Less Than Nothing?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Canadian governments, Cost Accounting.

Description: Less than nothing? That was how the CBC described the situation where the government of New Brunswick seems to be paying forestry companies to harvest pulpwood on Crown lands in the province. The new government rate charges harvesters $3.40 per cubic metre of certain softwoods. But the government then pays the forestry companies $3.90… Read more »

September = Apple Annoucement

Posted by & filed under Cost Accounting, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: It’s September, and that means there’s going to be some sort of product announcement heading out of Cupertino California, Apple’s HQ. This past Wednesday, Apple introduced four new iPhone models, updated AirPods Pro, and, an Ultra Apple Watch oriented towards extreme sports types. Unfortunately, f you are a user who enjoys a smaller screen,… Read more »

Got Any Really Cold Freezers?

Posted by & filed under Cost Accounting, Managerial Accounting.

Description: Apparently there’s a bit of a run on really, really cold freezers. With the world looking to begin vaccinating populations against Covid-19, and the need to store Pfizer’s new vaccine in very cold temperatures, businesses like 360 Medical are looking to supply health care users. A freezer about the size of a dorm-room fridge… Read more »

Cheap gas

Posted by & filed under Cost Accounting, Marketing & Strategy.

Description:  It’s an old story for small town entrepreneurs. The new road takes your customers into the city for better prices, better selection and you’re facing a crisis. But Dave Callahan, owner of an independent station in St. George’s Newfoundland, is striking back. As the Fred Eaglesmith song puts it, “Then they built that overpass… Read more »

Bumping digital

Posted by & filed under Cost Accounting, Student life.

Description: For 2017,  the first time since 2011, combined sales of CDs and vinyl albums outpaced digital downloads of music. Meanwhile, music streaming services such as Spotify continue to grow, and in 2017 streaming accounted for roughly 2/3 of industry revenues. Vinyl, at only $400 million or so of an industry close to $9 billion,… Read more »

Suits for Slow Apples

Posted by & filed under Cost Accounting.

Description: Here come the lawsuits! Plus the government investigations. Apple is facing heat for slowing down old models of its popular phones in order to extend battery life. Apple has responded by promising new batteries for phone owners, though users are reporting Apple stores are running out of the replacement units. Date: January 31, 2018… Read more »

Costing election promises

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Canadian Government, Cost Accounting.

Description: Critics and citizens alike have long decried the lofty election promises politicians make during election campaigns. But now the Liberal government of the tiny Canadian province of New Brunswick appears to be trying to change this dynamic by proposing a law requiring political parties to cost their election platforms. Violators would be punished by… Read more »

Loving that office space

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Contemporary Business Issues, Cost Accounting.

Description: Chandeliers in the washroom. A trendy coffee bar down the hall. These are some of the pleasant features in Nicola Morgan’s co-working space where desk rentals begin at $125 per month. It’s a growing and attractive option for professionals and others. Date: November 24, 2016 Source: theglobeandmail.com Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/design/co-working-spaces-cater-to-the-specific-needs-of-self-employedworkers/article33006049/ Discussion Points: 1) This article… Read more »

Facebook Workplace

Posted by & filed under Corporate Strategy, Cost Accounting.

Description: Facebook has built a huge business on its advertising based social media platform. But now, after a year of testing, Facebook is offering a new platform called Workplace  to compete with the Startup company Slack. Workplace – like Slack – will combine various productivity technologies like e-mail and newsletters. Workplace will be sold to… Read more »

Full disclosure; still waiting

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Accounting Theory, Advanced Accounting, Canadian Government, Cost Accounting.

Description: Canadian banks  have improved their disclosures since the financial crisis. But these improvements may not have gone far enough. For instance, many investors may know that bankers have lobbied our federal government concerning its attention to transaction fees on credit cards. Yet, because of the banks’  disclosure practices, many  of these same investors would… Read more »