American Foreign Policy Problems

For much of the history of this great country, in fact over 85% of the time since the country came into being, it’s been at war with someone or other. In fact, it’s more of a challenge to find when the U.S. hasn’t been at war than to find when it has been at war. From the revolution itself, thru to modern times, the country has spent more time devoted to foreign policy problems than just about any other on the planet. So the question is why is American foreign policy so often resolved with some kind of military engagement rather than diplomacy?

It could be said that this is some kind of throwback to the attitudes imposed upon a struggling nation to express itself on the world stage, but that was over 200 years ago, so why it is that American foreign policy continues to follow this time tested method of imposing its will? History has taught us nothing if not that knowledge of the past should help us avoid the pitfalls of the past, however today’s Afghanistan and Iraq incursions are in many ways repeats of Korea and Vietnam – indigenous fighters looking to free their homelands from what they view as a foreign power trying to take over their countries. Not too dissimilar from the origins of the U.S itself, and like these countries the U.S. happily accepted foreign aid from France and Spain in its war with the British without giving too much thought as to the strings that may be attached to the help given.

Some people will say that the similarities don’t exist at all, but if that was the case, then why would so many politicians go to such lengths to demonize those that oppose American foreign policy? There’s no easy answer to any of these questions, but it does make one wonder just exactly what the intentions of the government, past and present, are. It’s without doubt that since the 1940’s the U.S. has taken upon itself the role of policeman for the world, and yet there are so many area’s that could do with American weight to rectify problems but that receive none. Myanamar, Darfur, Kurdistan are just a couple of area’s that would actually benefit from American involvement, but that receive little or no recognition here save in sound bites.

While it’s not going to be cured overnight, it may well be that American foreign policy needs a complete overhaul as far as intentions are concerned, so be prepared for some changes in the future!

Should You Close Your Small Business Down?

Are you a small business owner who feels as if you are stuck in a money trap? Although a large number of small business owners are able to make money with their businesses, there are others who only end up losing money. If you think that you are one of those small business owners, you may be wondering if the time to get out of the business is now.

When comes to determining whether you should close down your small business or give it a few more chances, there are a number of important factors that should first be examined. One of those factors is your current financial situation. Do you think that you could afford to keep your business open for a little bit longer, even just a few more months? If you can do so, you may want to think about doing so. What you need to remember is that all small businesses, including those that are mainly operated online and those that are mainly operated offline, have slumps. It is not uncommon to have a few bad months. If given time, you may see your business and its financial outlook start to improve.

Investing Your Time to Make Money

There is an old saying: “you have to have money to make money.” With today’s advancements in technology, this could not be further from the case. If you know where to look, then making money just from your time is easy. These type of jobs do not require any skills what so ever, just time.

Now before you get excited, you must know that the majority of people who attempt this do not actually make a fulltime living off of it, no matter what the ads tell you. These types of jobs are good for people such as college students, stay at home moms, or people looking for a small amount of additional income.

Now, take for example, you are walking through the grocery store and you to a booth that is offering a taste of the latest food. Once you finish the sample, the lady behind the booth asks “So how did you like it?” you reply with your answer and she writes it down and give you a coupon for the actual product. Did you know that you just unknowingly took a survey about that product. In much of the same fashion, online business ask you to try their product or service, and then tell them what you liked and did not like about it. This helps companies imporve and tailor their products and services so that they reach the most customers.

Characteristics Of Entrepreneur

Important Characteristics Every Entrepreneur Must Have

Are you planning to start and run your own business? Do you know the right qualifications and characteristics an entrepreneur must have to succeed? Does your profile match that of a successful entrepreneur? In this article we will explore and discuss the essential characteristics that every entrepreneur must have. There are several important traits and values that are common among successful entrepreneurs. Before you go and start your enterprise, it will be very helpful to think and reflect whether you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. If not, you can also start developing these character traits.

1. Successful Entrepreneurs are Self-Confident – to succeed in the highly competitive business world, confidence and trust in oneself is an indispensable trait. Self-confidence means trusting your own powers and capabilities. The world of entrepreneurship is not alien to failure and disappointments. To survive in such a cutthroat world, an entrepreneur must have the ability to look within himself and find the drive and persistence to pursue his enterprise. An entrepreneur must have the gumption to face any adversity and tackle any problems that may be encountered in the world of business.

2. Successful Entrepreneurs are Risk-takers – being an entrepreneur means having the ability to trust your hunches and acting on them. Great business ideas sometimes start as a hunch which enterprising individuals acted upon. There is always the risk of loss in any endeavor, and entrepreneurs have just the right confidence to take calculated risks to achieve their objective. However, an entrepreneur’s risk-taking does not depend on luck, but on sheer effort and hard work.

3. Successful Entrepreneurs know the value of money and are careful about their finances – to succeed in any business; an entrepreneur must understand the value of money and the cost of things. Typically, successful entrepreneurs learned how to earn and value money at a young age. Most of them started out by earning loose change as teenagers mowing lawns, doing groceries, babysitting for neighbors, etc.

4. Successful entrepreneurs have the so-called head for business – many entrepreneurs are gifted with intuition: they know what product or service is going to ‘click’ next. However, this ability does not involve clairvoyance or extra sensory powers of some sort, but rather, keen observation and understanding of what is going on around him. A good entrepreneur is always on the look out for new ideas and new ways to make money.

5. Successful Entrepreneurs are competitive – the world of business is a very competitive environment. An entrepreneur must be aggressive enough to pursue his goal despite having many rivals and competitors. An entrepreneur must know how to stay ahead of his competitors, either by introducing new ideas and exploring new ventures, all in the spirit of expanding his business.

6. Successful Entrepreneurs are honorable and have a good work ethic – although it is a fact that the business world is ruthless, but the successful entrepreneur will strive to make every business deal honorable. The mark of a successful entrepreneur lies in a good personal work ethic that ultimately leads to good business practices, excellent reputation and good association with industry peers and business partners.

7. Successful Entrepreneurs know the importance of leisure time – hard work and determination are very important values every entrepreneur must have. However, a good entrepreneur knows when it’s time to take a step back from all the rigors of business and enjoy some downtime with their family. Besides, we all do need a little relaxation to refresh the body and mind before plunging back into the challenging (and stressful) world of business.

These are just seven of the most important characteristics of an entrepreneur. Of course, the characteristics every entrepreneur must have are not limited to the ones mentioned. Having these characteristics is not a guarantee that an entrepreneur will be successful. But with these characteristics, an entrepreneur has just the right ingredients for success. All one needs to do is to find the right mix of these values, excellent timing, perhaps a bit of luck and, of course, faith in oneself. So, do you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? Go over these characteristics and values mentioned and reflect if you do have these.

Businesses Up Pressure for Bailout Bill

Governors and business lobbyists pressured lawmakers Wednesday to pass a $700 billion financial industry bailout as top lawmakers prepared for another face-off on the issue — this time in the Senate.

“There is a time for partisanship and there is a time for getting things done,” Texas Gov. Rick Perry and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin wrote in a letter to members of Congress.

“Americans across the country and in every demographic are feeling the pinch. If Congress does not act soon, the situation will grow appreciably worse. It’s time for leadership. Congress needs to act now,” they wrote.

Perry heads the Republican Governors Association while Manchin leads the Democratic governors group. Their letter was aimed at signaling there are home-state political reasons for approving the massive bailout, in which the government would spend billions of dollars to buy risky mortgage securities that are choking the financial system.

How Hard Can the World be for Mom Entrepreneurs?

How Hard Can the World be for Mom Entrepreneurs?

Motherhood can be a very fulfilling, yet frustrating time for a woman. You see, motherhood can actually prevent women from accomplishing many of the goals they have set for themselves.

Nowadays, it is only proper that both parents share the responsibility of rearing a child. However, we cannot deny the fact that mothers often have a harder time. In this line of thinking, what do you think mom entrepreneurs face in today’s world?

Well, many moms actually find that being an entrepreneur is much better than being an employee. You see, when you are a mom entrepreneur, you are your own boss. This means you will be able to balance time between taking care of a child and making money. Being a mom entrepreneur also gives you the advantage of choosing where to go and when.

