Guidant Financial Group Blog

Guidant CEO and Co-founder David Nilssen has published an article noting the Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Business Right Now.

Read it here.

Follow Guidant on Twitter at @guidant.

Although many people are optimistic about the property market in 2012, some economists say that the road to recovery may still be a few years away.

In an article from PropertyWire, Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries reports that "Overall, we are seeing encouraging signs in housing data such as sequential months of slowing depreciation rates, stabilizing markets and organic improvement in value trends, largely in the absence of government policy intervention."

Humphries continues, "However, we're not out of the woods yet. Supply and demand are still not in balance in many markets and we do expect higher foreclosure liquidation rates near term, which will put additional downward pressure on home values."

"Even with the anticipated increase in foreclosures, look for 2012 to be a transitional year in which home values fall modestly followed by a prolonged period of flat home values. We're still three to five years away from normal housing market conditions."

Read the full article here.

Check out the profile of Guidant Financial on the inc500 list.

The current economic climate has left many individuals unemployed. The Street reports that many of these unemployed workers are becoming entrepreneurs, particularly through franchising.

"The recent economic conditions have been a game changer, redefining the term 'job security,'" says Brian Miller, president and COO of The Entrepreneur's Source, a franchise consulting firm.

"One of the things I often tell people is 'Think about what's happening in society and you will see emerging business models that follow suit,'" Miller says.

Read the full article here and learn about five industries with significant growth potential.

Check out the profile of Guidant Financial on the inc500 list.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the National Federation of Independent Business index on small-business optimism rose to 92 from 90.2. The rise is hopeful because it is the highest it has been since February.

The article continues stating that "Hiring expectations rose, too, with 7% saying they planned to hire, up from 3% in October."

The article quotes Alistair Bentley at TD Economics saying that "Small businesses typically play a leading role in job creation during economic recoveries, but to date their contribution to the job market has lagged relative to past cycles. Today’s data, coupled with an ongoing downward trend in initial jobless claims, provide some early signs that job creation could be quite strong in December."

Read the full article here.

Check out the profile of Guidant Financial on the inc500 list.

Another bright side: in an economy like this, rents are more reasonable for business owners and it's easier to find high-quality employees with so many skilled individuals out of work.
If you'd like to start your own business, but are having trouble acquiring a loan, why not investigate using your retirement funds? Learn more at our Guidant Financial website.

As a company that has helped start nearly 7,000 small businesses, Guidant encourages you to complete some of your holiday shopping on this day. 
It's a great gesture toward small business, and a great boost to our economy.

The Labor Department reported Friday an increase of jobs on payroll and a dip in unemployment for the month of October.

"Companies added 80,000 jobs in October," CNNMoney reports, ". . . American employers reported slower hiring in September -- but other signs, including a lower unemployment rate, are showing the job market may actually be stronger than previously thought."

Read the full article here.

Although by many, the numbers were not seen as much of an improvement. The Street states that the report disappointed forecasters "who expected 95,000 to be added." The jobs added were also "not significant given that many adults remain on the sidelines, too discouraged to look for work."

Read the full article here.

Check out the profile of Guidant Financial on the inc500 list.

Despite economic uncertainty, the Labor Department reported a rise in payrolls during the month of September.

CNN Money reports, "Employers added 103,000 jobs in the month ... And July and August were both revised higher, showing an additional gain of 99,000 jobs over the summer."

However, the increase still reflects a weak economy. CNN Money explains that "the economy has recovered only 2.1 million of the 8.6 million jobs lost since the recession began."

Read the full report here.

The Wall Street Journal reported some economists believing this growth is "Not weak enough to call it a recession, not strong enough to qualify as a healthy recovery/expansion."

Read the full article here.

Check out the profile of Guidant Financial on the inc500 list.

Uncertainty in the financial industry and policies surrounding it, have led some banks to look for alternative methods to make gains.

The Street reported that "Bank of America announced on Thursday that it will start charging a monthly fee of $5 to customers who use debit cards to make purchases in any given month."
Bank of America is not alone, The Wall Street Journal reports that "several other large banks, including J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., are testing or plan to test similar fees in some states." Read the full article here.

Read product recommendations about Guidant Financial products.

The Small Business Advocate shared advice on how small businesses can sustain themselves and drive their business forward even in a down economy. In the article, Bob Prosen suggests that "maintaining quality customer experiences is crucial to the survival of your small business."

Prosen believes that small businesses succeed because they are able to balance costs and their customers needs. "To ensure customer trust and loyalty, stay true to your company’s promises."

He argues that just because times are tough, small business owners shouldn't assume that their customers are willing to go cheaper. "Don’t skimp on things that could sour their buying experience. Quality of goods and services must remain high, so don’t switch suppliers just because someone else can do it cheaper."

Prosen states that small business owners need to build relationships of trust with their customers. "Show them that you want to be there for them now, as well as when good times return. Everyone understands hard times, and we admire those who take proactive steps to be there for us in the future."

Instead of only viewing this economy solely as a disadvantage, Prosen says that this may be an opportune moment for small businesses and its customers. "This is your chance to show your humanity and develop closeness with your customer."

