If (gas) prices keep dropping into the fall, I'm sure some demagogue in Congress will schedule hearings to look into it, right?

So asks one inquisitive blogger. He continues: Probably before the election recess. I can't wait to see oil industry executives being grilled by hostile and suspicious senators or representatives: "Mr. Big Oil Executive, the American people have been watching these gas prices drop day after day, week after week, and they want to know what's going on! There's no cause that I can see, no logical explanation. It seems to me that you and the other big oil companies have just arbitrarily decided to ratchet down prices and slash your profits, and the shareholders be damned! How do you justify what you're doing? Unlikely, but I wouldn’t bet against it! ;-)


What the heck do the television show "Survivor", General Motors, and my field, Database Marketing, have in common?

That’s another author supplied question, in the first line, no less. He explains why the question was posed: According to a post on the Fast Company Blog, General Motors pulled $14,700,000 of advertising from Survivor, after the show decided to group castaways on the basis of their race. This is where Database Marketing comes into play. We Database Marketers frequently analyze the profitability of decisions made by our companies. And while General Motors appears to be taking a moral stand on the allocation of participants to teams on the basis of race, there are financial reasons that make this decision appear even more interesting. The answer may not be the one you suspect.

Why Is There Money in Fixer Properties?

Here’s part of the answer. Most people buy based upon emotion. If you want to make one change in the value of your financial future, learn how to take emotion out of your decision-making process, especially on anything big enough to require payments. Once people have emotionally convinced themselves that they deserve this property, my rational analysis of the situation doesn't have a snowball's chance in July of talking them out of it. If you ever plan on buying a (another) home, this post and this blog could save or make you several thousand dollars. Read it an reap.

What to do?

Doesn’t say much, I know. You understand when you real why the author posed the question: I recently refinanced my mortgage. I used bankrate.com to locate a broker. The good faith estimate came and the fees were a bit higher than what I found on Bankrate but it was still a great deal. The closing comes and the fees are (surprise) higher than originally quoted. I was stuck as the fees that where already out of pocket dwarfed the saving of dropping the deal and starting over. What to do? He gives two pieces of advice and ends with this recommendation: Learn from my troubles. To which I would add: and save money, too.

How do you screw up a meeting?

Not that you’d want to, of course. The10 ways to “sink any meeting” are meant as cautionary advice and are much more compelling, I find, when viewed as do’s rather than don’ts. To borrow from a blogger quoted above: What would you to this list? All of which begs the question, if you do use these suggestions for evil, rather than for good, could you end up like Earl?

Could Wal-Mart make China approve sanctions on Iran?

It is not as far-fetched as you might think. This posts discusses another which argued that Wal-Mart’s presence in and purchases from China give it tremendous leverage with the government there. Yes, but will they dare use it? Also of interest in this post is the skilful and thoughtful manner in which the blogger deals with questions from her commenters.

What would it take to get an aspiring Hollywood director to make a movie in Iowa?

The answer is about $200,000. Not in unmarked 10’s and 20’s mind you. The film makers want tax credits, ones that meet these criteria: “tax credits to really have value to filmmakers, they need to be transferable…That means being able to sell the tax credits to another business that can use them, which would raise a lot of cash up front for the production company.” I wonder- does the plot involve a king and a ransom?

How much of a threat is Adsense to advertising agencies?

This smart post points out that not everyone who ought to know the answer to this question actually does. …we forget that there’re markets where Adsense isn’t the best possible idea. Bah, sometimes it’s not even reasonable. Think about advertising washing powder with housewives as target group. Think about selling flagstones, yogurt, slaked lime, public transportation services etc on-line. Think about target group’s perspective. Do they think that Adsense already ruled out classic advertising? Do they even know about Adsense?”

What is “click-fraud” and how do you defend against it?

Staying with the Adsense theme for the time being, if you run it on your site, this post is a must-read.

Is there anything that NASCAR Won’t License?

If you have ever watched a NASCAR race, you know that there is no square inch of a car that is not covered by a sponsor's decal. Witness the amazingly cheap product placement deal that Wonder Bread got for Talladega Nights. However, I think this time, NASCAR may have finally stuck their proverbial foot in it. Only now you reach this conclusion? ;-)

What are the best ways for a bootstrapping business avoid spending its limited capital faster than it makes it?

This blog post gives you five ways and ends with this question: What would you add to my list?

Can great wine be turned into a great investment?

Apparently so. With links to articles in American Airlines “Celebrated Living” and to an old USA Today piece entitled “An intoxicating investment” the author makes her case(s). pun intended ;-)

What, if anything, could I possibly learn from supermodel Tyra Banks?

