Business Mentors

There was a great running gag on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” about a fake TV game show called “Homonym.” The host said a word that has multiple meanings and the contestant tried to guess which definition the host had on his card. No matter which meaning the contestant guessed, the host would always reply, […]

When evaluating loan prospects, the banks will take a look at the “five C’s (character, capacity, capital, conditions, and collateral), but they also pay a lot of attention to your credit scores. The importance of a good credit history has grown over the past decade with the increased use of credit scoring by lenders. Credit

Upstate New York provides a great environment for entrepreneurial activity. One of the key ingredients to building a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem is mentorship. First-time or inexperienced entrepreneurs have a need for consultation and guidance. That mentorship provides for much greater outcomes as the business matures. Strategy, connections, insight, and a few gray hairs provide much-needed

Let’s face it — ensuring environmental compliance can be a daunting task given the proliferation of increasingly complicated regulations. To help the regulated community, in 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a policy entitled “Incentives for Self-Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and Prevention of Violations,” more commonly known as the “EPA audit policy.” The

In the nonprofit sector, the strategic planning and positioning of your organization typically involves a multitude of “What if?” questions or scenarios as well as predicting future trends. I hope you find the 10 items below helpful as your nonprofit organization and board assesses its strategies for the coming year and for securing the long-term

While it may seem as though you were filing tax returns just yesterday and packing away last year’s records, the time for tax planning for this year-end is now upon us. With a number of significant changes to the tax code resulting from 2013 legislation, tax planning is more important than ever. For a number

Organizations spend a lot of money each year to develop their image, brand reputation, and messaging for their key audiences. However, there comes a point when leaders wonder if what they are communicating through advertising and public relations is actually being received as intended by their audiences. Achieving success by re-enforcing your brand begins with

Since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008, many contractors have found themselves in a continuous battle to achieve a positive bottom line. They have reduced overhead, whittled away at their bid margins, and expanded their geography — all proven strategies for short-term, once-in-awhile growth spurts. We are now into the fifth year of

I’d like to review recent developments in the local and national economies. As always, what I have to say reflects my own views and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve System or the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Starting with the [New York City] area’s economy, one of the greatest challenges in the city

Social media isn’t new anymore. Just about everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs, photo-sharing sites, and more. And it’s not new for organizations to use these sites for two-way communication with many different audiences. Does your organization have an official presence on social media? You might be surprised to find what you think is