Corporate Health Promotion Has 3 Years to Get It Right

In comments before the 2009 Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference, Michael O'Donnell, PhD, MPH, MBA (Editor in Chief, American Journal of Health Promotion) described rapid changes in this field and what it meant to practitioners. "Despite 4 decades of corporate health promotion as a profession, there is still no consensus as to the most effective and efficient way to render services. We have only about 3 years to get it right."

 

Michael offers examples: "In smoking cessation, we have good science to guide us. We know that counseling therapy or nicotine replacement medication typically yields a 10% success rate. But when we combine counseling and nicotine replacement, the rate goes up to 30%. We also know when you increase the number of minutes of counseling, you increase success rates; but at 300 minutes we reach a plateau. Involving different types of people in counseling sessions also increases the likelihood of positive outcomes. By applying these scientific principles, we multiply our success 6-fold. Yet in something like weight control, beyond knowing people need to eat less and exercise more, we have very little knowledge of what works."

 

Strongly believing the industry needs to dedicate itself to studying what works in health promotion, he was actively involved in promoting Senate bill (S.1001/HR2354). Called the Health Promotion FIRST (Funding Integrated Research Synthesis and Training) Act, many provisions became law when President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and began going into effect in 2010. The bill included additional health promotion provisions and enjoyed bipartisan support. Highlights include:

Development of a national health promotion plan
Increased health promotion research
Technical assistance to enhance evaluation of worksite health promotion programs
Regular surveys on worksite health program prevalence and components
Grants to pay part of the cost for comprehensive worksite health promotion programs in small organizations
Allowing employers to offer employees an insurance premium discount of up to 30% (instead of the current 20%) for positive lifestyle practices or participation in worksite health promotion programs and asking Health and Human Services to study the benefits of increasing to 50%.

Focus on What Works Best

 

Michael challenges practitioners to focus more on what works best in their area of expertise. "What are the most cost-effective ways to reach the greatest number of people with the most hard-hitting programs to improve their lifestyle? I realize this is difficult for individual employee health and wellness practitioners. They may have great intuition and ability to assess a person or organization, and they may develop very effective interventions to encourage change. But when you ask them why they are successful, they can't articulate the core principles critical to their success. This has been a classic problem in our field."

 

"I realize that practitioners dedicate a great deal of time and effort to figure out the most useful strategies for each individual and organization they serve. Unfortunately, this approach is not practical if we want to reach most employees in most workplaces. When you build cars one by one, it's not so hard to get it right. But when you build an assembly line and crank cars out at a high volume, you need to be sure the best procedures are in place to make it work. As we scale up our wellness programs, we need to draw on standardized protocols that can be tailored to the special needs of each situation."

 

"Practitioners need to look for opportunities to team up with the scientific community and help them develop good theories as to what works best. Learn to articulate why what you do works. We need to network and share more with people. We must test programs that have been shown to be successful and find out why they work. We don't do that nearly enough."

 

"Time is running out for us to get it right. The industry is growing very fast. For a while purchasers entering the market will not know the questions to ask. It will be relatively easy to sell wellness programs. But eventually purchasers will become more sophisticated and require higher levels of quality proof. As more products become available, they will push down on the price. And when they do, we must make sure these commodities offer the best possible solutions to change lives."

 

Growing Our Future Leaders

 

To meet this growth in the health promotion industry requires energetic and forward-thinking leadership. Michael is concerned that in a few years, there may be a problem finding those leaders. "For the most part, today's wellness program leaders are in their 50s. When this group entered the field in their 20s, it was a new industry with many leadership opportunities. The youngest and brightest out of grad school moved into leadership positions quickly. Unfortunately, the pool of emerging leaders to replace us is small. In the 1990s the field experienced an economic downturn. Many of the new cohort of professionals were forced to move into other lines of work to survive. These would have been the professionals to eventually fill future leadership positions, and it was a small group to begin with. I often hear managers say it's difficult to find qualified people with 15-20 years experience."

