Otoko No Daidokoro

The aught years have been a strange, exciting, and scary time for many businesses. In the 2000’s business experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The last ten years have brought scandals (Madoff, Enron), booms and busts (dot coms, housing) technological advances, a global recession, and many important lessons that should guide us into the 2010’s.

With the decade coming to a close let’s take a look at the things that changed business in the 2000’s.

Google

Think back, and try to remember how you used to search the internet before Google. Yep, I can barely remember either. Google single-handedly revolutionized the way we all interact with the internet and the tactics we use to get our businesses found on the web. In 2000 Google was a small search engine with a loyal following; by 2006 the word Google was included in both the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary. In fact, I had to Google, Google just to write this.

BlackBerry

In 1999 the first BlackBerry device was introduced as a two-way pager. By 2002 the first Smartphone BlackBerry was rolled out and brought with it a host of biz friendly applications and business hasn’t been the same since.

For better or worse many of us are now attached to our work literally at the hip. Where once we had to be by a computer in order to do anything work related, we can now perform any number of tasks right on our phone. The Blackberry has been great for businesses for sure, maybe not so great for those of us now addicted to our “CrackBerry”.

Social Media

One of the major themes of the decade was a need for instant gratification, nowhere is this better typified then in the explosion of social media applications.

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Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, etc.  whichever one you or your business is on and you’re most likely on all of them, these social media platforms have changed the way we interact with friends, family, and most importantly to businesses…consumers.

Booms, Busts, and Bailouts

First it was the dot com boom. In 1995 buying into dot com’s was all the rage, by 2001 it went from dot com to “dot bomb” as the bottom fell out on the dot com market and investors found out just how shaky many of these companies foundations really were.

Next, it was the housing bubble that burst. In the first half of the decade housing prices were at an all time high with property values around the nation jumping in some places more than 80%.

It wouldn’t last long as the bubble began to burst in 2006 and by 2008 the Case-Shiller home price index reported its largest price drop in history, launching the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

The stock market was no stranger to the wild boom/bust swings of the 2000’s either.

In 2007 the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared to record heights. On April 27, 2007 the Dow closed above the 13,000 mark for the first time in history and continued to surge upward.

On Oct. 9, 2007 the Dow hit an all time high of 14,164.53. Yet, like seemingly everything else in this decade as soon as something reached record heights it was poised to set record lows.

And that’s exactly what happened on Sep. 29, 2008. When word spread on Wall Street that the House had rejected the government’s 0 billion bailout plan, the Dow fell 778 points, its largest single day drop in history.

Speaking of government bailouts the 2000’s saw its share of those as well. It began with the 0 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to help ensure that America’s banking system would not fail. While American institutions like the Lehman Brothers were allowed to fail other institutions deemed to big to fail, like AIG, were kept afloat by the government’s bailout package.

Then it was the American auto industry which needed a bailout. Though Ford did not take any bailout money Chrysler and GM took billions in tax-payer dollars only to eventually file for bankruptcy anyway. The government then promised billions more to keep the companies afloat.

How did all this change business? Well, it taught us that bad lending practices, and living well beyond our means is simply… bad business.

The Great Recession

Undoubtedly nothing has had a greater impact on business and on many of our lives as the economic recession.

Beginning in the United States in December 2007 and predicted by some to last into 2011 the “Great Recession” has had and will continue to have a profound impact on how we conduct business.

Though the actual origins of the recession are still being debated there is no doubt that it resulted from a confluence of events including: reckless lending practices, sub-prime loans, a sharp increase in oil and food prices, the bursting of the housing bubble and the collapse of the Lehman Brothers.

As a result many businesses were forced to lay off thousands of employees and the unemployment rate in the U.S. went from 4.9% in December 2007 to 10.9% in October 2009.

Though there are signs that the recession is waning the real question for businesses is not when the recession will end, but how can we prevent it from happening again.

                        
In 2008, there were almost 10 million cases of identity theft in the US alone, 22% more than the previous year. While people are getting better at recognizing identity theft, and minimizing the damage, the best solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place by following these steps.

