BUSINESS

WHY YOU NEED AN FMLA REVIEW The Family Medical Leave Act has been in effect for employers with 50 or more employees for decades. While the number of obvious cases of interference has declined, the number of claims investigated by the Department of Labor over employers who get “too cute” with the Act, now make up the lion’s share of their investigations. Investigations, of course, can land you in court. Instances in which companies were found to have skirted the Act include: • Drafting and utilizing an FMLA policy which does not comport with the Act and utilizing that policy… Read More »WHY YOU NEED A FMLA REVIEW

DO YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE INSURANCE? Needless to say, when you contemplate starting up and running a business, you need to undertake business considerations. More to the point, what sort of coverage considerations do you need to make to prepare for a catastrophe to you business? My friend and colleague Arlen Stutzman at Arlene.stutzman@amfam.com provides some needed food for thought in protecting your business assets: When is the last time you have reviewed your business insurance policies? Unfortunately, for many business owners it has been awhile. This is something that should be done annually with your insurance agent to verify your… Read More »DO YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE INSURANCE?

     My friend, Jerry Hill of Biz Tech has some common sense recommendations for you regarding our collective worst nightmare-computer disasters: ~ Imagine your answer to this question: “could your business continue to operate if all of your electronic documents and data were permanently lost?”  For many businesses, the answer is “definitely not”, but surprisingly, many businesses are not adequately prepared for a disaster. When asked to consider a disaster, you may think: “fire” or “tornado”. While these threats are obvious, the likelihood of your business being affected by a fire or tornado is relatively low compared to other threats… Read More »ARE YOU PREPARED FOR TECHNOLOGY DISASTERS

Like many of you, I am an old-school businessperson. I was taught to pay my debts. I did not respect, and neither did you, the efforts of those who sought to dodge their obligations to us. However, in this unique and unsettling economic climate, bankruptcy is becoming a tool of economic necessity, not just for the family that ran up credit card debt or bought a home they could not afford, but for the otherwise honest businessperson who finds himself squeezed and surrounded by creditors because his clientele cannot or are not paying him. The small to mid-sized business, frequently… Read More »PLAN B: PRE-BANKRUPTCY PLANNING