 

Michael expresses concerned about the consequences of this looming leadership vacuum. "If new leaders don't come from within our field, they will come from outside the field. It's wonderful to gain new perspectives, but will they have the same philosophical value we have to help people? I worry that they will be oriented more toward medical healthcare cost containment and making money. What has been unique about our field is the focus on quality of life. That is a value we must preserve. We need to continue this dialogue on growing our future leaders."

 

"Don't get me wrong; talent must prevail. We don't want to coddle people or they won't be able to stand the pressure of a leadership position. It's got to be survival of the fittest, and emerging leaders need to challenge existing leaders for control. Cultivate the qualities in yourself and others that you expect to see in any leader. Create a vision and put a plan in place to achieve that vision."

 

What if We Don't Get It Right?

 

When asked about the consequences of not getting it right, Michael predicts, "We have a golden opportunity right now. The Obama administration and Congress are very interested in wellness and prevention. Prevention is the only thing that is not controversial. Congress believes prevention is the magic bullet to fix healthcare. But if we don't develop programs that produce consistent positive outcomes, we'll be in trouble. We have less than 3 years to get it right or we will lose the credibility we've worked so hard to achieve. If that happens, government and employers will shrug their shoulders and say, 'We tried, but it didn't work.'"

 

And Michael isn't sure who (or what) will fill the vacuum if it doesn't work. "It's kind of like managed care. In the original closed panel approaches developed by two of the larger HMOs, managed care produced better health outcomes at lower prices. This mutated into PPO approaches which are basically bulk purchasing arrangements that lack internal quality or cost controls. Managed care got a bad name. I think something similar could happen to worksite health promotion if we don't take action now."

Dean Witherspoon, CEO and founder of employee wellness firm, Health Enhancement Systems, has 25 years in health promotion. He has served on the board of the Association for Worksite Health Promotion and held several regional as well as state offices. Dean is a nationally known speaker and author, having presented at more than 70 conferences and written hundreds of employee wellness articles for national publications.

For more information on employee wellness topics, check out our free white papers at http://whitepapers.hesonline.com/.

Contact: Dean Witherspoon, Health Enhancement Systems, http://HealthEnhancementSystems.com, 800.326.2317

How To Spend $9 Trillion Over 10 Years

In the year 2001, the national debt stood at $5.8 trillion. Today that figure has more than doubled to $14.3 trillion. This $9 trillion increase over the past ten years can be attributed to government expenses, particularly with the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, additional interest costs, and also the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why is it then that we constantly hear politicians and Wall Street bankers going after Social Security payments as a key way to balance the the debt? Compared to the aforementioned expenses, Social Security hardly factors into the $9 trillion in question. Out of the top three contributors to the increase in debt, the only item being discussed, albeit rather quietly, is taxes. The 2008 financial industry bailout added an additional $200 million, although the Federal Reserve partook in a shadow bailout of its own totaling over $2.8 trillion on their balance sheets.

The fact of the matter is that both political parties have set up a system where money is filtered to the top one percent, while the middle class wilts on a vine. This new economic system distributes wealth by political will, while backstage of this farcical theatre the working class is being forced into debt serfdom, finding it virtually impossible to buy a home or even get an education without racking up onerous amounts of debt in loans.

The velocity at which the national debt has grown in this country is stunning. When comparing annual changes in GDP and government debt over the past 50 years, the rate at which our debt is growing has far surpassed our growth in GDP. This is clearly not a good thing; as a country you do not want to accumulate debt faster than your economy can develop and compensate for this number. For the most part, during the 1980's or the era of "deficits don't matter," is when we really notice this change. This trend has continued through the years, with little of the $9 trillion having trickled back down into the hands of the middle and working class. The only group seeing solid income growth is at the top and much of their growth is secured by government favoritism and welfare for the rich.

Not convinced? In this new kind of system we live in, hedge fund managers pay taxes at a much lower rate than your typical construction worker. Additionally, one out of three Americans have no savings to their name, so financially they have nothing to protect. A majority of the population has bought into the notion that political parties are out to help them, but the current distribution of wealth alone should be enough to shatter this idea.

