Monthly Archives: October 2015

Have You Overlooked These Two Powerful Marketing Tools? Part I: Blogging

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By MJ Plaster

Back in the Dark Ages of the 20th century, customers knew merchants and did business with those they knew and trusted. Big-box stores such as Wal-Mart, big-box services such as H&R Block and online retailers such as Amazon offer little opportunity for you to get to know them. Their sheer size and impact make customers comfortable, but the typical business doesn’t have that advantage. People want to connect, especially with online providers. Connection builds trust, and people will do business with you if they trust you. If you want to bring customers into your fold with minimal expense, read on to find out what no longer works, and what two powerful marketing tools can engage your customers.
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CheckWorks: The Story of Real-Life Pioneers

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CheckWorks began blazing trails in the bank printing business four years after the end of World War I when Aloysius J. (Al) Uniack Sr. emigrated from Canada and made California his home. When epic advances have been made in check printing, the Uniacks have been at the epicenter of the innovations. First Al Sr., then his sons and now his granddaughter, carry the banner of innovation into the future. Join us as we journey through history with the Uniack family.

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Everything You Need to Know About Job Hunting Service Scams

Internet Theft - a man wearing a balaclava looking at computer screen using magnifying glass

By: Jurissa Ayala

What is a job hunting service scam — and how does it harm both employers and employees? Job hunting service scams operate like recruitment or staffing agencies, claiming to place job seekers with prospective employers. Occasionally job hunting services may actually be able to arrange interviews and even procure a job for a job hunter, but it will always come at a considerable and unnecessary cost.

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Impressionism: The Movement of Rebel Artists

oil paints and paint brushes on a palette

By Jurissa Ayala

In 2008, a private art collector paid $80 million for a painting by Impressionistic artist, Claude Monet. A few years earlier, $78.1 million was handed over for an original painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a peer of Monet. Pretty impressive considering Monet, Renoir and their cohorts could not sell their work for even $1 back in their upstart years.

In Paris, in the late 1870s when the Impressionism Movement began, the artists were even prohibited from displaying their work at official art exhibitions. The critics claimed the paintings were “sketch-like” and “unfinished.” One critic called one of Monet’s paintings “just an impression.” Today, those sketch-like, unfinished impressions fetch millions and millions of dollars at art auctions and are on display in some of the most famous museums in the world.

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Chapter 11 Doesn’t Have To Be The Final Chapter

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Although most people know what bankruptcy is, they may not know what the process of declaring for bankruptcy entails.

While it is perceived as being the last step for a company that is going out of business, this is not always true. In some cases, bankruptcy can be a way for a company to reorganize its debts and come out even stronger than before.

Why Would a Business File for Bankruptcy?

A company may wish to file for bankruptcy for several reasons.

First, it may not have enough money to pay all of its creditors. Therefore, filing for bankruptcy would enable them to pay creditors depending on priority. Most unsecured creditors would get nothing while secured creditors would be paid back up to the amount that remaining assets are worth. Continue reading →

A Parent’s 5-Step Guide to Keeping Kids Safe Online

Surprised boy with tablet against a grey background ** Note: Shallow depth of field

By MJ Plaster

Remember when having “THE Talk” meant telling kids about sex? The last time that happened was probably around the time you were a kid. Today, your child will learn more online and in school than you ever wanted to know about sex, starting as early as kindergarten. The 21st century version of “THE Talk” is about how to stay safe online. It’s up to parents to inform their children of the dangers and to steer them away from danger.

It’s no longer sufficient to move computers to common areas. Kids have phones, tablets, etc. Smart TVs are computers. Wii and other game boxes are computers. There’s no escaping cyberspace now that everything in sight is a computer, so what’s a parent to do to keep their children safe?

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Comparing Your Options: Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, or 401k?

Confused businessman concept as a man standing on a road making a decision on a path to take with a group of arrows going in many directions.

By Bryan Cambra

How do you know which type of retirement account is right for you?

There are three main options available for most individuals. The Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, and 401k retirement accounts are the most common because they are easy to establish and provide tax advantages. Take a look at each one to determine which could be right for your needs.

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Emergency Medicine for a Toxic Workplace

Stressed businesswoman covering her ears with hands

The Monday-morning heart attack is more than a myth. Studies published across the globe in the European Heart Journal, the American Journal of Hypertension, the British Medical Journal and others confirm the heightened incidence of heart attacks on Monday morning.

The rise in heart-attack incidence coincides with the return to work after the weekend. According to the American Institute of Stress, “Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders.”

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