Read the full article here.

The Obama administration announced Thursday that unemployment rates could continue to hover around a disappointing 9%. President Obama is scheduled for a joint meeting of Congress next Thursday to outline economic growth proposals.

The Wall Street Journal quotes the proposals including "a mix of tax cuts to create jobs and provide economic security to the middle class, [and] innovative infrastructure ideas to put people back to work," as well as measures aimed at the long-term unemployed." Read the full article here.

To view the unemployment rates of your state, as reported by CNNMoney click here.

Reaction to this announcement added to already unsteady feelings in the stock market. Both the report and the reaction intensified concerns that the economy is headed for a steeper downturn.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke this morning in a much anticipated meeting before global policy makers about the U.S. economy and the Fed's response. The Fed announced its decision to put stimulus into their upcoming discussions.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Bernanke saying, "Although important problems certainly exist, the growth fundamentals of the United States do not appear to have been permanently altered by the shocks of the past four years." Read the full article here.

Bernanke also noted that, "The Committee will continue to assess the economic outlook in light of incoming information and is prepared to employ its tools as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery in a context of price stability." Read The Street's full article here.

Many anticipated the speech to have an immediate effect on the stock market. But CNN Money reported that, "Immediately following the speech, stocks sold off broadly and sharply, only to recoup all those losses fairly quickly." Read the full article here.

Bernanke also announced that their discussions on stimulus will begin at the Fed's upcoming September meeting.

Read the full article here.

To read the full article, click here.

When surfing the web this week, we ran across a list from the site where many men go for all sort of information - AskMen.com. In part 3 of a series of investing articles, AskMen.com enlightens us with their top 10 tips on investing. Some are similar to the reason Guidant is in business, starting with diversification. There is nothing better than diversifying and putting some your IRA/401k money into something that you can count on, perhaps slightly more than the NASDAQ. Their list is after our own hearts:

1. Diversify
2. Do Your Homework
3. Set Goals & Limits
4. Don't Gamble With Money You Can't Afford To Lose
5. Don't Be Greedy
6. Invest For The Long-Term
7. Avoid Acting On Impulse
8. Go For Value
9. Tax Planning Is Important
10. Get Professional Help

Read entire article HERE.

Now that you are ready to start diversifying your investments, check out some self directed IRA investment options on our website. You can use a self-directed IRA to purchase real estate, loan, tax liens and more. Also, if you want to buy a business, you can invest your 401(k) into a small business or franchise with the Guidant 401(k) plan. The options are truly limitless.

Businessweek.com recently published a very relevant story called, 10 Ways to Cut Business Costs. There is no doubt that many small businesses are looking for ways to cut costs and improve profits during these turbulent economic times. This article identified great ways to save money by:

With the Washington Mutual Tower begging for renters and local giants Microsoft and Starbuck’s announcing significant lay-offs and cut-backs, there’s not much hope for a quick economic recovery in Seattle. However, a glimmer of hope sparkles for the Emerald City economy as Ken Griffey Jr. signed yesterday with the Seattle Mariners for 2009 season. Having Griffey back is going to create an economic bump in the SoDo area of Seattle where the Mariner’s Safeco field was nicknamed “The House that Griffey Built.”

Griffey committed to come back to the Mariners where he created his hall-of-fame career. This last minute decision shocked jock-pundits across the US. Griffey made a verbal commitment to play for the Atlanta braves just days earlier. The Braves would have been a lot closer to his family in Florida, and would have put him on a team that has a much better shot at a pennant run than the scurvy ridden Mariners. But fortunately for Seattleites the idea of “Legacy” trumped all.

It’s rumored that close friend of Griffey, golden-glover Harold Reynolds lobbied hard to get Griffey to finish his career in the city that he started in. Allegedly what pushed Griffey over the edge in returning to Seattle was a phone call from Griffey’s hero (and the reason he originally dawned number 24) Willie Mays. Apparently Reynolds talked to Mays and Mays put in a call. Although the details of the conversation haven’t been disclosed, the theme was: Legacy.

Leading provider of self-directed IRA and small business financing services, Guidant Financial Group , has reportedly (official number coming soon!) seen a 23% increase in revenues in 2008 over 2007. That is really exciting!

Wait...Wasn’t 2008 a horrible year for American small businesses?

Yesterday, The Entrepreneur's Source (E-Source) announced a new strategic partnership with Guidant Financial Group. This alliance adds to E-Source Coaches' arsenal of services for the aspiring entrepreneur. With this partnership, E-Source Business Coaches will not only help individuals find the right business for their lifestyle, goals, needs and expectations, but also assist clients through the challenging aspect of financing a new venture.

We are proud that E-Source chose Guidant Financial Group as their preferred funding source. Over the past five years we have worked extremely hard to build a reputable and reliable set of services. This partnership validates those efforts. While we dominate the market for 401(k) Rollovers (investments in a business using retirement funds), Guidant also helps individuals secure financing by means of SBA loans and unsecured loans and provides equipment financing.

We look forward to helping even more entrepreneurs invest in themselves, create jobs and keep American small business moving! Learn More about Franchise Financing.