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the civil war in their country are sheltering in Turkish camps. (AP Photo/IHA) TURKEY OUT

Firefighters seen with burning cars after an explosion near a police station in southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, Turkey, late Monday, Aug. 20, 2012. Turkish media reported at least eight people were killed and dozens were wounded amid an escalation in fighting between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, where tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the civil war in their country are sheltering in Turkish camps. (AP Photo/IHA) TURKEY OUT

FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012 file photo, Syrians search for the bodies of two girls thought to be under the rubble of a building hit during an airstrike by Syrian government forces in Aleppo, Syria. Its forces stretched thin on multiple fronts, President Bashar Assad's regime has significantly increased its use of air power against Syrian rebels in recent weeks, causing mounting civilian casualties. The shift is providing useful clues about the capability of the air force as Western powers consider the option of enforcing a no-fly zone over the northern part of the country. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra, File)

(AP) ? The Turkish government blamed a Kurdish rebel group Wednesday for a bomb attack that killed nine people near the Syrian border, amid concerns by ruling party officials that the militants may be developing links with the regime in Syria, and its civil war could have a destabilizing effect on Turkey.

The explosion in the southern city of Gaziantep on Monday followed an escalation in fighting between Turkish forces and the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which had close ties in the 1990s to then Syrian President Hafez Assad ? current leader Bashar Assad's father. Turkey, which seeks the ouster of Assad, is sheltering nearly 70,000 Syrian refugees and has urged the United Nations to set up camps inside Syria for the displaced, a step that would require the intervention of a security force and pose a direct challenge to Syrian authorities.

Some commentators, however, have warned that Turkey misjudged the resilience of the Assad regime and is being pulled into a wider conflict with implications for the most vexing issue on its domestic agenda ? a resolution of the state's conflict with Turkish Kurds who want self-rule in the mostly Kurdish southeast part of the country. The PKK has denied involvement in the Gaziantep blast, which numbered several children among the dead on a Muslim holiday, but Turkish officials, including President Abdullah Gul, cited the group's hand in similar attacks as a sign that it was the likely perpetrator.

"The incident is totally the work of the PKK," said Gaziantep governor Erdal Ata. "Certain information has been attained. It may not be right to share it now, but evidence is being assessed."

Anadolu, Turkey's state-run news agency, said anti-terrorism police detained four suspects in the neighboring province of Sanliurfa on Tuesday. They were taken to Gaziantep for questioning.

The threat of spillover from the Syrian conflict and its sectarian undertones has already been seen in Lebanon, the scene of clashes between supporters and opponents of Assad. It now appears Syrian Kurds are taking advantage of the chaos to take steps toward autonomy. Turkey fears the PKK, which includes many Kurds of Syrian origin, is also moving into the power vacuum there, possibly with the cooperation of regime elements who want to blunt Turkish efforts to dislodge them.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said any alleged link between the PKK and the Syrian regime in the Gaziantep bombing would be investigated, while Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of Turkey's ruling party, said there were connections between Kurdish rebels and Syrian intelligence.

"The PKK is an organization that is capable of carrying out such an attack on its own, but could it have had supporters in such an attack? It's possible," he said in an interview with Hurriyet newspaper that was published Tuesday. "After all, Assad, acting on the premise that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' is in a tendency to regard Turkey's enemy, the PKK, as its friend. We don't have full information yet, but even if it is a guess, such a link is a probability."

Relations between Turkey and Iran, a supporter of Assad, are strained because they back opposing sides in Syria's civil war. Iran, which also has a Kurdish minority, has fought the Iranian wing of the PKK and in that sense shared a common fight with Turkey, a NATO member that has often conducted air strikes against militant camps in northern Iraq.

But Iran fiercely opposes Turkish backing for the Syrian political opposition and army defectors who organize from the safety of Turkish camps along the Syrian border. A short commentary on Iranian state television earlier this week hinted at a possible link between the Syrian conflict and the blast in Gaziantep, which lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, where regime forces and the rebel Free Syrian Army are battling for control.

"The site of the explosion is close to the Syrian border and Aleppo," the commentary said. "It seems that Syria's trouble is going to sink Turkey, which supported Syria's?turmoil, actively."

