Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
Does intuition lead to fuzzy decision-making?
In past columns I have asked, “Who does the best thinking in your organization?” The purpose of this question is to focus on two different and yet important types of thinking — creative thinking that generates new ideas that can be exploited for the growth and prosperity of the business, and analytic or critical thinking […]
WISE keynote speaker shares 10 tips for success
At the recent Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Symposium, attended by 1,400, I had the minor role of introducing the breakout-session speakers and every session I attended was packed with attentive listeners. All day, I was impressed with the ambition and drive of the women entrepreneurs and businesspeople in attendance. The WISE committee
M&T CEO details importance of small business to the economy
Small businesses remain a key piece of the U.S. economy, but they are struggling to create as many jobs as they have in the past, M&T Bank Corp (NYSE: MTB) Chairman and CEO Robert Wilmers said. Wilmers focused his April 17 annual message to M&T shareholders on the importance of small businesses and some of
Credit unions to face new rules on troubled loans
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has proposed new rules that deal with how credit unions handle members’ troubled loans. The new regulations, which have yet to be adopted, stem largely from the economic downturn of recent years, says Michael Carter, director of compliance at the Credit Union Association of New York. During the recession,
First Niagara posts strong commercial-loan growth
Some new business areas should help drive continued growth at First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNFG), executives said recently. The Buffalo–based banking company recently added indirect auto lending to its suite of services and hired 40 new small-business bankers. First Niagara is seeing some growth in loan demand as business leaders are expecting better
Net income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders at KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) totaled $199 million, or 21 cents per share, in the first quarter. That’s up from $184 million, or 21 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2011. Key, based in Cleveland, has more than 1,000 branches in 14 states and assets
Community Bank Q1 profit rises more than 16 percent
DeWITT — Profit at Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) rose 16.5 percent in the first quarter to $18.8 million, or 48 cents per share. Earnings per share would have been 2 cents higher, but the company completed a common stock offering in January that netted $54.9 million. The offering was in support of Community
Businesses Should Use Credit Strategically as Recovery Gains Strength
The significant tightening of business credit brought by the recession has begun to lift, with a recent analysis of FDIC data by the Investigative Reporting Workshop finding five straight quarters of increasing overall commercial and industrial lending by banks. As the credit squeeze eases with improving economic conditions, lenders remain cautious in their underwriting,
The case for performing bariatric surgery on government
According to my American Heritage dictionary, bariatrics is “… [t]he branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.” A recent study from Cornell University found that obesity among both children and adults is a national crisis, accounting for more than 20 percent of all U.S. health-care spending, twice the amount previously
Prepare for a Capital Raise with Crowd Funding
Small businesses and entrepreneurs have been given a very big opportunity. On April 5, 2012, President Obama signed into law the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act. Among its aims: to permit small businesses to use the Internet to solicit investments and raise capital. Title III of the JOBS Act is entitled the “Capital Raising
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.