— Wed, January 04, 2012
Since Bankers Advocate has Virtual Offices with teams members in Orlando, South Florida and the Philippines (Jessie and Rachael are our wonderful Virtual Assistance), we thought you would be interested in the tools we use to be in the “Cloud” … Continue reading →
— Thu, November 10, 2011
“I am such a big Vistage fan for my clients, I want those in Miami to know about my good friend Les’ new group” Chris Now Miami area small businesses have access to the advantages of Vistage Membership Veteran Vistage … Continue reading →
— Thu, October 13, 2011
Matt Schaeffer, CPA, CVA, CFF, is a local partner with accounting firm Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI), the nation’s 34th largest. Contact him at mschaeffer@cricpa.com or 727-324-1223. 4 Practical Succession Planning Tips A successful company should have a future, and … Continue reading →
— Mon, August 29, 2011
Here is a funny, irreverent but to the point blog on BEING PREPARED! by my friends at 7th Element. We recently set up a meeting between a company and one of our clients to see if the company might be … Continue reading →
— Wed, June 08, 2011
Improve your chances of Exiting Business Ownership by utilizing operation manuals Continue reading →
— Mon, April 04, 2011
If you use LinkedIn, you are looking to make connections. Not only do you want to find people, you want others to find you. Once you’ve been noticed, what will compel someone to connect with you? To maximize your chances … Continue reading →
— Fri, March 04, 2011
Your social media profile may be more valuable than you think. A well-developed profile can either make or break your brand’s online growth. Profile content that intrigues gains attention. It is the first crucial step to engaging your audience. Whether … Continue reading →
— Tue, February 01, 2011
Yes, social media is a platform that provides free marketing. Is that a reason to make its sole use self-promotion? Not if you want your venture into the digital realm to be successful. Continue reading →
— Thu, January 20, 2011
The following steps will help you establish an effective presence in the social media world. Continue reading →
— Tue, November 16, 2010
With less than 60 days left until the end of the year, business owners are likely starting the process of evaluating the results of 2010 and formulating resolutions for 2011. We suggest using this opportunity to hold an “Annual Business … Continue reading →
— Thu, August 26, 2010
As the in-house AVA and leader of the Central Florida Office for Bankers Advocate, business owners often ask me how to predict the right time to sell. I know from recent conversations, that many owners feel they missed their chance … Continue reading →
— Tue, July 06, 2010
“The B2B CFO people do good work. Here is an article from one of their consultants, Frank Gnisci.” Chris Although every business wants to grow, some types of growth are certainly better than others. Consider the following 2 options: 1: … Continue reading →
— Wed, May 12, 2010
“I enjoy Doreen’s work and writings. Here is an article from her. CC” For firms to compete today, they must change to meet the demands of the business environment. In fact, change can be used to create a competitive strategy … Continue reading →
— Mon, December 28, 2009
In my talks with business owners and their advisors throughout 2009 and early 2010, I see one common theme – Survive. Business Owners who back in 2007 planned to fund their retirement by selling their business in 2009 were hit … Continue reading →
— Mon, November 09, 2009
“I enjoy Tom’s newsletter and this article on being humble and making time to learn hits home” , Chris By Tom Reilly, the guy who wrote the book on Value-Added Selling Former St. Louis Cardinal, Mark McGwire, is returning to … Continue reading →
— Tue, November 03, 2009
In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to plan ahead. That is why it gives me great pleasure to invite you and your clients to a seminar on Planning Your Exit from Business Ownership. This seminar … Continue reading →
— Mon, September 28, 2009
(This is a great article by the legal editor of www.nolo.com, Chris) The economic stimulus package (Recovery and Reinvestment Act) includes tax, loan, and investment provisions for businesses. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (commonly called the “stimulus … Continue reading →
— Fri, August 28, 2009
I was taking a prospective buyer on a client tour recently. The principal of the buyer’s group is a serial entrepreneur who has started or bought numerous companies and taken each to the next level. We were talking about sales … Continue reading →
— Tue, June 09, 2009
“My friend Norman Katz contributed this great article” Chris Improvements in information technology and business processes can make an important difference in not just the perceived value of a business, but the actual value too. Technology improvements that are visible … Continue reading →
— Mon, April 27, 2009
“I enjoy Dave’s newsletter and this caught my eye” Chris A group of prospects were meeting with a sales representative at a Colorado steakhouse, and all were complaining that their steaks were overcooked. When the waiter came and asked whether … Continue reading →
— Thu, April 16, 2009
I was talking to a friend at a Private Equity Group today who found out that a company they own a portion of is behind on federal withholding taxes. He does not know how big the problem is, but he … Continue reading →
— Mon, March 16, 2009
“Tom had this insightful article that I wanted to share, Chris” It is not a nice thing to think about but employee theft is rampant in small to mid-sized businesses. It never ceases to astound people that a trusted employee … Continue reading →
— Thu, January 22, 2009
