Archive By Section - Business Columns
Keri Aaver: Employers need help too
At the Santa Clarita WorkSource Center it's not uncommon for us to hear, "Where are employers looking for their employees?" Frustrated job seekers hear tales of the newly employed filling positions that weren't even posted. So what's going on?
Ken Keller: Addressing the default position of negativity
I don't make a habit of reading obituaries but last weekend while flipping through the newspaper one caught my eye.
Carl Kanowsky: Boundaries, neighbors and disputes
Jim and Joan Sunset came to see me the other day. It seems that they were in a major argument with their neighbors, Kyle and Katy Moonlight. The battle was over exactly where the fence dividing their two properties should be located.
Short sale rules aid borrowers
New rules that take effect Nov. 1 align guidelines for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac short sales, which should allow lenders and servicers to quickly and more easily qualify borrowers for a short sale.
Jerry Citarella: Which strategy is right for you?
I had two meetings today, both relating to investment strategies. You wouldn't believe how different they were. Ironically, each person assured me that the strategies were the best answer for my clients.
Company culture drives success
What can a strong organizational culture do for your small business? A study by Harvard Business School Professor James L. Heskett found that up to half of the difference in operating profit between some companies could be attributed to the difference in their organizational cultures.
Encouragement, wisdom don’t cost a penny but garner high rewards
The night before our son was married we hosted a rehearsal dinner. Friends and family from all over the county were present, joining us in celebration and happiness.
July home sales rise 8.6%
The Santa Clarita Valley's housing market continued its remarkable rebound during July - there is virtually nothing to sell.
Janice France-Pettit: Planning for retirement
The decision of when to retire is an individual one and depends on a number of personal factors. According to a 2012 survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 14 percent of American workers feel very confident they'll have financial security in retirement, and among current retirees, only 21 percent report feeling very confident in their financial situation.
Jerry Citarella: An important reminder of needs, wants
You'll probably read this week's column and think to yourself - "I know, I know." We all know many things, but are we using that knowledge effectively? If this strikes a chord, be sure to take action and don't just say, "I know." We live in a world of temptation, greed, competition and jealousy. It's rough out there, but with a qualified adviser, you can more successfully plan your financial future. Do it for you, ...
Ken Keller: Succeed with goals, plan
I woke up to the sound of my dad and my older brother Tom talking. It was a warm summer night in the summer of 1969. Tom had just graduated from high school and I was going to start in a few weeks.
Carl Kanowsky: Apple, Corn Flakes and copying
Breaking News! This just in! Following on the heels of Apple's billion-dollar verdict against Samsung, Frosted Flakes announced today that it is suing Corn Flakes for $100 million (I guess the cereal market doesn't compare to the mobile phone one) for infringement.
Carl Kanowsky: When smart people make poor Internet decisions
Sometimes really smart and well-educated people make stupid decisions. The University of Kentucky can testify to that.
John Milburn: Strategic partnering: A new kind of teamwork
Earlier this year I attended the 2012 West Coast Manufacturing Conference in Los Angeles. The theme of the conference was "An Industry in Transition," and much of the conference focused on the need to optimize the supply chain beyond what past optimizations have achieved in terms of costs, quality, and delivery time.
Jerry Citarella: The heat to perform is on
Here in the Santa Clarita Valley it's been hot, hot, hot. "The heat is on." With temperatures consistently in the high 90s and recently soaring into the 100s on a number of days, we've gotten to feel what it's like to be slow roasted.
Articles by Section - Business Columns
Bob Khalsa: Rising Home Sales Boost Economy
With the return of traditional homebuyers in ever-greater numbers, the powerful impact of an improved housing market on the local, state, and national economies is, quite frankly, palpable.
Ken Keller: Here are ten mistakes that business owners make
A former leader of a large Fortune 500 company was quoted in an interview that "People who do things make mistakes. The biggest mistake is doing nothing."
Ken Keller: Front line makes bottom line
Once a month, like clockwork, a gentleman comes to my house in the early morning and sprays for insects and bugs. We've spoken a few times and he always hands me his card, telling me to let him know if he needs to come back between visits. I think I have called him once in the last decade.
Bob Khalsa: Rising prices lift sinking homeowners
Local home resale prices last month hit the highest level in five years, with each leap up in prices rescuing legions of underwater owners, in effect, throwing them a life preserver and pulling them to dry land.
Ken Keller: Lessons learned in college apply to business
Thirty-six years ago this month I graduated from college. I didn't study a major that paid immediate dividends, meaning a job, and I wasn't ready for graduate school.
Ken Keller: Permission to argue is granted
Peggy Noonan wrote a column in the Wall Street Journal on April 20 about her attendance at Margaret Thatcher's London funeral service. She commented that Mrs. Thatcher was often frustrated with her staff. Thatcher once said to her aides, "I don't need to be told what, I need to be told how."
Bob Khalsa: Statewide median home price at five-year high
Heated market conditions fueled by a tight inventory and strong sales in higher-cost coastal regions drove California's median home price in March to its highest level since May 2008. Local prices, right here in the Santa Clarita Valley are headed higher, too.
Ken Keller: How one company turned it around
This week I'd like to introduce a company in a far different place compared to just a year ago. The organization has gone from despair to celebrating success. At the end of the first quarter of 2013, the owner said his company had "…Increased sales, reduced costs and improved our overall financial position in terms of positive cash flow and profitability, as well as reduced debt."
Steven Tannehill: What do businesses want, anyway?
This is part two of a two-part column.
Bob Khalsa: Feds ease loan modification rules
Some homeowners who are still struggling to avoid foreclosure may soon benefit from streamlined rules that offer an easy way to lower monthly payments and modify their mortgage without requiring financial or hardship documentation.
Ken Keller: Here are the vitamins a leader must distribute
Looking back on those individuals who were my bosses, a clear distinction comes to mind.
Holly Schroeder: New homes benefit more than just buyers and builder
The only people who benefit when a house is built are the family members who get to live there, and the builder who constructed and sold the home, right?
Steven Tannehill: What do businesses want anyway? Part I
This column is part one of a two-part column.
Ken Keller: Lessons to be learned from lack of feedback
In 1970 I started my first official job. I worked nine hours a week at a small grocery store. For the next two years I grossed $11.25 a week.
Bob Khalsa: Prices, sales rise as SCV’s housing market continues its recovery
The residential housing resale market in the Santa Clarita Valley continued to recover during February, with sales and prices up to their highest levels in years.
