Best idea of the year

What is needed right now, is a search engine.  Not another Google or Bing, a special search engine. One that will daily gather the listings of all streaming services to identify where tv shows, specials and movies are playing on so we can find out which streaming...

As predicted

I predicted a month or so ago that business will have adjusted to a reduced work force, saving cash and training costs. Red Robin reduced their menu by 55 items, and they are not bringing them back.  This change has allowed for a reduced work force to be more...

PPP difficulties

I was meeting with a small business owner who had received their PPP funds.  But as with most things government related it was not completely welcome. They had furloughed a number of workers because of the shutdown, But they had to bring back unnecessary employees...

The Stimulus Check

Are you still waiting for your stimulus check from IRS? You may get a prepaid debit card. IRS previously said that it will start mailing out paper stimulus checks to eligible individuals for whom the agency does not have bank account information. It now says that some...

Long Term Capital Gains

Long-term capital gains still have favorable rates. Profits from the sale or exchange of capital assets held for over a year are generally taxed at 0%, 15% or 20%.  To be long-term the assets must be held over a year. The rates are based on set income thresholds...

Board of Directors

I sit on a company’s Board of Directors (BOD) as Chairman.  I took over from the previous Chair as he left the BOD. I have been on this BOD from the very beginning.  I actually suggested to the owner that he should have a Board of Advisors(BOA) or a BOD.  The company...

Restaurant

We have worked with several restaurants over the years.  After a very bumpy start with a lot of overspending, one learned how to keep their overhead as low as possible. Talking to one owner they could cover their annual fixed costs within 5 to 6 months.  But only...

Returning Employees

I have a couple of clients who furloughed their employees when the pandemic slammed their businesses into inactivity.  They restrategized, contacted old and existing clients, got some work and are recalling back the employees, now that business is pickup up a bit. But...

Resurrection

I have a client whose business was decimated by the Coronavirus.  Their whole revenue stream not only went to zero, refunds were becoming necessary so there was negative revenue.  They work hand in hand with the live entertainment industry. But the client was not yet...

Name

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet” What name you chose for your company has an impact; short-term and long-term. I have clients who have chosen to put their Location in the name.  If they had asked my I would...

Commercial rental

If you are looking for an investment opportunity commercial real estate probably should not be on the top of your list. Office and retail vacancy rates were expected to increase by 20% and 13%, repectively. But now in the new Coronavirus world, companies will likely...

Wrong direction for colleges

What is the true purpose of college?  Is it to educate young minds for the future and careers?  Is it to overpay and keep a bloated obsolete inefficient job structure in place for those with minimal skills?  Or is it to use young athlete and earn money off their hard...

Cook County Property Taxes

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has plans to reevaluate every single property in the county in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Typically, only a third of Cook County gets reassessed in a given year in what’s known as the triennial assessment. That’s when many...

Cohabitation office space

We all know people, clients or vendors who use or have used cohabitation office space.  This is Regus or We Works or any of the numerous others who rent office space. What do you think their futures looks like in the post-Coronavirus world? I would imagine it is a bit...

The Board of Directors

Do you own any individual stock of a public company?  It does not matter if it is large or small, you will regularly receive notifications to cast you ballot for who will sit on the Board of Directors of that company.  If you do receive them you probably ignore it,...

Delegating

If you are a business owner how good of a delegator are you?  What responsibilities, true responsibilities have to delegated to others?  Or do you have to have your hands on every aspect of the business, since only you can do it exactly right.  Others may come close,...

Cook County Property Taxes

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has plans to reevaluate every single property in the county in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Typically, only a third of Cook County gets reassessed in a given year in what’s known as the triennial assessment. That’s when many...

Gold Run

Were you aware that during the current crisis that a gold run that occurred?  It seems that all the major vendors of gold coins have been sold-out of all their inventory. They were completely out of stock. It seems that gold still holds the same place in people minds...

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