Tax breaks are of little use, especially since they tend to benefit only the extremely wealthy. Were this all free market based, it would be a different story. Bailed out companies now invest overseas and create jobs in other countries with U.S. taxpayer dollars while our economy suffers. Most Americans would rather have a healthy economy instead of seeing their tax rates fall and having an economy that is producing low wage capitalism jobs. We have spent so much in so many areas, all with no significant, positive impact on the middle class.

Do you think we have spent $9 trillion wisely over the last decade?

Even with all of this negativity in the political realm and the major implications it has on our economy, there is light at the end of the tunnel. While we climb out of this giant debt bubble and major financial changes occur, there is going to be more opportunity to gain wealth than ever before. If you are able to keep your eyes open as things change, instead of putting your head in the sand and hiding, you will be on the winning side of this financial storm.

Owens Consulting Group founder Mathew Owens is a California licensed CPA and a full time real estate investor. He has completed over 100 transactions in the past three years, representing approximately $10 million in real estate, most of which has been sold to cash flow investors. He does multiple live educational events and online webinars. Find out more info about him and his blogs at http://www.ocgproperties.com

What Does it Take to Be Successful in Today's Corporate America? Is it Different Than 20 Years Ago?

Has anything changed during the last decade?

I do not think so. The following paragraphs summarize what I told an audience of recently MBA graduates at their 11th Annual Conference of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs in November 10, 2000. At the time, I was the President of Phelps Dodge Industries with responsibility for an operating group comprised of 50 plants in 27 countries engaged in the manufacture and sale of engineered products for the electrical, communications and automotive industries. The Group had revenues of $2 billion and employed over 5,000 people. After early retirement in 2002 and 35 years of corporate experience I became an entrepreneur. Bottom line, nothing has changed.

This is what I said then and what I would say today:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be with you on this special day. A few minutes ago my fellow panel members talked to you about the challenges and opportunities that you will face in this new era of e-commerce, globalization and high technology. These are indeed very exciting times! You will be part of a generation of leaders that will take our businesses to uncharted territories. It was only 30 years ago that I was sitting in a room like this wondering what it would take to be successful in Corporate America. Little did I suspect that one day I would be discussing with you my impressions on what is a very complex subject with no "clear cut" answers. My bottom line advice to you is this: "Business mirrors life. There will be highs, lows, compromises and sacrifices in your quest for success. Approach it as a journey and use your head, your heart and your gut to guide your decisions along the way." I am not going to spend any time stressing the need to be technically proficient in your field of expertise. That is the price of admission. Rather, I will share with you a simple model that has worked for me as I have progressed in the pursuit of my professional dreams. I refer to this model as my "Seven Ps"


Plan
Preparation
People
Passion
Proactive
Partnerships
Performance

P number one - Plan

Planning your future is like putting together a strategic plan. A Company defines its vision and you must do the same. For each of us, that vision is more like a dream. I had a dream and I am sure each of you has one. But you can't achieve that dream without following a disciplined and systematic process. What is your dream? What will it take to achieve it? Are you willing to make the personal sacrifices that may be required? Having the intent is not enough. It is the combination of will and vision that eventually allows you to reach your full potential.

And this takes me to the second P - Preparation

Education and experience are two critical factors for success. You must be obsessed with learning. Learning is a never-ending process. Some learning opportunities will be provided by your company but that alone is not enough. You must take the initiative and be in control of your professional development. And this requires significant commitment and personal sacrifice. I'm an avid reader and the number of books and magazines I read each year has a direct correlation to the number of air miles I travel. I firmly believe that to become a well-rounded businessperson you must expose yourself to a diverse range of subjects and viewpoints. I generally encourage my key managers to read between 3 and 4 newspapers a day, and 20 to 30 publications each month covering a wide range of topics: economics, finance, demographics, social issues and politics, management and technology. No single one of these topics should be considered in isolation and much less taken as the gospel. And if you're waiting for the one good book that will guide your entire career, forget about it...You are the author of this book and it is work in process. Instead, consider everything you read as an opportunity to germinate new ideas that you can apply to your business challenges. I can tell you from my own experience that even at this stage of my career I learn something everyday. Failure to do so translates into what I refer to as "intellectual obsolescence." None of us can afford that. The second component of preparation is experience. You are all probably familiar with the expression that there is no substitute for experience. In my professional life, I have never turned down an assignment that would increase my know-how of a process, a country, a company, a culture or any other subject essential to my future ability to accept more responsibilities.

