Saudi stocks open up to foreign investment - 7 Days UAE
Saudi Arabian shares seemed to start a rally yesterday as the bourse began allowing foreigners to purchase shares listed on its stock market through licensed intermediaries.On the first trading day since the market regulator liberalised foreign trading

Investing Stocks: Invest in the Stock Market - Smart Money
Maintenance alert: Some of our tools will be unavailable on Sunday, August 24, from approximately 8:00 AM until the early afternoon (EDT). If you’re a novice investor — or you’re looking to brush up on a specific investing concept — this is the

Tech stocks given boost from firms - Edinburgh News
TECH stocks have received a boost with US-based software giant Oracle saying growth was on the way, and hand-held computer manufacturer Palm announcing increased profits. Oracle, the world’s second-biggest software firm, stated the “worst was over

U.S. stocks to focus on financials, housing data - Marketwatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Stocks next week will take their cues from fresh data on housing and consumption, while the fate of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as well as the future of investment firm Lehman Brothers, will likely keep

The Ideal Stocks for the Next 10 Years - MSN MoneyCentral
China Security & Surveillance Technology Inc ( CSR ) Stock Quote , Chart , News , Add to Watchlist The ideal stocks of the past 10 years all started small. That’s documented fact, and it’s something any investor putting together a portfolio should

Stocks open higher on prospect of Lehman buyout - Miami Herald
NEW YORK Stocks rose sharply in early trading as oil retreated from this week’s rally and as speculation grew that Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. could be sold. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 100 points. Worries about the embattled

European Stocks Fall for Second Week; BMW, Carrefour Decline - Bloomberg
Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) — European stocks dropped for a second week as higher oil dimmed the earnings outlook for automakers and retailers and concerns deepened that banks will report more losses. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Carrefour SA , the world

Stocks jump on falling oil, inflation forecast - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier
NEW YORK - Wall Street capped a volatile week with sharp gains Friday as oil prices tumbled and after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stated inflation pressures are prone to moderate. The Dow Jones industrial average rose almost 200 points

Stocks stolen from home - State Journal-Register
A woman living in the 3000 block of Bluff Road told police that someone had broken into her house and stolen 4,600 shares of Sysco stocks worth about $138,000. The woman speculated that the theft occurred about 7 p.m. Thursday when someone entered

Zardari to stand for president of Pakistan - International Herald Tribune
ISLAMABAD : Assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s widower will be a presidential candidate, an official of his celebration stated on Saturday, a move that will be controversial if the presidency retains strong powers. Who will replace

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Filed under: Estates

The Wall Street Journal’s Private Properties column led me to today’s home in Washington D.C. on Thompson Circle, in the Massachusetts Avenue Heights neighborhood near St. Albans School. The seven-bedroom home was built in 1929 and has a classic exterior. It was built by Christian Heurich, a brewmaster, as a wedding gift to his daughter. Real estate developer R. Donahue Peebles and his wife, Katrina purchased the 0.35-acre property in September for $5.9 million. The couple landscaped, added a laundry room, a wine cellar and completed the basement and look to have given the entire place a bright white coat of paint. It is listed at $8.3 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living big with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

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 One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), particularly the ending where Indy has to take a “leap of faith.”  (Remember?)

Starting an “encore” business as a baby boomer is like taking that “leap of faith.”  You don’t know what’s going to happen and you certainly have no idea if this is a smart idea.  After all, you’re supposed to be thinking about retirement, instead of new businesses.  But what the heck.  You can make the leap safer–here are some tips:

1. Learn the market.  First, figure out the size of your potential customer base.  Then learn about them (the demographics).  Comprehend who buys and and why.  If you don’t do this, you won’t know how to advertise to these people.

2.  Brush up on  your skills.  Take a refresher course or a seminar or another certification.  Be sure you’re up to date with the latest in your field and that you have the credentials to be credible.

