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Friday, December 14, 2012

Israeli foreign minister resists calls to resign

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's foreign minister says he is resisting calls to resign following his indictment on a breach of trust charge.

Avigdor Lieberman told a news conference Thursday night that under the law, he does not have to resign. He says he will confer with his lawyers before making any decision.

He gave no timeframe for his decision and hinted it could come after parliamentary elections on Jan. 22.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-foreign-minister-resists-calls-resign-184148268.html

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EPA to tighten standards for soot pollution

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In its first major regulation since the election, the Obama administration on Friday imposed a new air quality standard that reduces by 20 percent the maximum amount of soot released into the air from smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources of pollution.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said the new standard will save thousands of lives each year and reduce the burden of illness in communities across the country, as people "benefit from the simple fact of being able to breathe cleaner air."

As a mother of two sons who have battled asthma, Jackson said she was pleased that "more mothers like me will be able to rest a little easier knowing their children, and their children's children, will have cleaner air to breathe for decades to come."

Announcement of the new standard met a court deadline in a lawsuit by 11 states and public health groups. The new annual standard is 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air, down from the current 15 micrograms per cubic meter.

The new soot standard has been highly anticipated by environmental and business groups, who have battled over whether it will protect public health or cause job losses.

Soot, or fine particulate matter, is made up of microscopic particles released from smokestacks, diesel trucks, wood-burning stoves and other sources and contributes to haze. Breathing in soot can cause lung and heart problems, contributing to heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks.

Environmental groups and public health advocates welcomed the new standard, saying it will protect millions of Americans at risk for soot-related asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature death.

Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, said a new standard will force the industry to clean up what he called a "lethal pollutant."

Reducing soot pollution "will prevent heart attacks and asthma attacks and will keep children out of the emergency room and hospitals," Edelman said in a statement. "It will save lives."

But congressional Republicans and industry officials called the new standard overly strict and said it could hurt economic growth and cause job losses in areas where pollution levels are determined to be too high.

Ross Eisenberg, vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said the new rule is "yet another costly, overly burdensome" regulation that is "out of sync" with President Barack Obama's executive order last year to streamline federal regulations.

The new rule will "place many promising new projects ?and the jobs they create ? into permit limbo," Eisenberg said.

Jackson and other administration officials said the new rule was based on a rigorous scientific review. Only 66 of more than 3,000 U.S. counties would fail to meet the proposed standard, which takes effect in 2014. All but seven counties should meet the proposed standard by 2020 with no additional actions needed beyond compliance with existing and pending rules set by the EPA, the official said.

The administration has said it will work with states and counties to ensure they can meet the new soot standards by 2020, when stronger enforcement of the rule is expected.

The Obama administration had sought to delay the new soot standards until after the November election, but a federal judge ordered officials to act sooner, and the administration released a draft proposed rule in June.

___

Reach Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-tighten-standards-soot-pollution-155910484.html

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Top Franchise Trends for 2013 - Small Business Trends

2013 could turn out to be a terrific year to enter the world of franchise business ownership. ?If you?re thinking about exploring the idea of being your own boss, three things are in your favor if you decide to move forward.

1: Commercial Space Availability

A lot of businesses have had to close their doors during the last couple of years, so there?s an abundance of decent space available in most areas of the country. With a franchisors help, you should be able to find a great location to set up shop.

2: They?re Dealing

Franchise company executives have had to get rather creative to entice would-be franchise owners to sign on as franchisees. Most of the time, this ?creativity? comes in the form of a franchise fee discount.

But, here?s the thing: a discounted franchisee fee should by no means be the reason for buying a particular franchise. But, if you?re seriously interested in a particular franchise and it just so happens to be one that?s offering a ?deal,? you could come out a winner. Just make sure that you?ve done great research.

3: Interest Rates

Small business loan rates (as of this writing) are generally in the 3-5% range. The caveat: with approved credit. That means that you have to qualify, which may not be so easy. (See below) But, if you do qualify, that?s really cheap money for a franchise business startup, and interest rates will eventually go back up. ?Check out SBA.gov for up to date small business loan information.