P number three - People

There is a business adage that says that you will pass the same people in an organization on your way up as on your way down. I know this to be true from personal experience. And always remember that you are only as good as the people you work for, the people you work with and the people who work for you. Never abuse or misuse your power. You can be demanding but you must also be fair. And never forget to act on what is right and not on who is right. You also must mentor and develop the people in your organization. A decade ago, mentors were the "seasoned old guys" in the executive suite, and mentorees were the MBAs fresh out of school. Today thanks in large part to the rapid acceleration of technology development, mentoring is more diverse. It's not unusual, for example, to find a 25-year-old technology guru mentoring a group of seasoned leaders. Look for every opportunity to be both a mentoree and a mentor at every stage of your career. As I said, there is always more to learn, and as you advance, your experience can help others succeed. In addition to my mentoring role within my company, I have been a mentor and a lecturer at the University of Miami MIBS Program for several years. You would be amazed at what I have learned from your contemporaries both one-on-one and in the classroom. Transferring your knowledge to others is a very rewarding experience that can be accomplished at all levels of the organization.

P number four - Passion

Leading an organization requires you to be Passionately Committed. I have never met anyone who excels at anything that does not possess an inner fire. Ordinary efforts will only produce mediocre to average results. Drive and passion produce outstanding results. Sometimes, success leads to a false sense of comfort. Often, some of the best people lose their passion. When that dies, it is difficult if not impossible to sustain excellence. So, I encourage you to work hard to feed and fuel your inner passion.

P number five - Proactive

Today's rate of business change also will require you to be Proactive. You will be required to seize challenges and opportunities. Speed and innovation are the keys to staying ahead. Quick victory is the aim of competitive action. You need to move fast and move first. This does not mean that you will always do things right but you must always do what is right. You must have the intellectual honesty to acknowledge that some solutions or actions did not work. If they didn't, try something else. As President Roosevelt once said: "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something". Proactivity allows you to stay one step ahead and this is worth more than any other competitive advantage.

Successful executives also rely on the next "P" - Partnerships

In today's world you cannot do it alone. You'll need to forge alliances to offset your weaknesses, and to bring together diverse geographic and business cultures. You'll also need to harness the commitment of your team to get the job done. And let me emphasize the word TEAM. This would be a natural point for me to offer some anecdotes about the power of business partnerships, but instead, I'd like to put the emphasis on the partnership that you now have, or that you may have in the future, with your spouse, your significant other and your family. All of the business demands on your time will make it increasingly difficult for you to create a balance between your personal and professional life. I must confess that this is the area in which most of us fail, at least from time to time. And I am no exception. My wife Maria, who is here with me tonight, gets all the credit for providing the on-the-ground, day-to-day stability that our young sons needed in their formative years. But she, and my sons Manuel and Carlos held me accountable for being present at the important events, and there were no excuses accepted if I failed to pick up the telephone and check in each morning while they had breakfast, and again each evening to hear about their big events of the day. There is no right or wrong answer about how to calibrate the balance needed to make that partnership succeed. You will learn with time how and when to compromise. But you must learn how to do it sooner rather than later. Our families are often thought of as being in the background. But make no mistake about it. It is only through their support that we have a chance to advance in our business endeavors.