  Steps

    Choose good passwords and PINs.  Choose words and numbers no one would be able to guess even if they were privy to other parts of your personal information, or you can use words and numbers that are familiar to you, but disguise them in a hard-to-guess code, like the Vigènere Cipher. There are even random-generated password programs on the Internet that will provide virtually unbreakable, or uncrackable passwords.  In addition, don’t use the same password for all of your accounts.  Make sure to have a little variation.  Avoid easily guessed PINs like birth dates, common numerical sequences, phone number, last four digits of your social security number, etc. Good passwords will include capital and small letters, numbers and characters, and be at least 8 characters long.

                             Keep Your Debit Card Number (PIN) Safe

Watch out for “shoulder surfers.”  That person behind you in line at the ATM or the supermarket may just be another shopper, or they could be paying close attention to you in hopes of seeing your account balance or PIN. Shade the monitor area with your hand when typing in your PIN and try to block others’ view of the screen. It’s even a good idea to do this when no one is around; some thieves use binoculars or install cameras so they can watch you from far away.

1. Shred any documents with identifying information on them.  Don’t just throw your old billing statements and other documents containing important information into your garbage.  There are “dumpster divers” who are willing to wade through old coffee grounds and rotten orange peels to get their hands on your data.  Invest in a cross cut paper shredder and completely destroy any piece of paper that has your credit card number, your social security number, or your bank account number on it.

If you get a shredder, make sure it’s one which doesn’t just create strips of paper which can be pieced back together. If you don’t get a shredder, at least tear the materials into small pieces.  When using this strategy, some believe in a two-bag approach.  They will place half of the remains of a torn document in one rubbish bag and the other half in a different trash container in the home (or, if you have a compost bin, mix part of it in with your compost).
Be sure to shred pre-approved and other credit offers (like when they send you blank checks) – don’t just toss in the trash. Many thieves will use offers to apply for credit in your name at a different address, and will try to use any checks. Better yet, call your credit card companies and request that they not send cash advance checks in the first place. Phone the opt-out number to stop receiving credit card offers.

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2. Protect your snail mail.   The mail transports millions of pieces of personal information every day and is one of the most common sites for identity theft activity. A study found that the most frequently used non-technological method for identity theft was the rerouting of mail through change of address cards! So pay attention to your mail. Make sure you get all of your billing statements on time. If you have a mailbox that others can access easily, consider getting a post office box instead, or check your mail frequently so no one gets to it before you do. Most banks offer “paper-less” statements via email or smartphone.  If your bank offers this service, consider signing up to lessen your risk.

3. Protect your computer. Many identity thieves now use complex software such as spyware and keyloggers to obtain sensitive information such as passwords and login details without the user’s knowledge. Just because you can’t see anything wrong with your computer doesn’t mean that it is safe to use. Unlike viruses and adware, many spyware and keylogger programs are designed for stealth, so that they can gather as many passwords and sensitive data as possible. A strong and regularly updated firewall, anti-virus program and anti-spyware program will provide most of the protection an individual needs.

If you get an e-mail claiming to be from your bank that tells you to check or update your information such as a password (for any reason), do not use the link in the e-mail, even if the e-mail letterhead/background looks like it came from your bank. If you think the e-mail is real, log on directly to the company or bank’s web site and check your records there; if there are no changes, you just avoided being scammed. This type of scam is known as a phishing scam and there are several forms.
When you get rid of your computer, be sure to wipe out all of your information first. Ideally, restore it to the factory settings.

4. Watch what you carry. We often carry identifying information in our wallet or purse, and if that should get stolen, it is easy for someone to use that information to their advantage, and quickly. Here are some precautions to take:

Don’t carry credit cards (or anything that can be used like a credit card, such as a debit card with a VISA logo). Not only will this severely limit the damage that a thief can do, but it is also a useful budgeting practice. If you must carry credit cards, try to carry only one, and write “SEE ID” next to your signature on the back.
Don’t carry extra check blanks, your passport, or any other ID that you are not planning to use that day.
Never carry your Social Security card (or any cards that have you social security number on them) with you unless you are going somewhere where it will be absolutely necessary.
If you carry a wallet, attach it to your body with a chain or bungee cord. You can also Make a Mugger’s Wallet, which is a decoy wallet that you can give to a thief if you should get mugged.
If you use a purse or a single strap bag, wear it across your body, so it can’t easily be yanked right off your shoulder.
Be prepared for if your wallet should get stolen..

