Business Plan

Chelsea can plan its future from an unexpected position of strength as champion of Europe following its dramatic upset of Bayern Munich. Roman Abramovich has the Champions League trophy he had craved since buying the club in 2003 and a place in next season's competition, which is key to the team's business plan and status among Europe's elite teams. Now the Russian billionaire and his advisers must decide if Chelsea's immediate future includes new contracts for inspirational interim coach Roberto di Matteo and star forward Didier Drogba.

Chelsea can plan its future from an unexpected position of strength as champion of Europe following its dramatic upset of Bayern Munich. Roman Abramovich has the Champions League trophy he had craved since buying the club in 2003 and a place in next season's competition, which is key to the team's business plan and status among Europe's elite teams. Now the Russian billionaire and his advisers must decide if Chelsea's immediate future includes new contracts for inspirational interim coach Roberto di Matteo and star forward Didier Drogba.

The word is out. Like a silent code understood by dedicated ice cream fans everywhere, the long, persistent, yet patient lines outside DownRiver Ice Cream, located on Route 133 at the Essex-Ipswich line, transmit a strong but silent message to those driving or bicycling by. S-t-o-p h . . .e . . .r . . . e. Opened in May 2009, the homemade ice cream store slid open its two screened windows for business for the fourth season beginning March...

Looking at former NFL star Warren Sapp's bankruptcy filing, it's hard not to focus on the Florida mansion he owns or the number of pricey athletic shoes he's purchased (240 pairs, many still in the box unworn). Sapp lists assets of nearly $6.5 million and liabilities of $6.7 million. That makes him broke. As I combed through Sapp's 59-page Chapter 7 filing, there was no question that he's not a good money manager. He's become yet another example of highly paid athletes and entertainers who go bust after earning more money...

The online broker fell after the board of directors said it has decided not to sell the company. The continued implementation of the company's business plan is currently the best alternative, the board said. ETrade's largest shareholder, Citadel Advisors, had pushed the company to seek a buyer and has been critical of management.

The Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham is planning to open a satellite facility in Wakefield. The club's board of directors recently voted to establish the new facility, culminating a yearlong series of meetings with a steering committee of Wakefield residents. As part of the process, the Wakefield committee was required to draft a business plan, a needs assessment, and a budget, according to Gerry DeViller, interim director of the Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham. The committee is now seeking financial donations from the Wakefield community to help cover the start-up costs involved in opening the satellite facility.

DST Systems Inc., which makes financial-services software, reported a third-quarter profit on Wednesday that was smaller than analysts had been expecting, and its shares fell. The company also said its board has decided to stick with its current business plan rather than sell the business. Investor Russell Glass had offered to buy out the company. The company earned $35.3 million, or 76 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Sept. 30. That was down from $54.3 million, or $1.16 per share, during the same period last year.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. - A fledgling 25-town consortium hoping to establish a high-speed Internet network has been rejected for funding by the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. The authority approved a $25,000 planning grant for the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, but the group's request for up to $8 million in state revenue bonds to back the project was denied. "We told them that the business plan needed some more work, and therefore there was no funding right now," said Mary Evslin, chairwoman of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority board.

Vermont Technical College has launched a business plan competition for small farm and food businesses with prizes of up to $22,250. The contest is intended to encourage the development of new businesses. It's open to residents and students in Washington, Orange, and Windsor counties who are involved in food production, processing, distribution, packaging, or retailing including restaurants. The existing or new business must be located in those three counties and be for-profit with a gross revenue that does not exceed $500,000.

The word is out. Like a silent code understood by dedicated ice cream fans everywhere, the long, persistent, yet patient lines outside DownRiver Ice Cream, located on Route 133 at the Essex-Ipswich line, transmit a strong but silent message to those driving or bicycling by. S-t-o-p h . . .e . . .r . . . e. Opened in May 2009, the homemade ice cream store slid open its two screened windows for business for the fourth season beginning March...

Looking at former NFL star Warren Sapp's bankruptcy filing, it's hard not to focus on the Florida mansion he owns or the number of pricey athletic shoes he's purchased (240 pairs, many still in the box unworn). Sapp lists assets of nearly $6.5 million and liabilities of $6.7 million. That makes him broke. As I combed through Sapp's 59-page Chapter 7 filing, there was no question that he's not a good money manager. He's become yet another example of highly paid athletes and entertainers who go bust after earning more money...

Excerpts from the Innovation Economy blog. You don't often find Harvard Business School students toiling at retail establishments on Newbury Street, but that'll change - for a weekend, at least - later in April with the launch of a temporary "pop-up shop" called POPstart. The store will feature a selection of products from local start-ups and student-run businesses, the goal being to help those kinds of companies reach consumers and test out new concepts without the expense of setting up their own retail presence.

The following was submitted by Enterprise Center at Salem State University: Six North Shore companies are semi-finalists in the 2012 North of Boston Business Plan Competition, a program designed to identify and support both start-up and existing growth businesses. They are as follows: Advastim™ LLC of Beverly, MA, produces a wireless (leadless) neurostimulator system that can potentially minimize complications and improve long-term effectiveness of spinal cord and other neurostimulation treatment.

All my friends make me a wealthy man. But I'd be really rich with 845 million of them. Among all the eye-popping numbers contained in Facebook Inc.'s initial public offering paperwork filed Wednesday were figures that documented a powerful ability to make money from its social media empire that now hosts 845 million "active" users. Last year, Facebook reported revenues of $3.7 billion and posted operating earnings approaching $1.8 billion. Subtract taxes and few other expenses and the Internet giant earned a net profit of $1 billion.

Online broker E-Trade Financial Corp. shares fell 3.5 percent during the trading day and plunged another 5 percent in after-market trading following its announcement that it had concluded a strategic review and has no plans for a sale. Shares fell 34 cents to close at $9.48. After it made the announcement, shares fell 42 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $9.02. As of Thursday's close shares were off more than 40 percent since the beginning of the year. They've traded as high as $18.13 in the past 52 weeks, but that was back in February.

ROWLEY - She had the analytical chemistry degree and years of working in industry. He was a contractor who made wine in his basement. They started dating, and realized they made a pretty good blend. The Mill River Winery, at the corner of Route 1 and Wethersfield Street is already a large wine-making operation, but a portion of the 3-plus acres will soon be planted with grapevines. And the heart of the operation is the partnership of Rick Rousseau and Donna Martin. They met when he did some painting at her house.

ROWLEY - She had the analytical chemistry degree and years of working in industry. He was a contractor who made wine in his basement. They started dating, and realized they made a pretty good blend. The Mill River Winery, at the corner of Route 1 and Wethersfield Street is already a large wine-making operation, but a portion of the 3-plus acres will soon be planted with grapevines. And the heart of the operation is the partnership of Rick Rousseau and Donna Martin. They met when he did some painting at her house.

The Bellingham Business Association will hold its annual holiday party Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Vercelli's Restaurant on Pulaski Boulevard. The cost is $25 for members; employees and spouses are welcome. Guests are also asked to bring a $10 gift for a Yankee swap, and a food-pantry donation or unwrapped gift to donate to a family in need. Register with Sue Grady at contact@bellinghambusinessassociation.org. - Rachel Lebeaux