Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 13, 2013

14

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 13, 2013 


BUSINESS TODAY

The latest on Business News, Trends and Techniques


By La Quetta M. Shamblee, MBA

SUCCESS BEGINS WITH A MINDSET

IT PAYS TO STAY

Something magical begins to unfold after an 
individual truly commits to a goal. “As a man 
thinketh, so is he” is a Biblical reference from 
the Book of Proverbs (23:7) that parallels many 
ancient and contemporary perspectives about the 
importance of one’s thought process. manuscript, 
“As A Man Thinketh.” The idea that a simple 
thought might serve as the impetus to propel 
someone toward achieving a goal may initially 
appear quite outrageous. However, with more 
than a century of documented surveys and 
studies captured in books like, “Think and Grow 
Rich,” by Napoleon Hill, it is clear that a person’s 
mindset is the necessary starting point.

The act of being decisive unleashes an energy 
that begins to create the environment and 
circumstances to support progress toward the 
end goal. As the collection of writings about 
this phenomenon over the last century became 
known as the “positive mental attitude” (PMA) 
and self-help genres, some people regarded the 
philosophy as silly and unsophisticated. However, 
there is a wide body of evidence to support the 
correlation between a person’s mindset and the 
level of success.

The structure and function of our brains create 
this success dynamic, including the conscious, 
sub-conscious and unconscious aspects of our 
thinking processes. At the point that we use our 
conscious mind to make a decision, our brain 
is hardwired to find a way, connect the dots 
and create the path that places us at the right 
place and right time as we move towards the 
goal. This isn’t to say that it’s always easy. Not 
everyone who succeeds is able to tell the story 
of a fairy tale journey. Many people have to 
make it through turbulent situations to claim the 
prize. Maintaining a mindset of success in the 
midst of the challenges is what continues to fuel 
movement in the direction of progress.

Thomas Edison, the world’s most famous and 
successful inventor was committed to developing 
a working light bulb. After almost 10,000 
experiments that failed, he refused to adjust his 
mindset. On October 22, 1879, it finally paid off. 
Almost three years later on September 4, 1882, 
he was forever etched in history when the world’s 
first power station illuminated a section of New 
York City near Wall Street. That historic event 
was the culmination of a long series of steps, 
including successes and failures that started with 
Edison’s mindset to invent a light bulb powered 
by electricity.

If you will simply use it, the power to decide 
equips you with the means for life to provide you 
with access to everything needed to succeed. The 
focus and extent of success will be shaped by the 
quality of your decision. Is your decision clear? 
It is firm? Or do you waver after supposedly 
having made the decision? Take charge of 
your conscious decision-making ability and 
your subconscious and unconscious will swing 
into action to move you in the direction of the 
success that you desire and deserve. Studies by 
neuroscientists dating back to the 1970’s show 
that a human brain begins to prepare for action 
in a little over one third of a second before we 
consciously decide to act. 

“Using the power of decision gives you the 
capacity to get past any excuse to change any and 
every part of your life in an instant.” – Anthony 
Robbins

If you want to take advantage of the affordability of homes today, but anticipate major life changes in 
the next couple of years, you have to consider the implications of selling so soon. Keep the following 
factors in mind when making your decision.

As long as you sell for more than you owe on the mortgage, you'll be fine. Otherwise, you'll lose those 
costs associated with your initial investment, including the money you spent on loan and closing fees.

Also consider the cost of selling your home soon after purchasing. You paid closing costs when you 
bought it, but you face more closing costs when you sell it. In just a couple of years, most people won't 
build up enough equity in the home to justify selling so soon and paying transaction fees again.

Finally, if you sell your home in less than two years - for a profit - you may have to pay capital gains 
taxes on that profit. Currently, homeowners are exempt from those taxes up to $250,000 (or up to 
$500,000 for married filers) - but the home must be your primary residence and lived in for at least 
two years.

Hardships like health issues or job relocation may allow you a partial exclusion on those taxes, though. 
Speak with your tax advisor and real estate agent for some solid advice.