5. Get a security freeze on your credit.  Contact each of the three major credit agencies (transunion, equifax, experian) and have them freeze your credit.  There is a small fee depending on your circumstances and/or location.  This will keep anyone (including you) from opening new lines of credit, or viewing your credit.  This is probably best done when you know you won’t be needing to open new lines of credit or getting credit reports anytime soon.  You can lift the credit freeze anytime using the Personal Identification Number given to you by each of the three credit agencies involved, and again possibly paying a small fee.

   Tips

Check your credit report on a regular basis. The identity thief will most likely try to obtain credit or store cards in the name of a victim. Many of these cards are used normally for a time with the aim of increasing the credit limit attached to the card. This means that by checking your credit file once or twice each year, it may be possible to spot credit that was not applied for by you. If you do see such a card, it is vital that you report it to the company involved, the police and the credit referencing agencies as soon as possible. Make sure to keep copies of all letters sent as they may be required at a later date to help you prove your story.
Make sure you invest in Lifelock for the ultimate protection. This service has protected millions from identity theft and looks to continue to add more security to stay one step ahead of the theives. This is comes highly recommended!

  Warnings

Do not give out your social security/national insurance number. This number is used to identify us by government for taxation, health care and retirement benefits. It is also a number used by credit referencing agencies for identification. Should an identity thief discover a social security number, the process of credit and loan applications becomes much easier. Before you do give out the number ask “How it’s going to be used?” and “How are they going to safeguard it?”
Identity thieves are now making almost anyone a target. It is even possible to use the identity of young children and the recently deceased. The only group of people who are genuinely unlikely to be targeted are those who already have poor credit or have been bankrupt. Applications for credit on behalf of these people are often very difficult.

There are only very few people who are actually enjoying poring over receipts and documents as well as noting down financial figures in order to create a balance among them. That is why there are few accountants now a day and in order to get their services, one should pay high amount to get their advice. For normal people with salary that is only sufficient for their daily needs, requiring the services of accountants could be an expenditure that is unnecessary although financial budgeting is really something that needs to be addressed right away. The good news is, you can have your very own financial accountant even without the need of shedding off too much money! You can now perform and have your own accounting without the need of writing anything down as well as flipping through various receipts and documents. How? With the use of monthly billing software! This kind of innovative software is almost the same as having a personal accountant that can do all the financial work for you.

Financial Management Made Easy

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You can now say goodbye to huge amount of paper works and negotiating with different accountants by installing billing system software in your PDA, smartphone or computer. You may think that you don’t actually need this tool right now so I advise you to think again. Because of the modern world that we are living right now, you need to keep yourself in pace –this means that you need to be in tuned with the handy and technological tools so that you can avoid stressing yourself too much.

A basic billing software package includes a budget planner, a financial planner and a payment calendar. There are also higher versions of this kind of software which includes loan calculator, stock trading, mortgage calculator, tax calculator and billing and payment capabilities. There will also be security and backup functions that are included and if the kind of software that you are thinking to buy does not have a security and backup option then you should try other software. Keep in mind that financial information is very sensitive and of course, you could not afford to lose data or other things that are related.

Personal Budgeting and Financial Software

No matter what your career or current job is –whether you are a student, an executive or a housewife, you are not exempted to different planning on your budget. Your budget plan should give you a clear picture of what your financial needs and where your current finances are. This means that there should be a track of how much money you are earning, how much money you are spending and how much money are being set aside for future use. A list of good budget should be transparent so that it can help you to pinpoint the areas where you can reduce your expenses for future use. Having your own monthly billing software is a big help in making all your financial accounts become in order and it will also provide you a clear picture of how you are spending your money.

That Samsung Galaxy Azines, Droid X, MyTouch 3G Slide, Evo 4, the list proceeds and on. Many of the hottest smartphones on the market today run on Google’s Google android OS. With every new device produced for Android, the buzz in regards to the system grows.

