Articles & Videos
Business Plan
Business Plan A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm’s resume. The basic components include a current and pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow analysis. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific…
Choosing a Legal Form for Your Business
Choosing a Legal Form for Your Business In starting a small business, one of the first questions you should ask is what form of legal entity you should use or “How should I organize my business?” Also, as your business grows and changes, you should from time to time ask yourself whether the entity you…
Drafting a Partnership Agreement
Drafting a Partnership Agreement If you decide to organize your business as a partnership, be sure you draft a partnership agreement that details how business decisions are made, how disputes are resolved, and how to handle a buyout. You’ll be glad you have this agreement if for some reason you run into difficulties with one…
How to Bring in a New Partner
How to Bring in a New Partner By Matt Dickstein, Business Attorney In this article, I will give you a quick overview of how do you buy into a company to bring in a new shareholder or partner to help with your business. If you are on the other side of the table as…
The Pros & Cons of S-Corporation Status
The Pros & Cons of S-Corporation Status If the number of shareholders in your corporation is small, you may think that becoming an S-Corporation is the right move, but you should weigh the advantages and disadvantages first. Advantages of S-Corporation Status One of the main advantages of S-Corporation status is that it avoids the double…
What is Sole Proprietorship?
What is Sole Proprietorship? A sole-proprietorship is a business that is owned by one person or by a husband and wife. Unless the business is formed as a corporation or a limited liability company, it will be a sole-proprietorship by default. One of the biggest advantages of operating a business as a sole-proprietorship is that…
Conducting Your Business as a Corporation
Conducting Your Business as a Corporation The limited personal liability of a corporation isn’t ironclad. In the event the business ends up owing more money to a creditor than it has the ability to pay, the creditor will then look to the business owner. Under a legal theory known as “piercing the corporate veil,” if…
Budgeting For Your Business
Budgeting For Your Business “Your business opportunities improve with the use of a budget, a powerful tool which assists you in achieving your financial goals.” Introduction: A well-designed budget helps you: Predict income and expenses Control cash flow Communicate financial goals As an entrepreneur, you may not have the time or financial expertise to establish…
Deducting Start-Up Expenses: An Open Or Shut Case
Deducting Start-Up Expenses Starting a business typically takes more than a little know-how. More often than not, it requires cold, hard cash. However, there is some good news — you may qualify for a little help from Uncle Sam in the form of a tax deduction for some of your start- up costs. The costs,…
Putting Kids to the Test
Putting Kids to the Test by Elizabeth Bowden-David This past week, my father-in-law called up my husband to give him an earnest admonition. Referring to Cicero, he said: “Understand that is it your duty to give your children a better education than you had.” I’m not sure what prompted him to remind us of this…
Survive the Recession by Starting Your Own Business
Survive the Recession by Starting Your Own Business Are you an entrepreneur at heart? Many Americans idolize the American Dream; the “get rich quick” mentality. But, how many make it happen? Starting a business requires hard work, and even then it is not guaranteed that it will succeed. In fact, in the US, only 51%…
Economic Tip: Re-energize Your Business Mission and Vision Statements
Economic Tip: Re-energize Your Business Mission and Vision Statements By: Don Midgett Survival! Many businesses are looking for answers to deal successfully in the current economic climate. All the planning, capital, marketing and organizational decisions seem outside the realm of what was “business as normal.” Do not panic. Resist the urge for a complete overhaul.…
Internet Home Based Business – Is it For You?
Internet Home Based Business – Is it For You? Author: Ron Seawood Source: articlebase.com 4/29/10 Today their are literally thousands of internet home-based business opportunities fighting for the attention of prospects looking to start their own home business. There are also millions of people who start internet home businesses but only 3% are actually successful.…
Dissolving California Entities That Have Ceased Doing Business – The Ralite Lamp Corporation Case
Dissolving California Entities That Have Ceased Doing Business – The Ralite Lamp Corporation Case Entities have one year from the date their final return is filed to formally dissolve LLC California with the Secretary of State. The FTB no longer assesses the $800 minimum franchise tax, or the $800 annual tax, for the year after…
How to Ride Out a Recession
How to Ride Out a Recession By Clare Flynn The natural instincts of most businesses, is to pull in their horns when a recession looms. Just as we consumers are now abandoning the high street and reveling in frugality, so many businesses lean towards cutting costs and hunkering down. This is a big mistake. Great…
How to Report 1099 Income
How to Report 1099 Income With the increase in bloggers, affiliate marketers, eBay sellers and other online business owners, the topic of reporting miscellaneous income and 1099 forms has been coming up a lot lately. While most people are aware they must report wages, salaries, interest, dividends, tips and commissions as income on their tax…
Got An Earn-Out?
Got An Earn-Out? In Mergers & Acquisitions, Earn-Outs Can Be Beneficial — But Also Come With Risk By Kathryn K. Meier, Esq. Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc. What is an earn-out? An earn-out is an arrangement that requires the buyer of a business to pay the seller additional consideration if the business performs as…
Businesses May Increase Employee Compensation in Lieu of Reimbursing for Work-Related Expenses
Businesses May Increase Employee Compensation in Lieu of Reimbursing for Work-Related Expenses By Kathryn K. Meier, Esq. Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc. The California Supreme Court recently tested the boundaries of Labor Code section 2802, ruling that employers may increase employee compensation by a fixed amount instead of reimbursing employees for work-related expenses. California…
Buying a Distressed Business: Ten Tips for Entrepreneurs
Buying a Distressed Business: Ten Tips for Entrepreneurs By Scott Edward Walker Strategic Law Partners, LLP Now that the “easy-credit” party has presumably ended, there will likely be extraordinary opportunities for entrepreneurs to buy distressed (i.e., financially-troubled) businesses at bargain prices. Buying a distressed business, however, is tricky stuff and raises a host of significant…
How to Successfully Sell Your Company
How to Successfully Sell Your Company Tips for Privately-Held Business Owners By Jason Pfannenstiel Be clear about your motivation for selling. Reason for the sale is among the first questions buyers will ask. Your personal and professional reasons should be more than simply wanting to cash out for a certain magical dollar value. Before you…