P number seven - Performance

Performance is critical. You must focus your efforts in results not politics. It is not how well you play the game or how much effort is applied. The end result is to create value for all your stakeholders. You'll also find that success is a constantly moving target. You will never be able to sit back and relax. It is true that you are only as good as what you deliver today. Get used to it. And remember this is driven more by the demands of the customer and the marketplace, than it is by your manager's expectations. Learn to stretch your expectations of yourself. At some point in your career you will become "good." But don't let good get in the way of becoming "great." If your quest is to be the best there is no room for complacency. You must aim higher and higher. Today's excellent performance will be average tomorrow if you do nothing to get better. Make continuous improvement a part of your life. Remember, becoming the best at what you do does not happen by accident. You must continuously work hard at it with passion and intensity. When you sum the total of your efforts you will achieve outstanding performance. From time to time, I hear managers describe someone else's good performance as "luck." But long-term business success is not "luck" unless you define luck as the point at which opportunities and preparations converge. You must be always ready to take advantage of an opportunity.

In fairness to this audience, I suspect I could not adequately address your interests unless I also speak about the subject of diversity. Be proud of who you are and where you come from. Use it to your advantage, but don't take advantage. Being a minority does not entitle you to anything. Each of us must earn what we have, and must maximize what we have been blessed with. I believe that diversity in a very broad sense is strength. It is in our differences, not our similarities that the most dynamic, exhilarating and life-changing experiences can be found. Allow your heritage to give you clarity of self -- to know who you are and what motivates you. But let your brain, and your guts and your heart - not your gender or the color of your skin -- lead you through life. As the global leaders of the future you must learn how to balance your technical strengths with the many cultural requirements of the people who you encounter.

You also must learn to be diplomats. I say diplomats because to become a global leader you must possess a keen understanding of the history, geography, religion and politics of the local economies in which you will conduct business. You must learn to be flexible, resilient and adaptive. Respect for local, country or regional culture is and will continue to be essential elements for success. Only "global leaders" will be able to strike the proper balance. As a member of this new breed of leaders you must be able to conduct business in at least two languages and let me emphasize the word "conduct."

The ability to read, write and speak a language is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the future. You must understand the culture and be sensitive to cultural differences. You must be able to create a seamless bond. A case in point. English has become and will continue to be the universal language of the Internet, but the cultures of the English-speaking world don't represent a universal culture. Economist Milton Friedman says it is now possible for a company located anywhere, using resources from anywhere, to produce a product anywhere that can be sold to customers everywhere. What Mr. Friedman does not tell you is that you cannot build the plant, purchase the resources, or market the product if you do not relate to each culture individually on its own merits and within its cultural paradigms. This is a most important and difficult point for global leaders to accept when learning to work with different cultures: A single paradigm does not work universally. You by virtue of your Hispanic background have the best of both worlds and an excellent foundation to accommodate the best of various cultures and to create new ways to lead business. You can make a difference. I went with confidence in the direction of my dreams and lived the life I always imagined for myself and my family. Now, it is your turn to create and follow your dreams. Thank you for your kind attention.

Mr. Iraola is the founder and CEO of The Aloaris Group, http://www.aloaris.com, a privately owned group that provides financing and manages start up ventures with the potential to revolutionize existing business models.

The Group also provides a full range of advisory services to companies operating or planning to operate in emerging markets. He is also a co founder and CEO of http://www.Homekeys.com a developer, integrator and provider of state of the art web-based information tools and services for the real estate industry.

Mr. Iraola currently serves on the Board of Directors of Central Hudson Energy Group Inc. (NYSE:CHG). He previously served on the Boards of Phelps Dodge Corporation (NYSE:PD), Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:PCU) and Schweitzer Mauduit International Inc. (NYSE:SWM).

Miami Commercial Real Estate's Numbers Suggests Improvement Over the Years

When the reports came in, I was in shock. I never would have thought that with a market like we have right now, there is still some fight left for our Commercial real estate. The Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity, a leading indicator for the commercial real estate market, has increased for six consecutive quarters, showing that continued growth can be expected in commercial real estate sectors, according to the National Association of Realtors. It is a good sign considering the struggle that the market is experiencing right now. In the third quarter, the Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity rose 0.4 percent to a reading of 120.1 from an index of 119.6 in the second quarter, and is 2.9 percent higher than the third quarter of 2005 when it stood at 116.7. Which if anything is a good way to set example for the rest of the market.

