Robert Pedersen II at 5:31 PM

Robert G. Pedersen II

Robert provides the overall vision and leadership of ZAGG Inc. Robert has more than 20 years' experience in executive management, sales and marketing, communications, as well as owning and managing several start-up businesses and enterprises. Since 1998, Robert was a co-owner and executive manager for Del Sol LC, a Utah-based international specialty retailer of apparel and accessories, where he implemented the in-line retail store model. Del Sol now has more than 100 stores world-wide. Additionally, Robert created and was the director of DelSol.com, Del Sol LC's Internet presence. In 2002 Robert founded PayTeck, Inc., a Utah provider of Internet-based payment processing services, which was later sold to Zion's Bank, a public company, in 2005. Robert co-founded ZAGG Inc. and has served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since that time. Robert is also the Company's largest shareholder.

Robert earned a degree in business administration (BSBA) from the University of Phoenix and a Masters Degree (MBA) from Brigham Young University in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing, finance and organizational communications. Robert and his wife Kim and their six children reside in Holladay, Utah.

Adam Brentley at 5:27 PM

Adam K. Brandley

Mr. Adam Brandley has owned and/or managed several entrepreneurial ventures in various fields and industries starting at age 13.

Since April 1997 he has served as Chairman and CEO of Gearless Technologies Incorporated (GTI), a research development company focused on innovations in the electric motor industry in which he is the holder of two unique patents (Patent numbers: 6,703,742 and 6,428,050).

In 2004 he founded and is currently President of Commonwealth Financial Group, LLC, a business development and incubation firm headquartered in Bountiful, Utah, which has capitalized over $20 million dollars for the Dental Industry, Real Estate Acquisitions, and the creation of AVO Financial, LLC.

In January 2006 he also became Chairman and Trustee for the SOAR Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization committed to youth education, leadership, and development.

Mr. Brandley was born the seventh son of eleven boys in Ogden, Utah. He resides just outside of Ogden in the quaint area of Marriott-Slaterville City with his wife and five children.

Tim Hunt Bio at 5:24 PM

Timothy R. Hunt


Tim is currently starting a new venture called Go Natural CNG in alternative fuel vehicles focusing on natural gas. He was most recently the general manager of North America for Certiport who is the sole provider of Microsoft Office and Adobe certification exams worldwide.

Tim was the founder and Chairman of the Board of Lingotek, a software development company with a new technology called the Language Search Engine. Lingotek raised $3 million plus from Flywheel Ventures, Canopy Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and other angel investors. In 2008, Tim sold his holdings in Lingotek for a modest positive return.

Tim received his MBA from the University of Utah, where he was also awarded the 2002 Utah Outstanding Student Entrepreneur of the Year. While getting his MBA he won both state wide and international business plan competitions netting $65,000 in cash. He was recognized by his peers and named to the vSpring v100 Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs in 2007 and 2008. He has also been inducted into the Snow College Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.

He helped found the University Venture Fund which now manages $18 million in investments and holdings. He serves on the board of the Utah Valley Entrepreneur Forum and the Governor’s Business Resource Center Board where he serves as vice chair. He is also the co-chair of the UTC CEO peer-to-peer forums and is a Utah Technology Council Trustee.

He is a former tactical intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. He developed a new Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) for the U.S. Army called the 97L Translator/Interpreter. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Utah, Weber State and Salt Lake Community College where he taught venture finance, mathematics and entrepreneurship courses.

Prior to that he supervised scripture translation for the LDS Church where he supervised the translation of 85 of the 100+ languages in which the Church has produced scriptures.

He and his wife Cindy have 12 children and 2 grandchildren.

Speaker Bio's... at 5:22 PM

We have finally found who are speaking to us to become entrepreneurs! They are both successful men in their field of work and have argreed to come and share their trade of success to the rest of us!

I am really excited to learn how I can be just the bit more ahead of everybody else who is trying to get a job in this jobless market.

Brush up the job skills at 5:18 PM

Losing a job can mean losing more than just a paycheck. Without some planning, an extended layoff can cause job skills to fade and make someone less attractive to potential employers.
And it's not just the unemployed 8.1 percent of the workforce that has to worry about a personal brain drain. Add in those working part time or who have given up looking for a job, and the Labor Department says 14.8 percent of the U.S. work force is "underutilized."
Whether they can speak a foreign language or analyze financial spreadsheets as easily as sports statistics, those people need to find ways to keep their skills up.

"Maintaining your skills and advancing your skills is critical to advancing if you're employed, and getting a new job if you're unemployed," said Dean Tracy, a recruiter and career coach in San Ramon, Calif.
But how do you stay on top of your field when you've been downsized? Tracy and other career counseling experts identified three potential avenues: continuing education, professional organizations and volunteering.

