Providence, R.I.

It's hard to ignore the force that is Alex and Ani. Founded by Carolyn Rafaelian, the holistic inspired jewelry company has rapidly evolved from a small business to a national brand that consists of retail boutiques, wholesale licensing, cafes, a professional development program and media company. Alex and Ani's bangle bracelets and charms have been sported by the like of teenage girls, Olympians and none other than the Dalai Lama. So how did this SMB from Rhode Island become a household name in just two years? 

Verizon has officially opened its first trilingual FiOS retail store, where employees are ready to serve customers in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The store is located in Providence, R.I. “Having employees in our store who speak Spanish and Portuguese will enhance the experience for our customers," Susan Retta, vice president of marketing for Verizon, said. Employees at the new Verizon FiOS store will be able to help FiOS customers with questions about their FiOS internet, TV and voice service.

A catalog redesign has a lot in common with a midlife crisis makeover. There comes a time in every catalog’s life — if it’s lucky to survive long enough — when it looks around at the competition and feels ugly, frumpy and over the hill. And though there’s no single redesign shape up solution that fits everyone, we all travel the same path. So here are 10 steps to a “new you.” 1. Do you really need a whole new you, or just a haircut? Before you start looking at new fonts and cover treatments, determine the purpose of your redesign. • Is it

Florentine Craftsmen Inc. catalog’s greatest strength is its extraordinary merchandise. Every piece in the book looks like it could have graced one of the Newport mansions or been seen in some Hollywood movie with Greta Garbo whispering into Clark Gable’s ear. Words such as elegant, classic, timeless, artisan, gilded-age, wealthy and beautiful best describe the book’s goods. I can’t say the same about the current catalog, however, as it doesn’t live up to the standard of the merchandise it sells. The catalog has the classic look of a B-to-B company that’s been selling the same merchandise for years, but hasn’t allocated enough time, attention or