Black Swan Management, LLC

Investments and Strategies for the Future of Business

Posts Tagged success

Meeting With The Entrepreneur

Mar 27

Posted by admin in business | No Comments

Running a small home business, unless it’s a totally Internet business, at some point in time may mean meeting with a local client. Even if the entrepreneur works all over the globe, clients or vendors and others involved in the firm in some way or another may find themselves in town and just want to meet face to face with the entrepreneur they’ve talked to by phone and e-mail.

This is something that can be very beneficial for future business dealings and may lead to referrals for the small home business. The question, though, is where to meet with this client or business associate  surely not the small home business location. Here are some options.

The least costly place would be the library. And while we tend to think of the library as a place where you must whisper, that’s no longer the case. They often have meeting rooms, quiet corners with comfy chairs away from the crowd and many even have business centers with copy machines, wifi and fax. This is a great alternative for a small home business owner on a limited budget.

Another alternative is a coffee shop or McDonalds. McDonalds is now in the midst of a national wifi installation. Starbucks, Borders or Barnes & Noble all offer coffee and a quiet comfortable place to talk.

There may be a local telework center as well, which can be rented by the hour, day, week or month, with conference room, phones, fax, copy machine, and computers. Firms such as HQ Global Workplace offer office space, videoconferencing, postal services, phone, computer and computer access and even receptionist. These can be rented for an hour, an afternoon, a day, a week or month to month. Many have catering services for an additional cost in case of a large meeting. While it’s a little more difficult to find a telework center the best place to inquire is of the local college. Major cities are bound to have them. Telework centers are plentiful for small home business owners in the Washington DC metropolitan area of Maryland and Virginia.

While most small home business owners want to present themselves at first as one of the big guys, a client that is dropping in to finally meet the entrepreneur he or she has talked to so often will probably be pleased to learn of the small home business. The entrepreneur might well be surprised to find how the office location apart from his home, might open the door to some very interesting conversations, such as I wish I could do that or surprisingly often, Oh, yes, I work from home too.

To Your Success

About the Author
Obinna Heche. Los Angeles – California Delivering the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home successfully.. http://www.homeincomeportal.com/obhmy365

Article source:
Meeting With The Entrepreneur

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What is a Mutual Fund?

Mar 10

Posted by Paul Cris in stocks, strategies | No Comments

Mutual fund is a corporate body, which works as an intermediary and invests in financial markets. Mutual funds collect money from the public and invest in financial instruments like equity, government securities, bonds, debentures etc.

Investing through mutual funds is good for people who do not have much knowledge about the financial markets. Instead of burning the fingers in the stock market, investing in mutual funds does make sense. There are various types of mutual funds available for investment. There are different types of mutual funds available, like, a fund, which invests only in Pharmaceutical companies, is called as Pharma fund and the mutual fund companies name the funds on their own. The mutual fund companies provide prospectus when they launch a fund. In the prospectus information like risk involved, amount of money invested in stocks, bonds etc are mentioned.

The money collected is invested by professionals who have experience in the financial markets. They know the time to buy and sell the stock. Their main aim is to create wealth for their investors. They diversify their portfolios and invest in growth related companies. Mutual fund companies hire professional fund managers who have very good experience in handling large amount of money. While buying a mutual fund you should check the experience of the fund manager and his team, who will be investing your money. You should also take a look at the past performance and the returns offered.

You can start buying mutual funds for a very low amount and you can also invest every month. This is called as systematic investment planning. There are various types of funds like open ended fund, close ended fund, growth fund, income fund, balanced fund etc.

Author: Paul Cris
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing

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Commodity Investing For Your Portfolio

Mar 3

Posted by admin in investing | No Comments

Even though throughout the last thirty or so years, the Commodity Research Bureau (CRB) has been in a downtrend and the S&P 500 as been in an uptrend many people continue to invest in commodities. Before we look at why and how they are becoming successful investors, let us look at what the CRB is. The Commodity Research Bureau is something similar to the Dow Jones. It mathematically combines the prices of commodities to determine just how the commodities are moving. The equation is performed by averaging out the prices of wheat, gold, coffee, oil, and other such items.

One of the reasons that investors are doing so well, is that when you look at the indices you are not getting the whole picture. When you are looking at the general trends, you are not seeing the daily price movements in detail. This is what many investors use when they are looking to trade for profits. What matters at the end of the day, is how much you paid and how much you got when selling, not the prices that you see.

Trading strategies throughout the years have incorporated the role of commodities. Stock prices and commodities often move in very different directions. Therefore, many people incorporate commodities into a large part of hedging strategies.

Another reason might be just how investors view the different strategies and how the market should and does work. For example, some people believe with historical and substantial support, that if you are following a crowd you cannot hope to make money. People believe that before you can profit in investing, you must be doing exactly the opposite of what others are doing. Data proves that this is good train of thought and many people are taking advantage of it.