1-Continuing education

Even for those who are not out of work, learning new skills or brushing up old ones is always beneficial. Several experts said classes that offer certifications are particularly helpful.

"What it tells the employer is, you're not sitting around wondering what to do next, you're taking the initiative," said Tracy. Those who can't attend a class should look for online training.

Technology and business models have evolved so rapidly that anyone who got their education 10 or more years ago is no longer current in the market, said Don Straits, president of the Auburn, Calif.-based executive search firm Corporate Warriors: "That MBA from Stanford that you got in 1978 or 1980? That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee."

Underscoring that idea, Straits said it is vital for today's workers to take advantage of Web-based technologies. "I won't say they need to be Twittering," he said, referring to the fast-growing service through which users to send out short messages. "But they do need to be connected or involved in Web 2.0. It's not just a matter of surfing the Web any more."

Social networking, he said, is a good place to get acquainted with the expanding possibilities online. It's an area that is easily self-taught, and one that can have numerous applications once you're back in the workplace. As a bonus, establishing a network of contacts can also help during a job hunt. Pointing to a 24-year-old staffer at his company who has 4,000 "friends" on MySpace and 300 connections on LinkedIn, Straits said, "He will never have a problem connecting to a position."
Experts in using resources like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn may be able to help others by teaching a class or leading a workshop for a professional organization. Another possibility is to seek an adjunct faculty position at a local college.

Having a faculty appointment is never a bad thing," said Roy Cohen, a master coach for The Five O'Clock Club, a New York-based career coaching network. An added plus: "You have access to other faculty members you can network with."
Professional organizations

Beyond the potential for teaching fellow members, professional organizations typically offer access to broader workshops and seminars. But Straits said it's important not only to join, but to be active in professional groups. "One of the best jobs in any association is the membership chairman," he said, "because you are going to get to know every single company or individual in that organization."
Professional organizations also often need help with tasks like maintaining their Web sites or organizing their finances, providing more opportunities to put languishing skills to use.

2-Volunteering

Donating your time can also add some interest to a resume and demonstrate a commitment to community that may impress a potential employer.
Tracy says it's a mistake to rule out listing a volunteer position on your resume: "Just because you got paid or didn't get paid does not diminish the importance of that being a job that enables you to enhance your skills."
If you're searching for a suitable spot, look for organizations that connect volunteers with nonprofits needing expert help. The Taproot Foundation is one national group that provides pro bono help with things like strategic planning, annual report preparation and marketing.

Taproot recruitment manager Melanie Damm said the group has seen a huge influx of volunteers in the past six months. Though at times Taproot had been limited by the number of pro bono consultants it could recruit, now there is a bit of a problem finding projects for all the volunteers in some cities. But, she said, "we still have shortages for very specific sorts of skill sets" like Web site development and graphic design.

Being open to working as an unpaid intern at a for-profit company, or volunteering to help on a specific project, may get you in the door. Cohen, of The Five O'Clock Club, has a client who approached a company offering to be an apprentice that was accepted. "They were very taken with his strategy," he said.

It's a tactic that worked for Shawn Graham, the director of MBA career services at the University of Pittsburgh and author of the book, "Courting Your Career." In 1997, he was downsized by the retail company he worked for and decided to try the career counseling field. He approached three colleges seeking to volunteer in their career offices, and one took him up on the offer. A few months later, he was given a paid spot there, and has since moved up in the field by working at two other universities.
Graham said, "Sometimes just calling up and offering to help on a project can be the toehold to get into the organization."

Learn now! at 8:45 AM

I was reading an article about how you can start your own business for under $20! Click Here

Did you know that you could do that? Utah state is offering an amazing opportunity for anyone and everyone to learn about starting your own business. If you have an idea that you are passionate about find out how to make it a reality. Why be stuck doing something that you hate forever? Take your idea and create your own work place. Take a look at all of the things that USU E-Week has planned. Come participate in the weeks events and you could learn how to start your business for $20!

Thumb Wrestling! at 4:36 PM

We broke the record for most people thumb wrestling at once last year, let's do it again! Check out this video of last year.

Look for them! at 3:17 PM

We have finalized the design of our E-week posters and soon they will be up all over the place on campus! Make sure to pay attention when you see them!

E-Week T-shirt at 3:15 PM

Hey guys look how awesome the t-shirts are going to be for E-week!

Credit Cards Woes and Pros at 9:16 AM

Use a credit card wisely and you can reap benefits like cash back, bonus points and airline miles, not to mention a better credit score. Use it unwisely and you could end up under a mountain of debt.

