“Business Calendar - Burlington Free Press” plus 4 more |
- Business Calendar - Burlington Free Press
- On the money: Books for running a business from home - Biloxi Sun Herald
- Nonprofit business consultants asking Christie to restore funds - NJBIZ
- More Business - San Francisco Chronicle
- Boston CPA Firm Caturano and Company Announces Addition of Business ... - YAHOO!
| Business Calendar - Burlington Free Press Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:34 AM PST (2 of 2) NETWORKINGTODAY
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| On the money: Books for running a business from home - Biloxi Sun Herald Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:13 AM PST '+'>'); } --> Has the time come for you to become your own boss? If so, establishing a home-based business could help make that desire become a reality. If you'd like to explore the home business option, a number of good books detail how to set up and run a home office business. Here are a few titles: "Start and Run a Real Home-Based Business, 2nd edition" by Dan Furman; Self-Counsel Press, 2009 ($20.95) Details selecting a home-based business, financial requirements and following through with a business plan. "Homebased Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000" by Cheryl Kimball; Entrepreneur Press, 2008 ($19.95) Spotlights 55 home-office business opportunities with modest financial requirements. "Ultimate Homebased Business Handbook" by James Stephenson and Rich Mintzer; Entrepreneur Press, 2008 ($29.95) Provides insights on a range a home-office businesses, including business-type selection and legal considerations. "The Everything Home-Based Business Book, 2nd edition" by Yvonne Jeffery and Sherri Linsenbach; Adams Media, 2006 ($14.95) Discusses selecting a home business, researching the market, start-up steps, and more. "The Home-Based Business Kit" by Diana Brodman Summers and D-M Boulay; Sphinx Pub., 2005 ($16.95) Contains information on setting up a home office, and how to develop and follow through on a business plan. Showing: This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Nonprofit business consultants asking Christie to restore funds - NJBIZ Posted: 07 Dec 2009 06:31 AM PST Small businesses could lead New Jersey out of the recession by creating jobs, and a nonprofit that coaches small companies struggling to survive the downturn is hoping for support from Gov.-elect Chris Christie. New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, a statewide nonprofit that recruits business experts to provide one-on-one consulting to small businesses, saw its state funding slashed from $1 million four years ago to $250,000 this year, one of scores of cuts by Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the Legislature to close a succession of multibillion-dollar state budget gaps. The day after Christie won the election, the SBDC issued a statement urging him to "support the growth of entrepreneurship and small-business expansion in New Jersey to shore up the state's economy and create new jobs." The SBDC has seen demand for its services rise 25 percent to 40 percent in the past year due to the recession, said Brenda Hopper, state director. The nonprofit has argued for years that the advice it provides to entrepreneurs and established companies helps create and save jobs — thus sending sales, income and corporate tax revenues to Trenton. During his campaign, "Christie talked about small business being the engine of the economy, and the NJSBDC is part of that train," Hopper said. "Like everyone else in the state, we took a hit — and with the economy and the deficit, we understand that. But we certainly hope Christie will at least keep us at $250,000, and we would love to get back to $500,000." Pennsylvania's Small Business Development Centers, which historically has received greater state funding than New Jersey, also is grappling with cutbacks, according to its state director, Chris Conroy. This year, state funding is $4 million, down from $7.4 million three years ago and $6.8 million last year, Conroy said. He's cutting staff and reducing services, "but demand is greater than we've ever seen," Conroy said. "Small businesses are struggling to survive, and a lot of dislocated workers who can't find a job want to take their skills and turn them into a business." Instead of 8,000 to 9,000 people, Conroy expects his 18 offices to counsel only 6,000 people this year because of the funding cuts. Based at Rutgers University, in Newark, NJSBDC has 11 regional offices around the state where business experts — accountants, entrepreneurs, former bankers and turn-around consultants — are paid by the SBDC to provide free consultation to businesses. The nonprofit also provides workshops and one-on-one help with exporting and landing government contracts. In the past year, the businesses it serves obtained $100 million in financing, created 2,000 jobs and retained 10,140 jobs, according to the SBDC. The bulk of the SBDC's funding — $2.9 million this year — comes from the U.S Small Business Administration, and the nonprofit has to get state funding to qualify for the SBA money. "Our money is very well spent, and I think the state of New Jersey should support them as well," said Jim Kocsi, SBA district director for New Jersey. Karen Katcher is a strategic business and market planning consultant who counsels clients of the SBDC at its Raritan Valley Community College office. Because of the budget cuts, her hours have been cut in half, but demand for her advice has risen during the recession, Katcher said. "I worked with a business owner who had been in business for 15 years and had gotten stuck," and needed help to keep growing. Another individual "had to lay someone off for the first time, and wanted advice. And I'm talking to people who are unemployed and really want to start a business." Vince D'Elia, who heads the NJSBDC office at Bergen Community College, in Paramus, said demand for services is up 20 percent during the past year. "The biggest problems businesses have is lack of funding and a decline in their market share," he said. "We work with them to cut back spending, and to be a resource to their customers, so the customers will be there for the long haul." E-mail to bfitzgerald@njbiz.com This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| More Business - San Francisco Chronicle Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:05 AM PST If it were late 1999, this would be a story about Microsoft Corp. A decade later, it's a strikingly similar tale about Google. The Mountain View Internet company built a $100 billion brand and seized control of the search industry by delivering superior tools and convincing the world it took its "Don't Be Evil" motto seriously. But as the company extends its influence in advertising, media, mobile and dozens of other areas, that perception is increasingly called into question. The most fervent have dubbed it "the new Evil Empire." Others say it's simply becoming another big company focused on the bottom line. Either is a change for a company that cultivated a reputation for trying to improve the world. "The perception has shifted dramatically," said Rob Enderle, technology analyst with the Enderle Group. "Google has become incredibly heavy-handed." Some insist the charges are overblown, arguing the company is just another in a long list that drew outsized scrutiny as it grew dominant. "It gets