For the love of your business

Articles to LIFT Your Life and Business

How to Create a Bulletproof Independent Contractor Agreement

One of the most common issues facing small businesses is how to govern relationships with independent contractors (ICs). Which is not really surprising, since many small businesses use ICs to perform critical work functions like website development, marketing, bookkeeping and other important functions that keep your business functioning and growing. To protect your company’s future, […]

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The Best Time to Update Your Employee Handbook is Right Now

If business owners realized the role a good employee handbook can play in protecting their company from employee litigation, keeping it up to date would be a bigger priority. Alas, many employers neglect these documents until a glaring error decides a case in an employee’s favor. Historically, employee handbooks were used primarily to educate employees […]

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A Simple Way for Business Owners to Document Their Legal Agreements

Sometimes you just want to document your own agreements without consulting with a lawyer. Written agreements are binding documents that define the obligations of all parties involved in a specific project or for the sale of a good or service. Written agreements are necessary to provide a clear record of agreed upon terms. That way, […]

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When a Handshake Can Be the Kiss of Death for Your Company

Many business deals get done on the proverbial handshake — an email exchange, a discussion on the golf course — but those types of deals could be the kiss of death for your company if they go bad and there is little documentation to back up what you thought were the terms of the deal. […]

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Why Every New Business Needs a Lawyer & How to Find a Great One

Chances are if you are an entrepreneur, you have a little “issue” when it comes to controlling everything about your company — in other words, you find it hard to trust others when it comes to your “baby.” But unless you are an experienced business attorney, you probably don’t have the knowledge — and most […]

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The Audit That Will Change the Way You Run Your Business

Most people hear the word “audit” and hit the panic button, including business owners.  But there is an incredibly powerful tool called the LIFT Foundation Audit that can change the way you run your business for the better. The LIFT (Legal, Insurance, Financial, Tax) Foundation Audit is a process we walk through with our business […]

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Avoid These Top 10 Mistakes New Small Business Owners Make

A New York Times article lists the top rookie mistakes entrepreneurs often make when starting a business, and with our years of experience in helping entrepreneurs capitalize on new business opportunities, many of them ring true.  Here’s the list: Hiring a good friend or family member. When it comes to hiring staff for your new […]

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How to Tell if You Have What It Takes to Run a Business

If you are working for someone else, there has probably been a time or two you have wondered if you have what it takes to start your own business.  Not everyone is wired to be an entrepreneur, especially when it comes to taking risks to launch your own venture. There are pros and cons to […]

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How Employers Can Avoid Wrongful Termination Litigation

A recent Wall Street Journal survey on how small business owners are coping with the new healthcare law found that almost a third of those surveyed (29%) have been forced to make staff cuts. Unstable market conditions and economic pressures can force a business to dismiss or lay off employees, and employers should be aware […]

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How to Raise the Next Generation of Business Owners

If you own a small business, there is probably at least some part of you hoping to pass the reins on to one or more of your children.  After all, spending so much time and effort on something that’s not going to last doesn’t sit well with most entrepreneurs. It may be difficult to look […]

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What Employers Need to Know About Employee Privacy Laws

Because of increasing regulatory scrutiny of privacy laws, employers should take extra care in safeguarding personnel files and medical records as you would any other confidential company information. Employers should keep personnel files stored securely in a locked cabinet, and make them available only to managers or supervisors who have a legitimate business reason to […]

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