People are asking me: What should I do now? What are the consequences? Many people, maybe even you, are wandering and wondering what will happen next? What are the risks? What are the rewards? more

Employee theft is a serious and growing problem for many small businesses in the United States. According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), an employee is 15 times more likely than a nonemployee to steal from an employer, and employees account for 44 percent of theft losses at stores – more than shoplifting and vendor fraud combined. And the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that more than 30 percent of business failures are directly related to employee theft or fraud. more

In these tough economic times, when one-third of states are experiencing double-digit unemployment and competition for scarce jobs is heightened, a word to the wise for job hunters and those employees seeking to change jobs: Think twice before you post information and pictures on the Internet. more

Cold calling is over. The only people who don’t realize it are the people still making them. Or worse – their bosses. more

Among the job elements listed by employees as key to their satisfaction and motivation, compensation rarely makes the top of the list. But among the irritants that will de-motivate and drive top talent out, compensation is the lead villain. more

If your business gets whacked by severe weather, take heart. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a standard business-owners policy, called a BOP, provides coverage for a wide range of weather-related disasters, such as burst pipes, wind and rain damage, and damage to buildings caused by heavy ice and snow, among others. more

Facing a still-difficult economy and a flurry of tax changes, business owners must be especially alert to new tax pitfalls and opportunities. Business.com collected these fresh tips and insights from tax experts across the country: more

Creating your own personal brand is a great way to get noticed, land clients and gain an edge over the competition. Suppose, for example, that your business has excellent products and services to offer. You spend time and money on advertising and marketing to produce leads, pay attention to customer service and use the latest technology. And yet you aren’t the “go-to” person or business in your field. more

I just read a pathetic sales pitch from an e-mail where a “training company” was telling me why training fails, and offering what they thought was the best way to approach the process. more

Last week, I shared a portion of the best sales ideas that salespeople submitted to my Facebook fan page. It’s no surprise that you wanted more of them. more

Finding the right tax forms quickly and getting business tax questions answered accurately are tricky problems for many business owners. There’s hardly a time of year when there isn’t some tax-related deadline, either federal state or local. more

Back in October, I created a giveaway on my Facebook fan page. I offered a prize of several autographed books for the person who submitted the best sales tip. more

Selling property at auction has become increasingly popular, particularly for condominiums and some high-end residential properties, given the shattered real estate market. more

In today’s “red” economy, some may argue that green real estate is a passing fad. However, all signs indicate just the opposite: Green is the future standard in the real estate industry, including commercial leases. Landlords and tenants often share green-leasing goals. However, the allocation between landlord and tenant of the responsibilities, costs and benefits of compliance with green goals can be a thorny issue, sometimes resulting in a heavily negotiated and complex lease document. Negotiating green compliance most impacts a commercial lease in areas such as: more

These days, with banks tossing nickels around like they are manhole covers, getting a small-business loan is no easy matter. And although the real problem facing most small businesses is weak sales, focus in Washington is on facilitating more small-business loans. more

Every office has one (or two, or more), those toxic co-workers who only look out for No. 1, no matter what the cost. more

There are expert predictions that 2010 will be much better than 2009. more

Domino’s Pizza made headlines recently by admitting customers hated its pizza, and pledged a complete pizza makeover in response to customer feedback. It was a rare instance of a company asking customers what they thought, and then actually listening to what they said. more

Supplemental disability income plans are so mainstream today that they are thought of as plain vanilla. more

One of the primary goals of corporate leadership is to maximize company value. Over the past few years, as many companies have experienced economic difficulties, such maxims have continued even when the company is teetering on the verge of insolvency. When a company experiences economic distress, however, it often must balance the competing interests of pursuing a long-term strategy to obtain maximum value against the more pragmatic, day-to-day agenda, in order to maintain ongoing economic viability. Often, the solution may be found in a bankruptcy filing, seeking corporate reorganization or outright sale. more