This visit was highly anticipated. A month after announcing he was suffering from prostate cancer, multibillionaire Warren Buffett met this weekend's 40,000 shareholders of his holding company Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, in the U.S. state of Nebraska, where he lives since 1956. Saying "in shape", he has worked hard to reassure his health. The investor of 81 years and has participated in a competition to launch newspapers in the corridors of CenturyLink Center, before pushing the song with the cheerleaders from the University of Nebraska and an ice cream with gusto low interest rate personal loans. "I have four doctors, several of which are shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway," he has said, in response to a question at the general assembly, whose key exchanges are transcribed on the site of CNBC. He reiterated that his treatment, which induce "not a single day of hospitalization," would not prevent him from working.

The investor of 81 years aparticipé a contest to launch newspapers in the corridors of CenturyLink Center.

SMEs have suffered worst of the credit squeeze between 2007 and 2010 than larger firms, experts say that the OECD published the first report on "Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs" by sifting through data from 18 countries ranging from Canada to Sweden via South Korea, France, Hungary, Finland, the United States.

SMEs have been hard hit by the crisis in 2008 and 2009. Confidence indicators of SMEs in OECD countries have fallen to levels lower than those of the 1990s. Direct consequence of falling demand from mid-2008, SMEs were down to their turnover. Companies that export have suffered more than those living in their home market only because of the decline in global trade.

Risk clients unattractive

SMEs have also been handicapped by the lengthening of payment periods which continued in 2010, despite a slight improvement in the economic situation. They have experienced cash flow difficulties. Their financial situation has deteriorated. Faced with this deal, their banks have lent less in most countries in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, financial institutions continued to reduce their lending in Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the euro area, the rejection rate of applications for credit from 12% in first half 2009 to 18% in the second half of that year. A country is an exception: France, where the percentage of refusals decreased from 12% to 7% through the introduction of credit mediation and government decisions. The public financial institution specialized in SMEs OSEO has provided 12 billion euros of loans guaranteed in 2009. According Oséo, 50% of companies having benefited from the exceptional warranty cash claim to have avoided bankruptcy. In 2010, the refusal rate financing amounted to 11% in the euro area.

Considered unattractive risk clients, SMEs were asked to provide more guarantees for credit. They paid more bank financing than large groups, despite lower interest rates. According to figures released Wednesday by the Bank of France, the cost of short-term credit to businesses rose from 2.49% to 2.42% between October 2011 and January 2012. But the cost of borrowing in the medium and long term for companies rose 4.06% to 4.21%.

The policy of the banks says that the share of SME loans, which varies according to country, between 12% and 30% of total loans to businesses, has fallen when it is already well below their weight economy and their role in job creation in normal times. Not surprisingly, the number of SMEs in difficulty increased. In 2009, bankruptcies increased in the studied countries except Canada, South Korea and Portugal. They were up in 2010 in Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Switzerland. Although they have declined in France, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, they remained at a level much higher than in 2007.

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The giant Danish DFDS and the French Louis Dreyfus (LDA), owner of LD Lines, have finally announced the birth of their joint venture that will operate five ferry routes between France and England (Dover-Dunkerque Dover- Calais, Portsmouth to Le Havre, Dieppe, New Haven) and between France and Tunisia (Tunis-Marseille). LD Lines line between Saint-Nazaire and Gijon, Spain will not belong to the joint venture.

Last year, the two partners were involved in a bid to take over Sea France, the SNCF subsidiary whose termination of service was delivered in January. But the offer was violently rejected by the unions.

1160 employees in 2013

Since LD Lines, in partnership with the Danish DFDS, has two ships on the Dover-Calais line, previously operated by Sea France no teletrack payday loan. This is a new step, predictable, but that was difficult or impossible to implement at the time of the attempted rescue of Sea France.

The joint venture will be owned by DFDS 82% and 18% by LDA. Officially launched on July 1, she will manage nine ships. DFDS those under the British flag and those of LD Lines under the French flag. "It is not intended eventually to operate under a single flag, says Christophe Santoni, the CEO of LD Lines. For reasons of social or commercial, we retain the two pavilions. "In 2013, the ferry company expects to achieve a turnover of 276 million euros. It will employ 1160 people in total.

After winning the Vietnam Gabon, Orangina part in the conquest of his adopted country. The famous drink in the pulp will be launched Tuesday with great fanfare in Japan, Suntory's home country, flying Orangina Schweppes since 2009. His arrival had been delayed because of the tsunami. "It will be the launch of the year for Suntory, who wishes to take a leading portfolio of brands in Japan," says Jean-Jacques Fredj, director general of international brands to Orangina.

The famous bottle had to undergo a facelift. Its silhouette has become more slender. Least to stick to local standards of beauty that to be linear in the size of the 40,000 supermarkets in the country. Dressed in blue and yellow, it will be sold in plastic bottles of 420 ml. We also find in the small can (280 ml) in a vending machine on eight, where the Japanese are buying prepared foods, cigarettes or lattes.

