The Family Operation

I have a lot of clients who come to see me because of problems arise when family members work together in businesses or farming operations. This is an area that I can relate to as I have three children, all of whom have been involved in my private practice over the years.

Here are some of the areas that might cause concern:

1. Defining leadership - Sometimes there is competition regarding who is going to be "the boss", especially when siblings are involved. A parent who has established the business might be hoping that s/he can semi-retire or retire. Even if members of next generation have the ability to continue the work, there isn't any guarantee that it will flourish - especially if the parties involved are not working as a team. Your job is to mentor and direct those involved until the ones who are taking over can assume all the tasks involved with efficiency and mutual respect.

5 Ventilation System Maintenance Services You Need

In a number of different types of premises, the owner or the management company is responsible for the statutory inspection and maintenance of smoke and mechanical ventilation systems. This is to ensure that the system is working as well as it possibly can in order to provide a safe environment for occupants.

With maintenance and inspection such a large part of the responsibility that building owners have to bear, it is often a good idea to invest in a ventilation system maintenance service, as this will keep the premises in line with statutory requirements as well as identify and repair major problems in the system as early as possible; here are five services that are definitely worth investing in.

Making Lofty Goals Realistic

Many organizations set goals that are not realistic and are in the habit of not meeting their objectives. Others achieve some of their goals by accident, and some could achieve a lot more. The first questions is, "Are your goals mandatory, or are they something you set out to try?" If they are mandatory, then I suggest you make sure that you are planning for success instead of failure. Many organizations set their goals without considering the obvious reasons they may not be achievable. By addressing these reasons up front, an organization can dramatically increase the likelihood of success or know that they must adjust them to something more realistic.

Here is a common list of possible circumstances that cause organizations not to achieve their goals:

Has consideration been given to the capacity of the target market (growing-shrinking) and what a realistic share of the market can be?

How to Select a High Quality Freight Broker

INSURANCE

Do they have proper insurance to protect your goods for transport?

Chances are that the trucking company the freight broker or Freight brokerage company hires for you will have more than enough insurance to cover the value of your goods in the case of an accident but it is a good idea for the broker to have insurance as well. You will want your broker to obtain proper insurance l just in case the trucking company is running with expired insurance or the broker forgets to check the trucking companies insurance in the first place. Either way you want to make sure you are covered. A reputable freight broker will have this insurance in place and will likely provide a copy of it before you have a chance to ask for it. You will want to see a minimum of 1 million liability, 250k cargo (unless the value of your goods is higher of course) and an errors and omissions policy is always a good idea.

REFERENCES

Can you find non bias references or referrals?

A good freight broker will likely have reviews on Google about past shipments, however keep in mind that these may be higher on the negative side as a person who had a good experience is much less likely to take the time out of their schedule to write a review in the first place. The best place to start would be from a friend or college who is in the shipping business. Chances are they have used one or more freight brokers before that should be able to point you in the right direction. The broker may also be able to provide references but unless it's from a big reputable company it is likely not going to be very useful.re are several reasons to use a freight broker, perhaps you have purchased an item across the country or need to get an item (s) shipped to your customer and you're looking for an easy, cost effective way to get it done. Whatever the reason may be, this guide has been put together to help you select a high quality freight brokerage company.

The below article contains various items to look for including legal, insurance, quality & experience when selecting a freight broker.

LEGAL

Do they have a Freight Broker Bond and operating authorities?

