THE ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SERIES: NO. 1 – A CHALLENGE FOR BANKS

Much like the dramatic changes impacting the taxi industry driven by ride sharing “brokers” such as Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and others; financial institutions (e.g., commercial banks, credit card companies, savings…

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INTERNATIONAL M&A: WHY TAXES MATTER EVEN FOR SMALL COMPANIES

In the past year I’ve seen an increasing amount of M&A activity especially with my international clients. Every transaction I’ve worked on has had substantial tax content to it. I…

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MOBILE DEVICES IS THE BACKDOOR TO YOUR CORPORATE

Over the past decade, we’ve all grown accustomed to having our mobile devices at our side with all of the convenience of instant access to virtually everything. More recently, this…

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THE ONE PAGE BUSINESS PLAN SERIES NO. 2: “HOW TO SPEAK YOUR BUSINESS PLAN”

Once you have written a business plan, what do you, as the business leader, do with it and how does the plan benefit you? Ideally it will crystallize your thinking…

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THE ONE PAGE BUSINESS PLAN

Whether you are a founder opening a startup or a small business owner looking to take your operation to the next level, the question you will hear most frequently from…

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BUSINESS VISAS: COMING TO THE U.S. IS CHEAPER

Virtually every economically developed country has unique immigration programs for skilled workers and business entrepreneurs. These programs are offered for obvious reasons; increasing the skill level of the country’s workforce,…

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WORKING FROM 62 TO 74 – CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY OR IS IT JUST ECONOMICALLY SENSIBLE?

In 2010, the world had 16 people aged 65 and over for every 100 adults between the ages 25 and 64, almost the same ratio as in 1980 (http://www.economist.com/node/21601248/print). By…

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THE ROCKY ROAD OF CLEANTECH

Once thought of as a glamorous and most compelling of investment trends, cleantech has lost its sheen in recent years. In 2005, cleantech (primarily renewable energy) investing by VC firms…

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WHEN FREE ISN’T FREE – THE DANGERS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR

The Idea Startups and rapidly growing small businesses are often tempted to use volunteer labor or unpaid internships with young people seeking experience to help their business reach the next…

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IS CHINA’S SLOWING ECONOMY CAUSE FOR GLOBAL INVESTMENT ALARM?

“China’s slowing economy is the biggest risk to the global economy” according to a survey of global fund managers by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch  reported in the Wall Street Journal Blog. …

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