For many business owners, their business is one of the most valuable and important things they own. When it is time to sit down and create an estate plan, it is critical that business owners plan for their business just as they would plan for their home or finances. Effective business succession ...
Starting a business requires a great deal of planning and execution. Exiting from your small business should entail a similar level of forethought and preparation. Nevertheless, some surveys indicate that nearly half of business owners have no exit strategy.[1] After years of expanding your busi...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably the most transformative technology since the advent of the internet. It is poised to play a significant role in many areas of human life, including the workplace, where AI is changing not only how we work but also how we hire. Due to the emergence of AI hi...
Financial winter is coming. Or is it? Despite renewed optimism that the US economy can avoid a deep downturn, economists say the chances of a recession in 2024 are still about even. Small businesses are feeling the pain from high inflation, declining consumer confidence, and other economic headwi...
America is in the midst of a retirement savings crisis. Many people are not saving enough to replace their income in retirement, and some have no money saved for retirement. Employer-sponsored retirement plans enable people to save for retirement, but many private-sector workers do not have acces...
Good business ideas have a simple elegance that can spur entrepreneurs to ask themselves, Why didn't I think of that? Or maybe they did have a good idea but lacked the foresight to turn it into an effective business model. Inspiration alone is not enough to succeed in business. Ideas must be acc...
Americans have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality that speaks to our individualism and enterprising spirit. This mindset is especially pronounced among business owners, who have chosen to forego the typical employment route in favor of creating their own enterprise Independence is...
Businesses require periodic evaluation to remain on track to achieve their big-picture goals. The new year is an ideal time to reanalyze, reassess, and reprioritize moving forward. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis provides a tried-and-true framework for evaluat...
As the holiday season approaches, gift-giving is on the minds of many business owners. But there are reasons why a business owner may want to give gifts to workers and clients throughout the year and not just during the holidays. Whether to recognize a job well done, boost employee morale, or sol...
All registered corporations are required by law to hold an annual meeting. Limited liability companies (LLCs), although not subject to the same statutory requirement, may hold regular meetings in accordance with their governing documents. What Is the Purpose of a Corporation's Annual Meeting? I...
Starting on January 1, 2024, under a new law called the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), owners of certain business entities must file a report with the federal government including details regarding the ownership of their entity. The CTA was enacted to help combat money laundering, financing of...
Small business owners are no strangers to government regulations. There are many requirements that businesses must be aware of and comply with, including business license and permit rules. Most businesses must obtain licenses or permits, so it is important for each business to know which ones it...
Assets, liabilities, and equity are accounting terms that every small business owner should be familiar with. They are included on a business's balance sheet, providing a snapshot of financial health. A balance sheet shows a company's assets and liabilities at a given time and how money is flowi...
No technology in recent memory has generated more hype, both positive and negative, than ChatGPT. ChatGPT is probably the most well-known of many generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications and tools that are currently available. There are many tasks that it can help to automate, optimiz...
Buying a business and purchasing real estate are two very different investments. Business ownership typically requires some management skills and knowledge about market conditions, consumer trends, staffing, and finances. Ownership of real estate, on the other hand, requires considerable due dili...
Platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO have disrupted an industry once dominated by hotels and resorts, allowing individuals to open their homes and residential properties to travelers. The boom in short-term rentals has created new opportunities for investors who want to buy income-generating propert...
When starting a business, entrepreneurs typically have two options: they can either build a new business or purchase an existing business. Buying an existing business can offer the advantages of name recognition and a proven business model. The advantages can be even greater if the business is a ...
Few dates evoke more trepidation among small business owners than tax day. But even after they have filed their tax return, they may not breathe a sigh of relief if they have concerns about getting audited. The April tax deadline is not the only important fiscal date for small businesses. Many p...
Employees are essential to your small business. Hiring and retaining workers is one of the biggest challenges that business owners face. In this highly competitive labor market, employers are looking for competitive edges to attract—and keep—employees. While many workers currently place a greate...
Business owners who are interested in forming a new limited liability company (LLC) or converting their existing business to an LLC are probably familiar with the benefits of this entity type. While the LLC is a great fit for many companies, there are situations in which its disadvantages may out...
Contracts are the foundation of modern business relationships. Contract law as we know it today originated in English common law, but contracts have been around since ancient times. Many of the earliest examples of contracts in history have the same characteristics—such as offer, acceptance, and ...
There is a lot riding on your small business. You have invested your money, time, and sweat equity to build a company that will be successful for years to come. Even if you make all the right business moves, unexpected costs can arise at any time. Accidents, natural disasters, data breaches, and...
Small business owners will have one more item on their compliance to-do list when the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) takes effect next year. The CTA,[1] enacted as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AMLA), places new reporting requirements on many business entities in an effort to ...
Cash flow measures how much cash is flowing in and out of a business. A positive cash flow is one of the strongest determinants of a business's success. It shows that a company can fund its debts and pay for immediate needs such as equipment and staffing, and also that it has enough money in rese...
Some activities are inherently risky. Visitors of certain types of businesses such as ski resorts, gyms, and amusement parks know there is a chance they could get injured when they engage in the activities those businesses offer. To protect themselves against potentially costly lawsuits, business...
