February 24, 2025

		

Guest Commentary


| Thursday, November 12th, 2015

Reducing development costs, licensing and startup fees will create more jobs

Op/Eds

Labor markets have been weak since the Great Recession. Job creation has been slow and labor force participation has been falling. While the Tri-Counties region has performed similarly to the nation on aggregate, its largest county, Ventura County, has underperformed the nation and its northern neighbors. The recession brought significant contractions in non-farm jobs for Read More →

| Friday, October 23rd, 2015

How to move customers to say ‘I do’

Op/Eds

In today’s digital world, we are bombarded with brand promises, marketing messages, sales pitches and promotional offers at every turn.  It is nearly impossible to siphon the constant stream of data that invades our space — whether it be at work, at home or at play. So what does it take to for us to Read More →

| Friday, October 16th, 2015

How to hire for company culture fit

Op/Eds, Opinion

“We look for employees who fit into our culture.” How often have you heard that phrase from hiring managers? How many times have you said that yourself? And when was the last time you were confident that you didn’t just rely on your gut feeling? Yes, exactly. Hiring is indeed a powerful way to build Read More →

| Friday, October 2nd, 2015

Goodbye to Haggen grocery stores

Op/Eds

Wikipedia states that strategic bankruptcy occurs when an otherwise solvent company makes use of the bankruptcy laws for a specific business purpose.  An example of this was in 2002 when Kmart filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Kmart had a severe cash flow problem because it was locked into long-term leases at premium rates with respect Read More →

| Friday, October 2nd, 2015

Try alternative commute during Ride Week

Op/Eds

This year the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District are sponsoring Ride Week, Oct. 5-9. Ride Week is an opportunity for everyone to try out an alternative commute such as biking, walking, carpooling, vanpooling or riding a bus or train and win prizes for their efforts. Ventura County drivers Read More →

| Friday, October 2nd, 2015

VW’s actions smack of ethical blindness

Op/Eds

Are profits and corporate values treated equally? Did Volkswagen compromise its core values? On its website the stated strategy that drives the company’s actions is: “We see high customer satisfaction as one of the key requirements for the company’s long-term success.” That would be a “yes” to the core values question. VW did emphasize profits Read More →

| Friday, September 25th, 2015

FICO score can make a big difference

Op/Eds, Opinion, Personal Finance

For most small businesses, the toughest aspect of running the operation is managing cash flow. Most small businesses depend on timely payments from their clients to pay their own bills. However, in difficult times such as these, clients often stretch payment of their invoices to 60 days or longer. In order to be able to Read More →