Business

‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ Reviews: Best New Release

Rave reviews for ‘goat men’
After a bit of a dry spell at the box office, we are inundated this week with a flood of new releases. Critic favorite is clearly “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” as reviews from all over sing its praises. It’s no surprise that a film [...]

George Clooney image from Flickr.

Layoffs Being Used As Debt Relief, But Is It A Good Option?

Layoffs
Many businesses are looking to layoffs as a method of finding debt relief, but research is showing that this knee-jerk reaction to the economy isn’t always a good option. Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at Wharton School, stated, “It’s hard to save money if the jobs [...]

Many Business Owners are Hiring Relatives to Find Debt Relief

Hiring Family Members
The search for debt relief has been a strong incentive for business owners to employ their relatives. Statistics are showing that of the six-million-member pool of small businesses in the U.S., about 20 percent of those with 100 employees or more, involve two or more family members. Analysts [...]

Employing relatives in a family business can be a reward path to debt relief, but some precautions are necessary. (Photo: flickr.com)

Effects of Recession Aren’t All Negative

Coping with Unemployment
Millions of people around the world have fallen victim to the current recession. Business houses with international reputations have filed for bankruptcy and employees who were confident of their job security have been dismissed. While the experience of unemployment is common, the reactions of the unemployed vary widely. [...]

She's found that silver lining amidst the dark clouds of the recession. It's a matter of effort and perspective. (Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

Vanderbilt/Oxford Study: Payday Loan Firm Profits Not Excessive

Profits are in Line With Traditional Lenders, Says Study
Infinite profits earned off the backs of the infinite suffering masses. If you take your news from the multi-colored, sugar-laden toothpaste tube that is the mainstream media, then you believe that the payday loan industry is reaping massive profits while those who [...]

Think this represents the average payday loan company CEO? Think again. Profitability is hardly out of sight, even if it has allowed the industry to grow. (Photo: flickr.com)

Oprah Payless Coupons | Savings in a Text Message

New kind of coupon
Though Oprah Payless coupons do exist in the usual, online download and print out format, this time there is a twist. If you go to Oprah.com/payless, you have the choice of downloading and printing the Oprah Payless coupons or getting a text message that says you are [...]

Ah, Payless. Image from Flickr.

‘Paranormal Activity’ Promises to Scare You

Scariest movie award
Well, it seems at least a few people are finally getting over the “Saw” franchise. Then again, it was the second highest grossing film at the box office last weekend. However, more people chose to buy tickets to “Paranormal Activity.” In the ads for “Paranormal Activity” it promises [...]

Image from Flickr.

Paid Maternity for Childless Women

Is Paid Maternity a Privilege or a Right?
I think that America has the wrong idea when it comes to work-life balance. The wheels of business have to turn for our economy to function, but do we honestly have to spend the vast majority of our waking lives (and sleeping lives, [...]

Parenthood is as sacred a thing as exists for human beings. What's fair is what the child needs, not that you keep up with Martha Jones' in number of vacation days. (Photo: flickr.com)

Black Friday 2009: Sears Black Friday Now

Sears – Black Friday Deals Before Black Friday 2009!
I am so looking forward to Black Friday 2009. I’ve been waiting all year for this day to come and boy, with all the hot deals I’ve discovered, I’m afraid I might need an installment loan if I don’t reach my Black [...]

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25103209@N06/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers, Wal-Mart Caskets on Aisle 9

Great Deals, Unbeatable Prices
People go to Wal-Mart for one thing; to save money. I don’t care what others have to say about the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart is one of the best places to go to reduce the probable need of a payday loan. I find just about everything I [...]

(Photo via Wikimedia.org)

‘How I Met Your Mother’ Season 5 Episode 6 Airs Next Week

Wasted space on my DVR
Last night, “How I Met Your Mother” took a little mid-season break, which is a perfectly normal thing for a sit-com or any television series to do. However, nowadays a lot of people watch their favorite shows online or recorded on a DVR, so if there [...]

Looking classy, image from Flickr.

Lenders Settling Debt on Credit Cards with Consumers

Settling Debt
A new study is showing that many lending companies are settling debts on delinquent credit cards. As a new way of mitigating losses, many credit card companies are settling cards for notably less than the total amounts owed. Edward McClelland, a writer in Chicago, is a consumer who had [...]

More creditors are agreeing to settlements on credit card debt before law changes make their rates illegal. (Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

Government Programs Help Small Export Businesses

Programs for Small Export Businesses
If you’re a small-business owner and want to start exporting your products, the federal government offers programs to help you expand. Most of these programs can stand alone or work in conjunction with other programs to help increase sales.
SBA and EX-IM
The two main programs available to [...]

Export cargo isnt just for big businesses (photo: flickr.com)

Taylor Swift Tickets for U.S. Shows on Sale

Tickets for select shows available
She won’t be performing in the U.S. until next year, but Taylor Swift tickets are now available for several of her tour dates. Taylor Swift tickets for shows in Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Missouri are already selling like hotcakes. Stories of teenagers waiting throughout the night [...]

Taylor Swift image from Picasa.

‘Project Runway’ Season 6, Episode 9

Designers instructed to whisk you away
On “Project Runway” season 6, episode 9, the designers were instructed to design an outfit inspired by a place, such as New York, Greece, St. Tropez, etc. They got $300 in quick cash to get fabric and supplies. But that wasn’t the interesting part.
Since last [...]

Who will end up at Bryant Park this year? Image from Flickr.

Jodie Sweetin’s Memoir | Will She Make a Comeback?

Book by Jodie Sweetin comes out soon
Jodie Sweetin, the actress who played middle child Stephanie on “Full House,” has written a memoir. The book, “UnSweetined,” hits shelves Nov. 3, and it details her childhood on TV and her drug addiction.
Amazon.com has a pretty extensive excerpt from the book. In it, [...]

Image from Flickr.

Cutting Corners Without Affecting Quality Or Service

The Nature of Running a Business
A business owner understands and accepts the responsibility of effecting change for the good of her or his business. It’s part of the nature of running a business.
Needless to say, you cannot effect change without compromising on something. However, there are ways to be more [...]

Help your employees be more efficient.

Will Disney Wedding Rings Lead to Fairy Tale Weddings?

Disney wedding rings not Mickey Mouse
When I first read the phrase “Disney wedding rings,” pictures of mouse-cut diamonds and bright, cartoon colors flashed in my head. However, it appears that all things Disney don’t have to be about talking animals and magic.
It’s true that Disney is now in the business [...]

Image from Flickr.

Debt Relief Hard To Handle | Employers Change 401(k) Rules

Debt
Debt relief is a hot topic in today’s recession. Many consumers are searching to find extra money for savings, bills and personal expenses. They also are seeking ways to fund retirement, college and other large expenses that will require thousands of dollars. Due to the recession, however, there are many [...]

Debt relief and 401(k)

Who Needs Investment Analysts?

What Services do Investment Analysts Provide?
Investment banking analysts are the professional financial consultants who carefully examine corporate balance sheets and keep their finger on what is happening across the economy. They analyze the prices of the materials a business uses in its products, the level of demands for these goods, [...]

Want to feel the pulse of the economy? Consider a career as an investment analyst. (Photo: Wikipedia.org)