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With those three things in mind, let?s take a look at the top franchise trends for 2013:

Financing

I was really hoping that things would be better by now for would-be franchise business owners. And, as much as I hate repeating the same things over and over again, when it comes to the state of small business start-up lending, this is one drum that I must continue beating. ?Now, one would think that with small business loans backed by the Small Business Administration reaching record levels ($30.5 billion ? 61,689) it would be easier for potential franchise owners to borrow money.

But, it?s not.

To combat the continued lack of significant lending to franchises, a few franchisors have decided to take matters in their own hands. It sure beats waiting for the major banks to loosen their underwriting requirements up. Forbes.com offers some great examples of franchisors getting into the finance game.

For 2013, look for more franchisors to start aggressively looking outside of the more traditional lending sources for small business loan capital.

Frozen Treats

We love our ice cream. And unless you?ve been avoiding retail plazas for the past couple of years, we obviously like our frozen yogurt, too. But why?

For one, yogurt is considered to be a healthy dessert. Well, kind of. Read what The Food Network thinks. ?Secondly, there are around 25 different franchisors currently offering frozen yogurt franchises. That fact alone has made some of us in the franchise industry wonder how long the frozen yogurt craze is going to last. ?Restaurant industry analysts are wondering the same thing.

On the other hand, I?d be willing to wager that the franchise development teams at Menchie?s, Red Mango, Yogurtini, and Yogen Fruz aren?t thinking about a slowdown in frozen yogurt franchising at all. As a matter of fact, they?re probably working extra hours just to keep up with all the inquiries they?ve been getting from prospective franchise owners.

I expect interest in becoming the owner of a frozen yogurt franchise to remain strong. At the same time, there won?t be too many new frozen yogurt franchise concepts entering this increasingly crowded market.

Disaster Cleanup

One of the biggest news events in 2012 was Superstorm Sandy, and the historic impact it had on cities and towns in the Northeast. ?Cleanup efforts will go on for months in areas hit hardest by this huge storm. ?And, some scientists are predicting that powerful storms like Sandy will become more commonplace in the months and years to come.

This could be a great time to get into the disaster cleanup and restoration business.

And, please don?t suggest that I?m encouraging you to go into business to take advantage of the pain and misery that?s experienced by others when large-scale disasters happen. ?Here?s an old sales axiom that may help you understand where I?m coming from:

?Fish where the fish are.?

In other words, if you?re going to invest your hard-earned money in a franchise business, any type of business for that matter, look to the ones that provide products and services that are actually needed. ?Here?s a partial list of franchises that focus on cleanup and restoration:

Franchises in this segment are starting to get noticed more, and if we continue to get episodes of extreme weather in the next year, they?ll really be on the radar screens of franchise buyers.

Education

When the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act was signed into law in 2001, tutoring franchise operators quickly filled out the necessary state paperwork required to be approved as vendors. ?That?s because part of the NCLB act included government funds for after school tutoring from approved vendors. ?And having money coming in from the government was a pretty nice alternative to the original tutoring model which required, (and still does) payment from parents for the services.

Currently, though, there?s an ongoing debate about NCLB, and the funding that it receives. It could end up that funding for after-school tutoring programs will decrease. If that happens, the tutoring industry could take a pretty big hit.

Except that I actually don?t think that the tutoring industry, especially the franchise segment of tutoring, will be impacted all that much if a lot of the government funding disappears.

Here?s why: ?A lot of kids struggle with the science and math of today. Whether or not government funding is available doesn?t change the absolute need for tutoring services to exist. One has nothing to do with the other. That?s why tutoring franchises like Tutor Doctor continue to grow rapidly. ?Some of the other tutoring franchises include:

For 2013, more tutoring franchises will start taking advantage of readily available online learning technology. Franchisees will start offering their customers online tutoring as an option, and at a lower price point than traditional face-to-face tutoring.

