Your Business and Your Life

Central Bank boss says US is partially to blame for Ireland’s economic crisis (IrishCentral)

Xavier Kopsen — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:31:15 +0000

The Governor of Ireland’s Central Bank has been bravely waving the flag in London for further financial integration across Europe, despite the Euro zone hardships being felt by the people of Greece, Spain, and elsewhere, and in his own country, of course.

And Patrick Honohan even chanced a pop at the USA in his speech at the Cass Business School at the City University.

“Cheerleaders for financial integration are having a hard time these days,” Mr Honohan told his audience. “It c

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Delta says frequent fliers saw different fares

Bella Lazenby — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:13:38 +0000

Delta Air Lines says it may have charged some frequent fliers higher fares than other customers for almost three weeks because of a computer glitch.

Delta says it is unsure how many travelers paid higher fares because of the problem. Delta says the problem occurred after it upgraded the flight search engine on its website. The airline reverted to its old search engine after discovering the problem.

Two businessmen booking the same flight from Minneapolis to St. Louis noticed the problem a few weeks ago. They tried booking a number of flights while sitting side-by-side and saw the fare differences several times. WCCO TV in Minneapolis reported the fare discrepancies on Tuesday.

The Friendliest States for Small Businesses

Rachel Sutton — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:06:01 +0000

Wondering what the best place is for starting a business? According to a new study, you might want to put Idaho and Texas at the top of your list.

In a survey of more than 6,000 small business owners conducted by online small business referrer, Thumbtack.com and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma and Utah received the highest marks as states that are friendly toward small businesses.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, small business owners rated California, Hawaii, Vermont and Rhode Island the least friendly cities for entrepreneurs and small companies.

“Six thousand small business owners have told an unusually nuanced story about what they value in their local government,” said Sander Daniels, co-founder of Thumbtack.com. “Although Texas and Idaho clearly come out on top as the nation’s friendliest states towards small business, entrepreneurs value a lot more than just low tax rates.

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Tap into Kooky Holidays to Engage Your Readers

Xavier Kopsen — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:35:26 +0000

We’re all aware of the usual national holidays and most of us seize the opportunity to send out holiday related email campaigns or blog posts such as this one. But are you aware of all the random, specialized holidays that you could use for your marketing? If you’re in a niche industry, these holidays might be right up your alley. Even if you’re not, it’s a great way to add a little quirky personality to your brand. A

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MRRT’s ever shrinking revenue pot

Bella Lazenby — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:49:21 +0000

The federal government intends to spread the benefits of the mining boom, but from what continues to be a shrinking pot.

Tuesday’s budget shows that revenue forecasts for the minerals resource rent tax (MRRT) have been downgraded again, to $9.1 billion in its first three years of operation, down from $10.7 billion as per last November’s mid-year review.

The 30 per cent impost on coal and iron ore super profits starts from July 1.

The MRRT will bring in just $3.0 billion in 2012/13, rising to $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion in the following two financial years.

It will help fund the tax concessions of increasing the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent from nine per cent and infrastructure spending in mining related areas.

But the government has ditched its planned one per cent cut in the corporation tax rate.

“Our company tax cut has been rejected in full by the Liberals and Nationals, and in part by the Greens,” Treasurer Wayne Swan said handing down the budget in parliament.

The opposition rejected the tax cut because it was linked to the MRRT, while the Greens just wanted it to go to small business.

“The funds for the company tax cuts have been redirected to families in a way that also helps the economy, including small business,” Mr swan said.

The revenue will now be used for its $3.6 billion ‘Spreading the Benefits of the Boom’ package.

This makes a $1.8 billion boost to the Family Tax Benefit Part A and funds its $714 million company loss carry back proposal that will allow small business to claw back previously paid taxes when they record a loss.

Still, revenues from the mining boom are a shadow of what was originally expected.

Under the even more controversial 40 per cent Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT), that was replaced by the MRRT and taxed all minerals, it was forecast to bring in $9 billion in its second year, over double what is forecast now.

The RSPT came out of the Henry Tax Review that was released in May 2010.

It’s Funny What a Little Spark of Creativity Can Do

Rachel Sutton — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:01:29 +0000

Leadership sets the company’s direction and atmosphere, and if you fail to establish an environment that encourages creativity, then you get what you get — the status quo. Even in a hectic and fast pace setting your attitude toward innovation and creativity can still make room for your staff to toss some fresh ideas your way. But everything starts with the conversation that you have with yourself.

Do you socialize with creative others in your industry? Being around your contemporaries can awaken a competitive and creative spirit in you. Directing that energy, just may inspire a new idea.

If your life revolves around going to work and coming home and going to work and coming home, then you’re breathing the same old stale air.

