Americans are hungry to start businesses, and they have more tools at their disposal than ever to tap into the United States’ free enterprise system. But starting a small business requires more than dreaming big.…
What You Need to Know about DBAs
Initial impressions matter in business. The first thing a customer often encounters when interacting with your company is its name. What you publicly call your business can differ from the name used in the organizational…
Pay Transparency Laws
Only a small number of jurisdictions have laws requiring employers to provide information about employee compensation in job postings, but pay transparency is becoming a best practice in corporate America. There is a growing movement…
Should You Protect Your Business with a Nondisclosure Agreement?
Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a new business or are running a well-established business, your success often depends on safeguarding innovative ideas and information that give you an edge over competing businesses. If you…
Intellectual Property Basics for Businesses
Intellectual property (IP) is the driving force behind many of the world’s most innovative and successful businesses. IP rights—including patents, copyrights, and trademarks—protect intangible assets and help companies and individuals profit from the fruits of…
Tax Deductions for Home-Based Businesses
The rise of home-based businesses represents a fundamental shift in the way Americans work. Home businesses offer their owners a convenient and flexible way to earn income without commuting to a traditional office. They may…
How Businesses Can Plan for Sunsetting TCJA Provisions
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 made several significant changes to the tax code that affect small businesses and business owners. It introduced the qualified business interest deduction, added a bonus depreciation…
Does My Company Need a Shareholder Agreement?
A shareholder agreement is a contract between the shareholders of a corporation that outlines the rights and responsibilities of each shareholder as well as the obligations of the shareholders to one another and the corporation.…
Selling Your Business to an Outsider
You have spent years building your business, but at some point, the time will come for you to sell the company and exit. While many business owners choose to keep the company in the family,…
How to Protect Your Business from a Data Breach
The risk of suffering a data breach has never been higher. Small businesses are three times more likely than larger businesses to be targeted by cybercriminals.[1] The costs of a cyberattack, both in terms of…