How to harness inspiration for successful, long-term innovation Why does real innovation elude so many companies, including the biggest corporations with top resources? The problem, in all cases, is that they are lacking inspiration. In Look At More, Andy Stefanovich outlines inspiration as a discipline and a systematic approach for innovation that when applied consistently, brings long-term, sustainable results. It is about learning to think differently and getting others to do the same. By focusing on the front end of the Inspiration?Creativity?Innovation continuum, Look at More brings a fresh perspective to a popular conversation that is experiencing fatigue. Inspiration is the most effective way of unleashing innovation and this book shows you how. Introduces Play's LAMSTAIH process, which stands for Look At More Stuff; Think About It Harder, a systematic approach for harnessing inspiration Outlines the five key drivers for finding new ideas that lead to innovation–Mood, Mindset, Mechanisms, Measurement, Momentum Filled with strategies, tactics, insights, and cases that show how to instill inspiration at all levels CEOs, managers and entrepreneurs alike will find Look At More an invaluable tool for navigating the ever-hungry innovation mandate and turning inspiration into a strategic competitive advantage.
A comprehensive look into the world of index funds from the top name in the business Index funds are a growing segment of the investing world, due in part to their higher average returns and a virtual certainty of achieving target index. An Insider's Guide to Index Funds fully describes the ins and outs of this investment tool that gives investors the benefit of individual stocks and lower costs associated with mutual funds. The scope of this guide includes everything from a description of various index funds to building a sensible fortfolio to saving on taxes to the risk associated with index funds. Seasoned veterans as well as novices will benefit from the depth of knowledge and proven advice that only Indexfunds.com can provide.
Author Russel Kinnel walks readers through the handful of key factors they need to pick winning funds. Armed with the quantitative data and qualitative research, they will gain the confidence to pick great funds for the long-term. This book will be accompanied by a web-based tool created by Morningstar, which will enable readers to evaluate their own funds using Kinnel's criteria. Written in a fun and accessible manner, The Fund Spy offers Kinnel's unique insight as a 14-year Morningstar fund analyst. He speaks plainly about the conflicts that can go against investors' interests, explaining how to avoid traps and push out the slick sales pitches facing today's investors. He also offers several «10 lists,» which provide quick answers to investors' most common questions (e.g., the Top 10 Funds to Recommend to Relatives, the 10 Best Contrarian Managers, the 10 Most Overrated Managers).
Silences the worry financially successful people have over retirement while offering them exciting new ways to think about and plan for a life after work Moving beyond the world of work can be an anxious, fearful time for accomplished professionals fraught with uncertainty and indecision. Do I have enough money to live the life I want? Will I be healthy and able to manage any health problems that arise so that I can live the life I want? Will I be lonely? What kind of life do I want to live? These are the pressing questions they ask themselves and seek answers for. Yet most books on retirement focus mainly on the financial aspects of life after work, offering little of value to those who are financially secure. Beyond Work was written for accomplished people who feel financially secure enough to retire, but who are at a loss when it comes to planning their futures. It gives them the tools to think about all the other important aspects of retirement, so they can make a successful transition to and find meaning and satisfaction in retirement. Explores the four challenges that must be met in order to have a fulfilling retirement: financial, physical, social, and personal Packed with inspiring and instructive real-life retirement stories and practical tools that assist readers in making the transition to life after work
"Daniel Cassidy has written a detailed, comprehensive guide for managers to understand and succeed at the ongoing process of managing a company retirement plan. If motivating your employees is important to you as a manager, this book is an essential key to your success." –Josh Gordon, author of Presentations That Change Minds and Selling 2.0 Written by renowned retirement benefits planning specialist Daniel Cassidy, A Manager's Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Management focuses on current best practices regarding company-sponsored retirement plans within the United States. Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this valuable guide will aid managers in applying strategic thinking to their retirement plan management activities–whether it be a 401(k) plan, investing in company stock, or a traditional defined benefit plan. It will also help you to view retirement plans in a holistic manner–ever more necessary given the unpredictable economy and recent troubles with companies such as Enron and WorldCom. Covering everything from administrative issues to financial and legal responsibilities, A Manager's Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Management will allow you to make the best decisions possible while managing this ongoing process and help you find solutions that best fit your organization's specific needs.
