How government can help small businesses
By Burt Williamson The small business issues that Henry Dubroff addressed his column in the July 8-14, 2016 issue of the Pacific Coast Business Times — regulation overhaul, flexibility in the minimum wage, and the ability to tap retirement assets for a small business — would be welcome changes. What follows is an elaboration on Read More →
Change company culture to stay on top
By Peter Matthies Leaders who aren’t able to build a purpose-driven culture risk falling behind. Speak to any large organization — from BMW to Intel to Thomson Reuters — and you find their talent management and acquisition teams working overtime. According to research, businesses are facing a severe talent shortage in the years to come. Read More →
Scary fires fact of life in the Tri-Counties
The fires raging up and down the Central Coast remind us of the vulnerability we all face and the historical importance of the environment we pay taxes to protect. The Chimney Fire that briefly threatened the Hearst Castle and the Rey Fire, which appeared to envelope the Santa Ynez Valley in smoke and flame when Read More →
Grit still best predictor of success
By Renee Rock One good old-fashioned job skill is still the key to success. As the middle child in a large 1950s-era family, I had to work hard to earn the attention of my hardworking blue-collar father. Like many in single-income families, my father worked long hours, often putting in overtime to make ends meet. Read More →
Minimum wage and salary increases — a ripple effect or a tsunami?
By Jon Light You may have heard that California will have a minimum wage of $15 by 2022. But there are ramifications beyond that gradual increase that employers may not have considered. In April, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, phased in over five years between 2017 Read More →
Area code overlay better than breaking up the 805
With the California Public Utilities Commission ready to hold hearings on the future of the 805 area code, the easy call for this newspaper is to urge the CPUC to adopt a so-called “overlay” solution. With an overlay, the existing area code remains intact and a new set of three numbers introduces a new area Read More →
Protect elderly from information scammers
By Paul D. Witman “Knowledge (information) is power.” — Francis Bacon, 1597 Edward, 82, bought long-term-care insurance 25 years ago. But when circumstances conspired to force him to make claims against it, his provider delivered a perfect storm of information problems — confusing deadlines, conflicting bills and poor customer service. What should have been a Read More →