Furthermore, when thinking in terms of a hedging strategy, a smart investor will have a well-diversified portfolio. Which means they will have a little bit of everything within their portfolio, this includes commodities, cash, bonds, and stocks. Thanks to inflation, these things work in the exact opposite of each other. As an example, if bond are moving down, commodities are moving up at the same time. This helps in hedging strategies and giving you control over profits and risks.

Over the last few yeas, commodities have started to trend up. This has been observed by many investors causing a rise in commodities investments. Oil and gold are perfect examples of this observation. About thirty years ago, the gold prices peaked, after which it started on a steady downfall and continued this way until about 2003. Since then, it has been moving up and has increased by about forty percent.

Some people will tell you that the gold price will continue to grow as time moves on. This may be true a true speculation, however, you can never really tell. When it comes to inflation and the views that the Federal Reserve have taken, it could very possible be a true speculation.

However, one thing you can rely upon is other commodities such as coffee, gold, oil, and wheat. The world will continue to use them regularly. At the same time, some of these commodities cannot be replenished, which means that the more people use them, the less availability there will be. This includes oil and gold. Neither can be recovered.

As the demand continues to rise for both oil and gold, we will find that the supplies dwindle fast and leaving us to worry about high prices as investors and consumers. There are some other forms of commodity investments such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) and mutual funds. What is great about these kinds of commodities, is that they generally tend to trend in the same directions as stocks and bonds, instead of the opposite way, as with some other commodities.

About the Author
You can learn more about Commodity Trading at Commodity Trading

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Commodity Investing For Your Portfolio

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Business & Corporate Law Attorney

Feb 9

Posted by Henry F Pikus in business | No Comments

In Need of a Business & Corporate Law Attorney? Business and corporate offices are dependent upon a sturdy legal framework and would otherwise struggle through their affairs without sound legal advice. Business and law attorneys provide that advice that can help secure and shape the framework for any office. They have years of experience within the field which gives them the edge when it comes to knowing how to protect and advance a company. With real-world solutions and modern methods, business and corporate law attorneys can assist business of all sizes, from those just starting out to those who have been clients for up to 80 years.

Clients need to have a firm understanding of the most effective policies, contracts, and training tools in order to keep the company functioning and growing. If a company is lacking the legal resources, it runs the risk of losing money. Other negative side-effects can include bad publicity, shareholder and property disputes, and disgruntled employees. However, if a company finds itself in a legal predicament, business and corporate law attorneys can ensure that the legal tools are utilized to the fullest. These tools will set the groundwork for future prosperity and success of a business.

Business and corporate attorneys offer more than just the advice and groundwork needed to handle publicity. Banking and finance law, employment and labor law, mergers and acquisitions are just a few areas that an attorney can help with. Their knowledge also expands into the realm of negotiations and drafting of contracts, as well as business succession planning and construction law and litigation.

Individual goals are the priority of even business and corporate law attorney. They strive to help each client meet their goal no matter how big or small it may seem. With acute attention to detail and modern solutions, attorneys can help clients tackle legal details without stress or confusion. Business and corporate law attorneys offer a variety of strategies when it comes time to negotiate and draft contracts, plus they are trained to sort through the legal details presented by software development and licensing arrangements.

Business and corporate attorney’s can also offer advice on business purchases and sales, as well as guide clients in succession planning, dissolutions and buy-outs. Their help will ensure that every client receives maximum benefit and satisfaction and that both parties are satisfied with the outcome.

Business and corporate attorneys want to protect the intellectual property and advantage in the marketplace of their client. They will do their best to provide answers regarding multiple issues including business structuring, shareholder and buy-sell agreements, and capitalization. With their help and answers, businesses can rest assure that the most productive results are reached so that the future of the company is secured.

If you are searching for an Attorney Chaska MN than look no further then MHS Law. MHS Law are expert Lawyers Chaska Minnesota.

Author: Henry F Pikus
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

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Negotiation Skills — The Salami Technique

Jan 16

Posted by Tony Atherton in business | No Comments

Some negotiators just love to play tactical games. In this article we will look at one their favourite negotiation tactics – the Salami technique – and think about how to rebuff it.

Salami sausages are big things (often spicy) that are eaten a slice at a time. They would be indigestible if taken in a single large piece. This aspect has led negotiators to use the name for a negotiation technique that tries to do just that: to win concessions in small doses (slices) when the other party would probably reject them if they were put on the table all at once. The technique is often used against a party that is mainly concerned with damage limitation.

Consider a tough union negotiating with management. Management would really just like to keep the status quo (damage limitation) but the union negotiators would like a whole host of goodies to take back for their members. These could include a pay rise, more holidays, flexible working hours, private health membership, better pension arrangements, improved canteen, increased allowances and so on. It is not difficult for the union to make a case for each of these and they can probably add to the list.

