Archive By Section - Business Columns
Ken Keller: The choice is to improve or remove weak employees
Not long ago, I was given a list of books by someone who had spent his vacation reading about the acquisition and retention of top talent.
Janice France-Pettit: Establishing and maintaining your credit
Having a favorable credit score can be a useful financial tool. When you apply for a credit card, a mortgage or other loan, the lender will check your credit rating.
Erika Kauzlarich-Bird: Single-family home price hikes offset low interest rates
We have much to be thankful for here in the Santa Clarita Valley where, like elsewhere in California, rising resale prices benefit the one out of five homeowners statewide who owe more than the current resale value of their home.
Ken Keller: How to grow others in your organization
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing a very nice, young man for a key opening at one of my clients. During our conversation, he said something that made me really think.
Joe Klocko: Entrepreneur, leader, strategist
If you are an entrepreneur, you realize that the vast majority of entrepreneur-led businesses have less than 200 employees.
Jerry Citarella: It’s nice to have answers
Making decisions is difficult, especially when you're not sure of the rules. When there are no answers to your questions, how can you possibly come to a conclusion? Sometimes you're forced down a path or must head in a particular direction without feeling totally confident. One thing I know for sure is being forced into these types of decisions typically doesn't feel good and often doesn't end well.
Ken Keller: Alignment of information key to goal achievement
Toward the end of the year, the company held a planning retreat. All managers were told by the owner to arrive at a local hotel by 8 a.m.
Carl Kanowsky: The paralyzing effects of political gridlock
This column covers business and real estate law. And, for the past year, several of my clients in both areas have had to deal with the uncertainty of who would be our commander in chief and how to solve the paralyzing budget deficit.
Erika Kauzlarich-Bird: Survey: Lenders making progress on short sales
Lenders here in the Santa Clarita Valley, and throughout California, have made progress when it comes to processing short sales, yet the gains have been incremental with plenty of pitfalls and delays that still doom too many transactions.
Ken Keller: Critics don’t count
I have had the opportunity recently to spend a significant amount of time in two executive learning environments with others. My fellow attendees were intelligent, articulate and committed. Each made a sacrifice of time, money and in lost opportunity cost to attend.
Carl Kanowsky: How one man converted a new Bentley into cash
Areg Khachikian owned a 2000 Bentley but still owed the finance company, Los Angeles Federal Credit Union, a ton of money. (As I'm sure you know, buying a Bentley is a bit more of a commitment than purchasing a Honda Civic.)
Pete Bellas: Where the jobs actually are today
Years into the economic recovery, we are still asking ourselves, "Where are the jobs?" Perhaps it would be better for us to look at where the jobs are.
Ken Keller: Three roadblocks to business improvement
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Ted the employee and his "entitlement" attitude at work. I pointed out that his owner was enabling Ted and all the other employees at the company because the owner failed to share information that would improve the condition of the business.
Signal Sales Beat- Oct. 23, 2012
MARIE Colder weather should be soon approaching, which means it is time to get out those comfy winter boots. While at one of my son's football games, I noticed that some of the cheerleaders had the cutest UGG type boots on. These boots had the cheer logo embroidered on and they were completely "blinged" out. I found out that one of the girl's mom's, Wendy Smith, made them. Wendy in conjunction with her business partner, ...
Erika Kauzlarich-Bird: Calif. home prices highest in 4 years
The numbers differ a little, yet it's still true that Santa Clarita is pretty much tracking along with statewide figures when it comes to the ongoing rebound in home resale prices.
Articles by Section - Business Columns
Disaster recovery — is your business prepared?
Is your business prepared for a disaster? While it is not something any of us like to think about, businesses should have a disaster plan in place.
Joe Klocko: The conundrum: supply and demand, wages and the skills gap
Most people understand the basic economic principle of supply and demand and incorporate it into their daily decisions. They may not do it consciously, but economic decisions are made every day by each and every one of us.
Ken Keller: Learning from the Pumpkin Patch
Last week I provided the Pyramid of Business Success, a nine layered structure. Layer seven was the Growth Plan.
Bob Khalsa: State’s pending sales at four-year high, share of distressed sales drops
The recent rise of pending home sales to the highest level in nearly four years supports experts who believe California's home resale market will achieve full bloom this spring.
Ken Keller: The Pyramid of Business Success
I've long admired Coach John Wooden's "Pyramid of Success." In business, whatever blueprint, instructional manual or paint by number kit being used before the enterprise launches is quickly tossed aside once the doors open. After that, it becomes a freelance-thing or a free for all, for those lacking mentors, a Sherpa or the time to figure it out.
Peter Bellas: Now that we’ve been forecasted
Once again we are upon the season of forecasts. A quick perusal of any investment website will turn up some very rosy and optimistic forecasts for the coming year and a least a few doom and gloom predictions.
Ken Keller: Keeping yourself motivated
One challenge of being a business owner or holding a position of leadership is keeping motivated.
Bob Khalsa: Real Estate Talk
January is typically a dormant time of year for the residential real estate market in the Santa Clarita Valley, yet this market recovery is so unusual that no one was surprised when statistics showed January posted the highest sales total for the month in six years.
Buying distressed properties
Real estate development during the Great Recession has proven to be a very challenging endeavor. Even seasoned professionals have found themselves struggling to service debt on projects that are producing monthly net negative cash flows.
Ken Keller: Do the right thing, quickly
Last week I wrote about the 2012 Gallup Poll where only 21 percent of U.S. adults rated business executives with high or very high in honesty and ethics.
Ken Keller: What is it that you believe in?
In the course of working with business owners and leaders, I have observed that the organizations that are the most successful over the long run are the ones that have a strong focus.
