Content is king. If you’re business is involved with IT or digital media, you’ve undoubtedly heard this popular adage more than a few times. The phrase originally entered our lexicon when Bill Gates used it as the title of an essay he posted to the Microsoft website in 1996. In addition to the title, Gates […]
Read MoreQ: A customer is suing me in small-claims court for breach of contract. What should I do? -Court Questions A: Dear Questions: First and foremost, do not ignore this claim. Just because it’s small-claims court, does not mean that it’s not as “real” as regular court. What makes small-claims court different is that the court […]
Read MoreIf you haven’t yet heard about the legislative initiative sweeping across the country known as “Ban the Box,” you probably will soon. Indeed, if your company is located in one of the 33 states or more than 150 cities and counties that have adopted such laws, you risk legal penalties and lawsuits if you’re not […]
Read MoreWith the rise of the “gig economy” and so many people now working as independent contractors (ICs), as opposed to full-time employees, you should be well-familiar with the rules and requirements for the tax form known as a 1099. A 1099 is designed to document and track payments you make to ICs for services they […]
Read MoreWhen it comes to intellectual property (IP), you’re probably familiar with things like patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Yet, these are just terms describing how businesses can legally protect certain types of IP. Though such terms offer a general idea about what IP is, they don’t fully explain how it works. And whether you know it […]
Read MoreAs you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the most sweeping change to the U.S. Tax Code in more than 30 years. And while the legislation provides many of the biggest breaks to large corporations, it offers numerous benefits to smaller businesses as well. Due to the immense […]
Read MoreQ: What is brand safety, and how might it affect my company? -Risk Manager A: Dear Risk: Brand safety is a relatively new facet of marketing aimed at keeping your company’s reputation safe when advertising. It primarily involves controlling where your online ads are placed, so they don’t appear alongside content that’s offensive, fraudulent, or […]
Read MoreOne of the coolest parts of owning a business is getting to come up with its name. On the creative side, you’re choosing a name to represent and encapsulate the essence of your life’s work. On the practical side, you’re trying to come up with something that will most effectively grab the interest of potential […]
Read MoreIt’s estimated that one-in-three small businesses is sued or threatened with a lawsuit at some point in its life cycle. And even if you end up winning the suit, the price of defending yourself in court can be massively expensive in terms of lawyer fees and court costs. Seeing that you face potentially ruinous risks […]
Read MoreLast week, we discussed three potential scenarios in which poor estate planning can cripple your business. However, the damage described in those three hypotheticals pales in comparison to what recently happened in real life to the owner of one of Canada’s hottest new startups. Gerald Cotten launched the cryptocurrency exchange QuardigaCX a little more than […]
Read MoreWhen running a business, it’s easy to give estate planning less priority than other matters. After all, if you’re facing challenges meeting next month’s payroll or your growth path over the immediate term, concerns over your potential incapacity or death can seem far less pressing. But the reality is considering what would happen to your […]
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