Archive By Section - Business Columns
Jerry Citarella: Women in the workplace
There has been a good amount of time spent at the Presidential debates on the topic of women and the workplace. I'm not going to turn this article into a political debate, but I do think that it's worth looking into the facts regarding women, the workplace and retirement.
Ken Keller: It’s time to start capturing value
I had the pleasure of spending three days recently in an Executive Education course. One of the first concepts covered was that the role of leadership in the organization is not only the obligation to create value, but to capture it.
Janice France-Pettit: Saving for higher education in today’s economy
Saving for a college education is an investment for the future, whether it is for your child, your spouse or yourself.
John Milburn: Utilizing state-funded training
In order to keep California's businesses competitive with out-of-state and international companies, the state provides several sources of funding to help support a trained workforce. One such source is the Employment Training Panel.
Signal Sales Beat- October 16, 2012
Marie mcooper@the-signal.com 661-287-5548 I can't believe the holiday season is upon us already; with decorations changing in the stores almost overnight. There are many things to do during this time of year. Every week we have the Connect SCV magazine that comes out and has great articles, fun anecdotes and local and out of town calendars of upcoming events. The season is starting now with the Harvest/Halloween events. Lombardi Ranch is offering a fun family ...
Jerry Citarella: The danger of chasing returns
Something amazing happens on a regular basis. I understand why it happens, but in reality it can be devastating. Most people would say it sounds like a bad idea, but two major factors make this event happen over and over.
Ken Keller: The seven levels of leadership
In Jim Collin's bestselling book "From Good to Great" he writes of five levels of leadership; I believe that there are seven levels of leadership, described below.
Carl Kanowsky: Gas prices gouging state
In the past year or so of writing this column, the editorial staff at The Mighty Signal have on occasion slashed some of the product of my pen (actually, it's a computer). Their rationale was sometimes I went into territory "unfit for a family paper."
Ken Keller: Entitlement and enabling; Who is at fault?
I met with Ted to discuss his career options. Ted has been employed by his company for a number of years.
Ken Keller: Building confidence in your sales team key
I recently reread the book "Moneyball" so I could gain better insight into the background story, the thinking and the performance of the characters in the movie of the same name.
Carl Kanowsky: Garlic by any other name would still stink
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Despite tight inventory, August home sales rise
I'm happy to note that existing home sales continued to improve in August nationwide and throughout California while the national median price rose on a year-over-year basis for the sixth consecutive month.
Jerry Citarella: Time to take a reality check and inventory
Do you remember when we were younger and we watched cartoons? People reading this likely remember Saturday morning cartoons. That was when we would sit down and get our fix for the week.
Ken Keller: How to take customer service to the next level
I believe that Disneyland has it right when it comes to fulfilling its goal to be "the happiest place on Earth." In the many times I have been there, I have not been disappointed at the experience. This is a key reason I keep returning, despite rising ticket prices.
Running a restaurant presents a challenging recipe for owners
You have to wonder, do folks who own restaurants feel like they have a target on their back? I'll explain.
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.
