Category Archives: Bidness

Nothing but not-so-good-times ahead

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe if everyone chants “This time is different than the 80s!” loudly enough it will have the talismanic effect we all hope it will. For five years, a domestic oil boom has created a bounty of high-paying jobs and a … Continue reading →

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Use less, pay more

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t utility deregulation grand? More than 70 percent of electric plans offered in the Houston area contain terms that may penalize customers who don’t use a certain amount of power, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of more than 300 … Continue reading →

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The LGBT Wedding Expo

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I love stories like this. The Houston LGBT Wedding Expo at the Galleria-area JW Marriott, which was hosted by the North Carolina-based Rainbow Wedding Network, showcased venues and companies marketing to the growing number of same-sex couples. With the LGBT … Continue reading →

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No gigafactory for Texas

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They’re going to Nevada. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Thursday that Tesla Motors will build a massive battery factory in the state as long as legislators approve tax breaks and other incentives worth up to $1.3 billion over 20 years. … Continue reading →

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It’s a great time to be a construction worker

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

For most people, anyway. On a conference call earlier this month, the president of Houston-based developer Camden Property Trust described what it’s like building apartments in markets where construction is booming and skilled workers are in short supply. “It’s a … Continue reading →

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AirBnB in Houston

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

When people talk about “the sharing economy” for good or ill, the main players that get named tend to be Uber, Lyft, and AirBnB. We’ve heard a lot about the first two in Houston lately, but prior to this Chron … Continue reading →

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More on the Postal Service as financial service provider

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I still think it’s a good idea, and so do a lot of other people. The Postal Banking Consumer Survey [PDF] asked more than 1,600 consumers, many of whom do not have access to traditional banking services, whether or not … Continue reading →

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CFPB makes its presence felt in Texas

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Texas-based payday lender ACE Cash Express has agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that it used harassment and other illegal tactics to push borrowers into a cycle of … Continue reading →

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Good times for the craft brewers

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot more growth to come for the craft brewing industry. Texas’ smaller craft breweries increased production last year by nearly half and made deeper gains in the overall beer market, suggesting the industry’s growth spurt will continue. “Yes, … Continue reading →

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It’s not Tesla that’s asking for special treatment

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of auto dealers take to the op-ed pages to argue that up is in fact down. The motor vehicle franchise laws in place do not in any way hinder innovation; instead they foster the competition that benefits consumers. … Continue reading →

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Retail medical clinics

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I for one think they’re a good idea. Here’s a prescription for pediatricians fighting to keep easy-to-treat, well-paying patients: Expand after-hours and weekend services to serve desperate parents in search of quick remedies for their kids’ late-night sore throats and … Continue reading →

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Uber uber alles

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Uber rolled out a new service in Manhattan [last] Tuesday that foreshadows the five-year-old company’s plans to become much more than a platform for e-hailing taxi and town car rides. Now, with UberRUSH, the company is piloting a … Continue reading →

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Regulating Bitcoin in Texas

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Bitcoin regulations. We have ’em. Texas will not treat Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as legal money, according to a new memo from the Texas Department of Banking. Yet some companies that deal in Bitcoin transactions could draw state oversight, even … Continue reading →

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Tesla’s stealth visit to San Antonio

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

May mean something, or it may not. A pair of executives from Tesla Motors Inc., the electric carmaker that’s scouting a location for its planned $5 billion “gigafactory,” secretly met here Wednesday with top city and county officials, a person … Continue reading →

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No more wobbly tables!

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I love this story. A Houston businessman has an idea that could rid the world of having to use drink coasters and napkins to stabilize restaurant tables. Steve Christian, owner of Houston burger institution Christian’s Tailgate Bar and Grill, believes … Continue reading →

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Craft beer: Still good for your economy

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another study says so. Texas ranks second only to California in the economic impact derived from craft brewing, a report from the Brewers Association says. This burgeoning class of smaller, independently owned craft breweries, along with their distributors, retailers … Continue reading →

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One thing Wal-Mart could be good for

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

They could wreak havoc on payday lenders. Raj Date says that with modern data analysis banks could offer payday loans on much less extortionate terms. Felix Salmon retorts that banks don’t actually want to do business with poor people unless … Continue reading →

