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Are you eager to be your own boss one day and have a business of your own? Do you have a brilliant idea and a healthy dose of passion, self-confidence, and grit?  If you answered yes to either of those questions, you are well on your way to starting your own business. But, before you dive head f...

Along with personal liability protection, record-keeping requirements, and how you plan to finance your operation, one of the main factors to consider when choosing an entity structure for your business is deciding how you want your company to pay taxes. Your choice of entity will not only determ...

Along with personal liability protection, record-keeping requirements, and how you plan to finance your operation, one of the main factors to consider when choosing an entity structure for your business is deciding how you want your company taxed. Your choice of entity will not only determine the...

Whether you are starting your very first company or you are an established business owner looking to develop a new income stream, creating a side hustle can be the ideal way to get a new business venture started. By developing your business as a part-time side gig, you can greatly reduce the pers...

You've most likely dedicated significant time and energy to creating a vision for your business, executing that vision, and even writing up a detailed business plan for the growth of your business. Yet far fewer business owners put the same effort into planning for their company's continued succe...

Getting your business off the ground can be challenging in many ways. But perhaps the most challenging aspect of launching a startup involves funding your business in the early stages. Getting the cash flowing and keeping it flowing is the lifeblood of your operation. Without cash flow, you can'...

Agreements are the heart of your business. Indeed, your entire business is one vast series of agreements: agreements with investors and lenders, clients and vendors, employees and contractors, as well as partners and customers. Yet, despite the critical role they play in a company's success, far ...

As you've surely heard by now, we're in the midst of great economic shifts. The collapse of the crypto market, the roller coaster that is the stock market, rising interest rates, dropping home values, and inflation through the roof—it's enough to make you sick. And it can make you sick, unless yo...

Agreements are the heart of your business. Indeed, your entire business is one vast series of agreements: agreements with investors and lenders, clients and vendors, employees and contractors, as well as partners and customers. Yet, despite the critical role they play in a company's success, far ...

One of our primary goals is to educate you on the vital importance of not only preparing an estate plan, but also keeping your plan up-to-date. While you almost surely understand the importance of creating an estate plan, you may not know that keeping your plan current is every bit as important a...

As you are thinking of starting your own business, you'll need to get clear on a number of issues to ensure both you and your operation are properly positioned for success. Oftentimes, aspiring entrepreneurs jump headfirst into business ownership, with false expectations of what it takes to run a...

With the cost of a funeral averaging between $7,000 and $12,000 and steadily increasing each year, at the very least your estate plan should include enough money to cover this final expense. And if you are thinking of simply setting aside money in your will to cover your funeral expenses, you sho...

Taxes are a thorn in just about every business owner's side. Indeed, taxes are your single biggest business expense. That said, it's fairly easy to reduce the amount of sting taxes cause—but you have to be proactive. And we're not talking about doing anything illegal. Evading paying taxes is a r...

People often come to us curious — or confused — about the role trusts play in saving on taxes. Given how frequently this issue comes up, here we're going to explain the tax implications associated with different types of trusts in order to clarify this issue. Of course, if you need further clarif...

When you first realize that your biggest personal and business expense—bar none—is taxes, it can come as quite a shock. Seeing so much of your hard-earned money wind up in the government's hands can feel like a shakedown. That said, focusing a relatively small amount of time and effort into strat...

You might think that only the super wealthy need to worry about asset protection planning. But the truth is that if you don't have millions, you may be at even greater risk. For instance, if you are a multi-millionaire, a $50,000 judgment against you might not be that big of a deal. But for a fam...

Many business owners structure their business as a limited liability company (LLC) because like corporations, LLCs offer personal liability protection for their owners. But unlike corporations, LLCs are not required to adhere to many of the same burdensome corporate formalities required of corpor...

If you must work in order to earn your income, you need to have disability insurance. That said, purchasing such insurance is a “buyer beware” situation. This is because when it comes to most disability insurance policies, you must be aware of the numerous pitfalls that come with acquiring covera...

Running a business is a huge responsibility, so putting a lot of thought and effort into your legal agreements is likely pretty low on your list of priorities. But giving short shrift to your agreements can cost you big time—and in more ways than one. In order to save time and money, you may be ...

Last week, in part one, we looked at the different things having a will in place allows you to do. Here, in part two, we detail all of the things that your will does not do, along with identifying the specific estate planning tools and strategies that you should have in place to make up for the p...

Setting up the right legal structure for your business may seem like a boring detail that you don't need to spend much time on. But, in reality, selecting the right entity for your company is one of the most critical decisions you can make as a business owner. That said, there are all sorts of m...

If you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process. In fact, only 33% of Americans have created their will, according to Caring.com's 2022 Wills and Estate Planning Study.  Yet, while having a will is important—...

While you may think of your team as family and believe that they would never sue you, lawsuits filed by employees are actually one of the most common causes of litigation for small businesses. In fact, nearly one in every five small businesses will get sued by an employee at some point. Of all ...

Following the death of a loved one, close family members are sometimes surprised to learn that they didn't receive the inheritance they were expecting, and that the deceased instead left most of their estate to an individual they only recently met, who wasn't even a relative. While it's not alway...

Putting in place the right types and amounts of business insurance is a key part of your company's LIFT risk-mitigation and asset-protection foundation. However, like other foundational business systems, if your business insurance isn't regularly reviewed and updated as your operation grows, your...