Archive for the ‘Alaska’ Category
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 |
In January’s economic news summary, I assert that we are in a “Milk Toast Economy.” I include many key economic indicators with historical graphs to prove my point. Here’s how I start:
My mother would always give me milk toast when recovering from a bout of stomach flu. This temporary, bland remedy was meant as a transition to a better diet. Yet after ten straight quarters of economic recovery, we are still eating “milk toast,” economically speaking. The post-recession economic recovery from the 1982-1983 recession, after ten quarters, showed 13.4% growth in Gross Domestic Product. Ten quarters into our current post-recession recovery that rate is a tepid 6.2%– less than half of our previous recovery. Why do you think we are still eating “milk toast?” Overall grade for January: D
Read the article: Milk Toast Economy
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Finance | No Comments »
Monday, January 30th, 2012 |
Small Business Confidence Inches Upward
National Federation of Independent Business’s Optimism Index made a small but notable gain, settling at 93.8 for December. Business optimism increased four times since September, ending 2011 on an up note. Read the complete article here.
mepainter
Charles Lindemuth, painter, illustrator, innovator and entrepreneur visits Getting Down to Business® and talks about how he makes a living as a fine arts painter. Moving from canvas and brush to a digital art form was a natural step for Charles. Listen as he talks about that process and some of his creations such as “mepainter.”
Business Risk Management
Chis Pobieglo, business insurance expert with Business Insurance Associates, is joined by his business partner and wife Angie to talk about the “Risk of Serving.” That’s right, the local board you voluntary serve can cause you financial distress. Find out more as Chris and Angie talk about Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance.
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Me, Painter
Posted in Alaska, Business Insurance, Entrepreneurs, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Innovation | No Comments »
Friday, January 20th, 2012 |
Employee theft is certainly a sensitive issue. But it’s also a necessary one for all businesses to address… before it happens. In this month’s article, Mitigating the Risk of Employee Theft, I paint a grim but realistic picture:
“For small business owners, employee theft can be a fatal blow and put an end to their business. For larger corporations, it can have an equally undesirable outcome. In Alaska alone, we saw several prolific cases of embezzlement and employee theft this year, each case involving employees who embezzled corporate funds.”
But there are ways to mitigate this risk. Read my article to learn more.
Read the article: Mitigating the Risk of Employee Theft
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Posted in Alaska, Business Insurance, Reducing Business Expenses, Risk | No Comments »
Thursday, January 12th, 2012 |
In my first article in my computer back-up series, I encouraged businesses to take their back-up strategy seriously. In this month’s article, Computer Back-Ups: The Avoidable Business Risk, Part 2, I continue:
“Now that your backup procedures are second nature, what steps are you taking to verify that the data is recoverable and usable? Creating a backup of your data is only the halfway mark. There are other steps that must to be followed to ensure that, in the event of a catastrophe, you do not lose data.”
Read the article: Computer Back-Ups: The Avoidable Business Risk, Part 2
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Posted in Alaska, Business Planning, Risk, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, January 9th, 2012 |
Small-Business Confidence Rises for Third Consecutive Month
Dave discusses the latest “Optimism Index” which was up 1.8 point in November, settling at a still weak 92.0, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). Read the complete article.
The Journey of Publishing
Kelly Fisher– attorney, author and publisher– visits Dave on this program. Listen as Kelly discusses how he came to write his new book A Clueless Man’s Guide to Relationships. The story doesn’t end there. The easy part was writing the book; creating a great end product and introducing it to the world takes more effort. Kelly takes us through his journey.
Business Risk Management
Listen as Chris Poblieglo, insurance expert, talks about Fidelity Bonds. Find out much, much more about this potential business risk and a solution. Visit Business Insurance Associates’ website - a must link for business risk management information.
