World trade expected to remain sluggish for next two years

Ten years ago, America lost its position as the world’s leading exporter when Germany’s merchandise exports exceeded those of the United States. In 2009,...

LinkedIn is great for business — smart business

I am not a LinkedIn expert, but I do have more than 15,000 LinkedIn connections. Do you? I may have more visibility and notoriety than...

Auto insurance medical benefit cap shifts monster burden to taxpayers

Gov. Rick Snyder in January’s State of the State called again for insurance regulation reform action. Given that Michigan has more insurance regulation on...

Planning, review and revision all are part of retirement

About a year ago, I wrote an article about planning your retirement. It centered around the use of a “bucket list” or “painting a...

When opportunity knocks, answer the door

When opportunity knocks, some seek to shift the blame, excusing themselves from any responsibility for the challenges that life places before them. They prefer...

The Twitter you may not know — but definitely should

What’s in a tweet? For most people it’s a post and a prayer. For me, it’s value, information others can use, followers, reputation, image,...

Arena South plan essential — especially for new stakeholders

As the recession ended, developers began promising a renewed emphasis in downtown Grand Rapids. The Business Journal has reported on several such projects, from...

Where do we go from here?

We started our work at Michigan Future with the question: “Where do we want to go from here?” Our answer: a high-prosperity Michigan. We believe...

Auto suppliers are still carrying West Michigan economy

Inching up a little more. That’s the latest word on the West Michigan economy, according to the data collected in the last two weeks...

Take another look at the CFP designation

In a recent article by Pat Evans (“Some advisors eschew the CFP, April 8), stockbroker Jaime Westenbarger was quoted as saying that he has...

Changes in tax laws require careful consideration

My children watched me prepare my 2012 tax return and had some questions. The concept of taxes is a bit alien to 10 year...

The biggest thing sales leaders are apt to overlook: sales!

Dear Jeffrey, I’m a big fan of your weekly column, especially the one about making sales vs. measuring sales activity. Brilliant! It describes my...

Governor is powerless; legislators all hail the caucus

Last week New York’s most colorful politician suggested that true grassroots democracy will be achieved only after both the Republican and Democratic parties cease...

Reasons for the financial meltdown spelled out

One of the great advantages of retirement is having the time to pursue an understanding of events that you could not take the time...

That includes the minerals, doesn’t it?

Most landowners assume when they buy real estate, it includes the subsurface oil, gas and other minerals. But is that really true? In recent years,...

Michigan retailers’ spring sales and forecasts slip

LANSING — Michigan retailers’ forecasts for spring sales slipped, following a drop in their February sales, according to the Michigan Retail Index, a joint...

The difference between presentation and communication

How do you communicate? How good of a communicator are you? If you want to make a winning sales pitch, it takes a combination of...

Is the health care arms race bankrupting families?

This is in reference to the $24 million planned to be spent on two new buildings at Spectrum Health and Pine Rest (“Spectrum Health...

Mental health legislation must move forward

Gov. Rick Snyder is taking a leadership role on mental health that must be mirrored on the federal level. Following the immutable images and...

Compelling reasons for pre-transition planning

Family-business owners often spend a lifetime building their business, and it is typically their single largest financial asset. As the owner contemplates retirement, a...