What's the Best Way to Find Startup Money?

Seek an advisor first, before you seek an investor. Find someone local with related experience -- maybe an attorney or a counselor at the nearest Small Business Development Center.

Check references and ask for recommendations so you get somebody you can trust. Only someone with experience and with his or her feet on the ground, the same ground you're walking on, can help you decide whether the payoff of your patent with 3 percent royalty is your best option or not.

Talk to several people, and ask them real questions. Get a sense for their experience, preferably related to sporting goods. Don't be shy about checking references.

Banks could tap ECB on dollar funding woes

It’s looking increasingly likely more European banks will be forced to tap the European Central Bank’s US dollar facility, as stress in the cross currency basis swap market has once again become acute this week.

“We are more or less at levels where banks are indifferent about going to the ECB or the FX market for dollar funding. Over the last few days spreads have widened dramatically in the FX market, making dollar funding more expensive. As a result, banks may well want to start tapping the ECB dollar facility more,” said Pavan Wadhwa, global head of rates strategy at JP Morgan.

How to do Thanksgiving dinner for $70

Eatocracy's Kat Kinsman shows where to find cheap and delicious ingredients for this year's holiday meal.

Why Gasoline Prices Refuse to Slide

Factors Influencing Prices at Retail Outlets

The price per gallon of gas at the pump is determined by various complicated factors and a whole range of issues which includes - the demand and supply of crude oil along with factors like inflation, local taxes and changes in currency valuations. A typical breakup of the per gallon gas price would be as follows:

Price of crude oil - 68%
Federal and state taxes - 14%
Refining costs - 10%
Distribution and marketing costs - 5%
Profit margins - 3%

Oil price again flirting with $100 per barrel

Oil prices climbed to near $100 per barrel Tuesday on encouraging news about the U.S. economy.
Benchmark crude rose $1.23 to end the day at $99.37 per barrel in New York. The benchmark price hasn't been that high since July 26. Brent crude, which is used to price many foreign oil varieties, climbed 50 cents to finish at $112.39 per barrel in London.

Prices jumped after the Commerce Department said that retail sales rose in October for the fifth straight month. Consumer spending increased for electronics, appliances, hardware and building supplies. Sales also rose at grocery stores, bars and restaurants and health care stores.

Over US$2bn in port sector investments planned up to 2015

Peru's port sector will receive over US$2.04bn in investments up to 2015, which will help close the sector's investment gap, according to estimates from Lima's chamber of commerce (CCL).

The chamber said the country's US$4bn port infrastructure deficit is impacting its global competitiveness, state news agency Andina reported.

Markets Fall As Investor Fears Resurface

European stocks closed down on Monday as leadership changes in Italy and Greece failed to have a lasting impact on investor sentiment. The FTSE 100 reversed its 0.5% gain and instead closed down 0.5% at 5,519 points, In France the CAC40 lost 1.2%, while the German DAX fell 1%.

Although markets had welcomed the appointment of former European Commissioner Mario Monti to replace Silvio Berlusconi in Italy, the rises were short lived.