For the love of your business

Articles to LIFT Your Life and Business

Hiring? Great! Here’s How to Get Started with Your First Employee

Up until now, you alone have been running your small business. Now you need help. The moment when a small business owner decides to hire his or her first employee is one of triumph. Conversely, knowing how to start the hiring process can be a moment of confusion. If you’re ready to hire your first […]

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Can a Married Employee Name a 401(k) Beneficiary Other than a Spouse?

It can be very difficult for you, as an employer to manage a 401(k) retirement plan for your employees properly. Federal law is replete with mandates, including when employee funds must be remitted and statements made available to employees. One area you may not have considered is how to handle a married employee’s 401(k). Federal […]

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How Do You Apply for Copyright Protection?

Some businesses rely on their ability to create and sell or otherwise leverage their original works. Obtaining a copyright for those works is not just important, it can actually make or break the business by allowing the owner to pursue copyright violations aggressively. Getting a copyright is not difficult. It just takes a little time […]

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Do We Really Have to Write It Down? Which Contracts Must Be in Writing?

Have you ever wondered which types of contracts must be in writing to make sure you get the benefit of your bargain? All of the U.S. states have some form of what is known as the “Statute of Frauds.” Under this law, or laws, some contracts must be in writing to be enforceable. The Statute […]

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Departing Employees and Trade Secrets: Minimizing the Risk

You’ve worked hard to build your business. You’ve developed products or services and the processes, policies, and strategies which drive them. So what do you do when a key employee tells you he/she will be leaving? How do you protect the business systems you’ve worked so hard to develop? Hopefully, you had your key employee […]

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Overcoming Small Business Challenges through Operational Strategies

As with so many things in life, some of the same qualities that help small businesses succeed, can also lead to their demise. Fortunately, much of that risk can be lessened through operational excellence. For example, the owners and managers of small businesses often know each other before they go into business together. Sometimes, they’re […]

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How Can I Stop a Competitor from Poaching My Good Employees?

Due to the use of online marketing, business competition is fiercer than ever. This hypercompetitive environment causes many business owners to wonder how they can stop the poaching of their good employees. First and foremost, this is best accomplished by treating your employees great, paying wages on the higher end of the scale and creating […]

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Do your family, friends or spouse see your business as a hobby and not a real deal business venture?

If you are relatively new in business, you may find that one of your biggest challenges is facing the reality that the people in your life aren’t taking your entrepreneurial endeavors seriously. This can show up in a variety of ways which undermine your success, including: Interrupting you when you’re trying to focus on your […]

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Employee Handbook Guidance from the National Labor Relations Board

As union membership continues to fall nationwide, the NLRB seems to be more closely monitoring company employment practices and policies. The Board is on the lookout for policies that could deter non-union employees from engaging in activities protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. What is Section 7? Section 7 protects employee […]

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Five Steps You Can Take Now to Be Ready for Litigation

In our world of electronic communication, your business needs to be prepared to handle a major risk of litigation in which you could be responsible to produce records, reports and data from your computer network and systems.  Electronic discovery could cost your business tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, if you are sued. […]

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Asset Protection for the Small Business Owner

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, small businesses create almost two of every three jobs in the U.S. every year, and half of working Americans are either owners or employees of a small business. The SBA advises entrepreneurs to seek counsel while in the initial phases of getting a business off the ground. As […]

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