Tim Blais

The Big Question: Independent versus Employee Status

Are your workers independent contractors or employees? This is a compelling question, especially where the Internal Revenue Service is concerned. Every worker claiming status as a non-employee means payroll taxes and social security contributions that won’t fall into the IRS’s pocket. Now many states are taking a closer look at the question, too. They are …

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Selling Your Business? Follow These Ten Commandments To Avoid Wrecking the Deal.

1. Place a reasonable price on your business. Since an inflated figure either turns off or slows down potential buyers, rely on your business broker to help you arrive at the best “win-win” price. 2. Carry on “business as usual.” Don’t become so obsessed with the transaction that your attention wavers from day-to-day demands, affecting …

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How Do You Say “Hello”?

Answering services, message machines, voice mail, “on hold” music, speaker phones . . . where would a business be without them? Perhaps–in some situations–a lot better off! In the small to midsized business, where every call should count, owners and managers need to ensure that the telephone is an efficient, effective sales tool instead of …

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Reasons for Sale

The reasons for selling a business can be divided into two main categories. The first is a sale that is planned almost from the beginning or by an owner who knows that selling is or should be a planned event.  The second is exactly the opposite – unplanned; the sale is motivated by a specific …

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“Loose Lips Sink Ships”

The “loose lips” tagline was a common World War II phrase and was on posters everywhere. The problem continues on the business battlefront today.  Leaks of confidential information coming from, apparently, some of the Directors of HP have been in the news everywhere. This is an ongoing story. If it can happen to HP, it …

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The Key Ingredient to Selling Your Company

Business Appraisers, before beginning an assignment, like to know the purpose of the appraisal. Usually the assignment demands “bullet proof” documentation: comparables, EBITDA multiples, projections, discount rates, etc.  Unfortunately, in situations where the purpose of the valuation is to establish a selling price, the business appraiser really doesn’t understand the business elements – or, since …

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Are You Charging Enough?

A buyer was interested in a building products manufacturer that did $70 million a year in sales.  Although the business was profitable, it seemed that their margins were lower than they should have been for this industry. The buyer asked the seller how they priced their products.  As the seller was explaining his pricing strategies, …

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