Archive By Section - Business Columns
Bob Khalsa: Open letter to lawmakers regarding mortgage deduction
Fiddling with the mortgage interest deduction to balance the nation's books would impact much of the nation, yet eliminating it or even limiting it would have a particularly destructive impact on California's high-cost housing market and the state's budding economic recovery.
Ken Keller: It’s very easy for a business to make trust disappear
A Gallup research study conducted and released in late 2012 found that only 21 percent of American adults surveyed found business executives high or very high in honesty and ethics.
John Milburn: Management by agreement: the other ‘MBA’
It is generally agreed that being an effective manager involves taking calculated risks. As in most things, the rewards or outcomes of any actions tend to be proportional to the risks involved. Generally, the greater the risks, the more positive the potential results can be. Thus, managers who take few risks may not fail as often, but they also limit their success. If you have an aversion to risk-taking, I am not advocating that you ...
Ken Keller: Real labor shortage stems from problem employees
There are many people out of work that want a job. The government says that the unemployment rate is falling as the economy grows and organizations add to payrolls.
There are new rules for home mortgage borrowers
In an attempt to put the "service" back in mortgage servicing, new rules have been devised that are intended to make it easier for borrowers facing financial stress to quickly learn about alternatives to foreclosure, speak directly to the loan servicer, and get errors fixed when there's been a mistake.
Ken Keller: Weeding out the disengaged
These individuals show up every day, are present physically but not always mentally for the required period of time, and leave at the end of the day, not having accomplished much at all.
What makes America strong
So, a few weeks ago, did you notice that barely perceptible stirring in the air? A surge of genuine ecstasy?
Marketing trends for 2013
First the good news: Budgets, particularly public relations budgets, are projected to increase for 2013, mobile social media will continue to rise as consumers' vehicle of choice, strategic focus on content marketing will continue to build, and unprecedented volumes of data on client profiles and buying habits will continue to build challenging even the most experienced marketer. The bad news: how to use all this newfound knowledge to your advantage.
Bridging the Skills Gap
One of the challenges that jobseekers may face when trying to find employment or re-employment is having out of date skills, or a gap, in their employment history.
Bob Khalsa: Internet primary research tool for most home buyers
Modern real estate consumers have the world at their fingers via the Internet, yet a new study stresses the importance of "local" search terms and websites.
My New Year’s wish list
The dust has settled from the Holidays and now everyone is back to work. I thought it would be appropriate to get beyond "wants" and "nice to haves" to focus on "what's really needed." This January I've created a list of gifts. These are, in my opinion, of "what's really needed" for every owner and leader. These items are for those who are already successful and wish to maintain that success; for those that desire ...
Steven Tannehill: Part II - Do You Have What it Takes to Start a Small Business?
In Part I of this article I covered the basic ingredients in deciding if you are ready to start a small business – having entrepreneurial drive and vision, identifying market opportunities, and developing a solid business plan. In this part I'll touch on the basic ingredients needed to get your small business off the ground.
Janice France-Pettit: Saving for college
Saving for a college education is an investment for the future, whether it is for your child, your spouse or yourself.
Ken Keller: The most success comes from a team effort
Ten years ago, Patrick Lencioni published The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. I continue to recommend it to business owners and leaders for building teams focused on execution and results.
Bob Khalsa: Optimism running high on housing recovery
As the new year gets underway, a recent survey of California homebuyers has found optimism about the housing market on the rise with three out of every four buyers confident prices will increase over the coming decade.
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.