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Amazon fulfills its end of the deal with Texas

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Nine months after it struck a deal with the state to bring thousands of jobs and invest millions of dollars in Texas, online retail giant Amazon.com on Wednesday unveiled the first steps toward keeping its end of … Continue reading →

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I’ll continue to demonize the payday lending industry, thanks

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Lawrence Meyers, a shill for the payday lending industry, has a sad. [Loren] Steffy claims in his blog post (“Will lawmakers finally rein in paydayl lenders,” chron.com) that PDLs are “inherently predatory,” yet a loan cannot be predatory if choices … Continue reading →

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Amazon comes to Schertz

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hello, Schertz! After about six months of negotiations, this city, the Schertz Economic Development Corp. and Guadalupe County have approved about $7.6 million in direct tax incentives to land a $166 million distribution warehouse for Amazon.com. The 1.26 million-square-foot warehouse, … Continue reading →

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No smokers need apply

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, is this a big can of worms. Methodist Hospital System in Houston this month announcedit will implement a tobacco-free hiring policy on Jan. 1, joining the Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which have had similar policies … Continue reading →

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Amazon wine

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You may soon be able to order wine from Amazon.com, depending on where you live. Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.88% is planning an online marketplace for wine sales directly to consumers, said executives for several California wineries, marking the Seattle Web … Continue reading →

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Janitors win new contract

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad for them. Janitors who clean some of the largest office buildings in Houston have reached a tentative agreement with six of the city’s largest cleaning companies, a union representative said late Wednesday. The deal is expected to … Continue reading →

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We better hope Amazon sticks to its deal with Texas

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember that deal Amazon made with the state to start charging sales tax here and to commit to creating 2,500 jobs in return for having back taxes forgiven? Apparently, there’s not much in the deal to make them regret it … Continue reading →

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Amazon starts collecting sales tax today

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We are in a new era. Beginning Sunday, Texans will see state and local sales taxes show up on their taxable Amazon purchases — the result of a deal with the state comptroller’s office that resolved the e-commerce giant’s past … Continue reading →

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Wage theft

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Any employer that would do this is scum. [Wage theft] reflects a changing economy in which low-wage work has increased, more companies try to cut labor costs to stay afloat in a sour business climate, and fewer workers belong to … Continue reading →

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Is the Amazon deal with the state legal?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman raises a great question about the settlement deal between Amazon and the state of Texas that will get the online retailer to start collecting sales taxes in Texas while forgiving back taxes the state says it owes. But … Continue reading →

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Amazon settles up with Texas

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Amazon.com will start collecting sales taxes from Texas customers this summer and agreed to make capital investments of $200 million and create 2,500 jobs in the state over the next four years, Comptroller Susan Combs announced this morning. In … Continue reading →

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Our long Amazonian nightmare may finally be over

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Negotiations are in progress to get Amazon to pay something like its fair share. Amazon.com is negotiating with the state to start paying Texas sales taxes on online sales and to create some jobs in the state, reviving talks that … Continue reading →

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Making a profit coming and going

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t comment very often on the business world, but I thought this Loren Steffy column from Friday about the El Paso/Kinder Morgan deal was noteworthy. Chancellor Leo Strine questioned the role of Goldman Sachs, which advised both El Paso … Continue reading →

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Put that wine bottle down and slowly back away

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t buy wine over the Internet, kids. The State of Texas says so. State officials have teamed up with FedEx, UPS and other shippers to ferret out wines being sent to Texas by websites that don’t have proper permits. That … Continue reading →

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Self service checkout at supermarkets

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This AP story about supermarkets scaling back on self service checkout aisles, which was recently in the Chron business section, has been making the rounds in the progressive blogs. Market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute found … Continue reading →

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Credit card security

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another thing the rest of the world does better than we do. The United States is the only developed country still hanging on to credit and debit cards with those black magnetic stripes, the kind you swipe through retail … Continue reading →

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Amazon cuts a deal with California

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Amazon.com cut a tentative deal with legislative leaders Wednesday night that would allow it to postpone collecting sales taxes from Californians for another year. The company in turn would drop its battle to overturn the state’s new law that … Continue reading →

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