Finance - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

SU Labs’ Altruistic Business Incubator

September 19, 2013

For many budding tech entrepreneurs, getting accepted into a prestigious business incubator is almost as important as receiving a diploma from Stanford. The jolt of capital and resources provided by accelerator programs like Y Combinator or Techstars often act as springboards into multimillion-dollar successes. But not all startups want to become the next Google. Some would rather operate more like the Bill Gates Foundation by applying their innovative skills to addressing major world problems. While these aims are certainly noble, Continue reading →

Innovation, Finance, Benefit Corporations, Incubators, Education, Ethics, Silicon Valley

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price

How Foreign Investment Helps Emerging Nations

September 14, 2013

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For emerging economies, investment from foreign powers has long been a contentious topic. In fact, as recently as last year protestors lined the streets of India’s major cities against a series of reforms designed to open the country’s retail sector to foreign direct investment (FDI). The laws would allow companies like Wal-Mart and Tesco to buy up to 51% stakes in local businesses. The proposed reforms inflamed the fears of many Indians who felt that the economy would become Continue reading →

India, Finance, Foreign Direct Investment, Developing Nations, Walmart, Global, Brazil

Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 18: Financial Management, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions

Tracking the Underground Economy

September 5, 2013

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A peculiar statistic has been puzzling economists ever since the economy began its recovery. Retail sales have climbed steadily over the last four years despite the fact that gains in reported income have stalled. So if people still aren’t getting paid more, where is this disposable cash flow coming from? According to some, one need not look further than the underground economy.

Then again, the sum total of unreported U.S. income isn’t a thing you can easily track on Continue reading →

Finance, GDP, Underground Economy, Regulation, Unreported income, Ethics

Chapter 2: Economics, Bonus Chapter D: Personal Finance

[VIDEO] The Surprising Moral Case for Free Enterprise

July 1, 2013

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Suggested by Mark Varycki of Hillsborough Community College, this video makes the case for free enterprise as a moral imperative.

Questions:

Do you agree with the position stated in the video that free enterprise is the best economic system?

Is it correct to credit globalization and free trade with easing global poverty?

From AEI Enterprises

Economics, Global, Entrepreneurship, Finance

Videos

The Rise of Fair Value Accounting

May 17, 2013

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To many businesses the process of accounting is simple: keep track of costs and weigh them against revenue to determine profit. But some of the world’s largest companies prefer to figure out their financial well being by using a more complicated, predictive method. Known as fair value accounting, this technique measures a company’s assets by valuing them on estimates and projections rather than hard data. Its proponents argue that it makes accounting information more relevant for day-to-day operations. Critics of Continue reading →

Finance, Accounting, Value, Profit Projection, Ethics

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 17: Accounting, Chapter 18: Financial Management, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Crowdfunding Beyond Kickstarter

May 16, 2013

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Crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for businesspeople and artists looking for quick injections of cash. But what has it done for the people who actually contributed to these campaigns? While many crowdfunding drives offer prizes and gifts to their donors, they don’t provide participants with ownership stakes like other methods of investment. That’s why a new wave of crowdfunding platforms are coming on the scene to make this burgeoning financing strategy more Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Finance, Crowdfunding, Venture Capital, Kickstarter, Microventures

Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 18: Financial Management, Chapter 19: Securities Markets

Credit Unions Become More Like Banks

May 11, 2013

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The Great Recession soured millions of people’s relationships with traditional banks, driving many to entrust their money with credit unions instead. Along with incessant media coverage of their questionable dealings, banks at the time had to contend with consumer outrage about hidden fees and supersized overdraft penalties. As a result, credit unions appeared to be safe and sensible money managers compared to their colossal, unscrupulous counterparts on Wall Street. Plus, credit unions offered perks like free checking, friendly staff, and Continue reading →

Personal Finance, Ethics, Banking, Credit Unions, Finance

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 18: Financial Management, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions