Bakersfield.com Strictly Business

HOLLY CULHANE: Must California workplaces be 'drug free?'

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:10:03 PDT

A good friend received a troubling inquiry the other day from a supervisor who works for a local nonprofit organization.

Clearly distraught, the caller wanted to know if California law mandated companies maintain drug-free workplaces. This seemingly simple question can be complex, so my friend asked for details and then sought my advice before responding to the caller.

ROBIN PAGGI: Hold employees accountable for being late

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

One of the biggest pet peeves of employers is chronic tardiness, according to CareerBuilder.com. That's not surprising since one in six employees reported being late to work once a week or more in a new CareerBuilder survey. What do tardy employees attribute their tardiness to? Traffic is the No. 1 excuse, followed by lack of sleep, kids and bad weather. I would add another reason to the list -- not being held accountable for being late by their employer or supervisor.

In her article, "How do employers contribute to tardiness?" Amanda McMullen says that, "Employees are more likely to be late when employers don't notice tardiness, don't take action against it, or fail to follow through with threats of disciplinary action."

STEVEN VAN METRE: Strategies exist to maximize Social Security benefits

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Social Security provides at least half the income to Americans ages 65 years and older. For about 25 percent of that age group, it accounts for 90 percent.

And that's why the Social Security reform debate now under way in Congress is so heated. For so many Americans, Social Security is their lifeline.

RUSS ALLRED: Going hog-wild for business

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

As we finish the last bites of the leftover Easter ham, the memory of that savory, smoked meat with a hint of brown sugar is solidified in our minds. All business owners want their customers to remember them fondly. They are sometimes enticed by advertising professionals to update what artists call their brand with a new logo or website. Slapping a new graphic on an old business is like putting lipstick on a pig. Regardless of how kissable the lips look, it's still a pig.

If a business owner truly wants to occupy a pleasant place in the customer's mind, the transformation must start on the inside. This requires a commitment from the owner, much like the comparison of the participants in a country breakfast. To the chicken, breakfast is but a contribution. To the pig, it's a commitment.

HOLLY CULHANE: Is your job stressing you out?

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:38 PDT

Is your job or workplace stressful? If it is, you aren't alone.

A recent study by the American Psychological Association concluded that too much work, too little money and not enough opportunity for growth are stressing workers out. One-third of the employees surveyed reported experiencing chronic work-related stress.

ROBIN PAGGI: Employer social media postings lead to lawsuits

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:03:42 PDT

If you're an employer or manager who is being sued by some of your employees, don't post derogatory comments about them on your company website or Facebook page unless you want an additional lawsuit. That's what happened to the founder and franchise president of a chain of saloons named Coyote Ugly.

The executive was Liliana Lovell who, in addition to being sued for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, is now being sued for retaliation because of postings she and one of her managers made about the employees after they filed the FLSA suit. The lawsuits are still in progress.

PAUL ANDERSON: Shake the dog from your portfolio

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Until this article, I had used the same picture in my columns for the past two years. The picture was one of the only ones I had of me on my hard drive at work when I submitted my first column. I never put much thought into it but I noticed that when people would comment on it they would simply say, "You ought to put another, more current picture in the paper." I would usually mumble an agreement and get back to what I was doing.

Finally, one of our advisors here at Moneywise came into my office and said, "Look Paul, you need to put a new picture in the paper because the expression on your face in that one looks like you have a dog chewing on your leg." A quick review of the picture and I realized he was right. My expression looked as if I was feigning a smile as a wild pit bull used my leg as a chew toy. My eyes screamed, "Hurry, take the picture! Take the picture!"

RUSS ALLRED: Business value can be elusive as diamonds

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Would you rather have a million dollars worth of diamonds or a million dollars worth of peridot? Except for their color, sparkle and bulk, the monetary worth is the same.

Diamond is my wife's birthstone and that of everyone born in April and peridot represents August, the month of my birth. Diamond is worth more per karat because it has greater demand, but if you ever need a dirty, lime-green colored gemstone, then peridot is for you.

