SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Oh, Ben Turpin, Where Art Thou?
As the year draws to a close, it's time to get a little philosophical and take a longer-range view of some things that are happening in the world.
General Business
Most Recent Releases
December 21, 2010
December 17, 2010
40% Say Food Stamps Too Easy to Get
The federal government recently reported than 14% of the U.S. population or a record 42.9 million people received food stamps in September, with up to 20% getting them in some states.
December 14, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Minority Owners Don't Get Mad, They (Sometimes) Get Even
"I formed a business with two partners a couple of years ago. We set up a corporation, and divided the stock three ways. Me and my brother each had 40 percent of the company, and a good friend of ours had the remaining 20 percent.
December 10, 2010
Americans Still Strongly Favor Audit of the Fed
Looks like the Republicans want the fox watching the henhouse. Ron Paul, one of Congress’ sharpest critics of the Federal Reserve, has been chosen to lead the House subcommittee that monitors the Fed’s activities, and he promises to push again for a full audit of the nation’s central bank.
December 9, 2010
Only 17% Say Today's Children Will Be Better Off Than Their Parents
Americans historically have always worked to make sure their children were better off than they were, but the number who believe today's youth will be better off than their parents has fallen to its lowest level ever.
December 9, 2010
Americans Still Worry Whether Fed Can Keep Inflation, Interest Rates Down
Though Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has announced plans to commit another $600 billion to the banking system in an effort to jumpstart the economy, most Americans still aren’t confident the Fed can control inflation and keep interest rates down.
December 8, 2010
Most Americans Hold Less Confidence in Obama’s Economic Advisers
With continuing problems in the economy and the national unemployment rate up to 9.8%, Americans nationwide are even less confident in President Obama’s economic advisers than they were three months ago.
December 7, 2010
Americans See Long Road to Recovery for Stock Market, Home Prices
Although the United States has officially been out of an economic recession for over a year, Americans are even more pessimistic about how long it will take the housing and stock markets to recover.
December 7, 2010
Majority of Americans Don't Expect Economic Recovery Anytime Soon
Americans remain pessimistic about the chances for economic recovery in the short-term and continue to pin their hopes on a long-term turnaround.
December 7, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: As Yogi Berra Said, "When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!"
"I have been working for a company for several years now, and it's not working out. I am being given unreasonable deadlines, my superiors are breathing down my neck for results and they are treating me like dirt, but they also are not giving me the resources I need to get the job done despite numerous requests on my part.
December 6, 2010
Government Employees Remain Most Confident About Economy
From 2005 to early 2009, entrepreneurs were more confident about the economy than government employees, private sector employees, retirees and other Americans. However, since March of last year, government workers have been the most confident (or, perhaps, the least pessimistic).
November 30, 2010
Mind the Gap: The Role of Gender in Economic Confidence
One of the constants in Rasmussen Reports Consumer Index tracking of economic confidence is that women are more skeptical about the economy than men. Some might say that women are more pessimistic while others might say more realistic; the gap is a regular feature of consumer confidence data.
November 30, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Starting a New Business in the Middle of Divorce
"My wife and I started a business a couple of years ago. We formed a limited liability company (LLC) to run the business, and split the ownership (and the work) 50-50.
November 23, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Go Ahead, Tax the Rich, Just as Long as It's Not Me
A lot of people are confused right now about Congress' plans to raise taxes (more precisely, eliminate the Bush-era tax cuts) for people with incomes of $250,000 per year or more.
November 16, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Forming a Limited Liability Company To Shield Assets from Creditors
"I am starting a new Internet business in my spare time, and have considered forming a limited liability company (LLC) for this business. I also owe a ton of money to some people, and there's a good chance I may have to file personal bankruptcy in the next year to two years. I have heard that if an LLC has only one member, it doesn't really protect you because your 100 percent ownership interest in the LLC becomes just another asset your creditors can attack.
November 13, 2010
America Wants What America Makes
When it comes to purchasing products, Americans want their goods home-grown.
November 12, 2010
Americans Say Free Trade Good for Economy But Costs Jobs
A plurality of voters continues to believe that the country’s economy will benefit from free trade, but they also think it will stunt job growth.
November 10, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Avoiding "Straw People" When Buying a Small Business
"My wife and I are looking to buy a business together. We heard about a great local business that's for sale, but when we inquired with the business broker handling the sale, we learned that it was already under contract to be sold. However, the broker told us the buyer was getting 'cold feet' and probably wouldn't want to go through with the sale. Since the buyer was getting a terrific price for this business, what this broker suggested is that we contact the buyer and offer to buy the limited liability company (LLC) he formed to acquire this business. That way, we could become the buyer under the contract of sale and close on this business without the seller changing the deal. The buyer would stay on board as the 'President' of the LLC and sign all of the documents at closing as if he were still the party in charge, so the seller wouldn't suspect anything.
November 5, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: The Tax Reform America's Small Businesses Really Need (Part 2 of 2)
Here are some more tax breaks America's small businesses really need.
October 28, 2010
Most Americans Say Tax Cuts Trump Increased Government Spending
When faced with a budget crisis, most Americans think "it's always better to cut taxes than to increase government spending because taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their money."
