General

Will the Labour Party Help or Hinder U.K. Business?

Leave a Comment / Europe, General, Government / By

In the U.K. the opposition party appoints a person to “shadow” the person in office thus learning the job and able to speak intelligently about alternative policies. Following the speeches of Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and Party Leader Ed Miliband, we now know more about how Labour plans to treat business.  So if  the Labour party wins the 2015 general election, would they help U.K. business or hinder it?

Will the Labour Party Help or Hinder U.K. Business? Read More »

Obama and Putin

Is Putin Right?

3 Comments / General / By

I never thought I’d agree with Putin. And of course, he has his own agenda. He is already supplying Syria with the bombs and nerve gas he has so “graciously” offered to monitor… kind of like the fox offering to guard the henhouse,  but be that as it may…  he has a point. According to the

Is Putin Right? Read More »

ERP and networking are management information system trends

Tracking Management Information Systems Trends

Leave a Comment / General / By

As the saying goes. “Hindsight is always 20/20”, but for those companies who are looking to make critical management decisions, there is no way to look into the future with a 20/20 gaze.  For many facets of business, however, management information systems have become a practical and fruitful means of developing better business operations and expanding a company’s market.  Previously it may have been necessary to use only human intuition, but today there are many ways to avoid the thorny biases and judgment errors that affect decision-making processes.

Tracking Management Information Systems Trends Read More »

Job Security

Leave a Comment / General, Wealth Creation / By

In a changing economy, it is important to be confident that your job is secure before you make long-term investments. The future is not certain and if you lose your job you will require liquidity or you could end up in financial ruin. The key is to have at least 6 months of living expenses socked away in liquid assets before you invest in less liquid things like real estate, timber or privately held businesses. Although stocks are more liquid in a sudden downturn like we experienced in 2008 liquidity can be severely impaired (if there are no buyers) or you may be forced to liquidate at a significant loss. Warren Buffet is famous for maintaining massive amounts of cash waiting for just such an opportunity when he can name his price and everyone else is so strapped for cash that they have to accept his offer.

Job Security Read More »

Business Franchise

Buy a Business Franchise or Start Your Own?

Leave a Comment / General / By

Many people dream of owning their own business, setting their own hours, and being “the boss”.  Some budding entrepreneurs find that it can be a smart move to invest in or buy an established business rather than starting their own. Depending on a number of factors, there can be considerably less risk in acquiring or investing in an existing business rather than starting one from scratch. Another way to limit your risk is to go with a successful business franchise.

Buy a Business Franchise or Start Your Own? Read More »

Business Insurance

Insurance Tips for Small Businesses

Leave a Comment / General / By

Boats carry life vests and life preservers and have lifeboats. Construction workers wear hard hats, skateboarders wear knee and elbow pads, professional football players and motocross racers wear helmets, and welders wear goggles. Why?  Because they understand the value of protection. In the same way, businesses need to understand the value of protection and that is why insurance is crucial, especially in business.

Insurance Tips for Small Businesses Read More »

Income Taxes

The 100th Anniversary of the Federal Income Tax

Leave a Comment / General, Taxes / By

1913 is a year that will live in infamy. On March 1st, 1913, the 16th Amendment took effect providing for a 1% Federal Income tax and on December 23rd President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. Perhaps an effort to keep tabs on the Federal Reserve is what inspired the Department of Labor to begin tracking inflation that same year. Incidentally, that same year the department of Commerce and the department of labor split into two separate departments. Now 100 years later the average Federal Income Tax rate in 2011 was 11.8%. The top 5 percent of earners paid approximately 58.7 percent of federal individual income taxes while paying an average effective tax rate of 20.46%. The bottom 50% paid an effective Federal Income Tax rate of 1.85%.

The 100th Anniversary of the Federal Income Tax Read More »

Scroll to Top