If you're unfamiliar with the ever-changing tax laws or frightened by the threat of an audit, you've probably missed out on taking perfectly legal write-offs in the past. With J.K. Lasser's 1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks 2007 as your guide, you can stop worrying, and start saving, because you'll learn exactly how to take advantage of every tax break and deduction that you may be entitled to–without running afoul of the IRS. Fully updated and completely revised to reflect important changes in this year's tax laws, J.K. Lasser's 1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks 2007 can help you save more than ever before on your tax bill. Chapters are clearly organized by subject matter so you can easily find situations that may apply to you. Each tax benefit is also clearly explained–along with the eligibility requirements for claiming the benefit–while planning tips and common pitfalls associated with the benefit in question are discussed in detail. New tax law alerts are also included throughout the book, so you can make the most informed decisions possible. With this book as your guide, you'll find deductions and tax breaks with regard to: * You and your family * Your home and car * Your job or business * Your investments and retirement savings * Medical and dental expenses * Health savings accounts * Education costs * Real estate * Borrowing and interest * Insurance and catastrophes * Gifts and inheritances * Charitable giving * Travel * Entertainment J.K. Lasser's 1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks 2007 is packed with hundreds of updated deductions and credits, practical advice, and real-world examples. It's a book every taxpayer should own. You will also get access to an online supplement to this book, bringing you up-to-the-minute tax law changes. J.K. Lasser–Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com
The Learning Annex Presents Small Business Basics If you're a small business owner, you probably dedicate the majority of your time to the day-to-day activities that keep your company up and running. After all, why should you have to worry about taxes or other financial issues when you can hire someone else to handle them? The answer is simple: you, not your accountant or financial advisor, run the business. And if you truly want to be successful, you need to understand how your actions in business today can affect your bottom line tomorrow. If you want to make more tax-efficient financial decisions for your business, The Learning Annex Presents Small Business Basics can show you how. This accessible guide provides useful and authoritative advice that will help you save time and money throughout the year. Topics discussed include: * Organizing your business–from S Corporations and C Corporations to Sole Proprietorships and Limited Liability Companies * Income and losses–from business operations to the sale of business property * Business deductions and credits–from home office deductions and advertising expenses to rent and retirement plans As a small business owner, each decision you make is important. With The Learning Annex Presents Small Business Basics as your guide, you'll quickly discover how to make tax-savvy decisions that will improve your overall business.
J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes 2007 gives you a complete overview of small business tax planning in an accessible manner. Focusing on strategies that help you use deductions and tax credits effectively, shield business income, and maximize other aspects of small business taxes, this valuable guide will show you how your actions in business today can affect your bottom line from a tax perspective tomorrow.
DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT, AND STILL COVER EVERYTHING YOU NEED, IN RETIREMENT. Buying Time begins where most other retirement books end. Instead of covering how to accumulate money for your retirement, it gives you direction from that point forward-how to draw upon your assets most efficiently to create the income you will need throughout retirement. It provides an integrated approach to planning your income in retirement, so that you can do everything you want and still cover everything you need. Buying Time will help you to make better use of your resources, and make the best of your prime retirement years. Explains how to set your lifestyle objectives and plan for the best use of your money in retirement. Cover different strategies for different stages of retirement, so that you can make the best of your prime years while still providing for contingencies and long-term health considerations. Fully updated, this revised edition includes information on: adjustments in tax rates and tax credits; new and amended tax legislation; major changes to the pension income-splitting rules; new financial products and investment options for people in retirement; and more. A proven, integrated, four-part approach to retirement planning: structuring and planning income, investing during retirement, health-risk management, and wealth transfer. Offers advice on how to work with an advisor to create and implement a plan that's right for you. Includes practical examples, illustrations, forms, and checklists. Buying Time offers practical, proven strategies that readers can apply at every stage of retirement, from the "golden years' to the «olden years.»
Applying Buffett's principles to technology and international investing From the bestselling author of The Warren Buffett Way and The Warren Buffett Portfolio comes The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles for the New Economy. In this fresh take on Buffett's irrefutable investment methods, Robert Hagstrom shows readers how to apply Buffett's principles to technology and international investing using real-life case studies of successful fund managers like Legg Mason's Bill Miller. Following the Buffett model, Hagstrom explains Buffett's four timeless principles: 1) analyze a stock as a business; 2) demand a margin of safety for each purchase; 3) manage a focus portfolio; 4) protect yourself from the speculative and emotional forces of the market. Then Hagstrom shows how Buffett's thinking can be applied in the new economy, addressing technology investing, international investing, small cap stocks, and socially responsible investing. Perhaps most valuable are Hagstrom's insights into the psychology behind Buffett's focus investing. For the first time, we are given sure-fire guidelines on how to become a winning Buffett disciple. The Essential Buffett will include convenient sidebars featuring key Buffett ideas, enabling readers to quickly compare Buffett's fundamental tenets.