A Kurdish political party in Turkey that has been accused of acting as a political front for the PKK also criticized the Turkish government's involvement in the Syrian conflict, saying in a statement Tuesday that it was dragging the country "toward this perilous tide in the Middle East" at the expense of efforts to secure a domestic peace. On Tuesday night, the Gaziantep office of the Kurdish party, Peace and Democracy, was attacked by demonstrators who blamed Kurdish rebels for the bombing. The building's sign and windows were broken before security forces dispersed the crowd.

The government has launched economic initiatives and granted more cultural rights to Kurds while maintaining, along with its Western allies, that the PKK is a terrorist organization. Many in the Kurdish minority, who make up about 20 percent of Turkey's 75 million people, say their grievances have not been fully addressed and that their leaders are vulnerable to prosecution.

In another twist to the long Kurdish conflict, a bus carrying soldiers plunged down an embankment in southeast Turkey on Tuesday, killing 10 people, including nine servicemen. Turkish media said the soldiers were to provide security for a Kurdish politician who planned to visit some of the families of 34 villagers who were mistaken for Kurdish rebels and killed in an air strike in late 2011.

---

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara, Turkey.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-22-Turkey-Blast/id-deb7a9beb58b4aaa9eaa102bc8cdb4ab

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Writer In Waiting: R.J. Thesman

Tell Me Your Story Tuesday

WELCOME

It is a pleasure to have R. J. with us today to discuss her new release ?

The Unraveling of Reverend G

?and a special topic dear to her heart.?

Let's get to know R. J.!

?

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing.

As a bi-vocational writer, I work part-time at GateWay of Hope Ministries. My title is Program Director for this incredible women?s center that focuses on counseling, groups and prayer. Then I come home, have a bite to eat, exercise and write.

Since the time I first opened my Big Chief tablet and scribbled my first story, I have been a writer. But it wasn?t until I was in my 30?s that I attended a writers? conference and learned more about the business side that I became a professional freelancer.

I am constantly writing ? whether it is observing people for future characters, using the experiences of life in personal experience articles or unloading my soul in my journal. I can?t NOT write.

Your current release is?

What is it about?

This is my first novel, and it is about a woman minister who is diagnosed with Alzheimer?s. She struggles with forgetting part of the Lord?s prayer and losing an entire gallon of Chunky Monkey ice cream. She has to retire and goes to live in assisted living where she meets a colorful cast of characters. The greatest fear of Reverend G is that she will forget how to communicate with God and thus ? lose her faith.

You have deeply personal experience with Alzheimer's. How did that influence your writing process for this book? Did it challenge you more in anyway?

Because of my father?s trauma-induced dementia and my mother?s Alzheimer?s ? I wondered what they were thinking about while they dealt with gradually declining health.? What was really happening inside those damaged brains? So I wanted to pursue that question by writing about Reverend G from her viewpoint, in first person.

Many of the experiences that Reverend G has are similar to the ones I have lived with and observed with my parents. The challenge was that in writing the book, I lived it so closely that I grieved for my parents all over again.

This is not your first book. Tell us about some of your other writing experiences.

Most of my writing has been in the nonfiction genre. My first book was an autobiography of my missionary experiences in Honduras, ?The Plain Path.? My next three books were curricula for teaching English to international students, using the Bible. Except for an occasional short story, most of my articles have been nonfiction. So it was a great surprise to suddenly wake up with this novel in my head.

Does your process for writing fiction differ at all when writing non-fiction??

I have always been an outliner and a planner, but with Reverend G ? I just sat down and let her write the book through me. And it was so much fun! I think I have discovered my true calling.

With nonfiction, I always did research at the beginning, outlined, wrote the first draft, queried a publisher, then continued to rewrite until it was polished.

With Reverend G ? I wrote the entire thing in 6 months, then did some additional research and went back to add it to the text. After the final edits, it was completed. Currently, I have enough characters and plot ideas for another two books in the series.

You also do public speaking and workshops. What message do hope those who hear you and/or read your work take from it?

I absolutely love teaching about writing ? especially for the Christian market. I believe it is so important that we keep the message of Christ?s love alive with our words. Whether I am speaking about the Reverend G book or teaching a workshop, I hope to convey the joy of writing and the importance of keeping the message clear and readable.

When I speak specifically about the Reverend G book, I hope to share encouragement and hope with caregivers. Their role and their burdens are incredibly difficult.

