In the NewsCybercriminals Target Local GovernmentsA new trend has local governments on guard: global computer hackers stealing their money.Legal IssuesSenate May Take Up Another Pay Bill Before End of TermProponents say the bill would help women pull even with men in compensation levels, asserting that women make only 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. The issue takes on more urgency during a recession, they say, because women are the sole breadwinners in many households. Economy [Read Full Article]

Government, Politics, and the Economy U.S. Chain Sales up 0.1 Percent in September Chain sales increased in the United States for  the first time in 14 months, according to ICSC. ManageSmarter.comManagement and OperationsDealing With Demanding Customers We all experience it, customers who are over-demanding. Figure out how to deal with these customers and still show respect. BusinessKnowHow.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]

Government, Politics, and the EconomyTech: The Return of Risk-Taking Suddenly, there are mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and investors galore. Will the reenergized industry lead the U.S. out of the Great Recession? BusinessWeek.comManagement and Operations33 Highly Useful Presentation Tools Use these tools for presentations to engage your audience, and get your point across using the latest technology. SmallBizTrends.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]

Government, Politics, and the Economy Consumer Confidence Soars A step towards the right direction, consumers are now looking positively towards the future in regards to spending, housing, employment, and the economy.  CNNmoney.comManagement and Operations3 Vital Business Lessons from Tiger Woods' PGA LossThe big upset of Tiger Woods losing the prestigious PGA tournament has not only created a buzz in the sports world, but in the business world as well. See how Woods' loss translates into business lessons. BusinessKnowHow.comManagement and Operations [Read Full Article]

In case you didn’t see through the thinly veiled references, yesterday’s column was talking about the federal government. I asked in an earlier entry, after Congress gave itself a generous pay increase, whether the government should be run like a business. Now, with it expanding beyond all reason, doing things that it was never supposed to do, we come back to that question: Should the government be run like a business? Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics Mark Twain said it best, “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The US government has certainly proven that point. In addition to voting themselves pay increases, Congresses and Administrations through history have played fast and loose with information that would have likely affected their ability to remain in power. These include: During the Kennedy administration, unemployment was redefined with the concept of "discouraged workers" so as to reduce the popularly followed un... [Read Full Article]

There is a corporate entity out there, vast and powerful, big enough to dictate the terms of any contract it enters into, it spends money like water yet it provides lavish perks for its executives and its board while, at the same time, being underfunded to the extent that it has been running so deeply in the red for so long that it has been essentially bankrupt for ages. The only reason it has survived this long is that its influence with consumers is very great, and it has its hands in so many aspects of business and personal life that it is, essentially, too big to fail. However, even with that its days seem more and more to be numbered. You see, while the uneducated consumer is this outfit’s best friend, especially in their support for the new CEO, many of the dirty tricks that have kept its consumer base strong over the last thirty years are now being noticed. Here are some highlights: ·        Payroll data to the shareholders have bee... [Read Full Article]

There comes a point in every employee’s life when he is sitting across from his boss for a quick review of the past year, a discussion of future expectations and, of course, the annual raise. It is the annual review and it is as much of a tradition as the Christmas party and the special and most coveted Employee-of-the-Month parking spot. That is what we in the private sector get. What do our congressional representatives (you know, OUR employees) get? They get elections. They also get to give themselves raises. When the Employees Call the Shots Imagine your employees having a meeting and then informing you that they will be taking a raise. You might get a little dog-and-pony show to justify it, but the bottom line would be that they want more money. More than that, they have put in place a mechanism to automatically give them more whether you think they deserve it or not. You company makes money, they get raises. Your company loses money, they get the same raises... [Read Full Article]