According to this post, a lot more than fashion tips , how to walk the runway, or how to kiss and make-up with supermodel Naomi Campbell. pun intended again ;-)

How can spending actively and decisively help your overall financial outlook?

And staying for a moment on the topic of beautiful young women, the author of this post has beauty and brains to match. She writes: I read Gregory Karp's article in this Sunday's Chicago Tribune on a thing called "Psychological Income" (PI). PI is defined by the article as the "non-functional benefit from a purchase" and it "represents how the product or service makes you feel". Often, this term is used to describe the non-monetary benefits derived from one's occupation (i.e. being a doctor is satisfying and provides PI because the doctor enjoys helping people). However, it has a place in the world of the consumer as well. The posts ends with these questions for the reader: Where do you derive your PI? What things are important for you to spend big bucks on and what do you cut back on to compensate? Though self-described as “young and broke”, I get the feeling that this blogger is going to be young and prosperous in the not too distant future.

What are the specific tactics that get people in multiple disciplines, industries and offices to work for the good of the firm?

That’s one of two questions asked and answered in a free “Business Masterclass” seminar by a fellow Bostonian. There’s even an MP3 file for those that prefer to listen. The post ends with a few more compelling questions: Would you agree with the priorities I have given to the most effective tactics? Do you have an explanation as to why companies tend to use the least effective tactics first? Listen and learn.

Ever encountered a testosterone-fueled manager similarly trying to impress the world with his he-man status and going way beyond his capabilities to do so?

I could have never come up with a question that good. The answer is provided by the author. “I’ll bet you have”, he quips. He continues: There are many managers who can barely cope safely with the workplace equivalent of 50 mph without crashing and burning, let alone 75 mph. And if those who stand to gain most financially from raising the general speed of operations get the idea that faster is better, why stop at 75 mph? Why not push everyone to drive at 100 mph, or 150 mph? If more crash and get killed, who cares? They probably weren’t very good drivers anyway. That is exactly the attitude of too many organizations today. Going faster doesn’t naturally increase productivity or bring faster results, unless you count more accidents as an increase in productivity.

But will I get to keep banker’s hours?

That question is mine and it comes in response to a post entitled “How to be Your Own Bank.” My guess is that the answer is, “no, not for a while at least.” Read and decide for yourself.

How can I laugh all the way to the bank?

Listening to this advice from this “college student that blogs about personal finance” is not a bad way to start? My question is simple: Why was I not this smart at that age?

Who else, besides the Lord, giveth and taketh away?

Read here a parable, a cautionary tale of sorts, about loopholes, regulation, and the people who create them.

Other than the fact that they rhyme, what’s the relationship between romance and finance?

I do recall that in the 80’s there was a hit R&B single by Gwen Guthrie called “Ain’t nothing goin’ on but the rent.” It was a catchy tune, it had a nice beat and you could dance to it. But it was the message in the chorus that made it a hit… “No romance without finance.” The author has another theory about the relationship between money and relationships. This must-read post has especially useful advice for the Revolving Door Romantic… (i.e.) people (who) get themselves into big financial trouble with two aspects of their love life: the tendency to get into serious relationship after serious relationship, and the tendency to go into these relationships without any thought about the finances. Word to Gwen: it’s about more than the rent, Sugar. Final note, this post is one of a series about “dysfunctional financial personalities.” Each entry is excellent and I highly advise checking them all out .

Where is the Victim?

That question is the title of a thoughtful post that argues against government forcing employers to provide healthcare coverage for employees. He writes: Employers who pay a generous wage, and provide health insurance & retirement benefits are able to attract a higher class of employee and will experience lower turnover. If a business owner CHOOSES to pay less than their competitors, and CHOOSES to bypass employee benefits, then who suffers?

There are already best practices for podcasting?

Yes, apparently so. Five are described in this post, the target audience for which is businesswomen. The best best practice is the third: Bookend the podcast audio with a male voice. There’s a reason that the nightly news is one male and female anchor (usually). I cannot tell you how absolutely boring it is to listen to one person’s voice for 15-50 minutes straight. Have a male introduce your podcast (the intro), its "segments" and the closing (the outro). And, for goodness sakes, pay the $40/hour and get voice over talent. I’ll do it for $30.

Entrepreneurship, Age, and Money - Is It Better To Start Young or Wait Until You Are Older?

