We're proud of the "Straight Talk. All the Time" mantra on this site. Jason Calacanis of Maholo.com and founder of Silicon Alley Reporter stays close to that line in his recent newsletter that BW republished. It describes his brutal experiences with the dot.com implosion and offers the hard cold facts…
Warren Buffet's Chairman's letter in the annual report of Berkshire Hathaway is always a good read and offers a glimpse into the mind of America's investment éminence grise. It has been extracted from the 100pp page BH 2008 Annual Report.
CFO Magazine recently published an article about “How to Talk about Layoffs“. It includes some valuable anecdotes about layoff processes that don’t work.
Here are several key themes that bear repeating:
The North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, is a weekly business newspaper which covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties.
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Article published – February 23, 2009
BUILDING A BUSINESS: Ideas for your business you can take to the bank
“Money is better than poverty if only for financial reasons.” – Woody Allen
I’ve received a lot of questions lately about banking issues and the “rules of the road” for dealing with your bank in a troubled economy. All of us are facing an economy that I refer to as the “Double V” – an insidious environment comprised of big volatility and little visibility. These twin engines will predominate for the foreseeable future.
This week’s column will start with Banking 101 as we make our way toward more subtle concepts. Unquestionably, this process is more artful than scientific, and while there are mechanical tasks and financial metrics that apply, managing your banking relationship requires both judgment and discretion.
• No Surprises. It’s no surprise that “No Surprises” is at the top of the list. (more…)
BW reported this week on the accelerating trend toward home offices. Even such office-centric firms as BDO Seidman are finding ways to save money by encouraging home offices - and outfitting at company expense. Capital One - health care companies - and others are cited for recognizing the cost savings…
The North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, is a weekly business newspaper which covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties.
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Article published – February 9, 2009
Simply signing the payables, ‘walking around’ can reveal savings, innovations
“Never neglect details. When everyone’s mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.” – Colin Powell
It’s a phrase we’ve all heard ad nauseum, but yes, the devil’s still in the details. How does a business leader retain perspective on the more strategic elements of his company while capturing and controlling sufficient details to calibrate and validate the execution of that strategy?
Here are a few proven methods to uncover and gain insight into some of these intricate details. (more…)
You may not need another metric to measure your business but CFO Magazine recently described an interesting new metric called "free cash flow growth profile" as a measure of measuring the amount of discretionary cash available. In this context, "discretionary" means "no strings attached". While you could calculate that benchmark…
The North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, is a weekly business newspaper which covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties.
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Article published – December 15, 2008
BUILDING A BUSINESS: Surprise: ‘Cash is king; here’s how to keep it flowing
by Lary Kirchenbauer
“Money’s a horrid thing to follow but a charming thing to meet.” – Henry James
There is probably no more trite but compelling phrase in the business lexicon these days than “Cash is King.” What does it mean? (more…)
The New York Times recently wrote an investigative piece about the ratings agencies, particularly Moody's, and their role in the financial debacle that has befallen Wall St. Lucifer smiled and opened his gates, I suspect, when Moody's started selling their services to the same parties they are rating, and did…