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The Clueless Man
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Small Business | No Comments »
Friday, December 30th, 2011 |
In my December Getting Down to Business eNewsletter article, “Economic News: Revised Downward,” I start:
Economically, are you better off today than a year ago? The numbers tell the story. Gross domestic product for Q3 2010, a weak 2.5%, continued to slide into a 2.3% Q4 2010 rate. The slide continues: Q1 2011 was revised down to an abysmal 0.4%, clawing its way back to a meager 1.3% in Q2 2011. The final estimate for Q3 2011, 1.8%, was another significant downward revision. The first estimate was 2.5%. An accurate description for 2011 is “Revised Downward.”
Read the article – Economic News: Revised Downward
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Posted in Alaska, Business Planning, Economy | No Comments »
Thursday, December 29th, 2011 |
December’s Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter wraps up the year with some great articles – including marketing planning for 2012 from Amanda Cullen and economic news from David Weatherholt. Christopher Pobieglo advises on the sensitive subject of employee theft, while Tim White continues his series on computer back-ups.
Read the newsletter: Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Finance, Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter, Marketing, Risk, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, December 5th, 2011 |
Small Business: a Good Worker is Hard to Find
Even with 14 million people unemployed, 40% of small businesses complain about the dearth of qualified workers. Listen as Dave talks about a pressing problem for employers. Read complete article at the Wall Street Journal.
Credit & Business Lending
Dave’s guest is Bill Cessnun, VP Commercial Loan Officer with Northrim Bank– a Alaskan community bank. Listen as Bill talks about making a credit decision during the business lending process. Bill provides great information to Dave and his listeners.
Go it Alone
Alice in Wonderland meets a Cheshire Cat at the beginning of her journey. Listen as Geoff Burch explains how “measuring success” ties in to Alice’s journey. Intrigued? Listen to the show!
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Through a Banker’s Eyes
Posted in Alaska, Entrepreneurs, Finance, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Small Business | No Comments »
Friday, December 2nd, 2011 |
November affirmed that the US economy is no longer in a recession, but it can be hard to tell. My grade for last month was still a D, though. To find out why and view key economic graphs, Read the article: The 800-Pound Gorilla.
Read the article: The 800-Pound Gorilla
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Government | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 |
November’s Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter brings the latest economic news, marketing tips and technology advice. Our panel of authors are David Weatherholt, with his “800-Pound Gorilla” and “Go With the Flow articles, Tim White with “Computer Back-Ups: The Avoidable Business Risk” and Amanda Cullen who answers “Should I be on Twitter?”
Read the newsletter: Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter, Marketing, Risk, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, November 21st, 2011 |
Join the Crowd in Funding – Or Maybe Not
The House is expected to vote on legislation that would allow privately held businesses to raise money from nonaccredited investors in exchange for equity stakes. Listen as Dave discusses the pros & cons of using Crowd Funding sites to sell common stock in small businesses. Read complete article on the Wall Street Journal.
How Has Technology Changed Real Estate?
Ken Jelinek, Associate Broker with Remax Properties, Inc. joins Dave today. Listen as Ken discusses the impact that social medial and technology have on the business of buying and sell real estate. Back in the 1980s, new listings were actually printed in books, and it took weeks to get a property listed.
Marketing Matters
This month, we’re talking marketing copy. Listen as Amanda Cullen, President of Zoo in a Jungle Marketing give us 5 easy tips for writing great marketing copy.
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Technology & the Realtor
Posted in Alaska, Marketing, Real Estate, Social Networking, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, November 14th, 2011 |
Economic News Summary – SHACKLED
Listen as Dave talks about how an economic powerhouse “shackled” by federal regulators and rouge environmental group’s squeezes out some growth. The first estimate of GDP beat all expectations coming in at 2.5%. Read the complete economic news article here.
What is Alternative Business Lending?
Business lending is a business, and all lenders expect to make a profit on their loans. Listen as Steven Bush, Commercial Loan Officer at Alaska Growth Capital. Find out why they are called an alternative business lender as Steven tells us about their history, goals, and how to start the loan process.
