General

Job Security

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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.

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Business Franchise

Buy a Business Franchise or Start Your Own?

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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.

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Business Insurance

Insurance Tips for Small Businesses

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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.

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Income Taxes

The 100th Anniversary of the Federal Income Tax

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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%.

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group think

Learning from Past Mistakes like Groupthink

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People who cannot learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

This popular adage rings true for your business too. As such, business owners must take deliberate measures to avoid repeating past mistakes to secure success in the future. After due reflection on previous investment blunders, one must review them and come up with a report detailing specific steps of avoiding such oversights in the future. A 2010 study by the Ivey Faculty detailed the leadership mistakes that led to the global financial meltdown of 2008. Here are some of the lessons you can learn from these epic business failures:

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Business Taxes

New Factors Affecting Your Business this Tax Season

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In the current tax season, one of the greatest challenges of business, especially in the US, is the inevitable tax increase especially since the government is likely to implement the increases hand in hand with government spending cuts. This situation is causing a high level of uncertainty in business taxes and could potentially have significant repercussions. In view of the uncertainty in this tax season, it is also important for you to understand how various factors may affect your business’ bottom line.

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Car Sales Are Increasing?

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With the current state of the global economy, many businesses within all sectors around the world are struggling to make a profit. Well, known businesses are closing or going into bankruptcy almost every other day, so it is surprising to learn that car sales have remained strong. Particularly given the large expense associated with buying a new car. Recently, it came as quite a shock to many when BMW announced that 2012 was not only a profitable year but actually their most successful year ever. The question arises, how, in an age where money is tightly guarded by consumers, have brands like BMW managed to build on their success?

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Airlines

The Top 4 Most Successful European Airlines

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There are dozens of commercial airlines available for customers to select. Of these numerous airlines, four names come to mind when listing the best of the European Carriers. Ryanair, Lufthansa, British Air and EasyJet are the most successful European commercial airline companies. One thing these companies have in common, aside from quality service and reliable Aircraft charter,

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