Stop.

Go for a dream walk.

Go help your mentor do something.

Reinstate date night with your mate.

Hang out with your kids — they’ll love you more for caring about what they care about, plus inspiration may find you on the way home. Children

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Indonesia poised for rapid transformation

Bella Lazenby — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:47:48 +0000

Indonesia has become a magnet for investment and we are seeing many foreign firms, including Thai companies, rush to establish a beach-head there.

There are many good reasons for this such as the country’s large labour force, the huge potential of its domestic market and an abundance of natural resources. Given these advantages, it is hardly surprising that Indonesia has attracted a large flow of foreign direct investment and its gross domestic product has increased by 50% in the past seven years.

Naturally Bangkok Bank’s customers, both in Thailand and from our overseas branches, are very interested in Indonesia. We agree that there is huge potential, and in response to the demand of our customers we are opening a second branch there, in Surabaya.

But it is important to also understand that Indonesia is very complex. It has a massive population of around 240 million people, a vast geographical spread across 17,000 islands, and there are immense differences in development and culture in different parts of the country.

Java is the centre of government and the industrial heart of the country.

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RIM’s continued disintegration sees CEO clean house

Rachel Sutton — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:29:23 +0000

Following its very poor fourth quarter results, Research In Motion’s new CEO has cleared out senior staff, reduced its focus on the consumer market and has not ruled out an outright sale.

RIMs fourth quarter results were even worse than most pessimistic analysts had predicted, as its BlackBerry smartphone sales fell sharply, and several writedowns left the former Canadian giant in the red to the tune of US$125 million.

RIM’s revenue of US$4.2b in the latest quarter is down 19% from $5.2 billion in the previous quarter and down 25% from $5.6 billion from this time last year.

New CEO Thorsten Heins has been brutal

This is RIMs first quarterly loss since 2005, and follows a disastrous year that saw 75% of the company’s value wiped out. Disasters such as its Playbook tablet launch, a $54 million network outage and endless delays to its new BlackBerry 10 OS and hardware have seen analysts write off the company in the face of stiff competition from Apple and Google Android devices.

By way of comparison, Apple sold some 37m iPhones in the last three months of 2011. R

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Donegal priest defies Irish government over household tax proposal (IrishCentral)

Xavier Kopsen — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:41:09 +0000

A Catholic priest has openly defied the Irish government and publicly ripped up the bill for the new household tax.

Donegal priest Fr Brian O Fearragh tore up the document in front of thousands of protestors against the new charge.

The Irish Examiner reports that almost two thousand activists cheered as the priest ripped up the demand for $130 from the Irish government at the Donegal rally.

The parish priest told the Letterkenny meeting that he will ‘never’ pat the controversial charge.

“It is time for the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan perform or perish,” stated Fr O Fearragh.
“I feel that our unity here today is sending a clear message to Minister Hogan, and that message is: Minister Hogan, now is the time to perform or perish, the choice is yours.

“By perform, I mean: please listen and pay heed to the will and the actions of the vast majority of people of this country, who have not and, by the looks of it, will not sign up and register or subscribe and to these highly unpopular and regressive stealth charges.

“Pay heed and rescind these unjust charges, which are nothing short of a heavy imposition upon the people whom you serve.

“By perish, I mean, now is the time to repeal these unjust charges, or failing such, come next election, face the wrath of the Irish people.”

Protestors from Leitrim, Cavan and Sligo travelled to Donegal for the rally.

The priest added: “Householders and individuals are being penalised by these harsh austerity measures.

“While greedy and reckless and faceless bondholders are being rewarded, homeowners and individuals citizens of this state are being brought to their knees and deprived, and that is wrong.”

Ireland’s Eye: What’s going on in the old sod this week
No pink slime here – McDonald pump $1.5 million into Irish and UK farming – Video
Price of houses in freefall as loans continues to dry up
Murdered policeman’s family appeal to Catholics to join Ulster police force
A Spring heatwave as the sun shines all across Ireland

Sinead O’Connor writes open letter to family of murdered teen, Trayvon Martin
Lyndon Johnson demanded Jackie Kennedy be present for famous swearing-in pic after her husband’s assassination
Channing Tatum shocked Rachel McAdams by sporting a fake penis on the set of the “Vow”
Ghosts are regulars at America’s most haunted Irish pub – VIDEO
Yale professor suggests Galway build Cromwell statue next to Che Guevara memorial

News from Ireland , Irish economy , Catholic Priest , Irish property

Cut the Fat! 8 Ways to Eliminate Unnecessary Overhead for Your Business

Xavier Kopsen — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:35:47 +0000

For any small business it’s important to spend money where it counts and eliminate unnecessary expenses. Besides looking at what cost drivers you can keep down, it’s also important to remember the age-old saying, time is money. Often, finding ways to save time in your day to day operations is the quickest way to eliminating overhead. Looking at both unnecessary expenses and time-wasting endeavors, we’ve compiled a list of eight ways to save money and focus on growing your business.

