Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Mon, May 11 1992 Date: Mon, 11 May 92 05:22:18 EDT Message-ID: 05-11 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update May 11, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MODERN ROBIN HOODS CHASE DADS: A new crop of bill collectors are casting themselves as Robin Hoods defending women and children. "We take from the deadbeats and give to their families," says lawyer Dennis Cohen, whose agency goes after debtor dads. In 1990, absent parents had fallen $24 billion behind in child-support payments. Fed up with waiting, some custodial parents are turning to the private sector for help. MORE CHASE CHILD-SUPPORT MONEY: Realizing a lucrative market, a growing number of collection agencies are mining the mountain of child-support debt and charging a fee of between 15% and 33% of the back payments they collect. Find Dad opened in mid-March with a blitz of ads. Ten thousand calls came during the first week. The San Antonio-based Child Support Collection Association has 69 network members. EXERCISE IS LIKE MEDICINE: Scientific interest in exercise has skyrocketed in recent years into medicine as researchers find that exercise - like drugs - can alter the heart, mind, blood and bones. Exercise physiologist John J. Duncan says exercise can now be viewed "in a medicinal sense." And expert views on how much exercise it takes to make up a dose is changing, he says, making it easier for non-athletic types. MODERATE EXERCISE DOES HELP: The standard exercise prescription, from the American College of Sports Medicine, still is 20 minutes three times weekly of aerobic activity and 20 minutes twice weekly of strength training. But evidence shows that even less will help. Moderate exercise got a key break 2 1:2 years ago when a study showed even as little as a half-hour daily walk decreases the risk of death significantly. LATE FINANCIAL AID OFFERED: The number of schools still offering financial aid after May 1 - the date by which students must respond to an admissions acceptance - is up about 6%, says Frank Burtnett of the National Association of College Admission, which recently published its Space Availability Survey. Burtnett says most of that aid is likely to be in the form of loans, not grants or scholarships. FRANCHISING LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: Ex-pinstripers are flocking to franchising, where revenue grew an estimated 8% to 9% last year to about $775 billion. A recent survey by Francorp shows 56% of franchisers report a surge in inquiries from laid-off workers. More are "not seeing a pot of gold at the end of the corporate rainbow" and are turning to franchising, says psychologist and consultant Dee Soder. CLAIM IT ON THE 1040: More small businesses are turning to charitable giving for tax relief. A little-known tax law lets some companies take an above-cost deduction on federal returns if they donate new, excess inventory to charity. I.N.R. Beatty Lumber Company donates products to charity, getting a $3,746 tax deduction on $11,018 worth of supplies last year. FUN FRANCHISES TAKE OFF: Everyone dreams of being a kid again. Now, many entrepreneurs are turning that into reality by investing in franchises with fun twists. Last year, revenue at recreation, travel and entertainment franchise outlets jumped nearly 14% from the previous year, the highest of any franchising segment. A return to family-oriented fun and workaholics craving escape are helping fuel the growth. EVERYBODY ORDERS OUT THESE DAYS: Home delivery doesn't just mean pizza anymore, thanks to a growing number of delivery services that contract with local restaurants to bring hungry customers everything from lobster to linguine. With firms like Carry-Out Cab and Waiters on Wheels fueling the trend, off-premise restaurant sales have become the fastest-growing segment of the restaurant industry. THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS GREASE: The crescendo of fuss about CEO pay is generating some response. The Securities and Exchange Commission plans to propose rules next month to make it easier for stockholders to understand how much corporate executives are being paid, SEC Chairman Richard Breeden says. He says the SEC can make sure that information isn't buried in dozens of pages of legalese. SILVERWARE NOT INCLUDED: Food marketers are hoping the do-it-yourself craze will translate to the grocery, reports a recent Advertising Age. Marketers are introducing "meal kits" with components consumers can whip up themselves. "Products like stir-fry kits save time for consumers who don't want to chop vegetables," says Campbell Soup Co.'s Tony Adams. Pizza, tuna and fajita are among the offerings. SERVICE LOWERS JOBLESS RATE: The USA's unemployment rate has fallen for the first time since July - to 7.2% in April from 7.3% in March - and further declines will be because of growth in service-sector jobs, experts say. Nearly all the April hiring came on the services side of the economy. Retailers added 46,000 jobs. That hiring trend should bring the rate down to 6.8% by year's end, says one economist. Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM