From a strategic thinking perspective, diversity in the workplace is a true blessing.
Weekly business rail, with password tips, a BBB warning about frauds using the military, and more.
Weekly financial Q-and-A, with advice on moving and paying off a mortgage.
Reader question: Can I ask my real estate agent for a list of the people who have inspected my home? Nan D.
Q: Hello, Greg! I remember many years ago you wrote an article about car songs and the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean that I saw in a car magazine. It had to do with the best car songs, and I’d love if you could touch on some of these great car songs again. I remember you mentioned a performer by the name of Dick Dale in that article, and would love to learn more. Janet S., Illinois.
There’s something pleasantly old-school about this car, and this is a bit odd since it’s a crispy new, redesigned (although familiar) model from a maker known for engineering brilliance — that is, Honda. No, we don’t have to crank the engine by hand (a pushbutton does that), but there is a third pedal under the dash and the only switches on the deck around the gearshift lever are for the seat heaters. There are no knobs or buttons labeled “Normal,” “Sport” or “Sport plus,” or even “Snow”; there’s no monkeying with the suspension, steering or throttle, nor is there an auxiliary electric motor to call upon. Just push in the clutch, engage first or reverse in the 6-speed gearbox — by hand — and drive off. Want to go faster? Push harder on the pedal on the right.
There has been an enormous amount written about how to manage virtual teams. In fact, I have previously written on it a few times myself and teach a class for managers on the topic. Today’s column, however, is a little different. Rather than discussing the management of virtual teams from the manager’s perspective, I’ll be discussing it from the remote worker’s point of view. The reason for this change in headset is, that as managers, we can better lead those working for us if we understand their needs and issues.
Reader question: My husband and I own a small business on a commercially zoned street in a city with about 100,000 people. We are thinking of selling the business and property. Could you recommend an appraiser here? The building is very old and is "grandfathered." We also own an adjoining parking lot. We would like to plan ahead as much as possible. Thanks. Jean F.
Weekly financial Q-and-A, with advice on working moms and on paying for college.
Our weekly Biz Bits with tips on how to run a successful creative business, avoiding summer job scams and "off-road" wheelchairs.
Hand-held tablets are a lot like computers, in fact, they are computers.
Q: Greg, I know by 1971 that Detroit had to follow government rules and begin using unleaded gas in their street cars. However, there were still a few high-performance cars I remember, especially the 1971 Corvette with an LS6 V-8, that still put out big horsepower. Any information would be appreciated.
Somewhere on the continuum between Toyota’s Prius C and the new million-dollar gas-electric hypercars from Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari (really), there’s a zone that separates hybrids as economy transportation from hybrids as ultimate speed sleds. We know that electric motors can help small internal-combustion engines stretch a gallon of gasoline from, say, 30 miles to 50 or more, at least at low speeds. But for big gas engines, add-on electric motors are now providing extra wallop—carving a second or two off the 0-to-100 MPH sprint, for example. The GS450h sits in the zone that divides these types of hybrid cars; it enjoys some of both benefits.
If you are the manager of a company department that is providing services to people in other internal departments, your work can generally be categorized in two ways: required work and requested work.
Reader question: I currently own a commercial building. The mortgage was paid off when I inherited it. I am looking for a profitable long-term investment. I would like to leverage my building to buy another one. How do I find a great deal? How do I calculate return? What formulas are important to find an appropriate cost? Simon B.
Our weekly Biz Bits, with tips on job searches, VOCs and the Hotmail switch.
Weekly financial Q-and-A, with advice on necessities and mutual funds.
As consumers, we learned the hard way that consolidating credit cards or rolling that card debt into a bigger home mortgage doesn’t solve the real problem; too much debt. For some reason, our federal government is having a tough time adjusting to this common principle of economics.
Q: Greg, I'd like to know about what happened to the Lincolns from back in the 1950s. Up until 1958, I thought the styling was quite nice for a luxury car. Then in 1958, Lincoln came out with a massive piece of monstrosity that to this day I think was the biggest Lincoln to date. What happened in 1958? Chuck L., Evanston, Ill.