This article http://www.e-myth.com/cs/user/print/post/delegation-vs-abdication does a a wonderful job fleshing out my last post on on The Cult of Personality No-No. Letting go of your ego and taking the time to build great systems and procedures is the only way to build … Continue reading →
— Tue, December 02, 2008
Many entrepreneurs are do-it-all, take charge types who cannot delegate any business duties. Their argument is that no one can do it better than them. The problem with this scenario is that the owner has created themselves a job, not … Continue reading →
— Fri, November 14, 2008
In this tough business environment, it is tempting to cut prices to pick up or hold onto sales. However, margin erosion has to be monitored carefully. See the following chart: As you can see, small changes in … Continue reading →
— Mon, October 20, 2008
Note: “I found today’s press release from the SBA very interesting.” Chris WASHINGTON – In response to the financial crisis, the U.S. Small Business Administration today announced it is strongly encouraging its participating 7(a) lenders and Certified Development companies to work with … Continue reading →
— Thu, October 09, 2008
“Note: Since this was written, the prime has dropped to 4% and furthur rate cuts are possible.-Chris” One item not receiving a great deal of attention through the financial crisis is the fed’s action causing the prime interest rate to … Continue reading →
— Tue, September 30, 2008
Business Renewal Series: Survive Hard Times, Navigate the Economy and Control Your Own Destiny… The Stetson University Family Enterprise Center in partnership with The Turnaround Management Association presents a unique group of seminars, The Business Renewal Series. http://www.turnaround.org/Events/Calendar.aspx?objectID=9647 Survive Hard … Continue reading →
— Tue, September 09, 2008
Topic: “Planning Your Exit from Business Ownership” Presenters: Frank Mock, Lowndes, Drosdick & Chris Curtin, Bankers Advocate Sponsor: The Law firm of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. Location: Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A., Orlando Date: December … Continue reading →
— Wed, June 25, 2008
We are getting more calls from potential Exiting clients wanting to sell part of their business; two stores, one clinic, a manufacturing plant, etc. A big road block to this is that many times the books and records are not setup to … Continue reading →
— Tue, June 24, 2008
This was recently posted on the IRS website. Of course every little bit helps, Chris. IR-2008-82, June 23, 2008 WASHINGTON The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the final six months of … Continue reading →
— Sun, June 15, 2008
Later this week on June 19th in Ft Myers and June 20th in Ft Lauderdale, I am participating in two Planning Your Exit from Business Ownership Seminars. BB&T, Ruden McClosky and Richard Hall CPA are my gracious sponsors. Whether you want to Exit … Continue reading →
— Sun, June 08, 2008
Establishing a plan for sales to the government may be the business opportunity a company needs to turn around lagging sales or expand the scope of its marketing footprint. In the most recent Journal for Corporate Renewal (The official magazine … Continue reading →
— Sat, May 31, 2008
Like me, you probably serve on a few non-profit boards. Giving of yourself can be very rewarding, but sometimes frustrating in the non-profit arena. A key difference between your business and the non-profit is that when you serve a client, … Continue reading →
— Thu, May 01, 2008
In these tougher economic times, collection of your AR needs monitored more closely. The credit worthiness of your clients has probably degraded and their ability to pay you may be at risk. There is only one thing worse than no … Continue reading →
— Wed, April 30, 2008
I received this email today from www.TomReillyTraining.com and in this market it is easy to fall into the “sell by price” trap (which is not selling, your just an order taker). It also got me to thinking of one of my … Continue reading →
— Tue, April 29, 2008
Here are seven more reasons that your business did not sell or sold at a steep discount: 6. Bad Location or Lease: A great franchise in lousy location makes for a failing business. Also, too high a rent as a percentage … Continue reading →
— Fri, April 25, 2008
If you have tried to sell your business on your own or it was listed with a broker for over a year and the contract lapsed and you have given up in frustration, let us talk about what might be the problem. … Continue reading →
— Tue, April 22, 2008
The majority of the time Bankers Advocate employs a certified business appraisal, it is for use when our Client is Entering or Exiting Business Ownership. However, recently we were asked for a certified business appraisal, where the shareholders were not happy with … Continue reading →
— Wed, April 16, 2008
Fraud is rampant in business today. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, U.S. organizations lose 5 percent of their annual revenues to fraud — about $652 billion a year. The median loss is $159,000, but one-fourth of the … Continue reading →
— Mon, April 14, 2008
Provable & Timely Books & Records Reasonable Price backed up by an Appraisal Satisfactory Borrowing Leverage & Terms Sufficient Free Cash Flow FF&E (Current FMV, Not Overstated) Good Appearance & Lack of Environmental Issues A Scalable Platform that can be … Continue reading →
— Mon, April 14, 2008
You have built a great business. You control your labor & material costs, AR turn, cash flow, etc. Your not even afraid to “fire” a client occasionally if they don’t meet your standards. Now that you are ready to exit from … Continue reading →
— Fri, April 11, 2008
Great businesses have two things in common: Culture and Cash FlowCulture: Those of you who fly, compare SouthWest Airlines to the non discount airlines. At SouthWest, the pilots help the attendants clean the cabin after a flight lands. No one … Continue reading →
