Category Archives: Politics and Regulation

Exit Timing and the Global Economy

Posted on November 27, 2016 by John F. Dini

How much will your exit timing be affected by the global economy? Most small businesses serve local markets. Their owners, if they have thought about it, plan to sell to a local individual. If the local market is healthy, why … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, banks, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, China, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, leadership, management, politics, selling a business, small business advice, trade | Leave a comment

Trust in Business and the Law

Posted on October 2, 2016 by John F. Dini

Every day, in almost every transaction, we rely on trust in business. We believe that a customer will pay us according to the terms of a sale. Our employees have access to money, goods and confidential information because we trust them. … Continue Reading →

Posted in Customer Relations, John's Opinions, Leadership, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, media, politics, small business, small business advice | 4 Comments

Too Busy to Do Business

Posted on April 24, 2016 by John F. Dini

Another tax filing season has passed, and the entire US accounting profession comes up for air. Of course, thousands of businesses and individuals have filed for extensions, thereby postponing the pain of calculating their final numbers for anywhere from a … Continue Reading →

Posted in Exit Options, Exit Planning, Leadership, Life After, Politics and Regulation, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business, business brokerage, business ownership, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, financial, management, politics, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 4 Comments

Let the Business Owners Pay for It

Posted on April 10, 2016 by John F. Dini

When it comes to “No taxation without representation,” the rallying cry of our founding fathers, few identifiable population segments are as abused as business owners. One of my long-time clients is a franchisor, and until very recently I was a … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged banks, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, credit cards, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, leadership, management, new business, politics, small business advice, startups, trade | 5 Comments

Police Deadly Force and Management

Posted on November 15, 2015 by John F. Dini

The outcry over the use of deadly force by police officers has dominated headlines. Ferguson Missouri, New York City, Virginia, Texas, Florida. Although incidents involving unarmed black men have dominated the headlines, the total number of deaths by law enforcement … Continue Reading →

Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees, Politics and Regulation | Tagged business ownership, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, hiring, leadership, management, small business, small business advice | 5 Comments

Obamacare is Working, or it Isn’t

Posted on October 25, 2015 by John F. Dini

A few weeks ago I received notice of our annual health insurance increase. This year it was 38% more to keep the same coverage. Last year the proposed increase was 22%. The year before 12%. The year before that, 18%. The next … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, medicare, small business advice | 11 Comments

Will Small Business Win in the End?

Posted on October 11, 2015 by John F. Dini

A few weeks ago Schumpeter, the nom de plume for each current author of the business op-ed column in The Economist, postulated the decline and fall of the Western Corporation. Could small business be the little furry mammals of the 21st … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Leadership, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, China, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, international relations, management, media, new business, politics, public relations, small business, small business advice, trade | 4 Comments

Germany Makes a Business Decision

Posted on September 13, 2015 by John F. Dini

Germany just announced that it could accept an additional 500,000 refugees when other countries are jockeying to accommodate as few as possible. As much as the announcement was portrayed as a humanitarian effort, it is just as likely a simple business decision. Few members … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business strategy, China, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, international relations, management, politics, recession, small business, small business advice, social security, trade | 7 Comments

Minimum Wage and the Middle Class

Posted on August 2, 2015 by John F. Dini

“Amongst the novel objects that attracted my attention during my stay in the United States, nothing struck me more forcibly than the general equality of conditions.” – Alexis De Tocqueville (Democracy in America, 1831) Americans have always considered themselves “middle … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Managing Employees, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Technology | Tagged Ayn Rand, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, hiring, management, media, new business, politics, small business, small business advice, startups, trade | 1 Comment

Structural Tension: Is It Good or Bad for Your Business?

Posted on June 28, 2015 by John F. Dini

Logically, no one would enter into a business relationship where anything that is better for one party is worse for the other. Such a zero-sum arrangement would quickly grow tiresome. Either one party is consistently losing in every transaction, or … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Technology | Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, management, sales, small business, small business advice | Leave a comment

Regulation: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Posted on April 5, 2015 by John F. Dini

True story: A fortune 500 company implements a new wellness plan for employees. It’s designed by consultants who use the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) as a template. Workers are incentivized to get regular exercise, quit smoking and lose weight; with … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, John's Opinions, Managing Employees, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, hiring, management, politics, sales, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

Iron Rice Bowls and the Impact of Government Funding

Posted on February 1, 2015 by John F. Dini

There was an interesting editorial item in The Economist that unintentionally says a lot about the impact of government intervention on industry. In the last generation, the average number of working hours needed to purchase an automobile, clothing or other … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation | Tagged business ownership, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurship, financial, health care costs, health care reform, leadership, medicare, politics, recession, small business, small business advice, social security | 11 Comments