So read the title of post by a business blogger to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude. This is one of the longest and most informative posts of this weeks entries. Whether or not you have already or one day may start your own company, you owe it to yourself to take the 10-15 minutes out of your day to read this post. It’s too good to excerpt.

Are your workers too happy and secure at your company?

If so, here’s more “not-that-you’d-ever-want-to” advice, this time on “How to Obliterate company more in under 60 days.” This is a fabulous post and if it weren’t so long, I’d tattoo it on my arm so that I never forget it. Instead, I’ll make it assigned reading to my organizational behavior course this fall.

You mean my firm can do both?

According to this post, you can. Firms don’t have to necessarily choose between fixing and growth provided, of course, that they know the meaning for growth.

Am I the only one sick and tired of their dishonest advertisements on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and elsewhere?

The post begins with that question. The “they” to which the bloggeralluades is “Lear Financial.” And just what doesn’t he like about “their” ads? I’ll let him explain: Ok, so they are an investment firm specializing in gold. I have no issue with that. What I take issue with is their use of the phrase “the gold standard”. They use it twice in their commercials. Of course, buying gold has nothing to do with the… way the term is used in economics. Rather, what these guys are doing is trying to confuse less educated conservative viewers into thinking that gold is a good investment by using a phrase they may have heard or read before. These ads have been running for a while, so I suppose it must be working.

What are your tips and tricks for working at home with the kids?

So asks one well-known business blogger who writes: During a typical week, I work from home for twenty to thirty hours. Although this allows me greater opportunity to see my wife and two small children, it can also be a little tricky at times. I’ve developed the following rules and routines for making the best of the situation. I would have never thought of Rule #6. Your wife’s really okay with that? ;-) Check and see if you (or yours) would.

Is it Christian to Support Increasing the Minimum Wage?

That question is also the post’s title. The answer is thoughtful and seems to conclude that religion has no place in this argument: As a social issue, there’s no controversy over the desirability of eliminating poverty. One rarely hears of a politician of any stripe expounding upon the need to have more poor people. … Essentially, the real argument is over which policies will actually work to reduce poverty, and increase real wages. This is a technological argument, rather than a moral one. The key question: does the policy achieve the intended result?

Politics and economics - what is the relation?

The answer, it seems, comes from philosophy: The association of men. And, as Aristotle pointed out so many years ago, the first, irreducible, irreplacable and unforgettable reason that men associate is in order to trade goods - to exchange value for value, each in pursuit of his own life, his own ends, his own purposes. And the ultimate, civilize(d) medium of human interaction is: money. And by this logic, the most civilized place on the planet is Wall Street. Who could disagree? ;-)

Just don’t do it??

As counter-intuitive as it may seem in this hurry-up, get-it-done-yesterday, just-do-it world, this blogger argues that sometimes “it's better not to take action at all, leaving things to work themselves out without interference.” He’s got compelling logic and examples to support his thesis. See if you agree. Now, not later. I mean, you have to click on the link, not just sit there and let the question work it self out.

How many ways are there to maximize your financial success?

Three apparently. And here they explained clearly and compellingly. I am learning a lot this week!

Why do some bloggers make big bucks and not others?

No one quite knows for sure. This blogger is scratching his hindquarters trying to figure out why others and not him. I have worked very hard to drive links and hits and have had more than 36,000 hits and 62,000 page views on my blog. I've got 480 sites linking to The Scratching Post. I haven't seen a dime. I feel your pain.

Do you have an alignment issue with your brand?

That’s the author’s question. It appears at the end of a nicely-written post. Just before he spells out in clear language what the consequences are if you answered yes: If you're responsible for marketing products, I contend that you must know what your customers and the general public think of your brand. Overlay that with your desired brand adjectives. If there is a gap, you've got a problem. And unfortunately you cannot fix it immediately - simply because you cannot completely control your brand. The best you can hope for is alignment between those gut feelings about your company, products, services and your vision.

What are some of the big issues facing companies and stocks today?

That question was provided for me. Thank you. What the post provides the reader is an analysis of forces that includes convergence of products and industries; the rising cost of capital; the end of low inflation; rising raw material costs; the growth of the finance economy; globalization's transformation of trade; water; terrorism and its impact on the nation state; the rise of China and India; education; Japan, Europe and the US; energy; asymmetric capital markets; the end of managerial capitalism; biotechnology; nanotechnology; governance; the over-supply of materials and products; ageing; climate; networks; the growing importance of intangibles; materialism and its discontents; reflexivity and volatility.” I call that an exhaustive analysis.