The No. 1 rule is: Pay off your balance every month. Otherwise, you'll pay interest on your purchases. Paying the balance takes discipline. About 40% of households carry credit card debt, according to the Federal Reserve.

1-Protect your good name (and score)

-Make your payments by the date -- and time -- they're due. Late fees are $29 or more. A couple of late payments will trigger an interest rate increase. Because late and missed payments lower your credit score, the interest rate can go up on your other credit cards and for future loans as well.

-Limit the number of cards you have. Experts recommend having two to six cards. Applying for lots of cards can hurt your credit score. Conversely, closing several credit cards at once will trigger a decrease in your score.

-Read the fine print. Know the interest rate you will be charged, the grace period for paying your debt before interest kicks in and your credit limit. Federal regulators have adopted new rules that clamp down on the credit card industry and are aimed at protecting consumers, but they don't kick in until July 2010.

-Negotiate. If your credit score is 700 or above, you may be able to get a lower interest rate or get the company to drop a late fee.

-Don't exceed 30% of your credit limit on each card. Credit bureaus don't care if you pay off your balance each month. They're interested in how much of your available credit you use. If it's excessive, your credit score will drop.

Credit card companies market different types of cards, featuring low interest, rewards or other benefits. Be careful about the terms, which are subject to change.

If you're transferring a balance to a new card with lower interest, find out how much the company will charge for the transfer. Urge that it be done electronically so you don't accumulate interest on both the old and new accounts. Low-interest introductory offers may apply only to the balance transfer and not to new purchases.
Reward cards that provide dividends like rebates and airlines miles sound too good to be true, and can be. The higher interest rate charged by most reward cards can more than offset the reward if you carry a balance. Reward offers can change with little notice and may come with budget-busting conditions -- for instance, you have to spend a certain amount to earn the reward.

If you buy a defective item or protest a charge, your credit card company is obligated to investigate. If your card is stolen, you're liable for no more than $50 for unauthorized charges.

Other "services" offered by credit card companies have potential drawbacks.
Contactless credit cards make it even easier to purchase items because you don't need to swipe your card or hand it to a cashier. But thieves can scan the info on your card. You can buy a signal-blocking sleeve or make one out of aluminum foil.
Don't use "convenience" checks your credit card company sends you unsolicited in the mail. They're costly -- with a fee of 3% or 4% of the amount you write, plus high interest rates with no grace period -- and don't provide the consumer protection you get when you make a purchase with your credit card. Credit card protection insurance generally covers only the minimum payment if you become disabled or unemployed, and interest continues to build on your outstanding balance. Using a credit card issued by a department store you frequent can entitle you to cardholder discounts, but limit yourself to one card. Each department store account you open reduces your credit score.

Getting and using a credit card could be the easiest way to re-establish credit if yours has gone sour. But getting back into the credit game comes with potential hazards.

Cards issued to those considered credit risks come with interest rates in the 18% to 22% range and low spending limits. Such cards sometimes have extra fees hidden in the fine print. Don't take the bait when companies want to issue you one low-limit card after another. You can find yourself back in debt, paying late fees, over-limit fees and high interest rates on multiple cards.

If you've fallen off the wise-spending wagon, seek counseling from a nonprofit credit-counseling agency certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Tired of unsolicited offers of pre-approved cards? Call 1-888-5 OPT-OUT

A rising recession? at 3:17 PM

I'm sick and tired of reading, writing and hearing about how bad things are these days: The economy stinks, stocks are tanking, people are losing their jobs in droves.
The economy has got to turn around soon. But how the heck will we know when the turn has come?

Here are five key signs that I have been watching for, plus some extras from experts and a couple from just plain folks eager to see some evidence of a recovery.

1) Indexes start rising

There was a flicker of good news in February, when the Economic Cycle Research Institute's Weekly Leading Index rose for the first time in six weeks.

The index, a composite of daily and weekly data on economic drivers of the business cycle, including corporate profits and housing activity, is still looking pretty weak, said Lakshman Achuthan, the managing director at ECRI, but it has stopped falling, and there has been some stabilization since mid-December.

"When these leading indexes begin to start rising, that will be a very clear and, as importantly, a very objective sign of a recovery," Achuthan said.

Detailed information about the institute's research is available only to subscribers, but the leading index is frequently mentioned in news reports and is worth following as a reliable indicator of key changes in the business cycle.

Another statistic worth following is consumer spending. That is already showing some signs of life. Consumer spending constitutes about 70% of the U.S. economy. When consumers spend, the economy grows. Consumer spending rose 0.6% in January, after a 1% decrease in December and a 0.8% drop in November.