What do you like to do when you aren't writing or speaking?

I love to read, read, read and I love nature. My favorite place is out on my deck with a good book. I also love to watch the sun set and praise God that He chooses different colors and textures every night.

I like to cook, but often don?t have time to do it justice. I also love to eat out with my son ? especially great Mexican food.

What's your next step?

The 1st draft of the second book is completed, so I am now editing it. I?ve titled it ?Intermission for Reverend G.? The third book will be ?Final Grace for Reverend G.? After that, I?m already working on ideas for another novel ? a secret!

How can our readers get to know you better?

My blog is on my website at: www.rjthesman.net. I?m on twitter: @rjthesman. On FB, my author page is RJ Thesman and I also have a group for caregivers and those dealing with Alzheimer?s or dementia: Facebook.com/SometimesTheyForget. I?m also on LinkedIn as Rebecca Thesman and I have an author page on Amazon: RJ Thesman.

Thank you so much for being with us today.

?Do you have a question for R. J. about her writing journey or experience as a caregiver??

Source: http://chasingsomeday.blogspot.com/2012/08/rj-thesman.html

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UMCH to Host Bright Start Education Center Open House Next - WJBD

The United Methodist Children's Home will be hosting a community open house on Tuesday, August 28th at the Bright Start Child and Family Education Center at 104 South 32nd Street in Mount Vernon. ?The public is invited to take tours from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and attend the Ribbon Cutting at 5 p.m.

?

Bright Start officially started operations earlier this year in January. ?Improvements have been made to the classrooms and the facilities since that time, such as the remodeling and opening of the "3s Room". The classroom allows three-year-old children to have their own learning space, where they had been sharing a classroom with 4 & 5-year-olds. The room has been remodeled with new toys and furniture.

?

Bright Start has also recently hired several qualified teachers who have early childhood education specialization. They provide enhanced learning and care experience to the children it serves, in addition to meeting established specific indicators of quality.

?

Bright Start is now enrolling full-time in all age groups, six-weeks to 13 years. Interested parents are invited to stop by to see the improvements made. ?For more information call Gretchen Biggerstaff at 244-2462 or visit www.umchome.org.

Source: http://www.wjbdradio.com/?f=news_single&id=35418

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Cast Iron Door Furniture - Home and Garden Improvement

With the marvelous cast iron door furniture you can give your door a big choose and construct it stand out in a neighborhood of homes that have blas? front doors. Of course, you don?t want to rep anything that looks generic. You want specialty hinges, knockers, address plaques, door knobs, and other furniture that will compliment the overall d?cor of your home. This map you can have a fabulous first impression when someone comes to the door.

There is a wide range of door furniture available and you?ll recall up that there are many different materials and finishes that you can resolve from. Of course, you?ll want to finish sure that all the different furniture is complimentary so you have a well believe together sight. One of the best materials to settle from is cast iron, and many people are choosing this option, since it looks astonishing with almost any type of front door. The ample thing about this type of iron is that it is durable and robust. It can be made easily into a variety of designs, from dim themes, to recent themes, and even country themes.

Of course, as you sight at cast iron door furniture, it?s eminent that you don?t honest recognize at the d?cor. You want to originate sure that you assume security options for your door. You need quality accessories that will ensure that burglars cannot easily acquire into your home. This is why it is so notable to go with high quality options. This dwelling you have a strong material and quality door furniture that you know will own your home collect.

Durability is another thing to scrutinize as you are purchasing the furniture for your doors. You want them to last for years to come. When you manufacture this choice, you will accumulate what you pay for, so going with the cheapest deal is not always going to be the best choice. Iron is a tall material that will last through the years and it is a grand investment to accept.

While security and durability are the two most eminent things to choose, you will want to support appearance in mind when choosing your cast iron door furniture. After all, this will add the finishing touches to the door. You want something that looks ice, but don?t overdo it, making your door study ostentatious. believe the overall theme of your home and the architecture, which will help you come by the best selection when it comes to theme and appearance. There are so many styles that it is easy to rep options for every style, from unusual lines, classic patterns, or even Victorian style options.

