HIRING THE RIGHT WAY CAN AVOID THE COST OF A BAD TERMINATION

by HLF Editor on July 26, 2010

By Robert S. Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, Ltd.
One of the worst predicaments for an employer is to face a lawsuit from a former employee alleging a wrongful termination.  Once an employee has found a lawyer willing to take his case, an employer will need to be prepared for a new budget item:  legal fees and settlement [...]

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HERE’S HOW YOU CAN MEASURE YOUR VALUE IN THE EYES OF YOUR CUSTOMERS…

by HLF Editor on July 26, 2010

By Kelli Hoskins, ActionCOACH MetroNorth
Every business owner wants to attract more customers, make more sales, generate more profit yet few business are maximizing their potential.  The simplest way to make money in business is to add value in the eyes of your customer  i.e. find out what problems your customers want solved, or what makes [...]

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TRADEMARKS – WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY WOULD I NEED ONE

July 26, 2010

By Michael S. Sherrill, Sherrill Law Offices, PLLC
A trademark is any word, design, scent, name, sound, or other thing that is capable of distinguishing one person’s or company’s goods from another’s, and indicating that such “branded” goods come from a single source – even if that source is unknown.  An example is the word Crest® [...]

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LEADERSHIP AWARENESS

July 26, 2010

By Robert Sicora, Sicora Consulting, Inc.
In the following article, Marshall Goldsmith speaks of leaders needing to have “a heightened understanding of one’s own behavior . . . having emotional intelligence” and “recognize that being aware of the impact that your behavior has on other people is a critical leadership skill.”
If increasing your own self-awareness and [...]

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AVOID COST-BASIS CONFUSION IN YOUR ESTATE PLAN

July 26, 2010

By Kevin Lanigan, Carlson Estate Planning
One of the lesser-known provisions in estate law that took place this year (along with the temporary repeal of the estate tax) could result in filing headaches along with increasing tax burdens for heirs.
That comes from a change in the rules governing the cost basis of inherited assets.  Basically, the [...]

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TECHNOLOGY AND EMPLOYEES

July 26, 2010

By Cecelia Keenan, Human Resource Consulting, LLC
No one will argue that technology has created efficiencies in both our business and personal lives.  Entire generations have now grown up relying on technology to communicate, for entertainment, managing their financial affairs, gathering and storing information, and finding work.  More and more people feel their iPhone, iPod, Blackberry’s, [...]

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LIMITED PARTNERSHIP GIFTING – A TWIST

July 26, 2010

By Roben D. Hunter, JD, CPA, CVA, CFFA, Hunter Advisors, PLLC
There are some recent cases regarding gifts of partnership interests that did not qualify for the gift tax annual exclusion or a charitable gift deduction where it seems fairly clear they should have been allowed. 
In the first case, the parents transferred limited partnership interests to [...]

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STATE OF THE ECONOMY

July 26, 2010

By Noel LaBine, Wright County Economic Development Partnership
Although the markets are upset about the sovereign bank debt crisis in Europe and there is a lower consumer confidence index, we should not ignore the good news that has come our way during this past month. For instance, reports from the State Department of Employment and Economic [...]

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OWN A BOAT? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROPER COVERAGE

July 26, 2010

By Gary Sorenson, CEA, CLCS, PLCS, President, Insurance Brokers of Minnesota
Summer is the time of year to enjoy your boat.  Many people, however, are unaware of the significant loss exposures associated with boat ownership, and some people mistakenly believe that there is coverage available under their personal auto policy (PAP).
Virtually all PAPs do not provide [...]

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When Does It Make Sense to Sell Stock to an Employee?

May 24, 2010

By Robert S. Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, Ltd.
Some of the most challenging and complex decisions a business owner can make involve when and how to sell a part of their business to an employee.  The decision to sell a portion of your business to an employee may be motivated by the desire to raise capital [...]

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Around the County

May 20, 2010

By Noel LaBine, Wright County Economic Development Partnership
More information about the positive business developments in Wright County includes the following: The 40,000 square foot former Plymouth Plumbing building in St. Michael has been purchased by U.S. Water Services. They are an engineering company that designs equipment for water treatment.  They expect to bring 50 to [...]

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Upcoming Tax Mess

May 20, 2010

By Kevin Lanigan, Carlson Estate Planning
What a mess Congress has created!  We are now in a year where there is no federal estate tax – but hold the cheers.  Congress has substituted another method of taxation that will collect more taxes from many of our clients and families than the estate tax.  Additionally, as has [...]

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Learning That Sticks

May 20, 2010

By Robert T. Sicora, Principal, Sicora Consulting, Inc.
Having managed learning and development budgets that have been as large as 22 million dollars, and as little as $0, I have learned the value of a well constructed learning intervention that has ‘stickiness’.
What is stickiness?  It is the ability for a learning intervention to have “legs,” that [...]

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A Primer on Patents

May 20, 2010

By Michael S. Sherrill, Sherrill Law Offices, PLLC
Most Americans are well aware of the existence of a patent system in the United States that “protects” inventions.  It is the nature of that “protection” that is widely misunderstood.  My intent, over the course of these articles, is to provide you with the information necessary to allow [...]

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Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

May 19, 2010

By Roben D. Hunter, JD, CPA, CVA, CFFA, Boeckermann, Grafstrom & Mayer, LLC 
If you are a small business employer that provides at least half of the insurance premiums for your employees, you may qualify for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit that will be available this year.  This article discusses who is eligible and [...]

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