3 hot spots to look for your successor
Picking someone to lead your company after you step down is probably among the hardest aspects of retiring (or otherwise moving on). Sure, there are some business owners who have a ready-made successor waiting in the wings at a moment’s notice. But many have a few viable candidates to consider — others have too […]
Enhance benefits’ perceived value with strong communication
Providing a strong package of benefits is a competitive imperative in today’s business world. Like many employers, you’ve probably worked hard to put together a solid menu of offerings to your staff. Unfortunately, many employees don’t perceive the full value of the benefits they receive. Why is this important? An underwhelming perception of value […]
How to shape up your working capital
Working capital — current assets minus current liabilities — is a common measure of liquidity. High liquidity generally equates with low risk, but excessive amounts of cash tied up in working capital may detract from growth opportunities and other spending options, such as expanding to new markets, buying equipment and paying down debt. Here […]
Use pro formas to plot your route to success
Running a business is like going on a road trip — and a detailed business plan that includes a set of pro forma financials can serve as a road map or GPS app that improves your odds of arriving on time and on budget. If your plan doesn’t cover the prospective quantitative details in […]
Conflict minerals: SEC reconsiders the disclosure requirements
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reviewing its controversial disclosure rule that requires businesses to trace the sources of certain minerals used in their products. Businesses subject to the rule complain about its costs, but human rights groups say it has produced tangible benefits and that the compliance costs are vastly overstated. Will […]
Do you know the tax implications of your C corp.’s buy-sell agreement?
Private companies with more than one owner should have a buy-sell agreement to spell out how ownership shares will change hands should an owner depart. For businesses structured as C corporations, the agreements also have significant tax implications that are important to understand. Buy-sell basics A buy-sell agreement sets up parameters for the transfer […]
Come together
Now’s a great time to purge old tax records
Whether you filed your 2016 tax return by the April 18 deadline or you filed for an extension, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of documentation involved. While you need to hold on to all of your 2016 tax records for now, it’s a great time to take a look at your records […]
Life insurance and an estate plan may not always mix well
A life insurance policy can be an important part of an estate plan. The tax benefits are twofold: The policy can provide a source of wealth for your family income-tax-free, and it can supply funds to pay estate taxes and other expenses. However, if you own your policy, rather than having, for example, an irrevocable […]
How can you take customer service to the next level?
Just about every business intends to provide world-class customer service. And though many claim their customer service is exceptional, very few can back up that assertion. After all, once a company has established a baseline level of success in interacting with customers, it’s not easy to get to that next level of truly great […]