Related posts:

  1. Beautiful cast iron radiators
  2. Beautiful Cast Iron Radiators
  3. Timeless and Ever-Lasing Wrought Iron Home Decor
  4. Wrought Iron Living Room Furniture
  5. Wrought Iron Bedroom

Source: http://www.williemendez.com/cast-iron-door-furniture-immense-options-for-home-improvement/

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Affiliate Referral Programs Generate Leads And Deliver Revenue ...

?

Affiliate referral programs can be both a source of new business leads and incoming revenue if you have an existing customer base that?s ready to try your product or service recommendations. Deciding to participate in affiliate referral programs is not an easy one for most small business owners as there are many pros and cons to consider. It?s important as a business owner to thoroughly evaluate all parts of an affiliate referral program before starting to market the opportunity to businesses and individuals that may want to participate.

The following are key points to keep in mind when deciding whether an affiliate referral program is the right strategy for your business.

Pros:

- Develop a sales force of individuals that are willing to market your products and services

- Increase brand awareness in your industry through actions taken by participating affiliate referral partners

- Quickly expand market reach, including internationally

- Partner with affiliate marketing companies like Commission Junction for online marketing.

- Develop tiered referral commissions to reward top affiliate partners to increase motivation of sales force

- Affiliate referral programs can be started and stopped with fewer issues than formal business partnerships

Cons:

- Loss of control over marketing of products or services

- Potential for affiliate to go off message when selling products or services resulting in an over promise under deliver situation that no business owner enjoys resolving.

- Pay referral commission between 10% ? 50%

- Difficult to gauge the potential success a new partner will have and the impact incurred from an increase in sales, product shipments, customer service requests

If your business sells a physical product, the pros far outweigh the cons and your business will likely gain tremendously from evaluating and implementing this marketing strategy. Service based businesses however; should consider the affiliate model more carefully. Be cautious not to move forward too quickly as the costs associated with referral fees can be high and the program could place an unexpected strain on your existing support team they are not equipped to handle if you?ve not taken the time to set it up properly.

Overall affiliate referral programs can be an excellent method to educate the market and industry at large about your business and the products or services you offer. Most individuals and businesses making money from affiliate programs will have an excellent online marketing presence they can leverage when promoting and selling your offerings.

Affiliate referrals are a good way to get your business engaged with other companies in your industry that have existing customer bases and are marketing to your target customers. The best participants in your business affiliate referral program may ultimately become your strongest channel to new customers which makes this a strategy worth considering.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability. To discover more Joint Venture Marketing Strategies join his free report on Joint Venture Marketing.

Source: http://online-success-articles.com/affiliate-referral-programs-generate-leads-and-deliver-revenue/

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Changing Your Company Name ? Five Steps ... - Tungsten Branding

Posted on 08/20/2012 by Phillip Davis

So your business made it off the ground, you?re generating revenue, but you?ve hit a roadblock with your company name. Perhaps it?s too niche, or misleading, or tied to a geographic location ? what to do? Changing your company name requires careful?consideration and planning to achieve a successful outcome and take your business to the next level.?Before you make the move, here are five key considerations to achieve optimal results.

1. Evaluate the Pros and Cons Before You Begin

photo 5 300x224 Changing Your Company Name    Five Steps to Rebranding Your Business

Following these five steps provides a framework for developing a successful company brand name that lasts

Company name changes are prompted by a number of factors such as the business name being too common, too literal, too generic, geographically limiting, a meaningless or former surname, an acronym that requires explanation, (e.g. Does anyone really know what TIAA-CREF really stands for?) Some business name changes are prompted by legal threats and trademark disputes. Whatever the reason(s), make a list of them in order of importance and evaluate the pluses and minuses of moving forward. One on hand you may gain greater name recognition and pick up a matching .com domain to boot, but you may also lose potential customers who know you by your current name, or may think the business has changed hands or been sold.

Discuss the potential risks and rewards with your management team and gather feedback from the rank and file as well. Often the long term benefits of greater name recognition and higher customer recall can outweigh the temporary cost of transitioning from a limiting or misleading company name. So look at both short term disruption and expense as well as long term brand positioning and equity to gain a good overall perspective.

2. Establish a Plan of Action

If you decide to move forward, layout a definitive course of action to accomplish your goals. Decide the who, what, where, when, why and how. List out the key branding criteria that will be the drivers for the project. Is the goal to obtain a solid trademark? Or to have something more catchy and memorable? Is it to better position your company to take advantage of new markets and opportunities? Do you need the matching .com? Who will spearhead the name change? And will you do it internally or hire outside expertise?

