Economic shifts can produce a constriction in the flow of venture capital and that is generally bad news for the technology and start-up arena. While innovation may continue, consumers may not benefit. Venture capitalists who invest in start-up companies on behalf of themselves, wealthy individuals and institutions, can become skittish about placing faith in start-ups. Instead,...

When customers see your company’s employees, they gather impressions about your business. That’s one reason to exercise some control over what staff members can wear to work and the grooming standards they must follow. Obviously, you want your staff to reflect competence and professionalism. According to the EEOC, a company can impose a dress code and...

Last year, more than 21 million viewers tuned into the NCAA men’s college basketball championship game, and the other March Madness games averaged 10.5 million viewers each. Will you be watching this year’s festivities? Unfortunately, many games are aired during regular work hours. Rather than adopt a hard-line stance against office pools and live streaming of...

The Employer Shared Responsibility for Employee Health Insurance Coverage affects large employers starting in 2015 due to the health care reform law commonly referred to as Obama Care. This provision was included as a disincentive for large employers considering dropping their current insurance plans once the insurance exchanges began operating as an alternative source of...

The federal self-employment (SE) tax just keeps going higher and higher. If you’ve reached the breaking point, there may be a way to tame the SE tax beast by converting your existing unincorporated small business into an S corporation. How to Evaluate the Option If you’re a self-employed individual — meaning a sole proprietor, partner or...

When you own stock in what is now a bankrupt company, one thing is for sure: It was a lousy investment. Unfortunately, that doesn’t automatically mean you can write off the cost of your shares for tax purposes. Here are the basic rules: You can claim a capital loss deduction when you sell shares for less than you...