1. Communicate Efficiently – We often waste time throughout the day on unnecessary meetings, long email chains or instant messenger conversations. 55% of communication is visual so determine the best mode of communication for a particular scenario in order to save time. Sometimes it’s more appropriate to call or have a face-to-face conversation. Instant messaging is perfect for sharing links and asking quick questions, but when it comes to in-depth discussions or complicated explanations, sometimes it’s best to pick up the phone or just walk over.

2. M

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ROB Magazine is most-read business periodical

Bella Lazenby — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:21:43 +0000

Report on Business Magazine is now the most-read business magazine in Canada, according to an influential survey on readership.

New data from the Print Measurement Bureau show the magazine claimed 951,000 readers over the age of 18. That is about 8 per cent more than Canadian Business, the flagship business publication of Rogers Media Inc.

The bureau’s survey, conducted in September, 2011, showed a major decline in readership at Canadian Business, which fell 20.8 per cent among adult readers, to 820,000, from the same period a year earlier.

A previous PMB survey in 2011 had showed Canadian Business with a slight edge over Report on Business Magazine, which is published by The Globe and Mail.

ROB Magazine also holds a significant lead over its two main rivals in capturing highly educated, higher-income readers: 543,000 are university graduates. No other business magazine in the country tops 400,000. <

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SMBs leverage web and social media to achieve growth, says Citibank

Rachel Sutton — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:53:05 +0000

For years, marketers have been pushing small businesses to embrace technology and multichannel marketing strategies to forge connections with consumers — and according to a recent Citibank study, SMBs may finally be taking the multichannel message to heart.

Business owners recognize that marketing is an important ingredient in business growth. Although the vast majority (70%) of business owners use their company website for marketing purposes, more than 40% of small business owners now use social media channels (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to reach consumers.

In the past, many businesses have utilized social media channels to create brand awareness, even though they struggled to understand the granular ways consumers used social media to engage with the brand. But a new generation of tools now gives companies the ability to track the impact of specific campaigns, ads and content that is shared in the social space.

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Don’t Assume you are Sourcing your Business Energy from the Most Ecconomic Sources

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:53:16 +0000

Gas today is now ranked as one of the more important natural resources alongside electricity and oil. With it has come the competitiveness that all product providers create in order to gain market share. With it too comes the headache of trying to understand the complex and ever changing array of packages and ‘special’ offers that are available, especially in the world of industry.

Take electricity for example. Most businesses use electricity for lighting, heating, and in some instances for production too. But the electricity supply chain has become increasingly more complicated in recent years since the split between source supply and distribution. This is where that all important industry knowledge is needed. When it comes to any organisations energy needs, there are many things that have to be taken into consideration; average usage, peaks and troughs, operating hours, single site or multi-site operation.

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What’s the Difference Between a Pyramid Scheme and a Ponzi Scheme?

Xavier Kopsen — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:47:26 +0000

The difference between pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes is in the methodology. Pyramid schemes rely on multiple levels of investors, each promising exorbitant returns to the succeeding level, whereas Ponzi schemes feature a central figure who promises exorbitant returns to all investors.

Knowing risk as they do, those at BusinessInsurance.org want to help you recognize and steer clear of these dangerous investments:

Pyramid Schemes

Pyramid schemes are organized into investor levels. At each level, investors are responsible for recruiting new investors and obtaining money from them. It begins when one person asks a small group of people for a sum of money in exchange for a promise of large returns. Each of those investors must then approach another small group of investors and make the same promises. After recruiting new investors, existing investors pay a portion of the new investments to the level above them and keep the rest. I

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Budweiser Clydesdales ranch to open for tours

Bella Lazenby — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:28:49 +0000

BOONVILLE, Mo. • A mid-Missouri ranch that serves as a breeding facility for Budweiser Clydesdale horses opens for public tours this Saturday.

Warm Springs Ranch is in the midst of the foaling season. Officials say more than 30 baby Clydesdales are expected to be born at the ranch near Boonville this year.

Ranch supervisor John Soto says foaling season starts in February and continues to June, and now is a very busy time.

Visitors can interact with the more than 100 Clydesdales, including some who have appeared on Budweiser commercials. The herd includes a horse born last year named “La Russa,” for the longtime Cardinals manager who retired after leading St. Louis to the 2011 World Series title.