Archive for the ‘Business’ category

How Toyota Saved $100M and Endangered Customers

February 22nd, 2010

Toyota Had Prior Knowlede of Diffects

At this point is a trivial fact that Toyota Motor Company is in deep troubles over their repeat recalls in recent month. What people did not know is the previous knowledge of the issues by high ranking Toyota officials.

Did Toyota know about the issue and chose to continue with the production of their vehicles or were they as surprised as we all were? Documents handed over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are painting a very scary picture of the company that many Americans have come to regard as one of the most trustworthy car manufacturers on the market.

In an internal document dating back to June 6 of 2009, a top executive boasted how by negotiating the recall to be an “equipment only” recall versus a much larger and costly “total vehicle recall” the company was able to save $100M plus. This recall was directly mentioning the problem [re: sudden acceleration]. » Read more: How Toyota Saved $100M and Endangered Customers

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Posted in Business, Politics

Democrats Shut Down Senate Jobs Bill

February 16th, 2010

Where's the Party At?

This has to be the shortest lived jobs bill to ever enter senate, and sooner than you can say “bi-partisan effort” the bill has been nixed by Senate Majority Leader Reid. Apparently the bill introduced on the 11th by senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was little “too bi-partisan” for Mr. Reid’s taste. After been hashed out in the senate for weeks, the democrats opposing the bill (and that would be most of them) complained to Mr. Reid that the bill contains too many tax cuts for small and medium businesses and no unemployment benefits extension. In other words… the bill did not include enough government spending.

With unemployment benefits standing to end on February 28th, it seams that the bi-partisanship effort we have grown accustomed to in the last 8 years is well and thriving on Capitol Hill. I just love watching my elected officials at work, especially when by now I am quite amused by the hatred and poisonous debates that the health care reform had to go through and the job bill is falling victim to.

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Creating a Basic Budget for Your Small Business

February 16th, 2010

Basic Business Budget

One of the oldest sayings in business is that you have to spend money to make money. But you have to spend your money wisely. And that’s where budgeting comes into play.

A basic budget tries to anticipate your spending needs and forecasts your sales and other revenue. A budget helps you predict when money comes in and goes out so you can better manage your cash flow. It’s also useful when dealing with bankers on loans. In short, a budget is a useful road map to guide your business through the year.

A good basic budget can:

1. Forecast the timing and amounts of your spending
2. Set realistic goals for income and expenses
3. Give you a standard against which to measure performance
4. Help you control your expenses
5. Show you when you’re overspending so you can adjust

The three main elements of any business budget are sales revenues, expenditures and profits. To create your budget, you’ll need to anticipate a dollar amount for each elements. Existing businesses can look to past figures for guidance; new businesses must make an educated guess. » Read more: Creating a Basic Budget for Your Small Business

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President Proposes Strong Budget for Small Businesses

February 15th, 2010

Small Business Administration

Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu, D-La. today praised the Small Business Administration (SBA) components of President Obama’s budget proposal. For the second year in a row, the President has proposed increasing funding for the SBA and its programs, taking decisive steps to rebuild the SBA after eight years of cuts. The request proposes to increase funding to the agency by $170 million from last year’s enacted level, to $994 million. This, along with new small business job-creating proposals the President outlined in his State of the Union address last week, show the Obama Administration’s strong support for small businesses.

“By requesting more money to help our small businesses succeed, President Obama’s budget proposal emphasizes that small business remains a top priority for the Administration and is central to the President’s efforts to create jobs,” Sen. Landrieu said.

“As part of his budget, the President again showed his support for increasing the caps on small business loans as a way to provide small businesses with immediate capital to grow and hire workers. This is a proposal I, along with Ranking Member Olympia Snowe, introduced last year. It has since gained even more bipartisan support and passed the Committee. It is my hope the proposal will be included in any job-creating measure introduced in the Senate. » Read more: President Proposes Strong Budget for Small Businesses

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Introducing our eBay Specialist Terance Henry

February 13th, 2010

eBay Certification

I try to provide as much experience and focused commentary on this blog as possible. While I know a lot about the Internet and business I am not the Jack of all trades. As such I always look to partner up with creative minds, experienced individuals and experts in their field. It is my pleasure to announce that Trance Henry, an education specialist for eBay will be our resident writer for all things eBay and online sales.

Mr. Henry is an accomplished eBay specialist and a successful business owner. He is also an instructor at John A. Logan Community College in Carterville Illinois and the number 2 eBay specialist in the state of Illinois. » Read more: Introducing our eBay Specialist Terance Henry

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How to start selling on ebay

February 12th, 2010

Make Money on eBay

For the last 9 years I’ve been ask how to sell successfully on eBay.  Ebay is the place where today, for example, 1.3 million people in the world make a living on the internet. VMEUXA3996NB

eBay continues to attract people who would like to make a portion of their living selling online. Of course, there’s a big difference be­tween making a buck and making a living, between a sometime-thing and a steady gig. I’ve been paid a few times to play the guitar—it doesn’t make me a professional musician.  There’s a lot that goes into making a living on eBay that some people need to think about first before becoming a seller. First you will need to determine just how serious you are about becoming an eBay seller, it takes a lot of time and research.  You will spend a lot of time taken pictures, answering emails & phone calls, as well as determining just how much your product is worth.  » Read more: How to start selling on ebay

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Can You Still Make a Living Selling on Amazon and eBay?

February 12th, 2010

Selling on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay is getting more complicated. As Kelly K. Spors reports today in her small-business guide:
The sites are crowded with sellers, and new third-party marketplaces are cropping up all of the time. Plus, the rules change frequently. EBay angered many longtime sellers in recent years by restricting payment options, changing seller feedback procedures and promoting fixed-price items over its original auction-style listings. Amazon’s Marketplace stopped accepting new sellers in some product categories and requires pre-approval in others.

“Merely being listed on eBay or Amazon isn’t a sustainable business,” said Dennis Ceru, an entrepreneurship professor at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. “There are a lot of people going down this path that are making little or no money.”
Is it still possible to make a living on eBay or the other sites? If so, what are the keys to succeeding? Please tell us about your experiences.

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