The index is at the highest level in the series of the indicator, which goes back to 1990. Although we have a strong uptrend in the commercial sectors, the rise in the index over the last two quarters shows a lower rate of expansion in comparison with late 2005 and early 2006, This means that commercial sectors will continue to grow, but at a more modest pace. Growth in the index means net absorption of space in the industrial and office sectors will continue to improve over the next six to nine months, with rising completions of overall retail, office, warehouse and lodging structures.

The index incorporates 13 variables that reflect future commercial real estate activity, weighted appropriately to produce a single indicator of future market performance, and is designed to provide early signals of turning points between expansions and slowdowns in commercial real estate. The commercial lending indicator is a tool to assess market behavior in the major commercial real estate sectors. Which explain that this year will be on a strong holding stage and will have a good chance of having some critical changes.

Commercial real estate practitioners can anticipate leasing and sales activity in the first quarter to be approximately 2.9 percent higher than the first quarter of 2006. Net absorption in the office and industrial sectors in the first quarter of 2007 is expected to be 70 million to 90 million square feet, with about $315 billion to $325 billion in new, completed commercial construction activity, compared with $309 billion of new construction recorded in the third quarter. From previous year's numbers it explains how our market is reeling the investment fish. Miami will always be Miami and no matter how hard the market is, believe it will come as ni surprise how the Commercial real estate will pan out.

Jron Magcale

http://miamirealestatesearch.org/

Jron c. Magcale from Jump2Top - SEO Company

5 Tips for Independent Film Producers: How to Survive the Turbulent Years Ahead

The Falling Value of Film Entertainment

Forty years ago, people who wanted to see a movie on a Friday night had just a few options. They could watch what was on TV, they could go to the local drive-in, or they could go to the local movie theater. The advent of video stores that sold hundreds or thousands of movies on video tape/DVD gave people new alternatives. They could watch this week's new movie at the movie theater, or take in last winter's box office smash in their own home. The technology required to burn tapes and DVDs subsequently turned every home in to a lending library for film and video. The rise of two-hundred-channel cable companies gave us two-hundred channels with something on. Now the best selling studio and independent films are available for download from from sites like video.google.com, http://www.movielink.com, http://www.unbox.com and http://www.itunes.com.

As the rise in movie viewing options has increased, the average box office value of new films has fallen. That's hard to believe isn't it.

Block busters like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter mask the truth that more movies are being made by more people than ever before and yet the estimated revenue for each film is actually falling. Tens of thousands of feature films and documentaries are now available for sale through a variety of venues. A growing number of producers are making their movies available for free online in the hopes that they will develop a following that will result in "sell-able films" later on.

The falling value of the average movie has dramatic implications on the lives of people who make movies for a living.

Five Survival Strategies

Consider selling your products directly to viewers without going through standard distribution channels. A producer investing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on film for distribution on DVD should set aside a quarter or more of that budget for a media campaign that targets the market for the film. If they spend that budget wisely, customers will be looking for the film. Producers who find a solid, reliable international storefront for their films keep the percentage usually allocated to a traditional film distributor. For example, if you post your film on http://www.CustomFlix.com, your customers will be able to buy your DVD through Amazon (and soon download it through http://www.UnBox.com). You receive 60%-70% of product sales every month and retain complete control over your content, rather than waiting months or years for distributors to send checks.

Be very careful when choosing more traditional film distributors. Many distributors will evaporate in the months and years to come due to competition from turn-key distribution solutions offered by large, well funded competitors. You do not want distributors to have control over your content when they go under. Work with distributors who deliver cost-effective, fast-launch, flexible multi-national multimedia distribution and marketing solutions for their customers. Make sure there's an escape clause if they go into bankruptcy or fail to provide timely payments or accounting.

Work directly with community theaters, activist groups and social networks to have your films shown. "Four-walling" which used to be considered an amateur filmmaker's trick was demonstrated to be a sound business strategy by Mel Gibson's block buster The Passion of the Christ. That movie was premiered to Christian communities across the United States and their word of mouth drove it to be one of the most successful independent films ever made.

