As it’s the end of tax time and employees may be re-thinking about how much of a deduction they should be making, if their refund was much lower in years past, there are certain key aspects that employers need to be aware of before saying what they can and cannot do with that W-4 form, including themselves.

1.         Can I make the changes via telephone or e-mail?

So many business owners feel that in order to grow they need to get a business loan, whether it’s from a bank, family, friends, credit union, or drawing against their own personal financial assets.  Unfortunately so many people fail to see the work that goes into not only determining the value of the loan for what they’re trying to obtain, but also what is actually will mean for their business.

1.         What do you actually need the loan for?

Every business and membership-driven organization deals with this problem on a continuous basis.  Someone that they have worked with for a while takes longer and longer to get you paid.  They said that they’re waiting on their customers in paying them, and as soon as they get their money you’ll get yours.  How often has that happened to you?  More often than not I’m sure, and it has never been more prevalent than in 2012.  Yes the economy is getting better, but because you allowed it to happen to customers so often before, they just feel like it it’s still “okay” to

As taken from the song by Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, it’s interesting that in this day and age people still have a propensity to consider someone “innocent until proven guilty” on most all levels, especially in the work place.  However that’s not always the case for people who investigate fraud and corruption at all levels of business.  As a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), it’s come through a variety of resources that has helped me when assisting with the review of clients’ financials to make sure that not only everything is in order but also ab

With the economy improving over the past several months, a lot of business owners are trying to “make up for lost time” and they’re not realizing that as the old adage goes, slow and steady wins the race.  When times were tough and people were very careful about how and where to spend their money, it doesn’t mean that you need to change those habits in order to handle this new influx of customers wanting to spend money again.  Things have changed dramatically and people aren’t necessarily going to unlearn their spending habits that they developed but will likely hone in on their c

Do you dread getting up in the morning and wondering why you just don’t close up your business?

Do you stay in your office all of the time and not care to interact with your customers or employees?

Do people avoid you at all costs while you’re at work?

There are so many business coaches, how-to business books, reality business development shows, as well as tons of talk shows out there that keep saying the same thing – you can’t keep doing what you did 5 years ago.  Times change and so does how your business works.  Should you invest in rebranding (whatever that is)?  Should you consider hiring an outside sales consultant (do they have any background in your industry)?  Is a business coach really worth what they charge you to see the results you want (what are their standards to call themselves a business coach)?

I get this question asked on a regular basis, which is “How do I know I have the right person to handle my finances?”  Well, if you are the person handling your books, then you need to be pretty secure in your knowledge of basic accounting to make sure that your books are reflecting the accuracy and details required to successfully run your business.  It requires a lot more than just adding and subtracting, and you definitely don’t want the IRS having to teach you how to do those simple tasks though.

With the 2011 tax extension deadline looming, there are numerous people who realize that they will end up having to pay but they’re just not sure how they’re going to be able to pay them.  Yes if you had a great year on paper but the bank account just doesn’t reflect it, then you’re not alone.  There are options for you, and there are a number of opportunities for you to get that monkey off of your back and focusing back on keeping your business moving forward and growing.  Realize that nothing is hopeless and it’s just like having to work with a vendor.  The IRS wants y

Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki, Warren Buffet, Ross Perot, Sir Richard Branson.  Whether alive or dead, these guys have broken the mold on being wanted by everyone.  With Warren Buffet’s most recent lunch auction in 2012 going for $2.6 million dollars, all of which went to charity, it makes you wonder if any of the rest of us would consider ourselves worth that much.