If the recipe has been adapted to industrial requirements (ingredients, temperature …) and Japanese regulatory, his taste remained nearly identical. It should surprise the consumer, more used to citrus drinks without pulp.

"French touch"

As the Japanese tend to be wary of imported products, Orangina Schweppes recall on the packaging that the drink is made and bottled on site, from a concentrate from Europe free 3-in-1 credit report.

In this country Francophile, Suntory bets on the French touch – tricolor on the bottle to support – to attract young adults, fond of novelties. Orangina has emerged including posters from the 1950s Villemot, where we find the famous umbrellas orange zest.

Suntory, who made 17 billion euros in turnover in 2011, has no room for error. On this huge market of 35 billion euros, the group, number 2 local, knows that the first two months are critical. "This is a very demanding market where rotations dictate the future of a product, especially in convenience stores, said Jean-Jacques Fredj. Sold 15% more expensive than other sodas (1.30 euro per bottle), Orangina will make its way alongside the brands Coca-Cola.

With this launch, Suntory would also demonstrate the successful integration of Orangina Schweppes. Luis Bach, his boss, just joined the board of the Japanese group. A first for a non-Japanese. After Orangina in Japan, Suntory could also continue to introduce on the Old Continent other Japanese brands as its V energy drink, already available in Spain.

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Unions of La Poste have been heard. Rocked by three suicides in six months, the postal group, which employs 240,000 people, has taken the measure of social malaise that reigns within its walls. Its CEO, Jean-Paul Bailly announced Monday "adjustments" in the reorganization under way in the business. However, he rejected the idea of ​​a six-month pause in the restructuring of the branch post, as was mentioned the Sunday newspaper this weekend. "Adaptation of the company can not stop. It does not take a break: some projects will continue, others may see their schedules relaxed, "he said in a statement.

Jean-Paul Bailly has also stressed the importance of continuing the "cycle of listening" started last week and announced a "great dialogue to improve social cohesion" in local and national levels, until 15 September. Parallel negotiations should also lead to a "package of concrete measures by April 30." The Post decided, also, to extend by six months the deployment of employee ownership, a project which met recently to outright union opposition. Finally, Jean-Paul Bailly has appointed a "mediator of work life," a position entrusted to his chief of staff, Dominique Blanchecotte.

Calendar of crisis accelerated

The Post had already accelerated its timetable for ending the crisis last week, after the suicide, March 11, a part of the group in Britain. In a folder left behind, this forty, who had been off long illness since November and was found hanged at his place of work in Brittany, had denounced a hard three years from its hierarchy. This was the second suicide in Breton Post in ten days. February 29, Jeremy Buan, a senior of 28 years, had committed suicide by jumping from the top floor of La Poste in Rennes, in the Ille-et-Vilaine. He too had reported his "outstanding work" in a letter released by his partner. Immediately, the Post Office had opened on Tuesday for talks with the unions on "health and welfare at work", promising that "proposals" would be made "before summer" make quick cash.

The measures announced today should therefore satisfy the unions who denounced social climate "anxiety" since the suicide last September of a 52-year employee who was, also, défenestrée the fourth floor of the financial center of the 15th arrondissement in Paris. "This situation is unfortunately not unique to the post office," said Antoine Le Séguillon this week, a union representative GSC in Figaro.fr. "And it is not unique to Britain," he said hoping that the leadership would engage quickly "concrete actions".

Action plan against erosion mail

Faced with the erosion of its mail business, which it considered that the volumes would collapse by 30% over 2008-2015, the Post Office had drawn a new plan in 2009. Jean-Paul Bailly had emphasized that this branch should "reinvent themselves" by offering new services. Gradually, the schedules of post offices have been extended throughout France, robots have been installed to reduce waiting times for customers and, last September, The Post has completely redesigned its line of mail.

A strategy that has "paid off", welcomed the group during the presentation of its annual results on March 8. While lower volumes continued with a decrease of 3%, after falling 3.3% in 2010, the mail business recorded a turnover stable at EUR 11.5 billion (+ 0.3%), more than half of the total activity of La Poste. But for the unions, these good results have been costly to employees. According to the CGT, it was obtained "at a price of 10,091 job cuts" and an increase in sick leave.

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Twitter users who have an American Express card will be able to save money on their purchases. The financial services provider has developed a range of coupons to be distributed by the microblogging platform in the United States.

To qualify, users must involve affected their American Express card to their Twitter account, a dedicated website. They can then post a message on Twitter ("tweets") with a keyword identification ("hashtag") to receive a gift certificate for their card, which will be used in several merchant partners. For example, writing "I will redo my wardrobe # AmexHM" on Twitter, the user gets a $ 10 discount on their next purchase over $ 50 at H & M. The brand's ready-to-wear, and Dell, Virgin America, Zappos, FedEx and McDonald's are among the partners in this new advertising offer.

