If Charitable Giving is Part of Your Estate Plan, Consider a Donor-Advised Fund

Do you make sizable gifts to charitable causes? If you’re fortunate enough to afford it, you can realize personal rewards from your generosity and may be able to claim a deduction on your tax return. But once you turn over the money or assets, you generally have no further say on how they’re used. You […]Continue reading

4 Ways to Encourage Innovation in Customer Service

When business people speak of innovation, the focus is usually on a pioneering product or state-of-the-art service that will “revolutionize the industry.” But innovation can apply to any aspect of your company — including customer service. Many business owners perceive customer service as a fairly cut-and-dried affair. Customers call, you answer their questions or solve […]Continue reading

Your Original Will: Does Your Family Know Where to Locate It?

In a world that’s increasingly paperless, you’re likely becoming accustomed to conducting a variety of transactions digitally. But when it comes to your last will and testament, only an original, signed document will do. A Photocopy Isn’t Good Enough Many people mistakenly believe that a photocopy of a signed will is sufficient. In fact, most […]Continue reading

Cost Control Takes a Total Team Effort

“That’s just the cost of doing business.” You’ve probably heard this expression many times. It’s true that, to invoke another cliché, you’ve got to spend money to make money. But that doesn’t mean you have to take rising operational costs sitting down. Cost control is a formal management technique through which you evaluate your company’s […]Continue reading

Provide for Your Spouse, Then Your Kids, With a QTIP Trust

If you want to preserve as much wealth as possible for your children, but you leave property to your spouse outright, there’s no guarantee your objective will be met. This may be a concern if your spouse has poor money management skills or if you two don’t see eye to eye on how assets should […]Continue reading

Say, Just How Competitive is Your Business Anyway?

Every business owner launches his or her company wanting to be successful. But once you get out there, it usually becomes apparent that you’re not alone. To reach any level of success, you’ve got to be competitive with other similar businesses in your market. When strategic planning, one important question to regularly ask is: Just […]Continue reading

Beware IRD if You’ve Received an Inheritance

Most people are genuinely appreciative of inheritances. But sometimes it may be too good to be true. While inherited property is typically tax-free to the recipient, this isn’t the case with an asset that’s considered income in respect of a decedent (IRD). If you inherit previously untaxed property, such as an IRA or other retirement […]Continue reading

Manage Health Benefits Costs With a Multipronged Approach

Many companies offer health care benefits to help ensure employee wellness and compete for better job candidates. And the Affordable Care Act has been using both carrots and sticks (depending on employer size) to encourage businesses to offer health coverage. If you sponsor a health care plan, you know this is no small investment. It […]Continue reading

4 Estate Planning Techniques for Blended Families

Today, it’s not unusual for a family to include children from prior marriages. These “blended” families can create estate planning complications that may lead to challenges in the courts after your death. Fortunately, you can reduce the chances of family squabbles by using estate planning techniques designed to preserve wealth for your heirs in the […]Continue reading

Taking It to the Street: 7 Marketing Strategies to Consider

With such intense focus on digital marketing these days, business owners can overlook the fact that there are actual, physical places to interact with the buying public. Now that spring is here and summer is on the way, it’s a good time to rediscover the possibilities of “street marketing.” Here are seven strategies to consider: […]Continue reading

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