I tried to think of a post where I would bring out the best of 2011 economically, but the best I could some up with was, “It could have been worse.” That doesn’t convey much fondness.

2011 was characterized by using debt to “solve” debt problems.  Avoid default, extend the loan.  Or, let a public entity [...]

Why are profit margins so high?  I offer a few reasons:

1) Those that fund equity have high demands placed on them.  Many are pension plans and endowments, and they push firms to achieve higher profits.  This is true whether the business is public or private.

2) With globalization, there is downward pressure on wages for those [...]

At the Dental Trade Alliance Meeting last month I listened to Ram Charan, highly-sought after consultant to Fortune 500 CEOs and co-author of Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation, talk about converting ideas into innovation. In every company I’ve [...]

Earlier this month I enjoyed listening to a baseball hero of mine, Cal Ripken, Jr., talk to a room full of business executives. He shared the eight principles that helped him beat the “unbeatable” record of consecutive games played in the Major Leagues, outlined in his book Get in the Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance [...]

How do you feel when you unexpectedly receive a gift? Don’t know about you but I love it. Makes me feel special, makes me smile and I love telling other people about the unexpected act of kindness.

I flew into Providence, RI a couple of weeks ago for the New England MAP Conference and used a [...]

While there haven’t been a lot of tax changes that will affect individual tax returns for 2011, many taxpayers will be seeing changed on the forms they prepare to report their income. Schedules C, D, E and F have all been revised to report income that will be coming from the new 1099Ks, changes in [...]

There is a benefit to reading books on marketing for those that will never be marketers: it will immunize you to sales pitches.  Think of it as studying the strategies of the enemy.  When you talk to salesmen, you can flip their words back at them, or tell them “no,” to the questions that have [...]