RUSS ALLRED: Consistency leads to grander business goals

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Spring means baseball. Brad Pitt starred as Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager in the 2011 Columbia Pictures movie "Money Ball." The plot chronicled a major shift in the way ball teams recruit players. Previously, team managers searched for stars to award their big money contracts, but the A's didn't have the budget of the other teams. Beane adopted the strategy of a computer statistician rather than the conventional method of recruiting. The new model was to hire players based on their consistency in getting on base. The strategy gave the A's a winning season, and in fact, many winning seasons.

In a recent audition for a new television show about business brokers, I was asked if I'm very competitive. I cautiously responded "yes," but toward a grander goal of consistent profits. I won't compromise my principles to take a quick advantage over my competitors.

RUSS ALLRED: Business owners should prepare for inevitable

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

"Hope springs eternal" were the words Alexander Pope used to glorify the promise of an afterlife. Where business is concerned, hope springs off a cliff. Below there might be rocks or a refreshing pool of water. It is of no use for an entrepreneur to hope that sales will increase, or employees will come to work on time, or production will complete enough units. The contrary could just as easily happen, and according to Murphy's Law, usually does.

A business owner's time is better spent preparing for the inevitable. Here are a few things that are inevitable: The economy will rise and fall. Products become obsolete. Customers are fickle. Entrepreneurs die; many get old before they die. Employees can amaze and disappoint. Technology can solve and make problems.

ROBIN PAGGI: Communication and supervision

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

When Jack Dorsey invented Twitter, he changed the way we communicate, according to the "60 Minutes" correspondent who interviewed him for the March 17 show. For those who don't tweet, Twitter is an online social networking service that enables its 200 million users to send and read text-based messages that can be read by anyone in the world.

Ironically, Dorsey admitted on the show that one of his biggest weaknesses is communication and indicated he was even ousted from the company he co-founded because of his lack of communication skills.

RUSS ALLRED: Old business owners should not be sheepish

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

"March roars in like a lion and bleats out like a lamb," much like the life cycle of many owner-operated businesses. The entrepreneurs enter the market bold and brave. With skill or luck they build a livelihood. They squeeze every dime out of the shop, then after a few years meekly lock the door and walk away from a broken business.

Many aging entrepreneurs have approached me about selling their business. My visits to their ventures have revealed the legacy of their ingenuity and thrift. These once-thriving enterprises are now dreary and dusty. Before I list the business for sale I typically ask, "Do you really want to go out with your tail between your legs?" Often, just a few hundred dollars a month separates the owner from success and profits. However, when I see the entreaty of exhaustion in their eyes, I know I have asked too late.

ROBIN PAGGI: Court on employer's side on timecard rounding

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

"Time is on my side," sang the Rolling Stones in 1964. Fast forward to 2013, when a decision by the California Supreme Court demonstrated that the court is actually on the employer's side when it comes to time rounding.

Employers with hourly workers frequently use a time rounding system, such as rounding up or down to the nearest tenth of an hour, when calculating the number of hours worked by their employees. For example, if an employee clocks in at 7:58 a.m., the time is rounded up to 8 a.m., and if the employee clocks in at 8:02 a.m,, the time is rounded down to 8 a.m.

PAUL ANDERSON: Will inflation kill your buying power in retirement?

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Inflation impacts retirement income in different ways. Depending on what stage of your life you are in and the rate of inflation, you can consider it a good thing or something to be dreaded.

We live our lives with careful consideration to our health so that we can enjoy a long life. It's also important to make sure that we can meet all our financial needs and be able to enjoy those years after retirement without worrying about money.

PAUL ANDERSON: Creating a financially responsible teen

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:00:00 PDT

Some teenagers are natural-born savers and others spend money as if they were Donald Trump's son or daughter. Eventually, the time will come when a parent will need to teach their growing teen about money, saving, spending, debt and even opening their first account.

Although most teenagers will try to convince you they know everything, the beauty of it is that even the basics of money management can be unknown to them and you may actually come off as knowing something as you teach them. That can be a miracle in itself.