NewsFeeds 11.10.09

Slumlord to do time in Richmond rental home (Times-Dispatch)
Convicted slumlord Oliver C. Lawrence will get to experience life in the Richmond City Jail and one of his own neglected rental properties.

ABC agents detail encounters at Richmond strip club (Times-Dispatch)
The evening ended after the two agents — a man and woman posing as half siblings — pooled their last $450 to pay the two women to engage in oral sex on a couch out of sight of the club’s omnipresent video cameras. The agents and the former dancers testified yesterday that all of this occurred with the permission of Velvet owner Samuel J.T. Moore III, who had to decide whether to allow the after-hours alcohol sales and paid sex between two “contract entertainers.”

Geeks On Call: its rise, fall and future (Inside Business)
Editor’s Pick, and a must-read for anyone involved in a franchise. By 2008, shortly after becoming a publicly traded company, the rising star began to sputter; culminating late last month in what amounted to a fire sale of what was left of the company after declining revenue left it in the hole and in default on debt that was collateralized by the company’s assets. Pinpointing where, when and why things went wrong isn’t easy.

Indie Film Shakeout: There Will Be Blood (Time)
The recession may be ending but the independent film industry’s shakeout continues to roll, as we were recently reminded by Disney’s October decision to gut its Miramax division, cutting staff by more than 70%. It won’t be the last to fall under the knife, industry insiders predict, pointing to Universal’s Focus Features as the next likely victim.

A Squeeze on Customers Ahead of New Rules (NY Times)
Banks are struggling to make money in the credit card business these days, and consumers are paying the price. Interest rates are going up, credit lines are being cut and a variety of new fees are being imposed on even the best cardholders.

Companies cut back on holiday gift giving (USA Today)
Chocolate-, cheese- and wine-loving workers be warned: Expect a dearth of holiday gift baskets and other goodies next month, as the tough economy forces companies to cut back on holiday gift giving.

Why Now is the Time to Open a Restaurant (Entrepreneur)
Rents are dropping, talented chefs are up for grabs and, most important, smarter diners are looking for value, not glitz.

How to Write a Mission Statement That Isn’t Dumb (Fast Company)
Why most mission statements are dumb — and how to write one that isn’t.