Screencap of Rovio's popular iPhone Game Angry Birds. The Finland-based company is aiming for a stock market listing in New York in two to three years, its chief executive told Reuters.Andrew Currie/Reuters
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Jungle gym, monkey bars and...Angry Birds?
Rovio, the developer of the world's most popular mobile game Angry Birds, said this week that it will open two playgrounds in Finland with equipment inspired by the game, Reuters reports.
Lappset will manufacture the equipment and ready-made playgrounds, which will feature animal spring riders, swings, sandpits and a range of climbing towers with slides, and a unique Angry Birds arcade game.
"The playgrounds fit perfectly into the Angry Birds world and our way of thinking," Rovio marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement.
In only two years, the small company catapulted from obscurity to global fame with Angry Birds, and is expanding the brand across traditional merchandising, to items such as toys and baby products, and even eventually to Hollywood.
Unlike most mobile game crazes, Angry Birds has shown remarkable longevity since 2009, with its game reaching a record 500 million downloads less than two years after its launch, notes Reuters.
Workers' compensation aren't doing enough, says CFIB
Workers' compensation boards in Canada, which are responsible for maintaining a safe work environment and having a good plan for covering workplace injuries, are not meeting the needs of small businesses, according to a new study by the The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
The nation-wide assessment of workers' compensation boards zeroed in on seven major areas of workers' compensation, including cost of premiums; claims management; experience rating; classification and assessment; coverage; long-term fiscal sustainability; and customer service from the SME perspective.
On a scale of 0 to 10, PEI fared the best with an overall score of 6.9, while boards representing the largest share of employers in the country - Ontario and Quebec - both received the lowest scores at 4.0.
This is the first time workers' compensation boards have undergone this type of analysis and provincial comparison, notes the CFIB.
"Quite frankly, the results are unacceptable and the boards have much work to do to meet the needs of their small business clients," Doug Bruce, the vice president of research at CFIB.
U.S. small business confidence rises for third consecutive month
While small business optimism in Canada barely budged in November, the picture south of the border was slightly brighter.
For the third straight month, confidence in the U.S. economy's future grew, bolstered by a more positive outlook for sales and hiring, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
The NFIB said its Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.8 points to 92, with eight of the index's 10 components either improved or flat. The index reading was based on a survey of 781 NFIB members.
The majority of businesses polled expected better future sales gains when adjusting for inflation. In October, most small businesses expected inflation-adjusted sales to decline.
The hiring component of the index, which was published separately on Dec. 2, rose, after declining the previous five months.
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
Entrepreneur Magazine's 2012 Growth Conference
Learn how to grow and start your business at this all-day free seminar on January 11, 2012 in Long Beach, California.
Business Franchise & Investment Expo
Meet with exhibitors offering established businesses for sale, franchises and investment opportunities on Saturday, January 7th at the Forum Exhibition Place in Vancouver, B.C.. Attend over 10 hours of seminars presented by industry leaders. All seminars are free with the price of the $15 admission.
EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
Money owed: how to make sure you collect
Receivables should be a priority. No business counts if you don't get paid
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
How burritos and cupcakes helped British bankers slip their 'golden handcuffs'
Formerly high-flying traders finding fulfilment in less-stressful pursuits
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Katherine Scarrow