brass Blog

I have often wondered what an “employee-owned company” is. I see that slogan emblazoned on bags at stores up here in Oregon, like Bi-Mart and WinCo, but I’ve never known what it means. I did some poking around online and discovered that if a company is “employee-owned,” then some of its employees own stock in the company. I found this FAQ which answers some questions about the basics of an employee-owned company (EOC).

While you shouldn’t plan on becoming the boss of Ted’s Tea Shack just because you run the register, you can reap some sweet rewards taking part in an EOC. I don’t know about you, but owning shares in the company you work for seems like a pretty cool way to invest. According to one USA Today article I read, there are also tax benefits and breaks for employees of an EOC. The article also states that employee ownership has been gaining popularity in the last 20 years. Some studies have found that these companies grew faster, were more productive, and survived longer over the long run than their counterparts. From an employee’s perspective, I think it could be pretty motivating to let those who contribute to the success of a company benefit from it as well.

I also found a couple resources for any of you who might be interested in working for an employee-owned company–or even starting your own:

The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) has a list on their website of the 100 largest employee-owned companies in America and where they are located, which is awesome if you are looking to work at one.

For the entrepreneurs among you, check out eHow’s article on starting an employee-owned company. Who knows? You might be destined for that NCEO list in a few years.

Peace out.

So, we’ve already got the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Emmys, the Grammys, and a few other award shows and programs. Now, we can add one more to the list: the YouTube Awards. I like to think of YouTube’s version as “real” indie film awards, but that’s just me.

At brass, we keep tabs on user-generated websites like YouTube, not only because we’re a young adult media company, but because many of us frequent them in our spare time as well. I first found out about the Awards when an editor sent me this news story that sums up the occasion pretty well–as well as highlighting four of the winners. Even though these were awarded a few months ago, I think they merit a mention, especially in light of the recent Cannes film festival. YouTube’s Award site still has a list up of the seven categories and their corresponding winners. MSNBC also ran an article on the event.

I really like what YouTube has done here, you know? They’ve taken something seemingly out of reach (movie making) and made it accessible to people like you and me–and then topped it off with awards for the best pieces…like an enormous, online independent film festival. And the awards, of course, only go to original material. Speaking of which, I should probably go finish that screenplay I’m working on for next year’s awards.

Well, now that we are almost finished with our three blogs on car buying, I might as well tell you that I have really enjoyed writing this series. I have also saved the best topic (in my mind) for last: old cars.

One of the best things about buying an older car (aside from the fact that they can look and sound awesome) is that you can save yourself some serious cash. After all, it’s highly unlikely that a new car will increase in value after you buy it.

If you are handy with automotive mechanics, you can choose an even older (read: cooler) car. That’s what I did. You can pick up a cruiser from the sixties to the mid-eighties (older than that and they get expensive, or newer and they are a bit harder to work on) that is a little less than pristine. You’ll be thanking yourself when you replace that water pump and fuel filter, or repair the brakes and change the oil, and spend a good chunk less than you’d pay a mechanic to do the job.

Depending on how much you like cars, you can always buy a car with the intention of souping it up. For many cars from the sixties and seventies, you can get away paying less than $5,000 and slowly (if you can stand driving a clunker for a bit) restore, replace, and improve parts, paint, and pedals until you’ve got a classic vintage auto that will get thumbs up wherever you go. The gas mileage may be a not be up to par with the newest models, but many of these classics are increasing in value, so you could be creating a potential investment with an older car rather than losing money as you drive a new one off the lot.

Where to look for that “perfect” car? Check out online classifieds, your local newspapers, or drive around town and keep an eye out for something that might be up for sale.

My grandpa found mine for me in a neighbor’s garage. I paid $100 for it, drove it 700 miles home after repairing the radiator, and now, eight years later, it’s still going strong–and I am still slowly restoring it. (The brass paint job is clearly the reason I have an internship here today.)

This is the second part of our blog on car buying, so read on–especially if you are interested in alternative fuel sources. With gas prices over $4 in some states, a cheaper fuel source sounds pretty good. There are more alternatives to gasoline available now, which can make the decision process a bit more confusing than, say, 20 years ago.

Diesels: They don’t really smell so bad anymore. Plus, you can use either biodiesel or (with a filter kit) recycled vegetable oil (SVO) instead of diesel fuel in your diesel car or truck. If you want more of the mechanical details of this concept, check out Car and Driver’s article on the vegetable oil conversion system that greasecar.com sells.

This is becoming more common among alternative fuel users; I’ve seen a couple guys siphoning the vegetable oil out of the grease-dumping bin behind the seafood café I worked at in high school. These cars are reputed to be very economical and more environmentally friendly than your average car or truck. Besides that, the car runs on stinkin’ used vegetable oil! How crazy is that?

Hybrids: These are cool too. And quiet. One drove up within five feet of me and I couldn’t hear a thing. However, I did hear about this comparison site for ‘07 hybrids, which is handy if you’re looking at that market. Check out this list of tax incentive links. They could be your ace in the hole come tax time next year.

All I ask in return for this advice? Don’t sneak up and run me over when you’re out cruising in your electric ride.

Automobiles. For some, the word merely represents a label for transportation devices. For others, it’s a lifestyle. Either way, if you are looking at buying a car, your view of them, as well as your money situation, will probably affect your choice.

Choosing a car can definitely be pretty tough. Should you buy new or used? Enviro-friendly or regular pump-gas? If you can pay the insurance for fast and sporty, do you go with a growling muscle car or a sleek import tuner á la The Fast and The Furious? And if you go for style, will it be worth the monthly car payments?

I’ll post two more blogs over the next two weeks which will tackle different options for choosing your own wheels. For starters though, Consumer Reports has a list of used cars they recommend. Also, Kelley Blue Book has great resources for pricing, reviews, ratings, and vehicle comparisons which come in handy when looking for a car.

So check this stuff out, do some research, and tune in next week.