Business News

During the 1980’s I met Melvin Powers, the owner of Wilshire Publishing Company in the San Fernando Valley.  I always enjoy meeting people that are good people and use their minds in finding ways to benefit others.  He was also the author of several books of his own which he published.
Upon purchasing one of his books and talking with him, we agreed that I would come to his office and meet with him.  First of all, he is a very bright man.  Something became obvious to me. 

As part of a program to study how American taxpayers are cheating the government, the IRS will randomly selected 13,000 taxpayers to audit this month.  You might be one of the unlucky ones.  In November, 13,000 randomly selected taxpayers will receive a letter from the IRS.  Its purpose: to inform them that they are being audited. 

Picture this: You’re leaving your current employer to start a new job or pursue other interests and you’re about to receive a payout of the money in your retirement plan.  What will you do with it?  Keep the money invested and working full-time on your behalf in a tax-deferred retirement savings account or take the cash?

Hands down, in a family case, mediation beats litigation every time.  Why is that you ask?  Well I’m going to tell you.  First, mediation is much less expensive than litigation.  The parties generally split the cost of a mediator, who is employed by both parties for relatively short mediation sessions.  Those proceedings can last from a half-day, to a few days or so, depending upon the nature and complexity of the issues.  The entire process is much less adversarial.  It is conducted in an informal atmosphere rather than a cold courtroom and neither side needs a lawyer.  Mediation is also much faster than litigation.  You could be litigating for years in a family law case.  I have one family law case in litigation that has been pending since 1997.

A spouse who is self-petitioning under this law must show that he or she:  is the spouse of a citizen or green card holder of the United States; is an immediate relative; is living in the United States; has lived in the United States with the citizen or green card holder spouse; has been battered by, or been subjected to extreme cruelty during the marriage; or is the parent of a child who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by the citizen or green card holder during the marriage; is a person of good moral character; deportation would work an extreme hardship to himself, herself, or his or her child; and married to the citizen or green card holder in good faith.  A battered child or parent can apply following the same basic requirements.

Over the past two decades Barrister Executive Suites virtual office programs have helped many home-based businesses to grow and become more profitable.  Barrister offers your business the presence of a high-profile office at a fraction of the cost of a traditional office.

Part II – In last month’s issue, I referenced a number of concerns and challenges around migrating to Microsoft Vista.  I recommended that unless buying a new system, the best option is not to rush the upgrade to Vista.

You may have heard the terms “bottom up” and “top down” used to describe approaches to investing.  You may even use one of these methods of stock selection yourself.  The two approaches involve opposing philosophies in determining which companies in which to invest.

Does the volume of your e-mail inundate you?  Do you dread opening your inbox because you’ll have 50 or even hundreds of messages since the last time you looked?  Is your system constantly filled to capacity with messages from people you don’t know?  In this era of instant messaging, text messaging and Web-based communication, e-mail remains a mainstay for most individuals and businesses alike. 

In business success or failure depends on how well you do against your competition.  I know, you are thinking you’re not in competition with others.  Your only job is to provide the customer with what they want.  But if that was your only job, then you would be opulently successful and probably not reading this now.  In reality you have two jobs: providing for the customer and doing better than your competition.  You are competing like it or not.  And just how do you compete?  You compete to win.  Your customer will only choose either you or one of your competitors.  Your job is to make sure the customer chooses you.

A personal injury lawsuit derives from any incident where an individual suffers fatal, physical and/or emotional injuries.  Examples include car accidents, slip and falls, construction site accidents, dog bites, burn injuries, food poisoning or using defective products.

Approximately 50 percent of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce.  Unfortunately, divorce decrees are not easy to deal with, especially when it comes to splitting up retirement assets.  Following these basic guidelines will help to ensure an efficient transfer of assets from one spouse to another.  Most firms require two documents when transferring assets: a Letter of Instruction and a proper Divorce Decree or Separation Agreement.

So is it time to transfer to a new industry?  Industries have cycles; emerging technologies with explosive growth evolve to competitive environments with many organizations vying for the same customers.  When an industry finally reaches maturity, there is not enough business to go around with too many hungry mouths fighting for a piece of an ever-shrinking pie.  That’s when you find yourself working for a dinosaur, not that your boss acts like T-Rex, but that your company and the entire industry, is ultimately going to become extinct.

Helping individuals and businesses manage their debt is one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of my profession.  The first question I ask is “What is your monthly budget?”  Most of the time, I get a blank stare in response.  Having a budget for our personal and business expenses is the first step to financial freedom.

A legal document assistant must meet certain educational requirements, attend continuing education programs and must be licensed and bonded with Los Angeles County.

Over the years, I have developed relationships with some very capable people in the business world.  From each of these people there is something to learn.  One of these people, a very capable woman, who has achieved some very high level things in the business world, shared something with me.  In a conversation several years ago, she said that each time she became involved in something, she was apprehensive about being able to do it.  To accomplish what needed to be done.

When it’s time for your company to relocate, you may be faced with the need to cable your new office for voice and data.  There are many options available with respect to type, category and configuration.  It’s important to know what your communication needs will be over the entire duration of time that you will be in the new space.
The most common cable categories available today are three, 5e and six.  Standards for each category are determined by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) in TIA/EIA 568-B and are defined as follows:

Cheating on your taxes?  Maybe thinking about it?  Let the tale of former taxman Ronald C. Heidel be a lesson to you.  In the mid-’70s, Heidel went to work for the Internal Revenue Service.  He was the dreaded auditor, the G-man who showed up at your door with bad news: You’ve been audited.  But as it turned out, Heidel wasn’t the average auditor.