world66.com

The business environment of Taseko Mines Ltd. has changed vastly since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Tsilhqot’in people have title to 1,750 square kilometres of land west of Williams Lake, B.C. While Taseko Mines’ Fish Lake property lies outside this title area, the Aboriginal group has incorporated the mine site into a newly-designated tribal park. It is unclear whether the Tsilhqot’in people will halt Taseko Mines’ proposed 1.1 billion dollar New Prosperity copper-gold project at Fish Lake. However, there is no doubt that Taseko Mines will be required to consult with the Tsilhqot’in people and obtain their approval before they proceed with their project.

The Tsilhqot’in people will demand that environmental issues related to the development of the copper-gold project are fully addressed and factored into Taseko Mines’ business plans. Meeting these demands may be costly and difficult to negotiate, to the point where the project could be rendered impractical. The external factor of Tsilhqot’in land title underscores how important it is for businesses operating in the interior of British Columbia to establish strong and co-operative relationships with First Nations groups.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html

http://ww2.cfo.com/management-accounting/2014/09/is-fair-value-accounting-foul/

Financial accountants seek to provide meaningful financial information to external users of financial statements. Meaningful financial information must be both relevant and objective and these two qualities are not necessarily compatible. Traditionally, financial statements have been prepared with assets and liabilities recorded at historical costs and some have argued that while objective, historical costs are not meaningful or relevant to decision making. In recent years there has been a movement to improve this relevancy by requiring companies to estimate the fair market value of their assets and liabilities. However, certain experts in the field argue that fair market values do not result in increased relevance.

In the article “Is Fair Value Foul?” Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Charles Lee is cited as arguing against the move towards fair value reporting. Professor Lee suggests that “as soon as we start to anticipate future exchanges, we are in a world of speculation”. He states that the less investors use a company’s fair value to measure the worth of a company the better because such information is subjective and speculative. Lee contends that the financial statements are best prepared with historical costs because the information is objective and verifiable. This is the kind of accounting information that provides a solid basis for preparing relevant forecasts of the future value of a company.

blogspot.com

Over the past decade, the success of companies like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba have made the advantages of electronic commerce apparent. Business transactions over the Internet create greater value for a larger customer base. Individuals have the ability to instantly purchase goods and services at any location and at any time. Aside from the complexities in properly running a successful E-commerce website, operational and start-up costs are low.

Publisher HarperCollins has now taken on the task of relaunching its website, focusing solely on selling HarperCollins titles and authors directly to readers. The initiation of this project is seen by some as an attempt to combat HarperCollins’ and other publishers’ reliance on Amazon as a sales channel. The risk of this reliance has become apparent in the dispute between Hachette and Amazon; while the two companies fight over e-book terms, Amazon has decreased customers’ accessibility to Hachette titles.

Developing its own direct-sales channel will give HarperCollins more control over the interaction and relationship with their customers, not only in the US but worldwide. The new HarperCollins.com will significantly decrease the power of the middleman, and give HarperCollins a better position in negotiations with retailers.

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2014/harpercollins-pivots-to-sell-print-and-ebooks-directly-to-readers-through-main-website/

wimages.vr-zone.net

Although Apple was not the first to enter the mobile phone industry, its 2007 debut redefined expectations of what a mobile phone could be – to the point where it is now perceived as a pioneer brand. Apple’s unique, innovative value propositions have claimed a position within consumers’ minds that has yet to be touched by competitors.

The power of the Apple brand is being demonstrated once again with the upcoming release of their new Apple Watch. Despite not being the first company to have come out with a high-tech smartwatch, there is massive anticipation of Apple’s new product and little doubt that it will bring in massive profits. Leading smartwatch companies such as the Swiss Swatch Group are already experiencing decline in stock value and will continue to suffer more if predictions that Apple will emerge as a leader in smartwatches are correct.

While the Apple Watch will likely be a high-quality product consistent with the company’s reputation, one must consider the effect of the company’s reputation itself. With a brand name that consumers have come to associate with cutting-edge innovation and superior technology – a name that Forbes deemed the most powerful worldwide in 2012 – it seems likely that Apple will come to dominate the smartwatch market, regardless of whether it provides the superior product.

Computers, phones, watches. The real question is: What electronic industry is Apple not capable of dominating?

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/personal-tech/Apple+Watch+sends+shivers+through+Swiss+watch/10191293/story.html