Anthony Margida: Forging good partnerships
Think back to your childhood for a moment. If you are like me, you probably disagreed with your siblings or parents. Sometimes our disagreements would digress to the point of, “But you said … ” in an effort to try to win an argument. Unfortunately, I rarely, if ever, won arguments with my parents because […]
On-the-job training: Sarah Forrer has to learn on the fly to keep up with Main Street Cupcakes’ growth
At eight months pregnant, long after Main Street Cupcakes had closed for the day, co-owner Sarah Forrer sat at a table with her sister discussing logistics. “All I wanted to do was go to bed and we were sitting there talking to a logistics company in Washington state,” she says. “And I remember we got […]
From the Field: Steven L Marks
We were in the final stages of finding out if a prospect was going to buy our product — a custom cookie for a midsize national chain. It was a very large account and one that would be very important to our growth. Several months had been spent wooing the prospect. A price was on […]
How defined contribution plans affect premiums for employers, employees
Increasing health insurance premiums have been keeping employers up at night knowing they could be facing renewal increases of 25 to 30 percent. Health insurance helps with attracting and retaining talent. But employers could be over-insuring employees by providing benefits that don’t get used, unnecessarily elevating their costs and increasing expenses paid by employees. There […]
Software add-ons give cloud-based phone systems added benefits
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems can simplify a company’s communications in a number of ways. Upgrading phones from a traditional system to VoIP can streamline call routing and increase efficiency, but it can also benefit customer service. “When you’re looking at the customer service experience and using your phone system to help you with […]
How optimal wealth and optimal health go hand in hand
There are two major problems that everybody faces — health problems and financial problems — and the two are often closely connected. Studies have found that when you build discipline in an area like exercising regularly it tends to carry over into other areas, such as saving habitually. It also costs more to be sick […]
Building Stronger Communities: The Burton D. Morgan Foundation
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation paves the way for a rejuvenated entrepreneurial culture in Northeast Ohio.
How to meet ADA accessibility requirements and avoid lawsuits
Meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements when your business opened is no guarantee you’re protected from future lawsuits and resulting penalties under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. The Unruh Act allows plaintiffs to collect penalties when they file complaints against businesses with accessibility violations. “There are lawyers whose sole practice is dedicated to bringing these […]
Examining financing for Northeast Ohio’s commercial real estate market
In the modern world of investment real estate lending, banks have to be more than just a place where investors and developers come for money — and this is especially true as more lending players enter the Northeast Ohio market. The banker works with a developer, taking time to understand their world in order to […]
Why employers today need a fiduciary liability policy for protection
A fiduciary liability policy protects the personal assets of a plan due to allegations of breach of fiduciary duties. Specifically, it protects plan sponsors and trustees from defense cost and penalties if they are sued for decisions they make for an employee benefit plan. “They may be sued by an individual who was a participant […]