Richmond’s favorite beer brand for sale

Some call it the Preferred Beer of Richmond, but most know it as Pabst Blue Ribbon. Read more

Former S&K chief suited for new job

The former chief executive of S&K Menswear has found a new home as the president of locally-based RetailData Services.

The company collects information about supermarkets and sells it to the grocery industry.  Oliver said he wanted to stay in retail and had known about the company for a decade.

“So much of what you see right now is downsizing or cost cutting. The owners [of RetailData] are really investing in the business right now and adding new divisions and bringing in new people,” Oliver said.

Oliver, a California native, moved to Richmond more than a decade ago and started working at Davenport & Co. He took over as chief executive of S&K Menswear in 2006 and was unable to turn around the company in time to save it from bankruptcy. Read more

Google it ain’t

Bing, schming.

If you need to search the Web, Google is still your best bet. It’s still the easiest to use and handles the dozens of searches most of us perform better than Bing, which Microsoft launched May 28. And for business owners, why mess with a good thing? Read more

What’s on tap? Beer-tracking technology

Forget Big Brother.

From its headquarters in Powhatan County, Dave Adams’s company, InteliTap, tracks kegs of beer from the brewery to the moment its contents are poured into a customer’s frosty glass. That means Adams can notify a bar owner anywhere in the world when a barkeep is a little too generous with a pint of the good stuff.

Until now, the company’s keg tracking service was responsible for most of the company’s sales, but this year Adams said he expects that to shift to restaurants who want to keep a closer eye on their taps. Read more

S&K Menswear files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Richmond-based men’s clothier  S&K Famous Brands, Inc has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection in an effort to get out of leases, trim costs, and prevent further erosion of vendor confidence.

The company lists assets of $41,440,100 and debts of $35,499,000 (not including operating leases). There will be a hearing at 2:00 today in Richmond. Read more

Read about it in my book

Blog schmog: Read about it in my book

Writing a book remains a popular pastime and calculated strategy for local business leaders. For some, authoring a book – with or without a ghostwriter – is a way to demonstrate expertise and establish street cred to promote consulting. For others it’s a ticket to the speaking circuit, where fees can range from a $100 honorarium to more than $10,000. Still other entrepreneurs say they just want to share what they’ve learned and help budding business owners navigate the challenges they encountered. Read more

Tattoos might still be taboo in Richmond offices

It used to be that you were considered different and rebellious (and maybe even dangerous) if you had a tattoo. You likely rode a Harley or in a drunken stupor let some friend with a needle leave an “I ♥ Mom” or an anchor on your bicep. Now, they’re as trendy as big hair in the ‘80s. And they’ve all but invaded the workplace. Read more

What to wear: how about Richmond casual

Workers in Richmond are trading formal suits in favor of slacks, polos, button downs and skirts, a sign that even a conservative town is getting more casual.

BizSense compiled a survey to figure out exactly what
people are wearing to work these days. A sampling of 20 businessmen and
women (several of whom are business owners) revealed that business
casual is the most popular pick for office wear – and by a long shot.
Seventy percent of respondents said that they rely on business casual
as the sole uniform of choice. And 90 percent said that they opt for a
combination of business casual along with either business formal or
casual/active wear. Read more

Tech Review: Virtual business cards fall flat

New services like rmbrME offer an electronic remedy to the problem of paper-based business cards. Only for many business people, business cards aren’t a problem that needs solving. Through text messages and web applications, rmbrME creates an electronic business card called a bzCard. Instead of carrying around a paper card, you email it to a contact. Read more