04.24.14

The Virtual Office: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Sole practitioners already have widely adopted a virtual office model for cost and logistical advantages. In addition to reducing expenses and increasing convenience, a virtual or hybrid office may enable a law firm to expand into new geographic markets and simplify service offerings.

04.23.14

A Budding Valuation Consideration: Explore the World of Green Building Features
Tamara Partridge

With sustainability becoming more common in both residential and commercial real estate, appraisers are increasingly asked to weigh in on buildings with green features. While green valuations have not yet come fully into bloom, the seeds have clearly been planted for environment-related features to affect property value. This article discusses why green matters and lists factors that valuators can consider when appraising residential properties with green features.

04.16.14

Good as Gold: Four Tips for Retaining Volunteers
Sarah G. Widlock

Long-term volunteers can save a not-for-profit the time and money it would spend training new volunteers. They also become ambassadors and recruiters for the organization. And through their knowledge and experience, long-term, or “repeat,” volunteers add value to programs. To help not-for-profits keep this precious commodity on board, this article offers four tips for retaining them.

04.08.14

Merger Fever: Should Your Firm Get Hitched?

After a multiyear slowdown, merger activity among law firms picked up sharply in 2013. According to consulting firm Altman Weil, there were 58 merger announcements in the first nine months of 2013 — an increase of 40% over the same period in 2012.
If your firm has considered a merger in the past, now may be a good time to actively pursue a deal. However, it is important to recognize the risks inherent in such transactions and understand that merger deals generally take longer and are more complicated than you have likely anticipated.

04.01.14

How to Fix a SIMPLE Mistake
James Pellino

Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs offer small employers and their employees a simplified way to save for retirement. Generally, these plans allow employers and employees to contribute to traditional IRAs set up for employees. However, most plan sponsors will tell you that operating SIMPLE IRAs is not always simple. With the ever-changing retirement plan laws, mistakes can occur. This article describes the common mistakes and the steps plans can take to correct them.

03.26.14

In-House or Out Source?

There are many circumstances when it makes sense for a not-for-profit organization to engage the services of an outside contractor, especially smaller organizations that may not have sufficient internal resources or the need for full-time staffing in auxiliary departments such as marketing or accounting.

03.25.14

Choose the Beneficiary of Your Retirement Plan Carefully

This article describes the importance of understanding the tax effects of choosing a beneficiary to inherit an IRA, 401(k) plan or other retirement account. For non-Roth accounts, there are three factors to consider that can affect the beneficiary’s income tax liability. It is also important to consider the estate tax consequences of choosing a spouse versus someone else as a beneficiary.

03.20.14

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Promote a Restaurant

All kinds of businesses are using social media to promote their content and their brand online, and restaurants are no stranger to this approach. But what is the most effective way to go about restaurant promotion through social media networks? We’ve compiled 10 tactics to help you create an effective social media strategy for your restaurant.

03.19.14

How to Protect Your LLC Investments
Kadir P. Sunardio

Real estate owners and developers often form limited liability companies (LLCs) to hold title to property. One key reason for making the switch is that LLCs limit personal liability. While these entities do offer protection from personal liability for the debts and liabilities of the entity itself, some exceptions exist that could drain an owner’s or developer’s personal finances. This article discusses some of the ways that personal liability can exist and how it can be minimized.

03.18.14

Inventory: An Often-Overlooked Asset

Inventory – is it an asset or a liability with a host of hidden problems? True, it is an asset shown on the balance sheet, but what is inside that number? And, more important, how can an owner or CEO stay informed as to how that line item affects the company’s bottom line results?