3.   Get support from your family.  This new business will suck up lots of time.  If you still have children at home, sit them down and let them know what to anticipate.  Your spouse or significant other, too.  Your family loves you, but they need to be in on the plan, not outside of it.

4.  Learn how to network.  Get out and meet people.  Go to chamber of commerce meetings in your town.  Join Toastmasters or Rotary or a civic group.  Hand out business cards and let people know  you’re serious.

5.  Find a CPA.  Getting a good finance and tax consultant is vital to  your business success.  Listen to his or her advice, but make your own decisions, based on what you feel is right for  you.

6.  Get technical help and set up a website.  Unless your business is very, very small, you’ll need a website.  Even if people aren’t going to purchase your products or services on the internet, a website is a basic that all businesses must have.  Even your local plumber has a website, I’ll bet.  You need one too.

7.  Finally, have a backup.  That’s, a plan for what you’ll do until the customers/clients begin rolling in.  Do you have money saved up to live on, if necessary?  How will you pay your business bills?  Will you need a loan?  If necessary, put together a short, succinct business plan, take it to a bank, and get a loan.  Or get vendor financing (supplier or trade credit).   Just make sure you aren’t caught off guard if the startup is slow.

For those of you who have recently started an “encore” business, what advice would you give?

Tags: ‘encore’ businesses, baby boomers, starting a business

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Illinois community fights to save prison, jobs - San Diego Union-Tribune
PONTIAC, Ill. – When folks here heard the governor wanted to close the 137-year-old Pontiac Correctional Center, sucking hundreds of jobs from the area, they mobilized in a way that only small towns can. They held rallies and a parade. Streets were

Business briefs: Apple store opens Saturday in Fort Worth - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas opening new prepaid tuition fund next month FDA: Agents can seize penis rings at borders Own a small business? Getting a Web site up and running isn’t so hard Small Texas school district lets teachers, staff pack pistols Push to get the

$10 Million Bond Loans to aid small firms - Berkshire Eagle
BOSTON — The Massachu-setts Community Development Finance Corp, which specializes in loans to small businesses in targeted areas across the state, will gain $10 million under a capital facilities bond bill, recently passed by the Legislature and

Taormina shrugs off doubts for ‘beautiful’ end - Detroit News
BEIJING — The competition wasn’t even halfway over, but Sheila Taormina already needed a hug and a shoulder to cry on. Actually, the Livonia native was looking for something more: Permission to head to the nearest exit, as her day was fast becoming

Maharashtra spreads red carpet for Tata’s ‘Nano’ project - Hindustan Times
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has invited Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata to set up the ‘Nano’ small automobile project in the say if it decides to move out from West Bengal, where it is mired in controversy. “The Tatas will be accorded red

Business steps to save energy become permanent - Berkshire Eagle
As the cost of gasoline soared over the past year, many small businesses took steps to mitigate the damage to their cash flow and profits. Now, although gas has fallen from the record levels it hit in mid-July, companies are making those money

Voting By Numbers - The Ledger
Envision, if you can, a magical instrument that could probe your mind and in just a few minutes tell you precisely how your political views correspond with those of the people running for president. Curt Anderson thinks he has devised just such an

Of beauty and business and helping out veterans - Indianapolis Star
In a nation that’s bitterly divided on issues of politics, economics, immigration and Letterman vs. Leno, there’s one thing we can concur on: beauty is more appealing than ugliness. Americans love purty things. You don’t see crowds of architects and

Own a small business? Getting a Web site up and running isn’t so hard - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
If you own a small business, establishing an online presence — from choosing a name to getting the word out — is fairly easy It’s not that hard to get a Web site up and running. But many small businesses still seem intimidated. In a survey

GM’s Cruze gets 2010 launch - Detroit Free Press
LORDSTOWN, Ohio — General Motors Corp. hopes its next compact vehicle will inspire cost-conscious drivers to once again cruise the USA in a Chevrolet. GM hopes that the small Chevrolet Cruze — bigger than the Cobalt it replaces, but smaller than the

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