If the union negotiators use the salami tactic they will present just one of their demands for discussion and push hard to reach agreement. Let’s say they focus on a 6% pay rise and after a long discussion and some haggling they agree on 4%. Deal done, except there is more to come. That’s just the first slice of the salami and there is a whole sausage in the cupboard.

The next slice might be the holiday arrangements. The current 23 days is from a bygone age. ‘Other employers’ have agreed to 25 days plus public holidays. Let’s say they eventually reach agreement at 24 days this year and 25 days next year. Good! The managers might by now be congratulating themselves on their rusty negotiation skills and their damage limitation but the union representatives have been busy polishing their negotiation skills.

‘We would now like to discuss something that is very dear to the hearts of our members, the need for flexible working hours.’ The slicing of the salami sausage continues: private health, pension, canteen, allowances, and so on. By the end of the negotiations, when the management team add it all up they are staggered at what they have conceded, slice by slice. None of the individual items seemed all that great at the time but – add them all together and the cumulative effect is astonishing.

What went wrong?

The management negotiators were beguiled by one of the standard tactics used by skilled negotiators. Of course, presented like this, the salami technique looks so obvious that you might think that no management team could be so stupid as to be caught by it. However, just as a simple magic trick can seem incredible when performed by a skilled magician, so even simple negotiation skills like the salami technique can produce amazing results when used by skilled and experienced negotiators.

The salami is not restricted to management-union negotiations. Any negotiator who has a list of things on which they want to gain agreement can use it. Try it when you next buy a car. Are you buying just one item, the car? Or are you gaining agreement on several things: buying the car, filling the petrol tank, replacing worn tyres if it’s a used car, a free service next year, alloy wheels… and whatever else you can think of. Will they lose the sale over a tank of petrol or one new tyre?

So, what do you do if you are on the receiving end and the other party tries to salami you?

Of course, your first line of defence is to recognise what they are doing and your second is to put a stop to it. You will need to be assertive about this but the response is quite straightforward. The salami tactic works because the person being sliced does not recognise what is happening. Once you do, you can fight it.

How? Simply refuse agreement on any one slice until you have everything out on the table. ‘Is there anything else you want to discuss as part of these negotiations?’ Do not discuss details until you have formally agreed that everything is out in the open. Then put forward a proposal on a collective agreement — bundle the lot together.

The discussion can now begin in earnest and you can use your negotiation skills. You might trade one slice of salami off against another by offering some flexibility on, say, item one provided that they drop, say, items two and three. Continue like that until you are happy with the deal, then close.

Good luck! And watch out for that spicy sausage!

Author: Tony Atherton
© Tony Atherton 2005)

About the author: Tony Atherton is a freelance trainer and writer based in England. He has had four books published and about 90 of his articles have appeared in various magazines and journals. After an earlier career in industry he now runs in-company training courses in business writing, report writing (including technical reports) and taking minutes, as well as negotiation skills and time management. Over 6000 delegates have attended his courses. For details of his negotiation skills courses please see http://tony-atherton.co.uk/negskills.htm. For general details please see http://tony-atherton.co.uk.

Author: Tony Atherton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
News of Solar Power and Alternative Engery

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Is Google The Next Berkshire Hathaway?

Jan 5

Posted by Marcus Langford in technology, warren buffett | No Comments

Google is an incredible company; a phenom if you will, in this age of technology that is powered by the Internet. Google has single-handedly put a stronghold on other search engines making them nearly obsolete. You commonly hear the term “Google it…..”, when was the last time you heard someone say “Yahoo! it….” or “MSN it…..”. Exactly! You will NOT hear it and even hearing it does not sound right. Google has just worked its way into the language appearing in the dictionary as a standard definitive word. It’s truly incredible how much this relatively young company has shaped the Internet and life as we know it.

To match the rapid growth of the company and its influence on pop culture, Google’s price-per-share has also grown at the speed of light it seems like it. Unless you have been living under a rock and if you are true business person, then you know that Google’s share are climbing to the $650 mark. This too is even more impressive as Google’s price-per-share was a humble $85 when the company went public in August 2004. Just a tad bit over three years later, Google’s share price has increased sevenfold and is continuing to climb as they make more high-dollar acquisitions. Launching partners Sergey Brin and Larry Page are both worth around $19 billion and their individual dollar value skyrockets as their company dollar value does.

The Google stock is growing to news leap and bounds and pretty much only one other company has had a stock skyrocket so steadily: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Now, Mr. Buffett took over this textile firm in 1965 when he was around 34-years old. Though I am unaware of what BH’s share price was when it first went on the market, today the shares are about $123,000 a pop; that’s a hefty price to pay to be associated with the world’s greatest investor, but I am sure his shareholder’s feel it is worth the buck.

I wonder if we will see the day when Google’s price-per-share cruises into the six-figure range. This truly wouldn’t surprised me.

Kudos to Google!!!

Author: Marcus Langford
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

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