TAB Silicon Valley News

Tips from the Top: Aug 2007

2007-08-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Seeing is Believing
I started a new business less than two years ago. One of my critical success factors was to grow sales as quickly as possible. I need to reach a level that will at least sustain the business. I decided to plot my monthly sales on a bar chart. I keep the chart next to my desktop computer, and I bring it to my monthly TAB board meetings. Seeing the results—some months are great and some months just OK—is a constant motivator that keeps me pushing for new customers and more revenues.

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Tips from the Top: Jul 2007

2007-07-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

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Tips from the Top: Jun 2007

2007-06-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

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Tips from the Top: May 2007

2007-05-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

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Tips from the Top: Apr 2007

2007-04-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

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Tips from the Top: Mar 2007

2007-03-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

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Tips from the Top: Feb 2007

2007-02-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

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Tips from the Top: Jan 2007

2007-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

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Data Security/Camera Cell Phone Policy

2006-06-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

By Kim Christie, TAB-Certified Facilitator, Winnipeg, MB

New technology creates new challenges. A large Canadian company with a customer database in the millions recently fired four people in one of their call centers. The employees were text-messaging private data from the screens, and one customer service rep was even using his phone to snap photos of customer profiles, account numbers, etc. Turning on your cell phone while accessing screens is now grounds for dismissal.

Is this issue covered in your HR policy? Just a reminder to always protect yourself and your company through non-disclosure and non-compete agreements.

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The Guide Dog Approach to Incentives

2006-05-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

By Greg De Bruin, Owner, A. James De Bruin and Sons, Bethpage, NY

My family has been training guide dogs for the blind for a few years now, and we are currently on our third dog. The training requirements are very specific; you cannot punish bad behavior, and you have about ten seconds to reward good behavior by giving a dog biscuit or a chew before the dog forgets what the reward is for.

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Choosing the Proper Business Entity

2006-05-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

By Hugh Saddington, Partner, Saddington Shusko LLP, Irvine, CA

Business owners should periodically review their choice of entity in light of ever-changing tax laws, assessment of the potential liabilities and the owner’s long range exit strategy.

Business owners can operate their business as a sole proprietorship, a general partnership (“Partnership”), a limited partnership (“Ltd”), a limited liability company (“LLC”), a C Corporation (“C”) or as an S Corporation (“S”).

Assets can normally be contributed to any of these entities tax-free. The distribution of assets from either a “C” or an “S”, if they have appreciated, will cause a taxable event. In the case of a “C”, the gain will be taxed twice—first at the corporate level and again at the shareholder level.

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