LOSING THE LOTTERY

Some high-tech companies won the lottery this week. The lottery in question was not one of the 
many lotteries that can transform some lucky schlub from a working stiff into a fabulously wealthy 
1 percenter overnight. The lottery we’ll be discussing here is what is widely known as the H1-B Visa 
Program Lottery. 

This particular Visa program was designed to assist US employers in hiring foreign workers in 
specialty occupations, specifically high-tech jobs. While this concept is being sold to the public as a 
needed measure in order to fill high-tech job vacancies (that may or may not exist), opponents of the 
program argue that these set-asides could lead to a hemorrhaging of American high-tech jobs. 

The program is currently limited to a cap of 65,000 slots reserved for foreign workers per year. 
High-Tech giants such as Yahoo, Google. Microsoft and Intel are lobbying hard for higher caps and 
companies such as Microsoft are attempting to frame the H1-B issue as a patriotic call-to-arms that 
would be good for the country. While supporters of higher caps for the program like to insist that 
a shortage of trained workers is hurting the competitiveness of US companies, a recent high-tech 
survey shows that in fact our country is producing far more people with STEM degrees (Science, 
Technology, Engineering and Math) than industry actually needs at this point. 

The current unemployment rate for Electrical Engineers in the US hovered just under 5% for 2012 
while during the period between 2000 and 2011 salaries for workers in the computer- and math-
related fields rose only 4.5%. Interested parties of the high-tech fields are beginning to wonder aloud 
why is it that if these skills are in such demand then why haven’t high-tech salaries kept pace with 
high-tech profits, which have literally exploded since the mid-90’s. If there is no shortage of high-tech 
workers then why the aggressive push for higher caps for the H1-B Visa programs? 

Part of the answer lies in the fact the biggest employers of foreign tech workers are offshoring- and 
outsourcing consulting firms, and if the existing caps are raised, the existing trend of high-tech 
salaries not keeping pace with high-tech profits is likely to continue and worsen as American high-
tech workers are replaced with lower-paid, off-shore (or H1-B- sponsored) technical resources. 

There are already 500,000 workers in the United States on H-1B visas. Bringing over more workers 
on H-1B visas, would obviously darken job prospects for America’s struggling young scientists and 
engineers. This state of affairs also has the effect of discouraging young students by communicating 
to them the message that it may not be worth the effort to study hard and earn the high-tech degree 
because the economy may import someone to do the same job for less. The stop-gap measure of 
raising the H1-B Visa cap may actually be a trumped-up excuse for lowering labor costs but it may 
also end up contributing to an actual shortage in the future. 


DO YOU THINK PLACING FACEBOOK 
ADS ARE WORTH IT?

One of the best things to advertise on Facebook is your Facebook Page. Instead 
of a typical “buy this product” type of ad, a “Like this page” ad is more valuable because it builds a list 
of people who are subscribing to what you publish on Facebook. 

I like to think of our Facebook page as a dynamic, interactive magazine. Like a magazine, we use 
the 90/10 rule, we post 90% helpful, useful, fun information and 10% is promotional. Just like a 
magazine, you need people to subscribe to it. In order to get subscribers, you need to promote it and 
let people know it’s there. Facebook Ads are a quick and affordable way to do this ($20 a day for 7 
days is a good place to start). 

Facebook, as well as Twitter and LinkedIn, are able to target an audience based on their interest and 
on-line behaviors. 

Say you own a cupcake business and you want to target all the people in the United States, Canada 
and UK who have “cupcake behavior.” They like big brand cupcake names. They talk and post about 
cupcakes. They interact with other cupcake lovers. Facebook allows you to see how many people on 
Facebook fall into this category. 

You can target by age, gender, location and interest. I suggest using the “Precise Interest” field as it 
will give you suggestions for other key words. 

Go to www.facebook.com/advertising and select “Create and Ad.” You can decide later if you want 
to purchase your ad. Just use the tool to see how many people are in your target market on Facebook. 
It will give you great demographic information and ideas of where your audience is hanging out. 