Map out as many of the objectives and action steps that you can. Decide who will head up the project and who will be in on the decision making process. The fewer decision makers, the easier the decision. A camel is a horse made by a committee, so take in lots of input, but try to limit the final decision to those who understand the company?s goals and objectives.

3. Generate the new company names

iStock 000018278455XSmall 300x199 Changing Your Company Name    Five Steps to Rebranding Your Business

Armed with a creative brief and branding criteria, brainstorm ideas that capture the essence of your company?s mission

This step can by done internally or with the help of outside vendors. Start by writing a definitive creative brief which details the branding criteria from step 2 above. Distribute the brief to team members or to branding firms that you engage. Have a firm list of deliverables that you expect at the end of the process, (e.g. the new company name, a matching supporting tag line, a new logo design, a matching domain name, trademark clearance, etc.)

If choosing an outside naming firm, look for similar work in similar industries and ask for pricing and examples, as well as references from previous clients. Set up a reasonable timeline that allows for multiple rounds of names, with time for team members to review and digest the names (from one to three months for smaller companies, three to six months for larger firms.)

Make a short list of the best naming candidates and let them ?soak? for a while before making any immediate judgments. Some of the best company names are ones that take time to grow on the group, gain traction, build a back story and generate enthusiasm. Don?t set unrealistic expectations, such as waiting for a name that ?jumps out.? New company names are inherently unfamiliar. It?s doubtful that a name like Verizon jumped out of a huge list of names. Give it time and let the good ones rise to the top.

4. Pick the Winner

iStock 000010705531XSmall 300x196 Changing Your Company Name    Five Steps to Rebranding Your Business

When all is said and done, it?s time to pick a business name ? one that best reflects your company?s unique qualities and attributes

This seems obvious enough, but change can be scary, and the fear of the unknown can cause undue hesitation. Remind yourself of the missed opportunities and the potential gains you listed when first starting out. If you?ve set clear branding criteria that addresses the issues with your current name, then your top picks are almost certainly better than what you currently have in place. Run through the mental exercise of introducing yourself with the new name. Try out the transition from the name to a short explanation of what you do ? your ?elevator speech.? See if the name provides an overall platform that allows for future growth and expansion, such as brand extensions and sub branding.

Some names may seem like sleepers, but they have ?legs,? or the ability to keep on giving and giving. (Metaphor names are a good example, such as Apple, Amazon and Midas) Other names can grab initial interest and then fall flat. (This tends to be the case with coined or invented names which require marketing dollars to imbue them with meaning, such as Xerox, Kodak and Accenture.) Screen the final three to five names from your short list for trademark clearance and then pick the best of the bunch.

5. Implement the Plan

From step two, your plan of action, look at all the various stakeholders and touch points that your new name will affect. Take care to introduce your new company name in a way that underscores the positive goals and outcomes behind your decision. Have a press release in place to highlight the benefits of the new name, and how that will help both customers and staff moving forward. Have all the various branding elements in place and ready to go, from the company web site and social media pages to internal documents and vehicle signage. Have your legal counsel file any local, state and federal documents required.

Realize that you will encounter some initial resistance from some customers and staff that have grown accustomed to your existing identity and may not understand your long term strategy. Remain positive and upbeat in all your communications and demonstrate a sense of leadership. In a matter of a few short months, most company name changes seem like they are a distant thing of the past. Typically there is a release of new energy with a company name change, as staff can now refocus on other key areas of the business.

The Big Picture

Through careful planning, creative strategy, and consistent execution, you can successfully rename and reposition your company to build greater awareness, recall and profitability. By following the above five steps, you and your team can better anticipate and manage the renaming process to achieve your desired results.

If you?ve been through a recent company name change, feel free to share your experience. What lessons did you learn? What advice would you share?

Phillip Davis is president of Tungsten Branding and a regular speaker, author and contributor on the subject of brilliant branding, appearing in Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, Newsday, BusinessWeek and numerous industry trade publications. Phil and his team have have named/branded over 200 companies, products and services worldwide. Google+ View all posts by Phillip Davis ?

Source: http://tungstenbranding.com/branding-articles/company-naming/changing-your-company-name-five-steps-to-getting-it-right/

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