Business

Dec
6
2010

Written by:
Wade Senti

Want to form a business?

If you are considering pursuing a business idea, concept, or have opportunities to make money from a proposition it is well advised that you consider forming a separate legal entity. Now, with that said – what type should you choose: a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Corporation, or an S-Corporation (corporation – just taxed with pass-through treatment)?

Given, there are a few additional types – these are the most common and do contrast one another quite easily. Further, when considering forming a separate legal entity for conducting business some facts which are sometimes overlooked include:

--An entity can be formed in any state regardless of where you live (and conduct your business); however, you may have to apply for a business license in some states as well as pay taxes in states where business is heavily conducted

Dec
1
2010

Written by:
Dillon Smith

BT International Conference: Monday Panel Discussion

Monday night of Business Today's 2010 International Conference (held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City from November 21st to the 23rd) got off to a great start with a Panel Discussion on the implications of the Dodd-Frank Bill and the changing landscape of Finance in America. The panelists included Ed Grebeck, CEO of Tempus Advisors, S.A. Ibrahim, CEO of Radian Group, and Fred Cannon, Chief Equity Strategist at KBW, and was moderated by Harrison Hong, Economics Professor at Princeton University.

Oct
7
2010

Written by:
Federico Bennett

Looking for change: preferably rapid, transcendence is a must

“This is a business that has been shrinking to stay alive... you cannot do that forever”
--British Airways CEO Willie Walsh, CNN Money interview, May 25th, 2010.

Given the general socioeconomic state of the last couple of years, the above phrase could have been quoted from a vast number of executives from various industries, but if we take a look at the events that have hit the airline industry in the past 10 years it fits perfectly. Terrorism, war, disease, volcanoes are some of them. It is safe to say that the airline industry is, and has been for quite some time, a very tough business. So much that in the past 3 years the global airline industry has yet to see profit. It is interesting that the words of British Airwaysʼ CEO clearly mark a distinction between past and future, the results of past decisions and policies, and what is needed from today onwards: change.

Sep
17
2010

Written by:
dperel

Where All the Jobs Went

With a jobless rate hovering around ten percent during what seems to be a economic recovery period, one might be tempted to ask why our economy produces profits but not jobs. As easy as it is to blame the offshoring of manufacturing for gutting the economy of job growth, it is much more productive to scrutinize another major job eliminator, corporate mergers and acquisitions. As firms consolidate, redundant jobs are shed, and more efficient corporations result. This is a natural feature of a healthy economy, yet too many mergers in a given industry hampers competition and innovation and has the incidental effect of vastly reducing employment. Since the advent of anti-trust law, regulators have been trying to find where to draw the line in terms of maximum allowable corporation size. With the dawning of the era of TBTF (too-big-to-fail) companies, we have crossed the line in the sand between an efficient economy and a parody of the free market.

May
18
2010

Written by:
Wade Senti

Sports Business: The King James Affect

Among the major sports leagues [NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA), nearly $16 billion is generated annually, realizing a sizable portion to the national GDP (Hoovers). These leagues are dominated by captivating figures including Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, and of course -- Lebron James.

These individuals are not only excellent athletic performers, but are to a greater extent an image – of franchises, cities, and a collective people, allowing stakeholders to capitalize on their marketability, creating value regionally, nationally, but also globally. It may surprise some that Kobe Bryant is the most marketable basketball player globally today. This marketability and popularity is largely due to championships.

Apr
25
2010

Written by:
Jimmy Connolly

Business Today's Executive Video Interviews: Robert Kisilywicz of SES Americom

Here is the link our second video interview of the year, featuring Robert Kisilywicz of SES Americom. Thanks to Allan Amico and Julia Vill for conducting the interview.

Apr
15
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

Quality Management

The total quality management revolution which occurred in the United States after the recessions in the 1970s and 1980s brought about a new focus for management in corporate America. With Japan rising in the U.S. market as a strong competitor, our country, collectively, decided to take ownership of quality over quantity. This was the only way to compete in an ever changing global climate. Today, there is a striking resemblance to this same shift in focus as we approach the light at the end of our current recession.

GM’s new CEO, Edward Whitacre, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal recently on his efforts to emphasize the importance of managers’ decision-making. In the 1980s, our goal was to improve our products’ quality. Today our goal is to improve our management quality. What can this refocus do for us as a nation?

Apr
12
2010

Written by:
Jimmy Connolly

First Business Today Video Interview--Dr. Alan Main of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals

In one of our new initiatives, BT is running video interviews with the business leaders of today. Featured here is our inaugural video with Dr. Alan Main of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, and thanks to Alan Amico and Julia Tempest for filming the interview.

Apr
1
2010

Written by:
Joseph Seydl

Wall Street Compensation Reform: A Necessary Distinction

In the financial regulatory reform arena one of the most widely discussed and highly sensitive issues relates to compensation structures on Wall Street. From the numerous opinion-based articles written on this topic it seems that there is a growing sense of populism in America against the so called ‘unjust’ bonuses being paid out to bankers working on Wall Street. While I think it’s important that we, as a collective society, voice our populist opinions in order to make sensible reforms in regards to outlandish compensation schemes on Wall Street, we also need to be very careful about how we toss around the term ‘unjust’. And right now the general public is failing to make a very important distinction on the issue of Wall Street compensation: that is, the justness of bonuses paid out to junior-level analysts vs. senior-level managers.

Mar
29
2010

Written by:
Christine Hwong

For Entrepreneurs: Forming a Sole Proprietorship

Regardless of company size, it is imperative to decide on the best legal structure of your new company. The legal entity chosen will affect extent of personal liability, taxes and record documentation. Your business structure can take one of five basic forms: the sole proprietorship, the partnership, the regular or C corporation, the S corporation, or the limited liability company.