Mom entrepreneurs actually do not have it so hard nowadays as they did a few years back. You see, technology today has evolved to a point that it makes being an entrepreneur quite easy, whether you are a mother or not.

Mom entrepreneurs nowadays can actually take care of business even when they are at home. The technological marvel of the internet actually means that being a home-based mom entrepreneur has a lot of advantages.

Identifying The Wastes Named By Lean Manufacturing

Before we move on, let us first answer the issue raised by this article by identifying what the top seven wastes companies identified as the reasons for the production delays, gargantuan costs and, eventually, bankruptcy filings and hostile takeovers are.

1) overproduction
2) transportation
3) motion (processes that don’t need to be conducted)
4) inventory
5) processing
6) waiting time
7) scrap and defects

Understanding what lean manufacturing is does not take rocket science to bear down to the basic concepts. Simply put, lean manufacturing is the achievement of the greatest efficiency and profitability for a company by eliminating the wasteful methods and activities that are commonly present in corporate regimes.

At first glance, some firms are intimated with the thought of adopting lean manufacturing because of its fancy sounding name. But, if truth be told, it’s actually easier than seems. What you just need to have is the dedication and the discipline to see things through and make change happen.

The Client Coworker

The idea of being customer service and customer satisfaction oriented is not a new paradigm in the business world. Even in businesses that are not directly working with the public, the idea of structuring the company to satisfy the needs of the people that make it possible for the company to stay in business – it’s customers – is a core value for a large percentage of businesses, especially those that are successful.

But there are segments of every business that have no contact with customers so it is difficult for them to develop a customer service mentality. And if the business itself is not structured to deal with the public or have conventional “customers”, that approach to the business world can be lacking in the workplace. That is why a big business trend in all type of business settings is to change the work ethic internally so that workers view those who use their work as customers.

When properly implemented, each employee actually begins to view each other, their bosses and especially people who rely on their work in other departments as customers or clients. In theory, this approach has as its objective to build that customer service mentality even in workers for whom the outcome of their work is only for internal departments or other workers in the company.

Peter Burns Entrepreneurship in Action

Have you heard of the name Peter Burns? If you are familiar of him as one great entrepreneur, then your guess is right! Peter Burns is an acclaimed millionaire and entrepreneur who also teaches the subject Entrepreneur 101 in ASU’s Barret Honors College for over a year.

There are likewise news that circulates that he may team up with the Grand Canyon University this coming May for its launching of the College of Entrepreneurship. Asked as to why he preferred to team up with another school instead of ASU, it appears that Peter Burns first suggested the idea to the ASU but the school seemed uninterested. It was Grand Canyon University who took interest to launch the said proposed degree program.

It appears that Peter Burns is not at all disappointed with ASU’s decision but who knows what really plays on his own mind? He further stressed out that ASU’s decision is right. After all, he knows for a fact that it is not the sole endeavor of a business school.

Should Your Business Be Storefront, Online, or Both?

Small Business Owners: Should Your Business Be Storefront, Online, or Both?

Are you in the process of trying to start your own business or are you already a small business owner who would like to expand? If you are, how is your business currently being operated? Is your business in a storefront location, one where your customers can come and visit you, or is your businesses address primarily a .com one? How your business is run may have an important impact on its success and the profits that you are able to make. That is why it is extremely important that you thoroughly research all of your small business decisions, especially this one, before making them.

When it comes to deciding if you should start a storefront business or an online business, there are a number of important factors that need to be taken into consideration. One of those factors is your local economy. There are some areas of the United States, where unemployment rates are high. These are the types of areas where it may be somewhat difficult for you to start a storefront business. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try though. Other factors that should also be examined include the competition and the available commercial space; are there any affordable spaces available in or around your intended location?

In addition to examining starting a storefront business, from a local standpoint, it is also important to examine starting an online business. What you may not necessarily know is that just about anyone can create an online store, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will end up making money with it. To have a profitable online store, you need to have a freshly designed website, particularly one that is easy to navigate. You also have to have a sellable product, particularly one that is easy to sell online and easy to transport to your customers. As with starting a storefront business, the less online competition you have, the better your chances of being successful are.