Make New Year’s resolutions to improve profitability

Many people scoff at New Year’s resolutions. It’s no mystery why — these self-directed promises to visit the gym regularly or read a book a month tend to quickly fade once the unavoidable busyness of life sets in. But, for business owners, the phrase “New Year’s resolutions” is just a different way of saying “strategic […]

Get smart: How AI can help your business

  The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution isn’t coming — it’s here. While AI’s potential for your company might not seem immediately obvious, this technology is capable of helping businesses of all shapes and sizes “get smart.” AI generally refers to the use of computer systems to perform tasks commonly thought to require human intelligence. Examples […]

Cutting costs when you’ve gone over budget

  Year end can’t get here soon enough for some business owners — especially those whose companies have exceeded their annual budgets. If you find yourself in this unenviable position, you can still cut costs to either improve this year’s financial picture or put yourself in a better position for next year. Tackle staffing issues […]

Practice the fine art of inclusion at your holiday gatherings

  It’s that time of year, business owners — a time when you’re not only trying to wind down the calendar in profitable fashion, but also preparing year-end financials and contemplating next year’s budget. And amidst all this, you likely have a holiday employee gathering to plan. This seemingly innocuous task can be just as […]

Could an FSA offer the benefits flexibility you need?

  Business owners have to make tough choices when it comes to providing benefits to their employees. Many companies, especially newer or smaller ones, may understandably prioritize flexibility. No one wants to get locked into a benefits offering that’s cumbersome to administer and expensive to maintain. Well, there’s one possibility that has the word “flexible” […]

4 tips on making your marketing emails a blast

No business owner wants to send out spam. Even the term “email blast,” the practice of launching a flurry of targeted messages at customers and prospects, has mixed connotations these days. Yet email remains a viable and even necessary communications channel. Here are four tips on making your marketing emails a blast (in the fun […]

Fortifying your business with enterprise risk management

  Hundreds of years ago, prosperous towns managed the various risks of foreign invaders, thieves and wild animals by fortifying their entire communities with walls and towers. Today’s business owners can take a similar approach with enterprise risk management (ERM). Assessing threats In short, ERM is an integrated, companywide system of identifying and planning for […]

Valuation often affects succession plans in hard-to-see ways

  Any business owner developing a succession plan should rightfully assume that regular business valuations are a must. When envisioning the valuation process, you’re likely to focus on its end result: a reasonable, defensible value estimate of your business as of a certain date. But lurking beneath this number is a variety of often hard-to-see […]

4 ways to get (and keep) your business data in order

  With so much data flying around these days, it’s easy for a company of any size to get overwhelmed. If something important falls through the cracks, say a contract renewal or outstanding bill, your financial standing and reputation could suffer. Here are four ways to get — and keep — your business data in […]

Critical connection: How costs impact pricing

  As we head toward year end, your company may be reviewing its business strategy for 2017 or devising plans for 2018. As you do so, be sure to give some attention to the prices you’re asking for your existing products and services, as well as those you plan to launch in the near future. […]