Business Articles

Not just now. Now! Eskom urges SA to cut power use

Eskom’s chief executive, Brian Dames, has called on South Africans to shave 10% off their electricity usage with the goal of saving 3 000MW, so that the power utility can perform badly needed maintenance on its ageing power stations.

“If we save 10% across all customer bases or 3 000 megawatts (MW) we should be able to have a secure power system in the country,” he said. In comparison, Eskom’s Kendal power station generates 3 600MW of power.

Dames, who was speaking at a quarterly update on the state of the power system at Megawatt Park, the Eskom head office in Johannesburg, called on South African citizens, businesses and municipalities to work together to make sharp cuts to their electricity consumption and to do this “now, immediately”.

Eskom has for a number of years warned that the power system would be under severe pressure for the next five years, and that 2012 would be the peak of the crisis. Un Read all post…

Tags: Cut Power, Power

Monday, January 30th, 2012 Business Articles No Comments

Southwest Florida home sales and prices up

Facing multiple bid situations at the low end of the market, buyers are finding their decision times have become compressed.

In Bradenton, investors are no longer trying to low-ball sellers and are offering what they think properties are worth, while in Sarasota, agents are getting tough with their customers.

“I told one client and his wife they needed to make up their minds about a house,” said Ronnie Caron, who runs her own Sarasota agency.

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Monday, January 23rd, 2012 Business Articles No Comments

Global shares, euro steady after S&P but outlook weak

– European shares and the euro recovered from early losses on Monday in the wake of a mass downgrade of euro zone sovereign ratings, but trading was choppy with U.S. markets closed and the outlook for Greek debt talks uncertain.

Standard & Poor’s stripped France and Austria of their triple-A ratings and cut Italy to the same level as Ireland on Friday, shortly after news emerged that Athens’ talks on a bond swap with private creditors, seen as vital to avoid a default in March, had broken down.

Ratings agency Moody’s also weighed in on Monday saying its Aaa rating for France might come under pressure if the public debt keeps rising or if Europe’s debt crisis worsens.

All of that piles pressure on the euro zone’s leaders to shore up defenses, with some glimmers of optimism in the crisis now firmly doused.

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Tags: Outlook, Sp Outlook

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 Business Articles No Comments

Career Advice: Getting Your Old Job Back

When you constantly find yourself reminiscing about the good old days spent at your previous workplace, you know it’s time to make a comeback. Here is a course of action you need to follow, if you want to get your old job back. Each one of us, at some point in our lives, have dealt with a moronic stab to a perfectly satisfying career; the one where we chuck our blissful existence in an organization for certain reasons, only to regret it in the months that follow. This isn’t as uncommon as you think it is, considering the temptations that beckon us. You need to get down from your high horse and admit to having made a mistake by quitting in the first place. Read all post…

Tags: Back

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 Business Articles No Comments

Growth in manufacturing bolsters hopes for economy in 2012

WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturers ended 2011 with their best month of growth since the late spring. And the struggling construction industry spent more on projects for the third time in four months.

The data bolstered hopes that the economy is gaining momentum and helped Wall Street start 2012 with a bang.

Factories hired more workers in December, saw the most growth in new orders since April and ramped up production. U.S. builders spent more in November on single-family homes, apartments and remodeling projects.

The strong reports correspond with other positive signs for the economy. Read all post…

Tags: Growth, Growth Manufacturing

Sunday, January 1st, 2012 Business Articles No Comments

Tips to Secure Mobile Banking Services

Mobile banking allows customers to perform a variety of banking transactions through their mobiles, smartphones, and even PDAs. With so much financial information being passed over wireless networks, security is of utmost concern in mobile banking. The use of mobile phones nowadays is not limited to making calls and texting. People use their phones to check e-mails, browse the Internet, and to carry out banking functions like account transactions, balance checking, account activity (withdrawals, deposits, etc.) alerts, changing PINs, just to name a few. Read all post…

Tags: Banking, Mobile Banking

Sunday, November 13th, 2011 Business Articles No Comments