After another brutal Maine winter, summer is finally here. Even though many small business owners may try to take some time off to enjoy the sun, it’s still important to remain diligent about business and personal tax planning. Here are some summer tax-planning tips to help out. Summer Tax Tip #1: Entertain Business Clients Small  Continue Reading »

Usually a professional appraiser will seek input from the current owners when he or she is valuing a business. They want to get the inside scoop on how the business works, and it is an important part of the appraisal process. Valuators need not only knowledge related to valuation principles, but also a thorough understanding  Continue Reading »

Failure to secure ownership of intellectual property is one of the most costly mistakes for any small business owner. It is also one of the most easily preventable. This is what company owners and executives should know: Under federal copyright law, the ownership of copyrights and inventions belongs to independent contractors and employees, unless there  Continue Reading »

Paying employees involves more than just issuing checks. Sometimes small business owners don’t realize how many specific records must be kept. For each employee there has to be records including details such as name, address, and Social Security number, but also information about pay rate, tips, payroll taxes, fringe benefits, and any other pertinent payment  Continue Reading »

Using the market approach, appraisers use comparable guideline companies to help reach an estimate of the value of a business. It has become a long-standing valuation touchstone. There are two primary valuation methods that fall under the market approach: Guideline public company method. With this method, appraisers select companies that actively trade stock or partnership  Continue Reading »

Perez v. Bruister, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148314 (Oct. 16, 2014) An appraiser of dubious background proved to be a linchpin in a complex ESOP case that centered on allegations from the Department of Labor and individual plaintiffs against the plan’s trustees for buying stock above its fair market value. In an undertaking full of  Continue Reading »

Small businesses may need a skilled valuation expert for several different reasons, but one of them is to calculate damages. A good valuator can discount future damages to present value, providing the ammunition businesses need to receive a just award. For illustration purposes, consider the following example. Say a company fires an employee for stealing  Continue Reading »

Many small businesses owners are aware that they should have, and regularly update, a strategic plan. They may not, however, realize that part of the process should involve having a succession or exit plan. The Anatomy of a Strategic Plan The best way to start working on a strategic plan is to skip to the  Continue Reading »

As a Maine-based small business owner, you know how important location is. Before choosing a location, you looked into things like foot and car traffic, as well as the occupancy rates of neighboring buildings. However, it is just as important to research the local zoning laws You wouldn’t want to find out after signing a  Continue Reading »

Much of the valuation community’s attention in the past few months has focused on New York fair value proceedings. Now the Utah Supreme Court adds more fodder to the discussion with a decision that rejects the lower court’s reliance on precedent that prohibits deductions for lack of marketability and tax liabilities. ‘Everything for sale’ strategy  Continue Reading »