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Alternative Business Lending
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Finance, Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter | No Comments »
Monday, November 7th, 2011 |
SMALL-BUSINESS CONFIDENCE SEES MODEST GAIN: THE START OF A TREND, OR A BLIP?
Small-business optimism gained 0.8 points in September, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB’s) latest Index, ending a six-month decline. Read complete article here.
2011 Summer Tourism Update
Listen as Julie Saupe, CEO and President of Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) returns for her 5th visit to Getting Down to Business®. Julie covers a lot of ground including the just completed 2011 Summer Visitor Season.
Business Risk Management
Listen as Chris Pobieglo, President of Business Insurance Associates, Inc and business insurance expert, explains surety bonding. Today he discusses bonding for the construction industry. Listen and learn a lot.
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Hospitality in Anchorage
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Risk | No Comments »
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 |
This economic news summary, “Economic News: Shackled“, grows slightly political as Dave Weatherholt is still discouraged about the state of our economy:
“Why is an economic powerhouse “Shackled?” Maybe it’s just that I live in one of the most beautiful and resource-blessed states that makes me keenly aware of the impact of twisted environmental regulations. Our economic resources are caught between federal regulators and rouge environmental groups, hobbling our resource development. There is something completely dysfunctional about a system where a company can literarily spend millions of dollars studying an issue, placing facts on the table which can simply be blown away by environmental groups who make baseless, unsupportable claims and have no skin in the game. The mistaken belief that economic development comes at the expense of the environment severely “shackles” our economy and inhibits growth. Instead of limping along economically, the U.S. economy could ignite the world. Overall grade for October: D- (September was also D-)”
The remainder of the article shows key economic indicators showing why Dave is so sour on the economy.
Read the article – “Economic News: Shackled”
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Recession | No Comments »
Friday, October 28th, 2011 |
Welcome to the first issue of the Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter.
We’re pleased to announce our new contributors whose articles you won’t want to miss this month. Christopher S. Pobieglo, CRIS and President of Business Insurance Associates, Inc., provides expert advice concerning business risk management. Tim White is Chief Technology Officer of ACB Solutions and brings us Tech Talk each month.
And, as always, David Weatherholt gives his take on recent economic news with his nine key indicators. Amanda Cullen is back with Marketing Matters.
Don’t miss these great business articles! Read the newsletter here: Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter.
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Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® eNewsletter, Marketing, Risk, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, October 17th, 2011 |
Spending Wisely on Technology
People used to working in an office stocked with technology may find that starting as a solo enterprise can be painful. Listen as Dave discusses a useful reality of going it alone. Or read complete article: “Spending Wisely on Technology.”
Alaskan Association of Authors
Authors Josie & Mark McKinney are the co-founders of the Alaskan Association of Authors. Listen as they discuss the reasons for starting their company and the books they have written and published.
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Written in Alaska
Posted in Alaska, Business Planning, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Small Business, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, September 12th, 2011 |
Making the Most of Groupon
Small companies are getting savvier about using Groupon. Listen as Dave discusses the good and not so good about using Groupon. Read the whole article on the Wall Street Journal website.
Anchorage Symphony
Listen as Sherri Burkhart Reddick, Executive Director of the Anchorage Symphony discusses her role in a dual management organization. Sherri talks about the Symphony’s new 2011-2012 season with some really great shows. You won’t want to miss this local update!
Economics and Alaska
Listen as Dan Robinson, Senior Economist with the McDowell Group, discusses the economies of the performing arts. His thoughts are not what you would expect. Listen to his insights and even the softer side of economics.
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The Business of Classical Music
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Marketing | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 |
Small Business Optimism Index
For the fifth consecutive month, the NFIB’s monthly Small Business Optimism Index fell. Dropping 0.9 points in July—a larger decline than in each of the previous three months. Listen as Dave discusses the components of the “Index.” Read the whole article at NFIB’s site.
The Business of Opera
Torrie Allen is an accomplished opera singer who loves talking about his passion. He clues us in to the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Anchorage Opera, starting this November. You’ll want to listen to Torrie’s fascinating story.