Technology Services

Today?s small business owners are embracing technology-and its power, like never before. They know that it?s almost impossible to remain competitive these days without it. ?But, busy business owners don?t always know what the best tools are for their individual needs. And, they can?t keep up with every new and improved technology that comes down the pike.

That?s where franchise businesses like Teamlogic IT and CMIT Solutions come into play. Franchisees have the opportunity to offer some of the latest products and services that are designed to help businesses run more efficiently-and safely. ?But, businesses can?t run at capacity unless their technology is working. Sometimes, things break.

Computer Troubleshooters is just one of several franchises that provides repair services for computers and other types of technology located at work-or at home. Others include:

Franchises in this sector will add numerous mobile technology products and services for their franchisees to offer their customers in 2013. That?s because today?s small business owners need to reach and sell to their clients and customers where they are these days ? on their smartphones and tablets.

Thousands of different franchise opportunities are available today, with new concepts rolling out all the time. The trick is to choose one that makes sense for you?which allows you to utilize your best skills.

Once you?ve done that, make sure that you have several conversations with current and former franchisees of the concept you?re looking into as part of your due diligence. Then, run the numbers, but don?t forget to include what I call, ?set aside money.? You?ll need to have enough money set aside to take care of your living expenses for several months, while your new business gets up and running.

Finally, continue to do what you?re doing right now ? getting educated about franchise industry trends and learning how to go about purchasing a franchise.

Who knows? Maybe 2013 will be the year that you take control of your career, and become an owner.

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/12/top-franchise-trends-2013.html

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5 Reasons to Add Real Estate to Your Investment Portfolio ...

The world of real estate investment has developed something of a bad reputation over the past few years, particularly in the United States. Problems with American real estate investing have even been said to be catalysts to the global recession. However, real estate is in fact on of the best places for investors to put their money for a number of reasons. Consider these 5 arguments for adding real estate investments to your portfolio, and reap the benefits yourself.

Diversify Your Portfolio
Every investor should be concerned with diversification. Putting too many eggs in one basket is risky business, and you don?t want to have your entire investment portfolio built around one or two markets or sectors. Markets rise and fall independent of one another, so by diversifying you can make sure that your portfolio never takes a sudden plunge. Consider it a kind of insurance policy against the market?s unpredictable nature.
Hedge Inflation
You?ll always hear older generations talking about how things were less expensive in the old days, and they?re right?inflation slowly but steadily decreases the value of your dollar. Investing in real estate can help you offset the effects of inflation on your portfolio. When economies grow, the demand for real estate rises. This, in turn, drives up rent costs. So at the same time that inflation is devaluing your dollar, real estate investments give balance by coming into higher demand.
Tangible Assets
Many investments are highly nebulous, meaning that you sign away your money, but you don?t have any real-world asset to show for it. Investing in stocks, for example, can often seem like a complicated game of trading play money. Real estate investments give you something tangible for your money, which is an attractive aspect of this sector for many investors. Your brick-and-mortar property gives you something to show, and it won?t be as affected by the principal agent conflict.
Reliable Returns
Real estate investments are among the most reliable investments in the world, in terms of generating income. Populations are increasing all over the world, and more people leads to higher demand for real estate. Furthermore, any property can be rented, a dynamic which gives the investor a stable income with minimal work. The stock market is highly volatile?in the ?Flash Crash? 2010, a trillion dollars in market value vanished in 15 minutes. Real estate investments give you stability and reliable returns in the unpredictable world of investment.
Simple Investing
Finally, real estate investing is much simpler than many other markets. Sure there are things to learn and plenty of trade secrets, but Greenwood homes for sale is much easier for the average person to understand than 15 points on the NASDAQ. Real estate investment is backed by a tradition as old as history, a simple principle that anyone can understand. Property owners have the good fortune of trading in a concrete market, where a house is a house and investments generate income.

Source: http://www.mmhabits.com/5-reasons-to-add-real-estate-to-your-investment-portfolio/

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