Posted by Margaret Gerber on December 4th, 2011
The alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which sparked a lobbying battle between two defense industry titans that raged for five years, has been shot down before. But as of Friday, it’s undeniably, indisputably dead.
Its own parents, General Electric and Rolls-Royce, drove the stake through the heart. The companies announced Friday that they are abandoning the alternate engine, a victory for Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford.
The U.S. House, Senate, Pentagon and White House had been in a tug of war many times before about killing or reviving the GE engine, known as the F136.
Even in February, when a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Tea Party Republicans pulled $450 in development funds for the F136, there was a glimmer of life. At that time, GE said it would self-fund the alternate engine and keep lobbying for two engines for the next generation fighter jet, arguing that competition would save money in the long run.
Read Full Post…
Posted by James Campos on December 2nd, 2011
Netflix’s announcement on Tuesday that it will restructure its pricing plan, essentially raising its prices by 60 percent, was accompanied by a relatively mild explanation on its blog: “Given the long life we think DVDs by mail will have, treating DVDs as a $2 add on to our unlimited streaming plan neither makes great financial sense nor satisfies people who just want DVDs.”
However, the reaction to Netflix, a longtime customer favorite, has been anything but mild. Faced with having to pay about $16 for separate streaming and DVD plans instead of the current $9.99 fee for both, some of Netflix’s 22.3 milion U.S. Read Full Post…
Posted by William C on December 1st, 2011
FORWARD Ladies will celebrate Positive Women’s Day in York this month, with a full day of personal development for professional women.
The event on Tuesday, at the Catalyst Innovation Centre at the University of York campus, will cover topics including social media, blogging for business, sales, marketing, branding, confidence building, and personal presentations.
Etta Cohen, of Forward Ladies said: “We have run Positive Women’s Days in other parts of the region and they have been hugely successful. We recognise that the current economic climate is putting tremendous pressure on small businesses and we wanted to support business and professional women in York to help them gain new skills to make them more competitive in the business market.”
Positive Women’s Days are open to all professional women, whether members of Forward Ladies or not.
Posted by William C on November 26th, 2011
Shoppers line up and wait to get into an Abercrombie & Fitch store in New York City.
AP Photos Shoppers gaze through windows at a Teuscher Chocolatier in Rockefeller Center in New York. The crowds, congestion, heavy bags and “Jingle Bells” for the umpteenth time are all unavoidable parts of the holiday experience if you do your shopping in the old-school, brick-and-mortar way.
Shoppers line up and wait to get into an Abercrombie & Fitch store in New York City.
Read Full Post…
Posted by Margaret Gerber on November 25th, 2011
You’ve been on a buying trip and collected unique items that you want to sell in Canada. Or, without even leaving your desk, you’ve discovered a more inexpensive source of supplies for your business out of the country. Starting an import business is the next logical step.
This “mini-guide” to importing into Canada will get you started.
1) If you don’t already have a business, you will need to start a business before you can start importing into Canada. See:
- Choosing a Form of Business
- Choosing a Business Name
- Registering a Business Name
2) Get a business number.
A business number registers you for an import/export tax account with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Do I Need a Business Number? tells how to get one.
While you are registering for a business number for an import/export account, you should also register for your GST, corporate income tax and payroll tax accounts if you need them.
Read Full Post…
Posted by James Campos on November 22nd, 2011
The Baby Grand Hotel Company – the business behind the 42 The Calls Hotel in Leeds – has called in administrators.
The company has appointed Rob Croxen, David Crawshaw and Blair Nimmo from KPMG’s restructuring practice to find a buyer for the four-star boutique hotel. It will continue to trade as normal while a buyer is being sought.
Baby Grand is a subsidiary of the London-based Scotsman Hotel Group Limited (SHGL), which itself entered administration at the end of October this year. It has been reported that SHGL was placed into administration by its bankers at Lloyds TSB, after gathering debts of around £50 million.
SHGL has been encountering significant financial difficulties, despite being owned by Saudi hotel magnate, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, who was recently ranked the 93rd richest man in the world. He bought SHGL in 2006 for around £63 million.
Read Full Post…
Posted by James Campos on November 18th, 2011
In February, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched a fraud investigation into CSCs accounting practices in Denmark. Then, in October, CSC chairman and CEO Mike Laphen announced that he would be resigning from his position within a year. And now, SEC investigators have indicated that they are extending their fraud investigation into CSCs Australian business.
During a recent CSC financial reporting conference call, CFO Mike Mancuso said accounting errors and intentional misconduct by certain personnel in Australia prompted SEC regulators to turn their gaze to Australia.
Read Full Post…