How many times have you, or your salespeople, responded to a customer request by saying, “We don’t carry that item?” or, “I’m sorry, but that’s not part of our service package?” The number is critical, and if you don’t know it, then you’re losing profit potential. Sure, you might have stocked an extra item or two...

As the weather and economy continue to warm up, employers around the country may be looking to hire more workers, including some already employed at high-paying jobs. If you go to work for a new firm — or your current employer transfers you to a different branch — you may be able to deduct certain moving...

When unused flexible spending account (FSA) balances are forfeited back to employers under the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule, employers have several options for what they can do with the money. Here is what employers need to know after first covering some necessary background information. Flexible Spending Account Basics Under an employer-sponsored flexible spending account (FSA) plan, employees can...

If your business finds that it must lay off a large number of employees, make sure you are in compliance with a federal law that requires some employers to provide advance notification. This little-known law is called the Federal Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act (WARN). Under the law, employers who are covered must give 60...

Smart company owners and executives obtain business interruption insurance — and possibly contingent business income coverage if the operation relies heavily on outsourcing or a particular supplier. The idea is that the policy will compensate the company for lost earnings if a devastating event forces it to temporarily close down. But the calculations and coverage of...

The Baby Boomer generation — a population “boom” of nearly 80 million people born from 1946 to 1964 — has been affecting consumer market trends for decades. Now they’re ushering in a new wave of trends as they transition to the next stage of their lives as retirees, grandparents and mentors. But as consumers, their attitudes...