Business in the Shadow of the Fuwa

In the Hutong Conference calls: the scourge of globalization 0931 hrs Was walking through the lobby of the IBM building on my way up to the office the other day I ran across something quite cool: a giant carpool map behind a desk attended by two IBM staffers who were signing people up for carpools. Carpools? In Beijing? In the wake of the pre-Olympics anti-pollution restrictions, the options for the building's workers were simple: carpool, or public transport. All of which served to remind me that if necessity is not the mother of innovation, she is certainly a midwife. The precautions being taken to ensure a safe and secure Olympics for all involved are inconvenient - especially for business owners near the venues. But for the vast majority of us, a little planning and ingenuity produces workarounds that can work out well... [read full story]