What’s Aspen Colorado got that Ely, Minnesota Ain’t?

Apparently a lot, not all of which everyone wants. Ely (pronounced Ee-lee) is a small town of about 3,700 people, which sits right on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness…the largest wilderness preserve east of the Rockies – with more than 1 million acres of pristine forests and waterways – the vast majority of the lakes and rivers in the BWCAW are “paddle only” - meaning no motorized watercraft are allowed. Like Aspen (population 5,800), Ely’s economy is based purely on tourism. … As much as Aspen is about full-length fur coats (men & women) and designer ski boots, Ely is about birkenstock sandals and mukluk boots. Real-estate speculators take note.

"What are you doing to make your store customer friendly?"

Read this piece about two types of small retailers, “A” and “B”, and pray that when you look in the mirror, you don’t see a big, bright, flaming, red “B” on your forehead.

Do the Rich Really Spend on Benzes and Private Jets?

That’s actually the title of the post. Here’s part of the answer: So, where do these millionaires and almost millionaires spend their money, and what do they do? Much the same way as the rest of us, but on nicer things. It's very important to note, however that they are usually rewarding themselves after a fairly frugal lifestyle. This group is 328% more likely than the average consumer to own a Cadillac (possibly reflecting the older age of this demographic, sorry GM), and 162% more likely to drive a Benz. They tend to be patrons of the arts and give much more to charity than the average. They are 127% more likely to be involved in civic issues than the typical consumer. They are voracious readers, with two of their favorite magazines being Kiplinger Personal Finance and U.S. News & World Report. Well, at least I read USNWR.

How do you expand the range of topics on which you blog?

Answer: Surprisingly, subjects that never appear on your blog in print can very often lead to great on-topic blog posts. As with my example of a political post tying in with entrepreneurship, other subject areas are very often related to your own regular blog posting themes. As new subject matter is introduced to your blog, in a manner that's entirely relevant to your blog's overall theme, you have just achieved some additional SEO blog power. New topics, that are tied in with your regular posts, increase your number of keyword phrases for searches. As a result, your blog is able to rise in the search engine rankings crossing into other thematic areas. The new searches mean more blog visitors, and potential long term readers, and possible relationships.

Why does the only McDonald’s in the village of Vomp not allow customers to take pictures inside?

The author continues with even more questions of his own: Hmm? I mean, are those folks insane? Why forbid someone to photograph a burger, a chair, a poster or a front view of a kitchen? People usually make photos to share them with others - this generates free buzz and PR for you. Why pay for incredibly expensive ad campaigns and giveaways to create buzz, and totally ignore the cheaper options that can be 100 times more efficient? What harm can a photo do??? Why, indeed.

When is a bubble not a bubble?

The answer is simple: “when everyone recognizes that it is.” If that sounds confusion, our avuncular blogger clarifies.

What major economic indicators are scheduled for this week?

Provided this vacation weekend finds you anywhere near a computer, here’s where to find out.

Are you creative?

According to this blogger, most of us are. He goes on to wax the philosophical about the dire consequences of the apparent lack of creativity in business: Creativity isn’t a special gift - we’re all born with it. It never leaves, it’s just hiding. Look for ways you can let the two year old inside come out and play.

Can you really go to a good college for free?

Of course you can. This blog has plenty of tips on how to and why “going local” can be a good idea.

Are you getting the most mileage out of your writing ideas?

If not, this post has a few tips on how.


Why doesn’t uber business blogger, Seth Godin, like my blog?

In this post we find out how Seth answers the question “Could you name a few of the bloggers who inspire you?” Then after figuring out why they don’t make the cut, the bloggers offer up this question to their readers: Assuming you'd have some need (this blog) printed on paper, would something like this be more useful than, say, a book of blog posts?" If you know what an RSS feed is, then the “something like this” is something that will make you laugh. Even if you don’t know what it is, you may still laugh.

It's been fun to showcase the work of so many fine business bloggers. Thanks to the organizers to keeping this fine carnival going. If you like to take a look at some of my other word, I invite you to persuse my archives and, of course, to drop in from time to time. Also, don't forget to check out next week's carnival at View from A Height. Interestingly, that will be on September 11th. I wonder if and how that will be worked into the theme of the carnival. Finally, one last question: If you liked today's carnival, can you give me a link and trackback? Thanks in advance. ... Oh, and one last thing. You'll note I have lots of "business links" posts on my page. Those are also "open trackback" posts. Link any article of yours to any "business links" post and I'll add your post to the list of links for that day.

Tags: carnival of the capitalists