Are employee wellness programs a flop? The evidence points to yes. Over the past several decades, many companies have created wellness programs that aim to improve the lives of employees outside of the workplace, improve performance at work and lower health care costs. Wellness has also expanded to include financial wellness, psychological wellness and all other kinds of wellness. Creating incentive programs to get employees to eat healthier foods, exercise and schedule medical screenings has … [Read more...]
Controversial Revenue Source That Could Alienate Your Customers
Many business are making money by selling customer data. A Controversial Revenue Source. Is this a good idea? Selling information about customers to data brokers is turning into a big business. Is this Controversial Revenue Source a good idea? Companies that capture data about who buys what at their stores can package this information and sell it, creating a new revenue stream that is almost pure profit. ProPublica recently conducted an investigation to determine the extent to which information … [Read more...]
Cheap Credit Getting Dangerous
An important financial organization has issued a grave warning about the global economic "recovery." Global Economy's Addiction to Cheap Credit Getting Dangerous The Institute of International Finance issued an important warning in a recent report published in the Capital Markets Monitor about the condition of the global economy. The IIF is the world’s only international organization for financial institutions and has over 450 member companies representing 70 countries. The IIF believes that … [Read more...]
Charging Customers to Listen to Your Sales Pitch?
How much would your customers pay to listen to your Sales Pitch? Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, asks an interesting question: would your customers be willing to pay to listen to your sales pitch? At first this sounds crazy, but he’s trying to make an important point. It isn’t enough to say that you are selling a particular product or service at a good price. Everyone does that. To stand out from the competition, you need to provide enough value to potential clients during … [Read more...]
Dow Jones All-Time High Proves We are in Financial La-La-Land
Dow Jones All-Time High this Tuesday. Caveat emptor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which measures the stock price performance of 30 companies that are representative of our economy, hit an all-time high on Tuesday, surpassing the previous all-time high set in 2007 before the financial crisis. What makes the record so worrying is that underlying economic condition apparently are having no impact on stock prices. As ZeroHedge blogger Tyler Durden (no, not that Tyler Durden) points out, by … [Read more...]
How China’s Real Estate Bubble Could Destroy Your Finances
China's real estate market may be the biggest bubble in history ... and it's about to burst. Japan’s real estate bubble burst in 1991, and it took a decade for the economy to start crawling back. In fact, Japan’s economy is still dealing with the fallout. Meanwhile, the U.S. housing bubble burst seven years ago and was followed by the worst financial crisis in nearly a century. We are still trying to crawl our way out of that one. These two bubbles, however, pale in comparison to the next … [Read more...]
SBA Proposes Major Changes to 504 and 7(a) Loans
SBA plans to make it much easier for small businesses to qualify for its loan programs. The Small Business Administration recently published in the Federal Register proposed changes to its most popular small-business loan guarantee programs. The goals of the changes are to streamline the application process for borrowers, speed up the approval process for lenders and expand the number of companies that qualify for SBA programs. The 504 Loan Program provides long-term fixed asset financing to … [Read more...]
How to Pull Cash Out of Your Retirement Accounts
How to Pull Cash Out of Your Retirement is just as important as putting money in. Here's why. Most small-business owners look forward to the day when they no longer have to work and can retire (or semi-retire) knowing that they have sufficient assets to provide a comfortable retirement. Having sizeable investments is only part of the equation; you also need to ensure that these investments can be converted to cash in a way that minimizes taxes and penalties. Christine Benz, director of … [Read more...]
Business Travel is About to Get Pricier
Airlines made $36 billion in fees last year. Maybe you should follow their lead. Business Travel is About to Get Pricier. Traveling for business can be an unpleasant experience—long security lines, flight delays, uncomfortable seats and “snacks for purchase” —are just some of the highlights. In 2013, we have something else to look forward to—more fees. Last year, major airlines collected $36 billion in high-margin fees. These fees now represent a significant source of revenues (and … [Read more...]
Groupon Stock Jumps, But Serious Problems Remain
Investors support the firing of Groupon's Mason. But is it enough to start a turnaround? The firing of Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason has apparently made investors happy. The stock price closed up over 12.5 percent today, another sign that the market had lost confidence in Mason. Investors, which have sold the stock in massive quantities and driven its stock down more than 8 percent since its IPO peak, may welcome this decision, but it's not enough to ensure the company a path to … [Read more...]
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