Why Do We Import Workers With Little Skills?

                                              

I frequently comment  about  poor education American students get in public schools and college, despite the huge taxpayer drain such education takes each and every year.

           

In the high schools, the U.S. has a high dropout rate. It’s interesting to see how we compare with other countries in this regard. Our rate is about 23%, Germany’s is under 3% and Japan’s a bit more than 5%; Great Britain’s about 9%. However, Portugal’s is 37% and Mexico’s 56%.

           

Then there’s the result of U.S. immigration policy where we import even legal immigrants who do not have high school equivalency. How do we train them for the skilled jobs we need? There are already few jobs for the able. How do we prepare for the unready? (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Franchise Lures

I repeat this because of the enormous prevalence of franchise “opportunity” lures in the form of ads and media reportage.

Franchises are a particularly dangerous, tricky area of business, on which I often comment because of faulty hype.

I would avoid buying a franchise because of their poor cost-benefit relationships, unless you are buying an extremely well-known name brand with an excellent reputation for dealing with franchisees. There are only a small handful worth buying with name-recognition and worthwhile management assistance.

       

 If you are still not convinced, at least be forewarned. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinesNewshole at Twitter.)

College Costs Rise Faster Than General Inflation

Many costs are rising faster than inflation. The most important is that of going to college.

                       

One reason is that the government subsidizes this effort with tax breaks. Schools are, therefore, not under pressure to reduce charges. They do give scholarships, but charges tend to rise far too much beyond normal inflation.

                       

Schools claim their own expenses are rising but they may not be exerting enough effort to curtail budgetary outlays, with government subsidies and income tax accommodations assured. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)             

                                   

   

Make Career Choices From Experiences and Skills

The choice of career should depend on your individual experiences and skills. 

Well-paying skills can be acquired without an expensive, time-consuming college degree. Experience learned over the years as a part-timer may come in handy in the future. That paper signifying a degree with non-specific training it decrees, could become a meaningless job qualifier.

Apart from individual job preferences, it’s always a good idea to anticipate future availability and job-paying prospects over the next ten, twenty years, at skills in which you hope to work. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinesNewshole at Twitter.)

                                   

   

                               

        

Importance of Your Business Choice

Be certain you have a solid background for any business you are planning to enter. The odds will be tough enough if you have the required experience. They can be insurmountable if you don’t.

Also be alert to relative risks that businesses entail; sit-down restaurants are far riskier than fast food operations.

Be sure you plan properly, with a formal, written business projection that includes a budget. The complete business plan will give you a much better indication of needed capital. 

Once you come up with that financial estimate, add at least 50% more for further assurance, to help keep your business afloat until you start to break even.(See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinesNewshole at Twitter.)

College Is Becoming an Option, Not a Necessity

I constantly comment on college attendance, which I feel should be an option for scholars only. College can otherwise be an expensive luxury, despite media hype. Thus, I repeat the message to help counter-balance that media exuberance.

Yes, “college” should preferably be added to a job resume, but it’s not the ultimate asset you’ll need. It can be a tool for lazy recruiters

Unless you are a scholar capable of receiving a scholarship or an athlete capable of getting one, consider college part-time or not at all. Other well-paying skills can be acquired without such “advanced” school attendance. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinesNewshole at Twitter.)

Start Up or Buy an Existing Business?

                                                

It’s often a concern of relatively small individual business men. It is also a question for securities investors. So this should be of interest to many of you.

Larger companies often have to decide whether to build their business or a new operation from scratch or buy a company outright, that is, one already in operation.

                       

Many companies, especially in the pharmaceutical business, prefer the acquisition route. It’s expensive because you pay a big premium for a company after it has developed an expensive new drug.

                       

On the other hand, if you attempt to research new drugs, with all start up losses and heartbreak expenses, you have lots of cost as well.

                       

My feeling from my observations is this: In the long run, pharma companies, at least, will pay less for in-house drug product development; there’s a major premium for successful products. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)