Business

May
18
2010

Written by:
Wade Senti

Sports Business: The King James Affect

Among the major sports leagues [NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA), nearly $16 billion is generated annually, realizing a sizable portion to the national GDP (Hoovers). These leagues are dominated by captivating figures including Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, and of course -- Lebron James.

These individuals are not only excellent athletic performers, but are to a greater extent an image – of franchises, cities, and a collective people, allowing stakeholders to capitalize on their marketability, creating value regionally, nationally, but also globally. It may surprise some that Kobe Bryant is the most marketable basketball player globally today. This marketability and popularity is largely due to championships.

Apr
25
2010

Written by:
Jimmy Connolly

Business Today's Executive Video Interviews: Robert Kisilywicz of SES Americom

Here is the link our second video interview of the year, featuring Robert Kisilywicz of SES Americom. Thanks to Allan Amico and Julia Vill for conducting the interview.

Apr
15
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

Quality Management

The total quality management revolution which occurred in the United States after the recessions in the 1970s and 1980s brought about a new focus for management in corporate America. With Japan rising in the U.S. market as a strong competitor, our country, collectively, decided to take ownership of quality over quantity. This was the only way to compete in an ever changing global climate. Today, there is a striking resemblance to this same shift in focus as we approach the light at the end of our current recession.

GM’s new CEO, Edward Whitacre, was quoted in The Wall Street Journal recently on his efforts to emphasize the importance of managers’ decision-making. In the 1980s, our goal was to improve our products’ quality. Today our goal is to improve our management quality. What can this refocus do for us as a nation?

Apr
12
2010

Written by:
Jimmy Connolly

First Business Today Video Interview--Dr. Alan Main of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals

In one of our new initiatives, BT is running video interviews with the business leaders of today. Featured here is our inaugural video with Dr. Alan Main of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, and thanks to Alan Amico and Julia Tempest for filming the interview.

Apr
1
2010

Written by:
Joseph Seydl

Wall Street Compensation Reform: A Necessary Distinction

In the financial regulatory reform arena one of the most widely discussed and highly sensitive issues relates to compensation structures on Wall Street. From the numerous opinion-based articles written on this topic it seems that there is a growing sense of populism in America against the so called ‘unjust’ bonuses being paid out to bankers working on Wall Street. While I think it’s important that we, as a collective society, voice our populist opinions in order to make sensible reforms in regards to outlandish compensation schemes on Wall Street, we also need to be very careful about how we toss around the term ‘unjust’. And right now the general public is failing to make a very important distinction on the issue of Wall Street compensation: that is, the justness of bonuses paid out to junior-level analysts vs. senior-level managers.

Mar
29
2010

Written by:
Christine Hwong

For Entrepreneurs: Forming a Sole Proprietorship

Regardless of company size, it is imperative to decide on the best legal structure of your new company. The legal entity chosen will affect extent of personal liability, taxes and record documentation. Your business structure can take one of five basic forms: the sole proprietorship, the partnership, the regular or C corporation, the S corporation, or the limited liability company.

Mar
27
2010

Written by:
Wade Senti

College Basketball isn’t what it used to be

Over the last few decades, the landscape for college basketball and to some extent, the NCAA, has changed. Today, the NCAA is nearly a $6 billion collaborative institution, with over 1,200 members – all benefiting from media contracts, merchandise licensing, and of course -- exceptional athletic talent. If the BCS Championship series as well as the NCAA Basketball Tournament has proven anything, it is that money plays a crucial role in the direction and structure of the landscape of collegiate sports, especially football and basketball. As March Madness rolls along, it seems fitting to articulate two serious issues, (I) ‘the one-and-done rule’ by the NBA and (II) it’s correlation to mass sports media and the NCAA.

Mar
26
2010

Written by:
Paul Shin

Bill Gates and Renewable Energy

After resigning from the presidency of Microsoft in 2008, Bill Gates has invested his money in solving global problems of poverty and environment. Two years of concentration on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation must have made him crave for a new challenge in business. The founder of Microsoft has announced an alliance with Toshiba to develop the next generation energy resource that does not require fuel supply for more than 100 years.

According to the media, Terrapower, a venture company owned by Bill Gates, cooperated with Toshiba in information and technology to develop technologically advanced nuclear reactor, TWR. Established in 2000, Terrapower is a technology development firm which Bill Gates technically owns. He has invested approximately eight billion dollars into the TWR project.

Mar
25
2010

Written by:
Elizabeth Gazette

Not Just About Healthcare Reform

Tacked onto the reconciliation bill that the House passed Sunday was legislation overhauling the student loan industry. The sector, once subsidized by the “Federal Family Loan Program” under which the government subsidized loans made by private lenders to students, has now been nationalized, eliminating private lenders from the equation. While institutions such as Sallie Mae will still assist in servicing the loans, the federal government will now be contracting loans directly to students. This change should result in lower interest rates for student loans, reducing the total cost to the borrowers and perhaps helping them pay off their loans earlier. The legislation also expands the Pell Grant program for low-income students, making more aid available to them which doesn’t have to be repaid.

Mar
23
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

Merging Opportunities

The recovering market of today can provide just as many opportunities as the booming market of the late 1990s. The trick, and challenge, is looking in the right places. To the untrained eye, the job market with large firms appears uninviting. However, with careful job research and company analysis, students may find small companies as their best option out of school. The average college graduate is facing more competition and greater odds when looking to apply for internships and entry level positions with companies like “The Big Four” (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY). Therefore, the majority of students may see their best alternative in a small company. While the obvious move is to select the most reputable of the lesser known companies to work for, one should also take another point into consideration: Which company is most likely to be bought out by a bigger firm? And secondly, would that be advantageous for that company?