Biz Bits

Surf the web from practically anywhere with wireless routers specifically designed for mobility.

NOVATEL WIRELESS MIfi 2200
The credit-card-size Mifi provides instant internet access and a built-in GPS function that allows you to search for nearby points of interest. $99 (plus monthly email data plan); www.novatelwireless.com

CRADLEPOINT TECHNOLOGY CTR350
Requiring minimal setup and maintenance, this plug-n-play router creates a secure network for up to 16 WiFi-enabled devices. $100; www.cradlepoint.com

D-LINK AIRPLUS G POCKET ROUTER
This device operates in three main modes: access point mode creates a wireless connection, router mode shares the connection with multiple users, and client mode enables a connection to an existing wireless network. $70; www.dlink.com

INTELLINET WIRELESS 150N PORTABLE 3G ROUTER
This gadget ensures nonstop internet access via WAN connection auto fail-over; if the primary connection crashes, it will automatically route traffic to a secondary connection. $230; www.intellinet-network.com

TRENDNET TEW-654TR
Weighing just 1.6 ounces, this router is small enough to slip into your pocket. It’s also speedy, performing at 300 Mbps. $77; www.trendnet.com

Bare Essentials

According to the book Get Naked, the best way to build up business relationships is to be honest.

There’s an old adage that says you should “never let them see you sweat.” But Patrick Lencioni, founder of management consulting firm The Table Group, believes the opposite. “Clients almost always know when we are uncertain or wrong,” he says. “So we can either try to pretend we’re not sweaty, hide our weaknesses and watch our credibility erode, or raise our arms, embrace our sweatiness and show them that we are honest and confident enough to be worthy of their trust.”

Embracing humility, selflessness and transparency is the key behind Lencioni’s “naked consulting” principle. “There is no better way to earn a client’s respect than by being open and swallowing our pride,” he says. “Those who are comfortable being vulnerable—or naked—are rewarded with unsurpassed client gratitude and loyalty.”

In his new book, Getting Naked, Lencioni discusses several counterintuitive concepts he believes can help rather than hurt your business connections.  

THE CONCEPT: Enter the danger
HOW IT WORKS: “Naked service providers don’t shy away from awkward situations; they step right into the middle of them and deal with issues that everyone else is afraid to address. Clients come to see them as having courage and integrity—attractive and often rare qualities—so ‘dangerous’ situations turn out to be opportunities for adding value and building trust.”

THE CONCEPT: Make dumb suggestions
HOW IT WORKS: “It’s perfectly okay for service providers to propose ideas they’re not entirely sure of. If clients thought providers were holding back suggestions out of fear of being humiliated, they would—and should— feel cheated. Ultimately, clients are going to respect such fearlessness and remember that one great idea far more than the not-so-great ones.”

THE CONCEPT: Celebrate mistakes
HOW IT WORKS: “Being wrong is inevitable. And rather than attempting to downplay errors, naked service providers readily call them out. Clients expect honesty, so they want to know that when a mistake is made, a provider will step up and take responsibility, humbly apologize for it, help them deal with it and, most importantly, not try to cover it up.”

BIZ NUMBERS

GOOD RETURNS
Here are the world’s 10 most profitable hedge funds, based on the latest data from Bloomberg, hedge fund databases, hedge fund firms and investors:

Fund Profit (in millions)

Medallion 1,100
Brevan Howard Master 784.3
BlueCrest Capital International 409.3
King Street Capital 398.9
Lansdowne UK Equity 382.2
Paulson Advantage Plus 353.6
Appaloosa Investment I 195
Viking Global Equities III 189.5
Moore Global Investments 168
Tudor BVI Global 137.6