An offer for mobile

"American Express converts the content of Twitter in business offer, by linking the card holders with traders, offering added value to both parties", welcomed Ed Gilligan, vice president of American Express in a statement. Above all, American Express is attempting to upgrade the "tweets" for advertising purposes, which are more and more on Twitter. The microblogging platform was cautiously introduced advertising on its service in April 2010, with "Promoted tweets", inspired by the sponsored links on search engines. Many brands – especially American – have therefore tried to use the service that boasts over 100 million monthly active users.

Last week, the start-up went into high gear, announcing the launch of a commercial for its mobile applications. "It's been almost two years since we launched the sponsored tweets, the first of our advertising products. Meanwhile, Internet users around the world have increasingly accessed Twitter from a mobile terminal, "the company said in a note to blog. Broadcast on the mobile site, tweets and accounts Sponsored advertising will now also distributed in mobile applications for Android and iPhone Twitter. "This will allow people to see the tweets of major brands that matter to them," says Twitter.

An announcement that coincided with the launch of Facebook, a mobile advertising offering for the service and coupons

.

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LE FIGARO. – Your mission in the Ministry of Agriculture will soon end, what measures are you most satisfied?

Bruno Le Maire. – I am proud to have initiated the Battle of regulation in Europe and having secured the CAP budget. I do not regret the hundreds of hours of negotiations that allowed us to achieve: for without the CAP, farmers know that French agriculture is not as strong today. There are also contracts between producers and manufacturers that provide visibility and stability to farm incomes, modernizing sectors of slaughter cattle and finally the reform of the wine that allowed him to resume in 2011 its first place worldwide.

With what results?

We handed agriculture at the heart of the national pact. We have him set the objective: competitiveness, with the aim of sustainable agriculture. No one will return our choice because they produce results. The price of beef back, and demanding meat markets French saving account pay day loan. This is the first time in 14 years! The average income of farmers increased from € 14,500 in 2009 to € 30,200 in 2011. The surplus of the agricultural trade balance has doubled in two years. There are still too many gaps, and I remain vigilant on prices. But it gets better. And more personally, farmers have learned a lot myself. They can always count on me.

What are the issues that remain unresolved?

We must first deal with the chain of fruit and vegetables which is more fragile today. Will largely continue to reduce labor costs, as decided by the president. When I hear Francois Hollande said that there is no problem of labor costs, I see he does not know the reality of the agricultural world.

Finally, it will come to correct misunderstandings and clashes between environmentalists and agricultural world.

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"Extremely aggressive." Thus, the Spanish Minister of Economy, Luis de Guindos, described the day before the announcement, the reform of the labor market. A long-awaited reform to lift the country from the spiral of unemployment, also pushed for weeks by the Union européenneet the IMF.

Spain, which displays the highest rate in Europe at 22.85%, passed the 5 million unemployed. If the explosion of the housing bubble has destroyed thousands of jobs since 2008, the failure of the labor market is also challenged. "The system is too much with a dual side highly protected permanent contracts, which are not conducive to improving productivity, and the other fixed-term contracts, very precarious," explicit Gayle Allard, IE Business School in Madrid.

The first part of the reform, presented Friday in the Council of Ministers, aims to reduce the cost of dismissal. The general allowance will be reduced from 45 to 33 days per year of service in the company. It may be reduced to 20 days for a troubled company, which links three semesters without profit. The compensation will also be capped at 24 months regardless of the employee's seniority. The reasons for entitlement to redundancy will also be expanded. The Conservative government wants to tackle the bleeding of youth unemployment that exceeds 48%.

Tax breaks for hiring

Decree-Law provides for the creation of a new permanent contract for an initial hiring of a young unemployed under 30 years. Businesses will benefit in this case a tax deduction of € 3,000 while the job seeker can accumulate 25% of his unemployment benefits with the salary for one year. Tax breaks, EUR 4500, are also provided for the hiring of long-term unemployed.  

The other priority for Madrid is to stop the use of fixed term contracts (CDD) repeatedly, very common in Spain, especially among youth and women. The CSD will be limited to two years. The aim is also to encourage training, another weakness of the country. Each employee should receive a quota of 20 hours.

If the Minister of Employment, Fatima Banez, welcomed "a historic reform" social unrest may still move up a notch. As protests intensified in regions against austerity widespread. "This reform will cost me a general strike", recently told the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy.

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Voted in 2003, the modernization plan, however, elevator provides that after three deadlines (2010, 2013 and 2018), all units of residential housing and office buildings should be standard.But, faced with the often high cost of work (between 5000 and 10,000 euros per lift for the first phase and up to 30,000 euros on average for work completed before July 2013), some owners are slow to meetings of the vote easy payday loans.

The delays are such that "15% to 20% of lifts (especially condominiums)," which should have been subject to new safety standards by the end of 2010, have not yet been upgraded, according to Fiebca. "The situation is very worrying, warns Herve Lasseigne, accident, this may have consequences in terms of civil liability or criminal, for condominium corporations," he says.

The upgrades are not a guarantee of safety. The many renovated elevators are dangerous because "treatments are often incomplete."