Your most valuable asset isn’t your real estate or the tech stocks you bought in the 90s that have done well. It isn’t even your business per se. Your most valuable asset is you — specifically your ability to run a profitable company and make money. Are you protecting that asset from the risk that […]
Business Best Practices
Intellectual Property: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
Many businesses are founded on an original idea or design. Consider Xerox or IBM. Or look at products like Coke or popular published works such as the Harry Potter books. Where would they all be today if their idea or work had not been protected by intellectual property laws? For a growing business, securing the […]
The Pluses and Minuses of Business Borrowing
There are distinct pluses and minuses that small business owners should consider when looking for a loan. New small business owners typically enter the marketplace with high expectations — they want to build sales and increase profits quarter to quarter. More often than not, they hope to add employees and, perhaps, open up additional locations. […]
Can Your Company Survive a Disaster?
Fire, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes. When they happen, they can destroy buildings, equipment, and hard-to-replace data, and even injure or kill employees. It can take a business weeks, sometimes months, to resume operations after a disaster. Some businesses never recover. You can’t pin down the time or day when a disaster may strike your business. However, […]
Business Owners: Keep That Shield Intact
You face plenty of challenges as a small business owner. Finding ways to protect yourself against lawsuits is a major one. You may be able to add protection by structuring your business as a corporation or limited liability company (LLC). Both these entities may shield the owners’ or members’ personal assets from the company’s debts […]
Financial Analysis for Your Small Business
Comparing a business’s key financial ratios with industry standards and with its own past results can highlight trends and identify strengths and weaknesses in the business. Financial statement information is most useful if owners and managers can use it to improve their company’s profitability, cash flow, and value. Getting the most mileage from financial statement […]