Business Risk Management
Chris Pobieglo, president of Business Insurance Associates, Inc, discusses the nuances of “Commercial Property Coverage.” Listen as Chris brings his topic to life– trust us!. He makes it very interesting and helpful.
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The Business of Opera
Posted in Alaska, Business Insurance, Economy, Public Relations | No Comments »
Monday, August 29th, 2011 |
Fed Up: A Texas Bank Calls it Quits
In an “Atlas Shrugged” moment, Kingwood, Texas bank Main Street Bank gets out of the banking business because of federal banking regulations. Listen as Dave talks about the frustration of the banks chairman and how they will handle excessive bank regulations. Read the whole article at the Wall Street Journal online.
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
Listen as Nancy Harbour, Executive Director of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts talks about the new 2011-2012 season. Nancy tells a story about a fun topic that has a serious economic impact on Anchorage’s community. And they’ve got a new website! Visit it at www.myalaska.com.
Go It Alone
Listen as Geoff Burch, author & business expert, talks about effective selling without the high pressure. Geoff is in rare form and entertaining as always. It’s a delightful (and useful) segment you won’t want to miss!
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Performing Arts New Season
Posted in Alaska, Finance, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Government, Innovation, Sales | No Comments »
Monday, August 22nd, 2011 |
Small-Business Owners Registering Vote of ‘No Confidence’ in the Federal Government
Bill Dunkelberg, economist says, “Between the deluge of new regulations and a Washington policy agenda that is largely ignorant of Main Street needs, stubbornly low consumer spending, and grave concern among small firms about the federal budget, there is not much to be optimistic about as a small-business owner.” Listen to the Getting Down to Business analysis.
Starting a restaurant with Crush Wine Bistro & Cellar
Chris Pobieglo sitting in for Dave talks with Anchorage entrepreneur Chad Culley one of the founders of Crush Wine Bistro & Cellar talks about starting a restaurant. Listen as Chad talks about employees, team building, customers, the economy, and what wakes him up at 3:00 am. For more information go to www.crushak.com
Go it Alone
Listen as Geoff Burch, bestselling author in business discusses the “Show Business” element in sales from his latest book Irresistible Persuasion.
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Posted in Alaska, Business Planning, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Sales | No Comments »
Monday, August 15th, 2011 |
Bad News, More Bad News, and Worse News
The release of the Gross Domestic for 2nd quarter 2011 was released last Friday. The second quarter “advance estimate” was an abysmal 1.3%. Listen as Dave reveals more bad news, the worst news and his grade on the economy. Read More in “Its’ Not Rocket Science” and listen to Dave’s analysis.
Rep. Chris Tuck on the Alaska State Legislature
The 27th session of The Alaska State Legislature lasted 90 day, then reconvened for another 71 days in a “Special Session.” Representative Chris Tuck provided us with updates on both of these sessions. Listen as he shares his vision for the State of Alaska and find out why he is Dave’s favorite Democrat. Questions or Comments? Send an email to Rep Tuck at rep.chris.tuck@legis.state.ak.us or Dave Weatherholt at David@waconsult.com.
Alaska Economics
Thirty four percent of Alaska’s GDP comes from federal spending. Listen as Senior Economist Dan Robinson of the McDowell Group discusses the “debt ceiling debate” and its potential impact on the Alaska Economy.
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Rep. Chris Tuck Unwrapped
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Government | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 |
It’s Not Rocket Science
Read Dave’s economic analysis of the US economy July 2011 – hint, “It’s Not Rocket Science.”
Pebble Project
Mike Heatwole, VP of Public Affairs for The Pebble Partnership, joins Dave and Amanda Cullen to discuss The Pebble Partnership. The Pebble deposit is one of most significant discoveries of copper, gold and molybdenum in the world. With demand for these commodities at an all time high, the economic impact in the billions of dollars, and the creation of thousands of high-paying jobs in a high unemployment area, why does this project have opposition? Mike tells the story from the Partnerships side. Supported by facts and ongoing analysis, Mike also reveals an emotional side to this project. Listen to this fascinating discussion.