2) Cardboard boxes are in demand

Cargo and cardboard are two heavy-duty industrial signals to watch.

The Baltic Dry Index is an assessment of the price of moving raw materials on cargo ships around the world. When the world economy is fading, shipping gets cheaper. When growth returns, shipping costs more. The index has shown some improvement this year, after sinking to a 22-year low in early December.

"In terms of a glimmer of hope, a tap has been turned," said Michael Gaylard, a derivatives broker at Freight Investor Services.

"The fundamentals -- the raw materials needed that are paramount to infrastructure rebuilding and investment around the globe -- they're starting to move," Gaylard said. "Once the flows that we've seen in the past few weeks start to have some continuity to them, then the market will rebuild. The turnaround has started, but it's going to be a long and slow process."

Then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan used to watch the cardboard box business as an indicator of industrial production. About 75% of all nondurable goods are shipped in corrugated cardboard boxes; when demand for boxes is high, that's a sign that the economy is doing well.

3) Diamonds are forever . . . again

Jewelry sales are a leading indicator of recovery in the retail sector, according to Mike Niemira, the chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers. So what better store to watch than Tiffany?

Sales of engagement rings have been down in recent months, said Mark Aaron, the company's vice president of investor relations.

"It's not that people don't fall in love during a recession," Aaron said, "It's whether they're making that commitment and buying a $10,000 engagement ring and making wedding plans.

"When people start to feel a little more secure about their jobs, when the stock market starts to stabilize, that might be enough to help restore confidence. If we see greater interest in the big-ticket items and a pickup in store traffic, that will be encouraging."

So what are other people watching?

Mike McLaughlin, an sneaker salesman and an avid golfer from Salt Lake, said he'll know things are improving when tee times become more expensive and harder to get.

Jen Sundstrom, a pharmaceutical sales representative in Provo, will know when she finds herself back at Whole Foods Market for all of her grocery shopping.

Eric Goldberg, a regular at Northern Exposure, said his indicator is "the amount of time it takes to get a seat at the bar." It's been easier to find a seat because fewer people have been out, he said.

Other people said they'd know a recovery was coming when they:

-Upgraded to a bigger flat-screen television.
-Saw lawyers working until 2 a.m. again.
-Replaced generic dog food with organic brands.
-Bought Starbucks lattes again.
-Rejoined a gym and purchased sessions with a personal trainer.

A shout out all you powerful WOMEN at 12:14 PM

While E-week is a lot about learning how to become a successful entrepreneur, it is also about learning skills that can help you no matter what your major is. It is a way to gain a more well-rounded knowledge of business, and business can be used in anything and everything you do.

When I think of a big, powerful business person I picture a woman carrying a brief case in a cute suit and Starbucks in her hand. The thing is, not many people think this! They think of a fat old man in a suit sitting in an office and yelling at people, am I right? There are more high powered businessmen right now than women. That is a hard fact and it needs to change!

Forbes did an article on the differences of men and women in a business setting. It was found that neither gender is better than the other in business; they just have different strengths and weaknesses. Both are equally valuable to a company and to the business world. Click here to read the full article.

So women of Utah State University, don’t be intimidated by the fact that this is a week all about business, embrace it. Learn more about how to become the powerful executive or entrepreneur you know you can be. E-week is open to all majors and especially all sexes. Let’s try to get more women there than those silly little boys.

You can learn more at 11:21 AM

We all have a little entrepreneur in us. I know that so many people have a brilliant idea that they have always wanted to make come true or you've always wanted to own your own business. well, this is the perfect place to find out more about that. There is no better place to learn about creating a business or making your brilliant idea come true than to talk to professionals themselves who have done it. That is one of the many things that you will be able to find at e-week. You can pick the brains and listen to professional business owners spill on how to get farther in business. It is such an amazing opportunity are you really going to miss it?

Entrepreneur...What is that? at 10:00 AM

En-tre-pre-neur:
--noun--
1-a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

2-an employer of productive labor; contractor.

3-A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.

4-One who creates a product on his own account; whoever undertakes on his own account an industrial enterprise in which workmen are employed.

--verb--
1-to deal with or initiate as an entrepreneur.

2-to act as an entrepreneur.

Well, most of us don't really come in contact with this word unless we live in the Business building, however we run into people who do this all the time. Students invest large amounts of money, time and ability for skills. In a way, everyone is an entrepreneur.

In order to make a sustainable life in this dwindling economy, we need to understand those risks, we need innovation, we need to be edgy and most of all, we need to know how to do it all. I am excited that E-Week will facilitate that.