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Ever heard of corporate intelligence, corporate security, and counterespionage? Well, there are people whose main business is to mind your business by scavenging through your garbage, undermining your privacy and stealing corporate information. Just when you think having your own paper shredder and performing in-house shredding is enough - think again. There are pitfalls to this practice, and you are as endangered as when you didn't have a shredder...

When AT&T Wireless offered its first Initial Public Offering in early 2000, it outdid the previous largest IPO by UPS (United Parcel Services). While the company offered about 360 million shares priced between $26 and $32 per share, it managed to raise a capital of $10.6 billion with each share being sold at $29.50, slightly above the mid-point of the price range. This was approximately twice the capital raised by the UPS, which managed to raise $5.52 billion by going public. However, not everything was smooth with the largest among the high profile US IPOs.

When the offering was made public in April 2000, AT&T Wireless encountered hesitant market behavior thanks to the reports indicating an increase in inflation. This data, along with the reports of a rise in labor costs by the Labor Department, made it a less than perfect day for the IPO. The telecom industry was on the verge of several ambitious acquisitions and mergers such as those between the Bell Atlantic and Vodafone AirTouch, SBC Communications and BellSouth and the acquisition of Sprint PCS by MCI WorldCom....

Carrying out company credit checks on potential and existing clients should be an everyday part of business life however many companies are still leaving themselves open to the threat of bad debt by not carrying out such checks. Conducting credit checks through company credit reports will usually provide a credit score - allowing businesses to make better informed decisions about whether to extend credit. However whilst carrying out such checks sounds like common sense, less than a third (31%) of UK companies perform a credit check before trading. And this looks unforgivable when you consider that almost half (47%) of UK businesses have lost money in the last year when trading with another company.

Whilst these figures are shocking, we'll now look at some of the other reasons why reviewing company credit reports and other credit checking tools is vital to ensuring your business' success....

Do you have plans to start a business? Maybe you're thinking about what kind of business you're going to invest in, the amount of budget capital needed and the target market for the business. But more than having to need a plan you must also make sure that you carry them out in precisely the correct order or your business will end up with disastrous outcomes and lost profits....

For many of us, the holiday season can not be the most joyful time of year, but instead the most stressful. A mile-long shopping list can put strain on both our personal time and our wallets. But gift giving really doesn't have to be as stressful as we make it out to be. Some basic gift giving etiquette can help to ease the stress and make the holidays easier for you this year.

One of the biggest misconceptions about holiday gift giving is that if someone gives you a gift, you must reciprocate. This can be an extremely awkward situation if someone unexpectedly gives you a wrapped box, and you have nothing for him or her. Don't worry, it is really okay if you have been surprised by someone's gesture. Just make sure to politely thank the person, and then send a hand written thank you card a couple days later. Don't say something to the effect of "I'll bring my gift for you tomorrow" because this is not only a transparent excuse, but it also makes it sound as though you are focusing on trumping the gift you have received. As long as you express your gratitude appropriately, it is okay for you to not reciprocate....

Are you an expert in the field of security? That category can include a lot of different businesses - everything from providing bodyguard services to designing software security programs to selling and installing burglar alarms and security cameras.

You know all about your field. You know your capabilities and what your clients need from you. But do you know how to win new clients and gain more business share? These days all businesses are clamoring for attention, and there's a lot of competition out there, too. So the old business practices of sending out form letters and paying for an ad in the local phone book is probably not the smartest strategy. The best way to succeed in expanding your client base and securing more contracts is to master the art of writing a business proposal....