Although often perceived as a worst case scenario, bankruptcy can be an appropriate way for small businesses to recover from unmanageable debt by reorganization, reducing personal liability or liquidating business assets. Sometimes small businesses (or their owners) must turn to bankruptcy when cash flow slows or business expenses cannot be met. There are three types…
Decisions about your health care are some of the most important you will ever make. Don’t put off making plans until you are unable to assert your wishes. Including health care documents in your estate plan can ensure your decisions are always your choice, even if you cannot speak for yourself. Health care documents that…
Up until now, you alone have been running your small business. Now you need help. The moment when a small business owner decides to hire his or her first employee is one of triumph. Conversely, knowing how to start the hiring process can be a moment of confusion. If you’re ready to hire your first…
Preparing You And Your Family For The Future An estate plan is a collection of documents, prepared with the assistance of an estate attorney, that define how your assets will be managed in the event of your death or incapacitation. The end of the line is something most people don’t like to spend too much…
Baby boomers know money isn’t the only important aspect of estate planning. A 2012 study released by the Allianz Life Insurance, Co. showed baby boomers wanted to leave their family more than just financial assets. Researchers found baby boomers identified family values as some of the most important things to pass down to heirs. In…
Building a brand can transform your business into an enduring household name. But how do you build a brand when you are starting from scratch? One good place to start is developing a consistent company culture. Company culture can be leveraged to create a unique and memorable company identity. More than just a corporate buzzword,…
Power of attorney (POA) is a document that grants a specific person, called an agent, the authority to make important decisions on behalf of another person, called the principal. There are many different kinds of power of attorney. The scope of the authority the principal grants to the agent can be very broad or quite…
Building a business empire, enterprise, or even just a start-up has its price. The image of the confident and charismatic CEO often falls short of reality. Before, during and after public visibility often comes personal self-doubt, anxiety and mental anguish. Many business owners donot readily divulge the distress they feel because they don’t perceive it…
Financial aid is a valuable resource for students and their families. And sending a child off to college is one of life’s biggest (and often most expensive!) events. Unfortunately, certain assets may adversely affect student financial aid eligibility. That’s why careful financial planning is particularly important for families with college-age children. Federal financial aid eligibility…
Millennials are taking their places at office desks around the nation. This burgeoning generation is just starting out,which means changes for family businesses with millennial family members who stand to inherit the family business. Of course, this scenario raises certain concerns for baby-boomer business owners as they look to the next generation of workers. According…
Know the right legal structure for your business. When starting a business, one of the most fundamental decisions you can make relating to taxes is the type of legal structure you choose for your company. Apart from taxes, this decision can also affect the amount of paperwork you will be required to file, the extent…
Young families face different estate planning needs and challenges than those who have had a long life behind them. While established families may be concerned about what will happen to their family when they pass on, young, growing families can be more focused on what is happening to their family in the present. And you…
Buying an existing business is a great way to hit the ground running in the world of entrepreneurship. Because an existing business already has a legal structure, employees, a customer base, and is making a profit, you get to skip over one of the most challenging aspects of owning a business – starting it. But…
If you created an estate plan that includes a living trust, you must review it to determine if it contains language that could create unnecessary cost, effort and stress for your surviving spouse. Back in the day, when the estate tax exemption was $675,000 to $1,000,000, most living trusts were drafted to provide for a…
In Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, he said: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” When Jobs was 17, he read a quote that made an impression on him, and every day after he looked in…
What All Couples Should Know In the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex couples nationwide finally enjoy marriage equality. And, whether you are legally married in the eyes of the law, or not, there are important additional legal planning steps you need to take to ensure your wishes are…
Too many estate plans are created and then quickly forgotten, put on a shelf, and never looked at again. While we do recommend that you review and update your plan at least every three years, no matter what happens in your life, your plan must be updated immediately in the event of any of these…
If your business is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you may be required to give all of your salaried employees who perform executive, administrative or professional (EAP) duties a raise. As of December 1, 2016, the new minimum wage for full-time salaried workers is $913 per week. Previously, the minimum wage was…
In our last newsletter, we shared the first part of our article on how to discuss estate planning with aging (or sick) loved ones. If you didn’t read it yet, go ahead and read Part 1. Discuss Estate Planning with The Right Questions The holidays can be the best time for you to be ready…
Many businesses maintain an industry advantage through control and utilization of trade secrets. Be it a formula, a design, or a process, trade secrets can provide advantages over the competition. Not surprisingly, trade secret misappropriation is a serious concern for many businesses. Until recently, it’s been state law at the forefront of regulating and protecting…
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