A rapid search of “calculator” to the Android Market returned about a 1 , 000 results, far than most people would choose to sort through. You may see dozens of idea calculators, BMI calculators, home loan calculators, love calculators, and more which might be probably not what you are looking at. Luckily for you, we’ve done the hard work of searching through each one of those apps available for you and found these 6 worth your consideration.

#1 : HandyCalc Calculator through mmin

HandyCalc Calculator is actually our choice for any top calculator on Android today. This app give you many of the basic functionality of your TI-84, including almost all scientific calculator capabilities, graphing, and the power to solve techniques of equations. Answers might be returned in tiny proportion and radical mode or converted to decimals. There are also simple copy in addition to paste capabilities, something that needs to be available in a lot more apps. The app even has an demo doc and a link to any video tutorial. There’s considerably to like in this article, and even if it isn’t perfect, it occurs as close since anything we’ve noticed.

Pros: Free, medical and graphing capabilities, solves systems regarding equations, returns both precise answers for fractions/radicals in addition to decimal approximations.

Negative aspects: Missing features of your typical grapher for example max/min, intercepts, for example.; swiping between keypads presses buttons and feels awkward; two different “equals” control keys (which perform different functions) could be a bit confusing.

Expense: FREE

#2 : Scientific Calculator through Kreactive Technologies

Medical Calculator had that nicest UI regarding any calculator app we reviewed. Control keys are attractive, which has a nice top-lit impact, and a good size, making these folks easy to touch. A flick scroll as well as double arrow button helps you easily access medical functions. The calculator will feature some essential graphing capabilities. This calculator comes very nearly 2-line functionality. You can enter an entire calculation before pushing enter. Then you can return to earlier calculations by longer pressing the enter area. There are more powerful apps for this list, but UI is significant in an Google android app, and Scientific Calculator carries a great one.

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Benefits: Free, attractive UI, some functionality of your 2-line calculator, a good number of graphing functionality

Negative aspects: Graphing functions constrained; comments in the marketplace indicate some end users confused by deficit of +/- button, although we found this easy to your workplace around.

Cost: COST-FREE

#3 – Calculus Gear by Andy Mc

An awesome calculator app with regard to calculus students is actually Calculus Tools. Since its name this means that, this app concentrates almost exclusively about calculus, so it isn’t for everyone. The app will get integrals as well derivatives around the fourth gradation, both algebraically in addition to with with described limits. It also offers the ability to assist you solve problems involving arc length, surface, and Taylor collection. Your results will also be graphed. The app also includes a pretty extensive report on formulas that calculus students have got to memorize. The only real drawbacks with this specific app are which its scientific calculator mode is still in beta in addition to fairly limited, which all inputting needs to be done with your own default keyboard.

Benefits: Free, solve calculus capabilities symbolically or numerically, capacity to graph capabilities, great “cheat sheet” regarding calculus formulas

Negative aspects: Scientific calculator capabilities still in beta, must use default keyboard instead of a custom mathematics UI

Cost: COST-FREE or . 40 donate version

REPLACE: A math keyboard appeared to be added in a good upgrade to Calculus Gear

#4 – Arity Calculator through Mihai Preda

Arity Calculator carries a far different UI and capabilities in the other apps for this list. If you are looking at a good 3d grapher, this would it be. You have the opportunity to graph within either 2D as well as 3D, and simply pressing enter will take you to an apparent prompt but will save your equation where it may possibly easily be tapped if you want it later. We’d find the idea hard to propose this calculator into a novice, but it’s sharpened 3D features is sure to appeal to a good number of users. Arity is additionally an open supply app.

Pros: Cost-free, open source, rapid, 3D capabilities, screenshots regarding graphs

Cons: Almost all commands (for example sin, cos, tan) end up being typed out; although you can navigate graphs in addition to zoom in in addition to out, there is not a way to trace, get intercepts, etc.

