Taxing the Service Sector
There are no good reasons -- only political reasons -- why states should collect sales taxes on hammers but not on the services of people who wield them. Read more
Money and Finance
Recent Money and Finance Articles
Untaxed Competitors
Facing unfair competition from tax-exempt charities Read more
How To Survive A Cash Crisis
If your company gets into financial difficulties, don't panic. First, try these steps espoused by Multi Financial Services Inc. chairman Gerald C. Meyers, fo... Read more
Cashing In Without Cashing Out
A growing number of owners are selling their companies to venture capitalists -- without giving up a controlling interest Read more
Settling Accounts
Charles W. Kyd is wrong in assessing blame for bad accounts receivable information (Finance: "Formula for Disaster?," November 1986). The fault is in the... Read more
Hot Tip: Don't Make a Personal Guarantee
One small business banker says that a personal guarantee isn't always necessary. Read more
Margin Management
Frustrated with trying to run your company on a budget? Jim McManus has a better way: focus on gross margin. Read more
What VCs Look for in a Management Team
A survey done by New York University's Center for Entrepreneurial Studies examined those issues that venture capitalists feel can make or break a deal. Read more
Inventory Management;
Just because metals and other commodities are selling at bargain prices, don't make the mistake of loading up on raw materials. Economist Gary Shilling (... Read more
Officers and Gentlemen
Venture capital firms size up the market for defense contracting Read more
Tender Offers
Charles Leighton's approach to managing acquisitions is enough to make even the most independent private business owner want to be bought. Read more
The Price Is Wrong
The owners of Contextural Design could have sworn they were making money on every unit they sold. Read more
Preselling The Company
The acquisition of Forefront was arranged and the dowry was set before the company was even born. Read more
The Price Is Right
Mallards targets a specific shopper: "the guy most retailers screen out." Read more
Strength In Numbers
Joseph Kahn's article was outstanding. More than a year ago, we recognized the untapped potential of executives sharing ideas and clients, and forme... Read more
Shirt-sleeve Investing
The year was 1981, and company comptroller Tom Buck figured it was the end of the road for Colorado AMC/Jeep Renault Inc. All of Buck's efforts to find m... Read more
Name Your Price
Buyers shop at Lenny Mattioli's American TV stores as much for the bargaining as for the bargains. Read more
The Inventory Cardiogram
How to manage inventory to prevent back-ups and slow delivery. Read more
The Case for a 'Small' Portfolio
Comparing a portfolio of blue chip stocks with a portfolio of small-cap companies. Read more
Borrowing On The House
Funding you business through a home-equity loan. Read more
Getting The Most Out Of An Esop
It takes more than a piece of the rock to motivate employees. They want to feel they have a piece of the action, too. Read more
A Better Way to Tax Small Business
Small companies should work for a totally new and separate income tax that would help, not hinder, their growth. Read more
Why Retailers Can't Discount Discounting
Department and specialty stores -- like Bloomingdale's and Brooks Brothers, I. Magnin, or Neiman-Marcus -- have traditionally dominated the retail apparel... Read more
An Innovative Borrower Gets The Law To Bend
Two years ago, Alfred H. Knief thought he had found a foolproof way to beat the high cost of borrowing from a bank. He wrote a letter to his 23 employees ... Read more
Louis Kelso's Esop Crusade
The inventor of ESOPs talks about how hard it is to put a theory into practice. Read more
How To Decide If Your Company Needs An Esop
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan carries three fundamental benefits and three fundamental disadvantages for a closely held company. Briefly, the ben... Read more
Federal Warranty Protection
The Congress has passed laws that affect state warranty requirements, at least where consumer purchases are concerned. The Magnuson-Moss Act, enforced by... Read more
What I Learned From Going Public
A successful entrepreneur says he would be a lot more careful the second time around. Read more
How to Save Money On Audits
After you make sure your books are kept in order all year, these 13 steps can cut you auditing fees. Read more
A Dozen Ways To Borrow Money
To get bankers to open their pockets, you have to know their language. Here's a primer on the ways banks lend money. Read more
Tips From A Banker
Fewer than 10% of prospective borrowers come to a bank adequately prepared. And bankers haven't the time to dig for the facts they need. Unfortunately, t... Read more
How Good a Cash Manager are You?
One banker says that the principles of cash management are easy: "Collect fast, pay slow, and invest in the meantime." But sometimes it's just the opposit... Read more
You Can Take It With You -- And Retirees Do
Although the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act encouraged retirees to choose pension payout plans that provided for their dependents, a recent ... Read more
Investing In Growth Companies
A look at growth-company stock Read more
Negotiating Budgets: Games People Play
The higher the stakes, the more outrageous the tactics. Read more