About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, a creative services business that specializes in 
Internet Marketing strategies. They are known for providing valuable information at their Social 
Media and Email Marketing classes. “Like” them on Facebook for trending news in social media, 
internet marketing and other helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

Sign up for their upcoming classes and presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule 


DOLLARS AND ENTS

By Carl Davis, CIMA

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING

As the global climate change 
discussions heat up in 
Washington, many investors 
are paying attention to the 
impact of their investments 
on the environment and 
the well being of people around the world. As 
this trend has increased, so has the demand 
for investment choices that demonstrate not 
only financial soundness, but also a concern 
for quality of life. This investment philosophy, 
known as socially responsible investing (SRI), 
has a special appeal to many individuals 
concerned with the future of our planet. 

What constitutes socially responsible 
investing?

Investors who adopt an SRI strategy believe 
their decisions should be governed not only by 
economics, but also by social issues. This often 
means refraining from investing in companies 
or industries that produce products or offer 
services the investor disapproves of, regardless 
of the company’s or industry’s potential for 
profit or value. Investors who maintain an 
SRI strategy may choose to avoid investing in 
companies related to alcohol, tobacco, gambling 
and weapons. It can also mean investing in 
companies that promote workplace diversity, 
actively participate in community volunteer 
programs or work to improve the environment. 

Benefits, drawbacks and strategies of SRI

As with all types of investing, there are tradeoffs 
that come with socially responsible investing. 
Those who practice SRI can feel good that their 
investment choices reflect their values. However, 
socially responsible investors must balance this 
benefit with more limited choices with regard to 
portfolio diversification.

Some strategies that those interested in SRI may 
employ include divesting from companies that 
don’t align with their personal morals or beliefs, 
and participating in shareholder activism or 
engagement. They may also include:

. Investing in SRI mutual funds. These 
funds include companies that many socially 
responsible investors support. They use SRI 
strategies as part of their fund objectives and 
portfolio choices.


. Micro-financing. Money invested in 
micro-financing service companies is used to 
support small businesses that otherwise would 
not be eligible for traditional financing.


. Community-investing. Community-
investing directs capital from investors and 
lenders to communities that are underserved by 
traditional financial services institutions. It makes 
it possible for local organizations to provide 
financial services to low-income individuals and 
to supply capital for small businesses and vital 
community services, such as affordable housing, 
child care, and healthcare.


Building a socially responsible portfolio

To invest according to your ethical standards, 
research your investment decisions carefully. 
SocialFunds.com is a website of SRI World 
Group, Inc.; a news, research, and consulting 
firm that advises clients regarding sustainability 
investment issues and corporate responsibility 
practices. The Forum for Sustainable and 
Responsible Investment (socialinvest.org) is a 
nonprofit organization that promotes socially 
and environmentally responsible investing. Their 
website also provides extensive information that 
may help you get started. 

If you think a SRI strategy fits your financial 
objectives, consider working with a financial 
advisor to get professional advice about possible 
investment opportunities. A financial advisor can 
help you find appropriate SRIs and brainstorm 
options for future investments that satisfy both 
your financial goals and your desire to invest 
ethically and responsibly. 

Carl H Davis, CIMA®, CRPC® is a Financial Advisor and Vice 
President with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Los 
Angeles , CA He specializes in fee-based financial planning 
and asset management strategies and has been in practice 
for 36 years. To contact him at 310-954-2566 or via email 
@ carl.h.davis@ampf.com, or at 10880 Wilshire Blvd, Los 
Angeles CA 90024

This communication is published in the United States for 
residents of California only

Ameriprise Financial and its representatives do not provide 
tax or legal advice. Consult your tax advisor or attorney 
regarding specific tax issues

SRI World Group Inc. and The Forum for Sustainable and 
Responsible Investment are not affiliated with Ameriprise 
Financial, Inc. 

The included websites are provided for informational 
purposes only and are not an indication of endorsement of 
the content therein or affiliation with respect to the referenced 
sites.rokerage, investment and financial advisory services are 
made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. 
Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2013 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. 
All rights reserved. File # 154364