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Want to invest in a company before its IPO?

Found an interesting article from the Associated Press while I was watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels last night (fun episode, Shannon on painkillers buying Ginsu knives and Gene trying to figure out how to stimulate the economy -- by ringing the opening bell). The article says Scott Painter and business partner Greg Brogger have started a group called SharesPost.

This vehicle was launched publicly in June and allows Painter to try and sell shares in companies he helped found, which includes car pricing start-up TrueCar.com. However, Painter wants to go further, backing an idea allowing insiders to sell shares in companies before their initial public offering (IPO). A couple of the companies Painter is interested in include Twitter and LinkedIn (sites you may be familiar with).

Continue reading Want to invest in a company before its IPO?

Entrepreneur's Journal: What are the growth businesses today?

With the chances of finding a job fairly slim, people are certainly thinking about starting -- or even buying -- a business. But, which industry to go into?

It's a tough decision. Yet, there are still opportunities. To get some insight on this, I had a chance to talk to Toon van Beeck, who is the senior analyst with IBISWorld. Let's take a look:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: What are the growth businesses today?

Avon, Mary Kay see an employment boom

In order to keep income trickling in, companies the likes of Avon (NYSE: AVP), Mary Kay, and Tupperware are seeing a flux of salespeople -- including professionals forced to take a second job thanks to the recession.

Becke Alexander, the sales manager for Avon, noted that she hears from laid-off bankers and stay-at-home moms every week, but the company is seeing a recent boon from "gainfully employed people worried how long they'll stay that way." In fact, Alexander said, "There are no hobby seekers coming in here. It's people with a legitimate need." This pop in makeup peddlers stems directly from the current economic crisis, but not just from unemployment. A common complaint is that bonuses have disappeared, as have hours, which have forced people to turn to direct sales to make up some cash.

Continue reading Avon, Mary Kay see an employment boom

Entrepreneur's Journal: Building a business that Buffett would buy

While in an airport bookstore recently, this title caught me eye: How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy: The R.C. Willey Story.

How could I resist? I bought a copy and read the whole thing on my flight (OK, the book is only 192 pages).

The author of the book, Jeff Benedict, tracks the entrepreneurial career of Bill Child, who transformed a furniture business -- R.C. Willey -- into a retailing giant (he came on board the company in the mid 1950s when his father-in-law died).

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Building a business that Buffett would buy

Entrepreneur's Journal: Protecting personal assets when the business dives

Even during economic expansions, the failure rate for small businesses is high. Of course, things are even worse now, in light of the falling GDP and rising unemployment.

However, if a business needs to close down, the risks may be much larger than the overall investment. For example, in times of economic distress, there's likely to be a higher likelihood for lawsuits that can expose a small business owner to personal liability.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Protecting personal assets when the business dives

Entrepreneur's Journal: So, you want to sell your business

Selling a business can be thrilling and frightening. For most business owners, this is a one-time event. And, it will likely be critical in terms of retirement.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to make some big blunders, which usually cannot be undone.

So, what are some things to consider? Let's take a look.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: So, you want to sell your business

Insights from top stock market bloggers around the Web

This is the market view from five prominent stock market bloggers. I asked them each one simple question: Where do you think the market is headed, and why? Here are their responses (listed in alphabetical order):

James Altucher – TheStreet.com

Altucher is a financial journalist for the Financial Times, daily contributor to TheStreet.com (NASDAQ: TSCM), and founder of Stockpickr. His articles cover every angle of the market; he also stars in feature videos with other financial luminaries. He is the author of Trade like a Hedge Fund, Trade Like Warren Buffett, SuperCa$h, andThe Forever Portfolio.

"The market sold off too much. S&P 700 was anticipating the apocalypse, which is not happening. With $15 trillion in stimulus worldwide happening over the next one to four years there is only one hedge for inflation: owning a broad spectrum of stocks. Buy internets, nuclear energy (Altucher mentions Shaw Group (NYSE: SGR), Cameco Corp (NYSE: CCJ) and USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) in THIS video segment), gold producers, and healthcare stocks."

Continue reading Insights from top stock market bloggers around the Web

Twenty facts you should know about Steve Jobs

In honor of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s earnings report today, here are 20 things you should know about its CEO Steve Jobs.

1. His first job was at Atari (and he only took this position to raise money for a spiritual retreat to India).

2. He was a college drop out (but never missed a calligraphy class . . . seriously).

3. He was named the most powerful person in business by Fortune magazine in 2007.

Continue reading Twenty facts you should know about Steve Jobs

Five best start-ups of 2009

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending The Summit Series conference in Aspen with 115 top young entrepreneurs and inspiring philanthropists under the age of 35. This event, founded by Elliot Bisnow of Bisnow Media, has created a community of the world's most influential innovators. "We are inspired by events like the Clinton Global Initiative, TED, and Davos," says Bisnow. $200,000 was raised for the four presenting non-profit organizations including NothingButNets.com, Feed Foundation, Invisible Children, and Grassroots Soccer.

