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In the dynamic world of business, access to capital is often the deciding factor. After all, it is he who determines success or failure. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur looking to expand your business or an aspiring startup looking for seed funding, business loans can be an invaluable tool. They will help drive growth and…

By Theresa Gale Conflict is inevitable in business and relationships. How you manage it determines its impact on your company, yourself and your employees. At a recent Leadership Day, an audience of 80 was asked, “How many of you experience conflict at work?” All 80 participants raised their hands. Then they were asked, “How may…

by Jayne Pearl Swamped with work even a kid could do? Why not hire your kids to do it? If you are a sole proprietor (14.9 million people, or 11.5 percent of the labor force, were self-employed in 1997), putting kids on the payroll is great for the business-owner parent. The business gets to deduct…

Abstract: The family limited partnership (FLP) has a long tradition of being attacked by the IRS. The attacks have taken many forms, and recent success has given the IRS more reason to continue the fight. The good news is that an FLP can still work for you — as long as you know how to…

by Charles Epstein, CLU, ChFC You’ve finally done it! You’ve built the perfect retirement plan that meets your employee’s needs and shields you from all fiduciary liability. Then you wake up and discover that you are being sued by a disgruntled employee dissatisfied with the investment choices in your retirement plan. Sound farfetched? Hardly. The…

by Shel Horowitz If the often-combative world of middle school can respond to alternative dispute resolution, surely it can work in business negotiation. Lawrence Susskind, 22-time author, Director of the Public Disputes Program at Harvard, and creator of the Workable Peace Program, mediation training for middle and high school students,, brought his message about solving…

Abstract: One of the difficulties most family business owners face is determining how, when and to whom ownership interest will be transferred. Even in the best circumstances, the transfer can be difficult because emotions run high and the process is cumbersome. A buy-sell agreement is one tool to help keep the disposition of shares an…

by Kris Houghton, CPA, Meyers Brothers PC The 50% additional first-year depreciation deduction enacted as part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 provides for a large increase in the deduction limits for passenger automobiles first placed in service in 2008.  Separate limits are provided for those who elect not to claim bonus first-year depreciation.…

by Shel Horowitz For a year, speakers have come to the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley to say, in one way or another, that a family business thrives when family business members put business concerns ahead of family issues. But John Ward has other ideas. In order for a business to thrive, he believes,…