Archive By Section - Business Columns
Eight misconceptions of organization
Some people were born organized and then there are those of us who struggle with organizing every year at this time. It seems that it's always at the end of the year when that little annoying bug begins nudging you to clear things up and start the new year organized.
How to trim your personal expenses
The credit and financial market is definitely not in good shape, so entrepreneurs may find that they must dip into their personal finances to keep the business running.
Divide family’s possessions before death
Who should have grandma's dining room table or diamond ring? How should family photos be distributed?
Know your building's roof, or pay the price
A cursory review of media reports nationwide in recent months revealed an alarming number of instances of costly damages to buildings due to negligence or procrastination with roof repairs. Consider:
Heading into another Great Depression?
The answer: Not likely if government doesn't overreact. The circumstances and economic environment that we find ourselves in are very different today than they were back in 1933. During the Great Depression, unemployment exceeded 25 percent and crop prices fell by 40 to 60 percent. Banks failed with no FDIC insurance to safeguard deposits, thereby completely eradicating people's savings. Today, our economy is relatively strong. Unemployment stands at just over 6 percent, median household income ...
The ABCs of successful business ownership
Over the long Thanksgiving weekend I thought about those things that make the translation from school days to the working world. I did a simple compare and contrast analysis to see what tools were used in school as they related to business ownership.
Three things I learned from the NFL
When the Green Bay Packers football team hired Vince Lombardi as its new coach, he was intrigued with the challenge of turning the franchise around. Naturally, Lombardi being Lombardi, was all pumped up about it.
Retirement strategies, part two
As a follow up to the previous article about couples' retirement strategies, following are some points in planning and protecting your retirement plans should you wish to consider variable annuities and their special income guarantees not offered by any other investment.
Learning the 'new math' of retirement
With the normal challenges of retirement planning and the current financial crisis adding pressure to your planning, will your retirement portfolio be able to maintain your current lifestyle?
Now, where did I put that list?
The holiday season can be a frantic time, both personally and professionally, but here are a few tips to help you.
New law provides tax incentives
It's hard to believe that anything that takes nearly 800 pages to describe could be time sensitive, however, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was recently enacted and, for many, it may provide the incentive needed to act now, and finally buy a home of their own. A new $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers is a temporary incentive from the government to boost interest in real estate - but the time frame to take advantage of the credit is limited.
How to keep down business expenses
This is the conclusion to the 36 tips I promised to help keep your business expenses in control:
Multimillion-dollar age discrimination verdict after layoff
When the federal government required one of its defense contractors to reduce its workforce, the contractor first evaluated its employees based on the criteria of performance, flexibility and critical skills.
Lawsuits cause businesses to leave state
Too often I am reminded of the impact that California state regulations and litigated claims can have against companies doing business in California, resulting in businesses closing or moving out of state.
Check the numbers for 2008 tax savings
Do you like numbers? Do you like them better when they involve tax savings? Here are 10 numbers and 10 tax-saving strategies to consider as the clock starts to wind down on 2008.
Articles by Section - Business Columns
Ken Keller: Getting crystal clear about your business
There is a terrific exchange in the courtroom drama "A Few Good Men." Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicolson, turns from being a witness in a court martial to being the prosecutor when he asks Lieutenant Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise: "Have you ever spent time in an infantry unit, son?"
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.