disproportionate blame because it's disproportionately successful," said Jeff Jarvis, author of "What Would Google Do." Most valuable brandHe added that rankings of corporate reputation consistently put Google near the top. Indeed, this year Fortune rated the company the fourth most admired, and Millward Brown Optimor listed it as the world's most valuable brand. But some observers say Google is exacerbating the tendency to distrust large corporations by failing to recognize how its actions will be perceived - or failing to care. Google Books is a prime example, Enderle said. It's an open debate whether the plan to scan millions of books and make them searchable online will prove the benefit to humanity that Google promises - or hand it a monopoly over certain digital works, as opponents allege. But the consensus is the company fomented an avoidable backlash by forging ahead with its controversial plan without consulting the parties with the most at stake. Authors and publishers responded with lawsuits alleging copyright infringement. Google "had the power to do it and so thought 'why not?' " Enderle said. "That's the core of how a company goes from being seen as friendly to being seen as evil." The initial proposed settlement raised antitrust concerns at the Justice Department, which along with a chorus of criticism from libraries, academics and competitors forced a redrafting of the deal. Another growing concern is that, as Google has expanded into new businesses, it has arguably contradicted certain founding principles. The Google search engine was designed as a neutral system that ranked results based only on relevance. The company still proclaims: "We never manipulate rankings to put our partners higher in our search results." No disclosureA search for Black Eyed Peas on Google, however, returns high links to songs by the band on Lala.com, without any disclosure of the company's partnership with the music provider. Halfway down the page are links to the group's videos on YouTube, with no indication that Google owns the site. The company is using its dominance in search to establish or extend leads in other business areas, said Gary Reback , a prominent Silicon Valley attorney representing opponents of the Google books settlement. "Our goal as a search engine is to give users the info they're seeking as quickly as possible," Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich said. "Sometimes that means embedding our own content ... at the top of the page when it benefits users." Litany of concernsA litany of other concerns has been raised about Google's privacy policies, dominance over online advertising, censorship of search results in China and impact on traditional media. But for any claim against it, Google can fairly point to examples of model corporate behavior. In 2004, the company committed to dedicating 1 percent of its equity and profits to address "the world's most urgent problems." It stood up to government demands for user data when rivals backed down. And it set up an initiative to allow users to easily transport their online data, even from Google applications to those of its rivals. Compared to many, it goes to great lengths to earn consumers' trust, said Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. "By dint of its size, it is threatening, but I think it's trying to do the best it can in that context to be a good corporate citizen," he said. Even Google's fans, though, say it needs to recognize and respond to the way its actions are perceived, even when it's convinced strategies are right or righteous. "Google thinks of itself as Snuffleupagus, but others see it as Big Foot," author Jarvis cautioned. Should the perception of Google continue to worsen, there is a risk beyond government lawsuits, analysts say. The company's highly profitable advertising model depends on a tacit agreement with its customers: We'll provide innovative products for free, if you let us flash ads tailored to your online behavior. But if consumers stop believing the company will handle their information responsibly, it's an easy switch to a new search engine. Google is awareGoogle says it does recognize the threat. Like Microsoft a decade ago, it has dramatically scaled up its lobbying and public relations efforts. It has recently sought to partner with the industries complaining most vocally about its disruptive technologies and has given users more power to edit information stored about them. "We've long subscribed to the theory of transparency and openness and have worked hard in recent years to engage with critics and fans alike," Google spokesman Matt Furman said. "We recognize that our competition is one click away." About GoogleFounders: Larry Page (left) and Sergey Brin Founded: Menlo Park, Sept. 4, 1998 Headquarters: Mountain View Chairman, CEO: Eric Schmidt Revenue: $21.8 billion for 2008 Employees: About 20,000 full-time as of January 2009 Source: Google E-mail James Temple at jtemple@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Boston CPA Firm Caturano and Company Announces Addition of Business ... - YAHOO! Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:20 AM PST New Hire Demonstrates Boston CPA Firm's Growth Plan in Business Valuation Service Offerings Boston, MA (PRWEB) December 7, 2009 -- Boston CPA Firm Caturano and Company announced today that Christopher K. LaDue, MBA, has joined the firm to lead its Business Valuation practice. Christopher specializes in mergers and acquisitions and Business Valuation services for financial and tax reporting, gift and estate planning and litigation support. Christopher brings extensive experience in valuing equity securities, financial instruments and intangible assets. He has prepared fairness and solvency opinions, conducted financial due diligence, and has advised early-stage companies on business plan preparation and private placement funding initiatives. "Our clients rely on our Business Valuation team to help them solve their critical business challenges," said Richard Caturano, CEO and president. "Christopher's extensive knowledge and experience in business valuations, transactions, and gift and estate planning will further enhance the depth and expertise of our existing valuation team, and continue to bring value to our diverse client base" said Caturano. Prior to joining Caturano and Company, Christopher was the director of the Boston office of Globalview Advisors, an international financial valuation and advisory services firm. Christopher has also worked with the valuation practices of Ernst & Young LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he specialized in valuations and mergers & acquisitions. Christopher earned his MBA from Boston University and his BS in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He is currently pursuing the designations of Accredited Senior Appraiser in business valuation from the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute. About Caturano and Company To serve the needs of our multi-location clients, the firm is an active member of Baker Tilly International, one of the world's top ten accounting and business advisory services networks, focused on serving the global needs of growing multi-national enterprises; comprised of 145 independent member firms with 509 offices in 110 countries. # # # 451 Marketing This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
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