Last year, national retailers closed more than 9,000 stores and, according to a January 24 USA Today report, the door shutting isn’t done. A group of national retailers that includes Pier 1 Imports, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Express, Papyrus and Bed Bath & Beyond have announced plans to close over 1200 stores. Changing consumer behavior and […] Read more

You may have seen my byline here a few times, but I am sure I have never said much about my background. But as is happens, I run a marketing organization called Impact Analytics (www.impactanalytics.com).  We specialize in “aggressive” email marketing, which means that we might send as many as several emails per day (between news content […] Read more

Just because people are now living longer, there is not much sense in merely sitting around and letting the remainder of your life pass you by. Retirement today often has many retirees soon returning to work to escape boredom and loneliness. Since you likely have quite a few years of good health remaining, why not […] Read more

The headline question is not meant to be provocative or to make scurrilous political accusations. It is a serious question which, of course, requires some explanation. It is a matter of fact that CNN – of all the American television news services – has the greatest presence overseas. It is seen in airports and waiting […] Read more

There is still time left to start planning for the coming year. Many of the items that should be on your to-do list will be tax-related so as to maximize your net income. Touch bases with your accountant if you’re not sure the tax implications of a purchase or sale like a vehicle or a […] Read more

Starting your own business can provide a strong appeal that can be hard to resist. Being your own boss is a powerful incentive in today’s world, especially if you think you would like the freedom. In spite of the appeal, there are some potential downsides that should be considered first because not everyone is cut […] Read more

I would imagine that there are many small businesses across America that have never heard of the Federal Reserve Board (the “Fed”), and most, one would assume, have no idea of what they do, especially for the small business community. Borrowing money for your company comes at a cost, and that cost is interest, and […] Read more

Listening to stories of the largest businesses today and the incredible amount of money they make is enough incentive for many people to attempt to duplicate that success. Thousands of business startups occur all over the United States each year but only half of them will be alive five years later. The high business failure […] Read more

If you are operating a start-up or even an established small business, you know that one of the greatest challenges is finding financing or maintaining cash flow. As a well-known current ad campaign cleverly points out, banks and other traditional lenders tend to turn a blind eye or deaf ear to small businesses. Yet for […] Read more