Make money, do good with ‘impact investing’
By Peter Brill I’m a typical Santa Barbara retiree who came here to enjoy its beauty after having a prosperous and fulfilling career in medicine and as a successful entrepreneur. I was considering how to best use my philanthropic dollars when I came across a concept in investing that captured my interest to the degree Read More →
Entrepreneurs should plan for retirement
By Lee Schuh Few entrepreneurs really think about preparing financially for retirement. Too many are depending on Social Security. Frankly, Social Security is only a safety net and not intended to be anything else. You are not going to have a very satisfactory retirement if Social Security is the major financial contributor. When asked Read More →
Landlords learn to repurpose their malls
By Lisa Spiwak This is a season of discontent for retailers. There doesn’t seem to be a week that goes by without a national chain closing stores or filing for bankruptcy protection. Most recently, we lost Sport Chalet. Before that, it was Sports Authority, Sears, Fresh & Easy, Office Depot, Radio Shack, Staples, Abercrombie Read More →
Marketing, innovation important but sales skills critical
By Jim Cathcart In a recent discussion at a business school in California, it was pointed out that the curriculum had plenty of marketing and entrepreneurship courses, plus even some innovation courses, but none on sales skills. The rationale was, “Sales gets covered in the other courses so there’s no need for a separate class.” Read More →
Profit not a dirty word for businesses
By Gary Wechter I must say I was outraged after reading Steven Mintz’ op-ed, “Minimum wage hike a moral issue,” in the April 8 issue. “Outraged” when at the end of the article I learn that Mintz is a professor in the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I asked Read More →
Knowing public policy good business
By Loredana Carson As we go about our daily life, laws are being made, bills are being sponsored, government officials are grappling with problems and politicians are building their careers on issues that are of great importance to the business community. Everyone should pay attention to these public policy matters, but business leaders need more Read More →
Minimum wage hike a moral issue
By Steven Mintz California is frequently a bellwether state with respect to workplace ethics issues. Exhibit A is the recently adopted law that mandates a minimum wage of $15 by the end of 2022. Under a deal reached with state lawmakers on April 4, the state minimum wage will rise to $10.50 on Jan. 1, Read More →
