That’s the poster from the not so good 1979 movie, The Shape of Things To Come. You kinda get the picture from the tagline Beyond the earth… Beyond the moon… Beyond your wildest imagination!

The movie was an adaptation of  the 1933 science fiction novel, The Shape of Things To Come, by H.G. Wells which speculates on future events from 1933 until the year 2106.

My own prognostications for the future are not nearly as expansive. But rather limited to the world of 401(k) for 2010. Here’s a link to my January 2010 column in Employee Benefit News, The Shape of Things To Come for 401(k) Plans. 

This month our theme across our blogs is “Planning/Starting Your Business”. To kick that off here on Grow Smart Business, we have a guest contributor, Richard Greenberg of “State of the Startup” to give some great advice on starting up.

So you’ve decided to start a new business? Congratulations! Let’s be sure you start on the right track in your endeavor.

First, we will assume you already have your idea, you product, service or profession. And moreover, let’s assume you already have sufficient capital (money) to create your business, and last long enough to pay your personal iving expenses and the costs to run your business until profitable. If you are single, this can be tough, if you have no other source of income. If you are ma

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Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, in his book The Art of the Start  put it like this: “Think of investor’s deal flow as a funnel. Two thousand business plans enter at the top of the funnel. Two hundred are moderately credible. One hundred are interesting enough to read. Forty undergo due diligence. Ten get funded. One makes a bundle of money.”

Imagine that, only five percent of all business plans submitted are interesting enough to read, two percent get to the due diligence stage and one half of one percent actually get funded. Those odds are incredibly long indeed. But the two percent that actually get to due diligence represents thousands of companies each year, so the effort is worthwhile.

So how can an entrepreneur or owner of a growing business improve the odds of being in that two percent? By und

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The livestock sector needs Sh700 million to restock, following massive deaths of the animals due to drought and current floods.

Speaking during a leather stakeholders meeting at Jacaranda Hotel on Thursday, Livestock Development permanent secretary, Kenneth Lusaka, said the Sh130 million already provided for was inadequate.

“This is a far cry from what is needed. We have developed a memo asking the government for more support,” he said.

Mr Lusaka added that the ministry is preparing a comprehensive report on the losses suffered by farmers due to the drought and floods.

He said another Sh500 million that was provided for buying livestock from farmers during the height of drought was also meant to cushion them by way of assisting them restock once the weather improved.

“We shall soon be moving to these areas to see if farmers are using the money to restock. We ho

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A Perfect Sermon – Learn How To Make It Up Now!

If you want to be an honour for all the pastors you have to learn out how to make up ideal sermons. To make up your sermon you are keen on – it is really a challenge. If you are a pastor of honour you have to deal with sermons making. And just be sure – you will be able to deal with it – mark these words!

Get steps and tips which have to be in your pocket by all mean!

1) You have to work out, make up sermons with full measure. We are sure this tip goes without any explanations. As much you work as better you make up your sermons, time by time your sermons become better and better, aimed to the best sermons ever!

2) if you want to be honourable and you want to deal with respect feelings among other pastors you have not to play any tricks at all. At the

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The following is a guest post by Chris Birk of SuretyBondsBlog:

If your list of New Year’s resolutions seems thin, look no further than your estate plan — and make sure you’ve included a waiver of bond for the executor.

Probate bonds can prove a costly headache. Without a will that explicitly waives the need for a probate bond, courts have no choice but to mandate their purchase unless the heirs formally agree that a bond is unnecessary. And even then the court may still deem a probate bond necessary to ensure the estate and its assets are protected and debts are paid.

The absence of a bond waiver ensures that the executor is likely to spend time and money negotiating a financial and legal hurdle in a process that already has its fair share.

Surety companies will also examine the financial and credit history of the executor before issuing a bond. Make no mistake — there’s an underwriting process for these bonds, just like any other risk-management mechanism. There are cases where an executor has failed to qualify for a bond, triggering a new series of legal maneuvers involving the surety company.

The cost of a probate bond depends on the value of the estate and its unsecured debts. For estates valued at more than $1 million, bond premiums could easily run about $2,000 per year depending upon the location.

While the estate can pay for bond costs, think of it more as a reimbursement — you can’t access the estate funds until probate is complete. And sureties won’t issue bonds with an I.O.U. In addition to upfront costs, executors (and administrators) are on the hook for renewals and premiums each year.

These costs and potential aggravations can slow the probate process. They’re also a recipe for confusion and, in many instances, unnecessary expense.

With the new year underway, now is a great time to revisit your estate plan and thoughtfully consider including a bond waiver.