Categories for business planning

Making Happy Employees

by | July 7, 2010

Many studies show employers the value of “happy employees” to a business’ productivity and success.  An obvious question arising from these studies is:  “What makes for a “happy employee?”   The studies address this to varying degrees; but to me, a particular employee’s happiness in his or her work depends on many factors such as age,... View Article

Intellectual Property and the Financials

by | June 29, 2010

Our guest blog post comes from Dennis Purvine of CFO Selections.  Dennis is a CPA and CFO and has worked with companies in all stages of development. ——————————— Intellectual Property (I.P.) can be protected by patent, copyright, trademark, etc.  Companies that create, or purchase, intellectual property presumably create value for their business. (More on this... View Article

Speaking from Experience — Patents

by | June 23, 2010

Our guest blog post comes from Dana Fuhrman , COO of TRG Floors.  She speaks from experience about the importance of understanding your patent options and staying on top of the process. ———————– To Patent Or Not to Patent. Domestic only or International.  The first one should be an easy decision, right? We’re so excited... View Article

Tips from the Trenches: Managing Family Business Relationships

by | May 25, 2010

Our guest blog post comes from Kris Gray of Integrity Financial Corporation.  Kris speaks about family businesses from two perspectives:  as a service provider to family business owners and as a business owner whose partner is his mother, Julie.  —————————————————— Michelle asked me to write a short blog about the strong working relationship among my... View Article

Groundrules and Communication are Key to Success in Family Business

by | May 18, 2010

Our guest blog post comes from Steve Brilling, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Center and Family Business Roundtable at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics.  ———————- It all comes down to communication—clear, concise, honest communication, with a dash of compassion thrown in. Whether it is in a legal document or simply a written... View Article

Experience: Improving Family Business Communications

by | May 13, 2010

Experience is the best learning tool.  Our guest blog post comes from Bill Altland, a family business owner of Whale Tail Pharmacy in Craig, Alaska. ———————— The word that comes to my mind relating to communication issues in family businesses is the word “insidious”. It can be difficult to separate the business issues from family issues... View Article

Does Your Family Business Suffer from the “Elephant in the Room Syndrome?

by | May 11, 2010

Our guest blogger this month is Lauren Owen, family business consultant and founder of Lauren Owen LLC.  She will be co-presenting our seminar “Managing Family Business Relationships” on May 19.  Learn more. ——————————— The dynamics of a family business can sometimes cause what we call the “elephant in the room syndrome: unspoken topics that no... View Article

There’s No Business Like A Family Business

by | May 4, 2010

Businesses are developed and grown through their relationships with people – people as owners, managers, customers, and vendors.  These people relationships, though critical for success, also create substantial risk for the business because people are emotional and often unpredictable.  Most businesses protect against this risk through contracts.  Why do they work?  Contracts allow a company... View Article

Business Continuity is Essential

by | April 21, 2010

Our guest blog post this week is from Pete DiSantis of Peter DiSantis Consulting Associates.  Pete will also be our guest presenter at the April Equinox Focus Event “Beating Your Competition through Contingency Planning.”  ———————– You lock your house, your office, your car.  You buy insurance for your house, your office, your car… even your... View Article