As of October 1st, 2013 Freight brokers are required by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) to have in place either a BMC-84 or BMC-85 freight broker bond in the amount of $75,000 U.S Dollars in order to maintain an active operating authority. The BMC-84 is a surety bond provided by an insurance company who is willing to guarantee the 75K in case the broker defaults on payments. The insured (broker) will pay a yearly premium of $1,000 to $12,000 in order to get this insurance in place. The BMC-85 removes the insurance company and is put in place by the broker themselves or a bank by putting $75,000 into a trust fund. The main benefit to a trucking company is that they have a bit more of a guarantee that they will get paid and that a less reputable broker isn't going to take the money from the customer and run without paying the trucker. The benefit to the shipper is very similar in the idea that they don't have to fear that after they pay the broker the trucking company is going to come after them later if the broker takes off. This has helped reduce the amount of fraud in the industry as the broker now has to be financially stable before they even start. This is all fine if your in the USA or using a U.S. based broker but if you're in Canada its a little different story. Currently the only province in Canada that regulates freight brokers is Quebec, who requires brokers to be registered with the CTQ. However in order to get active authorities the FMCSA stated that Canadian Brokers need to obtain the bond as well. This has left many brokers Canadian brokers in a grey area as the U.S. says they need it while Canada says they do not. Even if a Canadian broker wanted to get a bond it is very tough to find a U.S. or Canadian insurance company to quote it or offer it for a decent price. In conclusion, it is a good idea for all brokers to have it as it is beneficial to everyone and chances are if a Canadian broker has obtained a bond they are extremely financially stable


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Why Your Environmental Blog Is a Mistake

So, you're an environmental organization and you have a blog.

Terrific.

You probably think your environmental blog should be about the environment.

But, you'd be wrong.

Unless you are a blog that is written by journalists who report on the most recent environmental news (like TreeHugger, the Guardian, or Yale Environment 360), these are not the stories that should be on your blog.

3 Simple Ways to Help Your Blog Be Found and Read

The societal shift towards instant gratification in our media has completely altered the way we think about producing and digesting the written word, with online blogs in particular being a major force in the changing habits of both writers and readers.

When people say they want to read an epic blog post, they're no longer talking about the length. As sad as it might sound to those with dreams of grandeur, unless you are a specially talented wordsmith or raconteur, the 2000 word wall of text you wrote for your digital marketing blog is unlikely to engage many people.

People want quick fixes of pleasure to get them through the gruelling fifteen minute bus commute to work, lists of easily digestible facts that go well with a coffee, and bite-sized nuggets of information they can devour with their fries on their lunch break.

Golden Benefits to Hosted QuickBooks

Golden Benefits to Hosted QuickBooks - Over time, QuickBooks providers has assisted a huge selection of businesses in making the switch from paper-and-pencil bookkeeping or locally-installed accounting software to Hosted QuickBooks.Switching to QuickBooks Hosting won't set you back lots of time, money, or effort and won't disrupt your overall IT infrastructure. Here's what to expect from hosted QuickBooks, following are the golden benefits:

Hurdles Faced By Accounting Firms

At a time when accounting firms should be attempting for greater success - it looks like we are bound to be resistant to the changes that are supposed to ensue. But taking risks and being open to the changes is one of the very crucial steps for expansion. The initial step to the change is to acknowledge the barriers that are holding us back.

There Is No Such Thing As Too Many Profits!

Benchmarking is something that many business owners and professionals have been hearing a lot about these days. The key question that is often heard asked about it is, "Why should I benchmark?" The short answer to that is simple-because there is no such thing as "too many profits."

• What can benchmarking do for your business?

Integrate Business Forecasting With Cost Analysis and Avoid Common Budgeting Pitfalls

Budgeting and forecasting are painful processes in businesses and nonprofits today. They are disliked because they are time-consuming, often involve defensive responses from staff, and seem to do little real cost management in a rapidly changing business environment. Participants in these processes are often correct in their critiques, but the problems they identify are not inherent in the processes. They are the result of:

1) Competing purposes in the forecasting process, especially the annual budget;
2) Having poor tools or confusing the process with the tools;
3) Failing to base the forecast on cost drivers; 

Business Activity Statement

The Business Activity Statement (BAS) may be a pre-printed document issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on either a monthly or quarterly basis. It's accustomed to summarize the amounts of GST collectible and due by you for a precise amount, in addition as a spread of different taxes together with Pay As You Go (PAYG) income tax and Australian business range (ABN) income tax. Its aim is to permit a business to report and pay variety of tax obligations in one group action.