Business Management,Finance &Tax

The business landscape in the United States has historically been both favorable and positive relative to the rest of the world. Companies have thrived on the American consumer, the stability of the government, a strong U.S. currency, a balanced tax system, the workforce, abundant energy resources, and a trust that “fair play” will exist among businesses. When these dynamics are at work, the result is a strong economic environment.  The U.S. has historically maintained a competitive advantage over other countries in these areas to one degree or another. However, over time, other countries have adopted certain business-friendly measures, cutting into U.S.-based companies’ share of the global economy. These changes have certainly impacted the U.S. manufacturing sector, though there has been a rebound of late. But, to grow and strengthen it further, some policy changes are in order. Specifically, tax policy is one area of weakness for the U.S., which President Trump plans ...

The central role finance plays in development is well-known in the development literature. So too are the challenges African countries face in mobilizing internal and external financial resources to transform the structure of their economies, unleash high and sustained levels of economic growth, create jobs and achieve their development potential. Indeed, mobilizing domestic and external finance is critical to Africa’s investment needs. Hence, the need for African countries to raise sufficient financial resources to accelerate and sustain growth and achieve their development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), has been widely acknowledged in various circles. However, over the years, the existing traditional sources of finance — both domestic and external — have proved inadequate in satisfying these financial requirements. The global crisis threatened to reverse earlier advances, as African countries experienced weaker export revenues, lower investment and...

Do you take the time to learn more about your customers? Whether you're a startup owner or a seasoned business professional, it's vital to have a deep insight into the people and the businesses that buy your products or services. Different types of businesses have customers who have different needs, fears and other requirements that you need to be aware of, so that your business and what you offer becomes the perfect fit for these individuals. Below are some of the most effective ways businesses can understand their customers better.   Automated tools and software systems With a huge range of affordable business tools available today, there's no reason why every business should not be able to understand their customers based on the data they produce. Planning,marketing analytics  and customer relationship management systems are just some of the tools every business owner should seriously consider investing in. Once these tools and systems are in place, y...

A  company’s tax history and position need to be considered in any merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction. In a cross-border transaction, the tax issues are more complex and deserve special consideration. If you are considering acquiring a foreign target, make sure your due diligence addresses all possible tax issues. Here are five common issues to watch for: 1.     Has the target filed all required returns in all jurisdictions in which it is required to file them?  While this might seem like a simple question, it often isn’t. Look beyond obvious considerations, like whether the company filed on time in its home market (and whether there is a history of audits or other challenges in that jurisdiction that might point to problems you could inherit). If the company is active in other jurisdictions, has its activities created filing obligations that it has not fulfilled? Take a look at the activities that a company’s executives or its third-party cont...

The cedi outperformed the U.S dollar and the euro but depreciated versus the British pound at the close of trading in the week ending April 21. It recorded a 1.13 per cent appreciation against the U.S. dollar as investors languished over weaker-than-expected economic data in the world’s largest economy. As a result, the local currency exchanged at GH¢4.16 versus the dollar, reflecting a year-to-date appreciation of 0.89 per cent.    The British pound witnessed a significant boost on the international currency market in the early trading sessions of the week, following UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May’s, quest for an early general election.  The pound, on account of this development, clocked a weekly appreciation of 0.89 per cent despite market anticipation of a slower consumer spending for the month of March. The cedi traded at GH¢5.32 per a pound, lifting its year-to-date depreciation to 2.36 per cent.   Owing to the Euro’s fragility on the internati...

Managing companies for success across a range of time frames—a requisite for achieving both performance and health— one of the toughest challenges in business. Recently, it has been especially hard: turbulent economic conditions, for example, have concentrated the collective minds of many executives on pure survival. The fact that 10 of the largest 15 bankruptcies in history have occurred since 2001 is a strong deterrent to business building, playing up its inherent risks. Businesses complain that financial markets increasingly focus on quarterly results and give little credit to strategies for creating longer-term value, particularly if they depress today's profits. Empirical evidence largely contradicts such claims (see sidebar, "The stock market values health as well as performance"). But some noisy analysts undoubtedly do focus on short-term performance and thus unwittingly drive wedges between managements, boards, and investors. Management teams must urgentl...