Expense: FREE

#5 : RealCalc Scientific Calc through Brain Overspill

If you want something comparable into a TI-30 (one particular line), the RealCalc Medical Calc fits the check. It’s free, rapid, and offers the many functionality of a standard scientific calculator. This also features an excellent help menu with regard to new users. The UI isn’t the sexiest, but i am sure some will appreciate the amount of it authentically appears to be a retro calculator. Although we’d have preferred to check out an authentic not one but two line display, that developer has given a previous response feature, which might be set to retrieve numerous previous final results.

Pros: Free, rapid, simple to work with, offers functionality of your standard scientific calculator, Reverse Polish Notation option will capture the fancy of some

Cons: One-line calculator program, no graphing choices, retro UI straight from 1985 are not for everyone

Expense: FREE.

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Samsung is one of the world’s largest and well known consumer electronics company. It is actually a conglomerate made up of different companies in many industries, from construction to insurance, from retail outlets to sports teams. The electronic company is a part of this wider group of companies, and is the part devoted to manufacturing and marketing cell and smartphones.

The company was originally a small trading company dealing in import of various dry goods. The communist invasion forced a relocation and, essentially, starting the business all over again, but ironically it was also the catalyst which leads to the company?s first boom in business, paving the way for its eventual rise as a global conglomerate. After the Korean War, they acquired a sugar refinery that was the only one in the country at the time and further diversified the company’s holdings and assets, with a presence in a wide range of industries. By the early 1970s, the company was even launching mass media operations in radio and television.

The company, however, was favored by successive regimes in South Korea and enjoyed official protection for most of its history. Special privileges were set aside for it to flourish, as part of the official policy of incubating Korean industry. The economic strategy chosen was to nurture a few select companies into major economic giants, multinational conglomerates. To that end, the chaebols, of which the company was one had special conditions created to ensure their success, such as heavily subsidized loans and the requirement that foreign companies hand over technological secrets in order to do any business at all in South Korea. This was justified on the theory that Korean businesses needed a ?leg up? in order to reach the stage where they can compete meaningfully with much more established global powers. This is how the company first broke into the memory chip industry. By the late 1980s, however, the organization was sufficiently invested in research and development to produce technology of their own from scratch, and this pushed them into the forefront of the global electronics industry. By the early 1990s, they were designing, manufacturing, and shipping a wide variety of professional and consumer electronics worldwide, with facilities across the globe.

It was during the 1990s that they became a truly global corporation, and it was during this decade that its reputation as cellular telephone company was started. The company continues to make products and introduce advancements everyday.

Samsung is one of the world’s largest and well known consumer electronics company. It is actually a conglomerate made up of different companies in many industries, from construction to insurance, from retail outlets to sports teams. The electronic company is a part of this wider group of companies, and is the part devoted to manufacturing and marketing cell and smartphones.

The company was originally a small trading company dealing in import of various dry goods. The communist invasion forced a relocation and, essentially, starting the business all over again, but ironically it was also the catalyst which leads to the company?s first boom in business, paving the way for its eventual rise as a global conglomerate. After the Korean War, they acquired a sugar refinery that was the only one in the country at the time and further diversified the company’s holdings and assets, with a presence in a wide range of industries. By the early 1970s, the company was even launching mass media operations in radio and television.

The company, however, was favored by successive regimes in South Korea and enjoyed official protection for most of its history. Special privileges were set aside for it to flourish, as part of the official policy of incubating Korean industry. The economic strategy chosen was to nurture a few select companies into major economic giants, multinational conglomerates. To that end, the chaebols, of which the company was one had special conditions created to ensure their success, such as heavily subsidized loans and the requirement that foreign companies hand over technological secrets in order to do any business at all in South Korea. This was justified on the theory that Korean businesses needed a ?leg up? in order to reach the stage where they can compete meaningfully with much more established global powers. This is how the company first broke into the memory chip industry. By the late 1980s, however, the organization was sufficiently invested in research and development to produce technology of their own from scratch, and this pushed them into the forefront of the global electronics industry. By the early 1990s, they were designing, manufacturing, and shipping a wide variety of professional and consumer electronics worldwide, with facilities across the globe.

It was during the 1990s that they became a truly global corporation, and it was during this decade that its reputation as cellular telephone company was started. The company continues to make products and introduce advancements everyday.