Wells Fargo Business Plan Center

Here’s a story of noble work done by a big bank: Wells Fargo has rolled out an invaluable tool for business owners – a business planning tool. It’s available to anyone – not just bank customers – free of charge. Business plans are mysterious things. Few people know how to…

Send Market Criminals to Prison

Let me get this straight. Five giant banks set up a secret chat room where they fraudulently changed the EURO-Dollar exchange rate to profit on currency trades. And the only punishment is paying $5.7 billion of shareholder money? Prison. Send the men who did this and the officers who should…

DARPA’s jetpack will help soldiers run faster, stronger

DARPA. DARPA. DARPA. Dude, DARPA’s making a jetpack to help you run faster. DARPA is the government’s innovation department. They invented the Internet and GPS, among other things. Once DARPA invents something and rolls it out, entrepreneurs come through and bring it to market for the rest of us….

The Entrepreneurship Series, Part V

Freedom THE POINT IS TO BE FREE. Freedom is self-determination; autonomy in all areas of your life, to direct your life using your free will. Freedom does not include the right to exploit, injure or steal. Each individual must be free to engage in what they choose. The founders…

A Business Coach Would Change Your Business and Your Life

In the 17 years I’ve been working with business people of all kinds, one thing has always amazed me: the absence of clear-eyed, understandable maps to help you navigate through the phases of your business. Sure, there’s business school where you can study accounting, finance, marketing, call center management….

Low level staffers at the IRS don’t care who wins the election

IRS agents are not political appointees. IRS agents are civil servants who work to solve the puzzle “How Much Do You Actually Owe” under the federal tax code. Geeks; good government types; maybe even sometimes bullies; but not partisans. These IRS agents were just doing their job. The Whole…

I Am A US Citizen Again

On January 21, I became a citizen of the United States of America. Even though I was born and live in the US, I have felt like an outsider since 2004. That was the year that George Bush and Karl Rove put gay and lesbian membership in America on…

Made in America

My partner and I just spent 6 months in the country, where we built a house. Most of the time, we live in cheap condo in the city, 3 long long flights up, in a shadyish neighborhood, against a grubby single block park. Our building is a gut rehab…

Dirty little secrets about how the world actually works

  There is no job security. The only real job security is the knowledge that you can always start a new venture to support yourself and your family. Don’t depend on anyone else.

10 Outrages Fixed by Health Care Reform – Part 4

Outrage #4: ESP Required Your insurance only covers the emergency room visits …(wait for it)… that you got approved in advance. Solution: No Advanced Knowledge of Emergency Required. Plans that cover emergency room cannot require pre-authorization or in-network hospitals for emergency room visits. Outrage #3: No One Reads It…