Archive By Section - Business Columns
Employers only required to lead the horse to water
Most of us are familiar with the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Funding college savings
Saving for college can be intimidating. Added to this necessity is the current crisis we are facing in our personal lives due to the financial and energy markets.
New business math: Addition by subtraction
Last week, the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants traded tight-end Jeremy Shockey to the New Orleans Saints. Shockey had been a Pro Bowl pick for a number of years and had solid statistics, including having 371 catches for 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns in 83 regular season games with the Giants.
Leaders lead organizations to success
True go-getters do not amass power by worrying about their titles or the size of their offices. Instead, they know how to lead and keep loyal employees.
What you need to know when you turn 18
At 18, you are now an adult in the eyes of the law. You can enter into contracts, buy and/or sell property, real estate or stock, marry, sue and/or be sued, make a will, inherit property, vote, serve on a jury, control your own medical treatment and join the military, but still have NO rights with alcohol. Your parents no longer have to support you. You are responsible for your own taxes and insurance and ...
Baby boomers transitioning to retirement
The nearly 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 may pride themselves on being different, but they have at least one thing in common: They are all "baby boomers," the largest generation in American history. The oldest of them are now reaching an age commonly associated with retirement, and each day over the next two decades thousands more will follow.
Don’t forget to pay the nanny tax on help around the house
If you hire someone to help around the house or to watch your children, you may be subject to the often overlooked "nanny tax." Simply put, the nanny tax is a payroll tax due on certain household employees' wages.
Two who discovered and used their strengths
Research suggests that people will be more engaged, more productive and considerably happier at work when they use their strengths.
How to decide what to archive and what to toss
When it comes to record-keeping, entrepreneurs fall into two categories: "Neatniks" who toss every piece of paper that hasn't been handled in the past week, or "Ratpackers" - those who save every scrap of paper and receipt they ever see. When running your business we all know there are certain documents that should be filed for a certain length of time, but we never can seem to remember which is what.
Minimizing the emotions of a down stock market
If you have wondered how to survive in a down market, you are not alone. Many investors worry about selling out too soon and then having trouble getting back into the market.
Even small businesses have to consider securities laws
Have you had a legal compliance check-up for your corporation or limited liability company lately? Did you use one of those online services to form your own corporation or LLC and wonder if you did everything that was necessary to properly organize your business entity? Are you covering all of the legal bases in the organization and operation of your company? One frequently missed area for small businesses is compliance with securities laws.
The six responsibilities of every manager
Countless books and articles have been written about the tasks of those in management. The majority concern themselves with planning, organizing, controlling, coordinating and leading, which means everything in theory and nothing in practicality to the manager responsible for getting things done.
Family or friends aren’t good bankers
For start-up entrepreneurs, hitting up family and friends is the most common way to get started but it's often the riskiest. This method, however, accounts for more than 70 percent of all venture dollars for start-ups.
How to deal with the current slump in stocks
Wall Street just announced this week that we are in a bear market. I think this is old news. Anyone who works for a living, drives a car, has a mortgage or buys groceries came to that conclusion some time ago. For most of the past decade, stocks and mutual funds, the primary investment vehicle for most Americans, have been bogged down.
Mid-year review for California employers
It has been a busy year for the courts and the legislature when it comes to changes in employment laws, and we have only completed the first six months. With additional landmark cases on the horizon, and a number of pending pieces of legislation, we could see a number of additional changes in the law over the last half of 2008, as well. The following are just a few of the new rules that employers should be aware of.
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.
