The month of July was a tenuous one for investors, as the ongoing debt problems in Europe were swiftly eclipsed by concerns about the U.S. debt ceiling, leaving everyone nervous about a potential default and possible credit downgrade of U.S. Treasury securities. The S&P 500 declined 2.1%, bonds were up 1.40%, and commodities advanced by [...]

In the 1920’s, Calvin Coolidge famously said, “The business of America is business.” That clearly seemed to be true at that time and for many years afterwards, as America’s industrial might grew and millions of people found good paying jobs in American industries. With the exception of the 1930’s, this was true for many decades. [...]

Stock markets and commodities sold off for most of June, while bonds rallied in the face of weakening U.S. economic data and more potential default news from Europe/Greece. Towards month end, the trends reversed, leaving all asset classes in the negative column for the month. The S&P 500 declined 1.6%, bonds were off .8%, and [...]

Once upon a time, your widget broke. You went to The Widget Store to buy a new one, maybe even get a fancier widget than your old one. But there was a problem. When you walked into the store, none of the employees or managers looked at you, spoke to you, or acknowledged you were [...]

Bonds had a good month in May, with the Barclay’s Aggregate Index rising .94%. Stocks were off, with the S&P declining by 1.35%. Gold slipped by 1.79%. The outlook changed over the month from a relatively bullish stance to a more guarded one, as stories of economic weakness became more prevalent. Especially noteworthy was the [...]

Do you really know what talent you have in your business? Chances are pretty good that you don’t. You are operating based on hunches or guesses that are based on your observations and expectations. The dilemma for many employers is to know how to manage people through their individual talents rather than the skills required [...]

Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted by permission of the author. President Obama is currently promoting his new energy plan. After a bruising battle over “cap and trade” last year, Obama has set his sights this year on another target-oil and natural gas companies. Vilifying “big oil” might be good politics, but it’s bad policy. [...]

Innovation is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the introduction of something new; a new idea, method, or device. Synonyms for innovation are brainchild, concoction, contrivance, invention, or wrinkle. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, reporting on the findings of a study done by The Conference Board, business growth was ranked [...]