Work with your screenwriters to focus on less expensive, more character-driven films that target under-served market segments. There are tens of thousands of writers trying to write a great tent-pole film. The competition is fierce, the number of producers/studios who can fund that film is small. There's are far fewer writers/producers focusing on writing Christian science fiction or Christian mysteries although the Left Behind books and the DiVinci code indicate those markets exist and spend money.

Find funding through angel investors rather than through more traditional lending and investment mechanisms. Movies are a risky business, and they are growing more risky all the time. Fortunately the cost of making them is also falling fast. Angel investors will often pay to have a movie made as part of an artistic statement or act of community involvement while other investors will be driven more directly for a desire for profit. Producers will assemble groups of angel investors who fund projects, and those investors may elect to make their money available as grants rather than as loans or stock ownership. "Rich Patrons" may well be on their way back and they are certainly worth cultivating.

Evolve to Survive

Some trends are irreversible. Horses gave way to cars. Silent movies gave way to talking pictures. The movie industry is changing radically.

Those who want to make and sell movies for a living must revise their methods accordingly. They must make more films for less money, and the films they make must be better targeted so they are more cost-effective to sell. The good news is, great scripts, exceptional acting talent, strong technical skills and good business sense will be enough to give many producers the great careers they deserve and many viewers will end up with "new classics" to watch.

Nancy Fulton is a working screenwriter [http://www.scriptcorp.com] and independent film producer [http://www.backfromiraqmovie.com].

From Four Nations to Six Nations in 126 Years

The Six Nations inspires fervour in the sporting world, unlike that of any other sporting event. Fans paint themselves in patriotic colours, buy up the stocks of the latest rugby shirts and travel from country to country to offer their team their unconditional support. It is a sport of the moment and has thrown itself, in all its vitality and glory, spectacularly into the 21st Century. But how many fans are aware of its colourful and sometimes controversial past?

The Six Nations is 126 years old. It began in 1882, when England travelled to Swansea; the importance of the occasion would not be realised until much later. As it was known then, the International Championship featured only England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and was far less organised than the standards set by today's games. The points system had not been structured at that time and teams were judged on a much more basic level: simply, whether they won or lost. Notwithstanding, the first match was won by England, who beat the Welsh by two goals and four tries to none. This first match ignited a spirit of pride and competition that swept the northern hemisphere.

However, the following series of matches were dogged by dispute and the games of 1885, 1887 and 1889 could not be completed. When the French joined in 1910, they initially struggled to perform with any distinction, triumphing in only one game over their first four years by beating Scotland by one point in 1911.

Three years later, the tournament was called to a halt until 1920 - thanks to the outbreak of the Great War. When it was re-established, it was again a source of dispute and violence: Welsh crowds repeatedly invaded the pitch and, on more than one occasion, threatened to lynch the referee. In the decade that followed the First World War, the French were expelled after players were exposed for carrying stiletto knives in their socks. The team were again ousted in 1931, after a number of their team were found to have been paid at club level.

The tournament was again postponed as the result of another war; this time, World War 2. The championship did not see play for seven years, from the eruption of the War in 1940.

In the 1950's, however, France had left its scurrilous past behind and underwent a renaissance of their game, sharing the title in 1954 and winning out-and-out in 1959.

The 1970's were a golden era for the proud Welsh nation. During that decade they achieved three Grand Slams and a triple crown, establishing them as a force to be reckoned with. The French rose again in the eighties, winning outright on no less than three occasions.

England joined France in the 90's as the tournament's main aggressors, but this led to speculation that the standard of competition was not high enough. In turn, this led to Italy being invited to join in 2000 and the Six Nations was officially borne.

Now, the tournament has produced a new generation of rugby fans and inspired a merchandise industry that can put football to shame. Dedicated fans scour websites, such as lovell-rugby.co.uk, determined to display their pride in any way they can. Once again the northern hemisphere will be awash with rugby shirts, polo shirts and caps as fans offer homage to the sporting giants that represent them.

Visit Lovell Rugby [http://www.lovell-rugby.co.uk] for great prices on rugby shirts, rugby boots and other rugby equipment. Permission is granted to publish this article electronically provided that a working hyperlink remains to our website.