At the end of June, the U.S. Supreme Court adjourned for its summer recess. Here are five recent cases from its 2016 term that may be of interest to business owners and managers. Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton(S. Ct. No. 16-74, June 5, 2017) Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), employees...

At many companies, the mindset of managers stifles innovation and inhibits profitability. Some of the best money making ideas come from people who work on the front lines. Yet, employees often hear the same negative responses when they try to share them. Does your management team react to suggestions with these phrases? Don’t be ridiculous. We’re...

As you already know, public relations professionals can help your company get publicity about the products or services you provide. But a good public relations program can also help your company avoid litigation. Here are four ways that first-rate PR can provide protection: PR can help manage media relations during a crisis situation. Let’s say your company...

If your company routinely extends credit, you’re in the business of lending. That means you need to become an expert at judging credit relationships before shipping the goods or performing the services. Bankers have a saying: “We never made a bad loan.” What they mean is that every loan is good — until the first payment is due....

It’s a delicate balance, but employers must verify that prospective hires are legally able to work in the U.S. and they can’t discriminate based on national origin. Steep penalties come with failure to comply. For example, fines for recordkeeping violations run from $110 to $1,100 each. Fines for knowingly employing an unauthorized alien range from $375...

Here’s a simple way to check and see if your company is fulfilling its promises. Print out the following questionnaire and ask all employees, except your sales staff, to fill it out. When completed, analyze the results and — if needed — implement a plan to revise your sales process. For more information about improving your company’s process,...