We want to hear from you. Send questions or Comments to mikeheatwole@pebblepartnership.com or David@waconsult.com.
Marketing Matters
Listen as Amanda Cullen, President of Zoo in a Jungle Marketing, joins Dave and Mike to discuss marketing The Pebble Project. Amanda is our small business marketing expert, and she brings her own perspective to the challenges of marketing with headwinds.
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Marketing with Headwinds – Marketing the Pebble Project
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Marketing, Public Relations | No Comments »
Monday, July 18th, 2011 |
Outlook Grows Bleak on Main Street
In the eyes of the average small business, the U.S. economy is still in a recession and likely to stay that way through 2012. A new survey, commissioned by the U.S. Bancorp one of several reports out in recent weeks painting a more dismal picture for American small businesses than previously perceived. Listen for my recap, and read the full article on the Wall Street Journal site.
How to prepare a business loan package
The American reserve banking system evolved from Goldsmiths. In most early towns, the only vault belonged to the Goldsmith who began holding the valuables and money of others in the community. Today’s bank lending evolved from these practices. Andy Riddell, VP at Wells Fargo talks about the bank’s side of the lending process including explaining the 5 C’s of Credit. Listen to find out the best way prepare a business loan package.
Alaska Economics
The U.S. economy is made up of all the individual state economies. Listen as Dan Robinson, Senior Economist with the McDowell Group discusses the two common beliefs about the relationship between Alaska’s economy and the U.S. economy. ”Historical data doesn’t really support either of those beliefs,” according to Dan. Listen for his view.
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Creating a Business Loan Package
Posted in Alaska, Business Planning, Economy, Finance, Getting Down to Business® Podcast | No Comments »
Monday, July 11th, 2011 |
Consumer Spending Remains Weak: Small Business Optimism Dips Lower in May.
For the third consecutive month, NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index fell. The drop was slight—0.3 points, with the index settling at 90.9 in May. The index makes clear that optimism is moving in the wrong direction. The NFIB Research Foundation has collected Small Business Economic Trends data with quarterly surveys since 1974 and monthly surveys since 1986. Survey respondents are drawn from NFIB’s membership.
Lessons from the Seattle Economy
The Seattle economy tanked in the early 1970’s due to a severe economic downturn at Boeing. Thousands of people lost their jobs, and an amusing billboard read “Will the last person leaving SEATTLE – Turn out the lights.” This served as a wakeup call to community leaders and a focus on economic diversity. The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is leading the way on a project to make Anchorage the number one place to “Work, Live & Play” by 2025. Listen as Bill Popp, President and CEO describes the role and steps his organization is taking to make this a reality.
Business Risk Management
Business insurance expert and president of Business Insurance Associates, Chris Pobieglo tells us about the risk to your business when employees travel both domestically and internationally. As a business owner you really don’t need another risk to consider however, Chris also provides some low cost ways to cover this risk.
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Live, Work & Play
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Getting Down to Business® Podcast | No Comments »
Monday, July 4th, 2011 |
Uptick in Loans Could Aid Business
Two crucial forms of bank lending that remained stubbornly weak are finally showing signs of life, another indicator that the credit crisis is on the mend. This uptick could help businesses expand and reduce unemployment listen to the summary. Read the full article: “Uptick in Loans Could Aid Business.”
A Wild Ride
An entrepreneur is a person who wants to change the future. Change involves more than talk. The vision must be followed by action. Following that vision is a great risk. There is the risk of failure, a damaged reputation, the loss of time and money. Listen as Dave describes what it took to follow his vision of a professional football team, Alaska Wild, in Anchorage. Contact Dave at david@WaConsult.com.
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A Wild Ride
Posted in Alaska, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Finance, Getting Down to Business® Podcast, Innovation | No Comments »
