Small Business Boomers

I realize that many of you feel tha newspapers are so 1500’s, which they are.  However, there is plenty of good work being done on at newspapers.  They may not be able to survive in the internet age, but still you need to keep up.
Here is the other deal, I don’t necessarily want to carry my laptop around or try and read the news from the screen on my iPhone.  Newspapers are just damn convenient.  Same goes for a paperback book.
So besides reviewing news oon Google pick up a good newspaper and read the entire artile.  My two favorites are the …read more

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Rose is my mother-in-law and she has been on the world wide web since it has been out there.  She is on her third desktop computer and uses a business class connection.  Now, she wants to get a laptop.  She’s been on the web sites reviewing all the specs and yesterday she dragged me out to CostCo to look at their machines.
She was sort of upset when she couldn’t get spec sheets to take home on the various models they had on the floor.  Unfortunately, she is making the mistake many people make when they are in the market for …read more

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Last year I was astounded that I could go on the web and re-view my favorite TV show “Studio 60″.  This year I simply expected to be able to see my favorite premier “Life”.  And, I was not disappointed.  Now, I also recorded the show on my cable box so I can watch it on my flat screen, but the fact that I can get it off the web was and is earth shattering.  The fact that it is mundane is a quantum shift for broadcasters.
By now you’re thinking “What’s the big deal?”  Every Internet site worth anything has the streaming video …read more

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GM isn’t the first big company to shift their employee health care plan to the union.  Caterpillar did it years ago and then had to re-do it a bit later.  Because GM is more in the public eye they’re move will have a broader impact on the general public then Cat’s.  The strategy that both companies and their workers have undertaken is one that US based manufacturers have pushing for years.  Health care insurance is just too costly compared to the international competition which generally relies on the government to provide that support service.
Employer provided health care insurance as a …read more

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I have to learn to keep my mouth shut on some things.  Maybe someone at Time Warner read my comments on the cost of Internet service, maybe not.  Anyway, I had an Internet service outage yesterday that lasted about 6 hours.
I’m not saying that its related to my comments about monopoly, but I haven’t had a blip in service for well over a year.  I’m not paranoid mind you, but it doesn’t mean that someone’s not out to get me.

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Should Internet service be taxed?  Those against say it will inhibit the use and innovation on the Internet.  I don’t think so.  If you are against taxes in general and that government should spend as little as possible then it’s OK to say no to an Internet tax.  However, don’t claim a price increase of 5 to 20% on Internet services will have any impact.
I say this as I pay my bill to my cable and Internet provider Time-Warner who has a virtual monopoly on those services in my area.  There prices have been going up at an amazing rate.  …read more

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When the management of the New England Patriots got caught stealing defensive signals, cheating jumped up on the radar for a few days.  Though he liked to win a great deal, I don’t think Vince Lombardi would have done that sort of thing.  His methods were much more visceral.  Now, every academic with a grant to write is going to investigate cheating in every aspect of society.  Big news people, it’s been done.
Seems that after great study academia has determined that people cheat because they believe their competition is doing it.  Some professor from Yale suggest it of as a …read more

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As a small business you can get in big financial trouble for retaining any credit or debit card data.  Should the card data you have retained be compromised and used for fraudulent transactions your business will be in several types of trouble.  First, you could be liable for the any fraudulent charges made with that card.  Second, you could be fined by your card processor.  Third, you could be dropped by your card processor.
No distinctions are made between paper and computer records.  The big issue is that many older computer software systems that small businesses use to perform credit card transactions …read more

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The dollar is down.  Chinese products are having problems.  VW is loosing money selling cars in the US.  Toy manufacturers have only been manufacturing small pieces overseas.  Oil prices are up.  Chinese manufacturer of concrete pumps breaks ground for manufacturing plant in Georgia.
What we are seeing here is the perfect storm to expand the manufacturing base of the United States.  It is all about the money.  With the dollar cheap and transportation costs high it is now less costly for many items that will be sold in the US to be made in the US.  This will mean higher prices …read more

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The the US Federal Reserve has made a move and the stock market has responded positively.  Value stocks are still in vogue, but large and mid cap growth stocks will become more popular as the Fed makes additional moves.
Will the Fed lower interest rates further?  Yes.  When the Fed lowers interest rates they change the cost of borrowing not the availability of money.  There is plenty of money around, but people are afraid to lend it. 
Why are lenders afraid to lend?  Uncertainty.  the Sub-prime mortgage situation is still too murky.  Current security and mortgage holders do not have the procedures in …read more

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