Julie Nimmons: Five things to THINK about when crafting your communications
How many of you remember your mother telling you, “Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you”? I remember making this statement to my two daughters, for which I have since apologized. However well-intentioned this statement may have been, it is utterly false. Words do matter, and they can hurt. […]
Advisory boards — It’s good to get advice to fill your recognized and unrecognized gaps
Whether you are starting a business, already in business or within a corporation, an advisory board should be an active part of your professional interactions. This board, or circle of influencers, is a group of people with a level of expertise and insight you would not independently achieve, helping to guide your professional journey. When […]
Cheryl McMillan: Does your customer service help or frustrate your customers?
No matter how well you make your products or provide your services, one of your customers will eventually experience a problem. The way that you deal with these inevitable problems determines how your customers view your company, and ultimately, if they’ll buy from you again. Do you know how well your customer service processes are […]
Mark Bamforth’s M&A handbook contains a great piece of advice he used to grow Gallus BioPharmaceuticals
By Dennis Seeds | [email protected] Interview by Gregory Jones | [email protected] Mark Bamforth remembers arriving in the United States in 2000 from his native Scotland — and receiving some powerful advice from his new CEO. “I was working for the biotech company Genzyme — and the day I arrived he told me that Genzyme was […]
How startups and young companies can get funding
“Friends and family are still the largest source of capital for companies in the early stages of development, but the current funding market presents several additional options for young companies. Be open-minded and investigate numerous sources of capital,” says Thomas C. Armstrong, corporate attorney at Berliner Cohen and a FINRA registered investment banker. Smart Business […]
How to effectively tax plan for your next M&A deal
Tax planning is a key component of mergers and acquisitions for both buyers and sellers. It can impact the deal price and play a role in the post-transaction integration. Tax issues are probably more stressful for sellers, because if there are tax exposures they may need to make representations and warranties. It also can have […]
Terry Davis: A model for nonprofits doesn’t include financial stability
Our Lady of the Wayside is privileged to take care of children and adults with developmental disabilities. The only way our nonprofit can successfully support these 500 individuals is by taking care of business. Now, buckle up because this is where I step over the yellow safety line and put into print what could be […]
Cheryl Strom: Succession planning is not just for retirees, don’t put it off to the end
Entrepreneurs who have built growing, profitable businesses know how to overcome enormous obstacles. Along the way, they have accumulated deep knowledge of their end-markets and make decisions based on decades of experience. Nonetheless, I hear a common line when speaking with entrepreneurs about ownership changes for their long-term transition: “I’ve never done this before.” Even […]
Davis Young: Getting through in a negative environment will challenge all your communication skills
Can you name a single aspect of business that doesn’t require communication? Of course not. Whether that communication is internal, external or both, nothing happens that doesn’t demand effective communication. If you want to win, it needs to be done well. That just makes common sense. What isn’t logical, is the environment in which businesses […]
Mark Scott: Why being bold is so much better than just playing it safe
It’s a scary feeling when you see great opportunity for your business but have serious doubts about your ability to capitalize on it. That’s precisely the situation Jim Beck, CEO of Nature’s Best, found himself in more than a decade ago. The distributor of vitamins and health and beauty aids had an outdated warehousing system […]