These five start-ups were among the most impressive and interesting business ideas:

Continue reading Five best start-ups of 2009

George Soros says commercial property values to decline 30%

George Soros is one of the truly legendary figures in world finance. He doesn't use fancy mathematics and he doesn't follow the crowd. In 2007 he predicted the coming collapse of the world financial system. Unlike other pundits, Soros has the courage to make huge bets, often using his "feelings" about what he sees is happening.

In 2007, he came out of retirement to trade his hedge fund and made $2.9 billion. This past year his fund made $.1.7 billion. He is listed as one of the top 25 hedge fund traders in the world, with an estimated net worth of $11 billion.

Continue reading George Soros says commercial property values to decline 30%

Entrepreneur's Journal: Getting free traffic with search engine optimization (SEO)

Bankrate, Inc. (Nasdaq: RATE) is one of the top financial sites on the Web. And one of the main reasons it does so well: organic traffic.

Huh? Well, this means that when you search on popular terms and phrases on Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO), Bankrate's site is often on the first page. This is essentially free traffic.

So, how can you benefit from this? Of course, there are many strategies. But, there are some things you can do to get started. Let's take a look:

Optimize your page: You want to make it easy for search engines to index your pages. This means making sure that each web page title is unique and reflects the key search phrases that your users enter (the process is known as "search engine optimization" or SEO).

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Getting free traffic with search engine optimization (SEO)

Who is mining the pharaoh's gold?

There is a region in Egypt's eastern desert, near the Red Sea, called the Sukari. Sukari is believed to contain a large gold deposit.

The existence of the deposit has been known for many years but was forbidden to exploration by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt's president from 1956 to 1970

A company called Centamin bought the rights to explore and mine the Sukari from two Egyptian-Australians named El-Raghy and his son Josef who had been developing it since 1999.

Continue reading Who is mining the pharaoh's gold?

Carlos Slim to invest $250 million in New York Times


The rumors about Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim investing in The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) are heating up.

Andrew Ross Sorkin reports that Slim is near a deal to invest up to $250 million in a deal that could be approved by the company's board of directors today. According to Sorkin, "As part of Mr. Slim's investment, which resembles a loan, he is expected to get a special annual dividend, perhaps as high as 10 percent or more on this investment, these people said."

What is interesting is that Mr. Slim is not set to receive any control of the company's corporate governance. The company's dual-class voting structure that provides the Sulzberger family with total control of the company in spite of an equity stake of less than 20% has been a sore spot with many investors. Slim is also not looking to influence the company's operations.

But the nature of the deal may make that OK from Mr. Slim's perspective: A special annual dividend of 10% and warrants that allow him to benefit from stock price appreciation if things go well is a pretty good deal.

And while the cash infusion is good news for shareholders because it gives the company a liquidity breather, it will do little to solve any of the company's longer-term issues that created the balance sheet problem in the first place.

Apple's new CEO speaks softly and carries a big stick

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) new Chief Executive Tim Cook seems the type who enjoys lurking in the background. For years, he has quietly but effectively undertaken some of Apple's biggest jobs including running the Macintosh business while allowing co-founder Steve Jobs to bask in the spotlight. With Jobs going on leave, Cook will have to step in front of the curtain again.

He ran the show in 2004 when Jobs was treated for cancer. Bloomberg News describes Cook as a soft-spoken yet intense manager who, like his boss, does not suffer fools gladly.

But he is not going to be able to inspire the cult-like devotion of Jobs. Investors are understandably worried.


Jobs' health crisis could not come at a worse time for the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple. The economy is slowing as are sales of computers. As the Wall Street Journal noted "IDC recently reported that world-wide computer shipments fell in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the first year-to-year drop in six years." Sales of iPods are expected to decline, an indication of the maturity of the market.

Apple still has plenty going for it. The company's U.S. computer shipments rose 7.5% and its share of computer shipments rose to 7.2% from 6.4% a year earlier. It continues to have a rabidly loyal customer base including me.

But there is going to be a cloud over Apple for as long as Jobs' health is an issue.

Don Callender's timeless business lessons

While there are many pie shops, few have risen to the heights of Marie Callender's. Of course, part of the success came from the scrumptious food.

Another key was Don Callender's business smarts. Don Callender was the son of Cal and Marie -- who started a wholesale bakery.

Unfortunately, he died the past week. He was 81 years old.

Started in 1948, Marie Callender's grew slowly, despite the tremendous hard work. Don, however, saw a big opportunity. Why not turn the wholesale business into a restaurant?

This was in the mid 1960s. It was perfect timing as America underwent a growth spurt.

But Don also realized he needed to be highly disciplined with costs as well quality. And it worked. By the mid 1980s, Don grew the business to 120 locations and then sold out to Ramada for about $80 million.

He didn't stop there. He continued to invent new restaurants, such as Babe's Barbecue and Brewhouse.

Continue reading Don Callender's timeless business lessons

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Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-223.328,280.74
NASDAQ-49.201,796.52
S&P 500-26.91896.42

Last updated: July 02, 2009: 07:09 PM

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