Phillip M. PerryPhillip M. Perry is a New York-based writer and consultant.ManagementManagement Skills: See If You're A Great Manager With These 10 QuestionsAre you a great manager? Tough question. While you may be experienced at assessing the performance of your employees, you probably spend less time judging your own.May 28, 2014ManagementHow Buy-Sell Agreements Can Save the Family BusinessBuy-sell agreements can help resolve disruptive family business events that might otherwise erode the bottom line or even scuttle the enterprise. Because they deal with the uncomfortable nexus of personal and business goals, buy-sell agreements are difficult to write well. You might want to obtain the assistance of a skilled consultant specializing in the field.March 25, 2014ManagementCredit Crunched: Don't Get Penalized for Credit Card Security BreachesCredit cards: What would today's businesses do without them? If you're like many companies, you've found that the ubiquitous plastic card has become the default transaction tool for purchases large and small.You can find more information about PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance from the website of the PCI Security Standards Council, at pcisecuritystandards.org. Click on the "For Merchants" button and read the helpful articles. Click on the "Information Supplements" button to access the latest iteration of the PCI Data Security Standards, PCI DSS v3.0. Additionally, seek the guidance of your attorney, your bank and your security advisor.-P.M.P.February 4, 2014ManagementPrepare Your Business for Unexpected DisastersWith another hurricane and tornado season behind us, and potential spring floods still on the horizon, now is a good time to revisit your recovery plans with a fresh look. From damaged buildings to wrecked inventory to disrupted supply lines, natural and man-made disasters can tear a huge hole through profitability for large and small businesses. In many cases, businesses that suffer a disaster of any sort must close their doors for good.Score 10 points for each "yes" answer to these 10 questions. Then total your points. If you score between 80 and 100 you are in a safe zone. Results between 60 and 80 mean you need to dust off the emergency plan. Score less than 60? Take immediate steps to get your disaster plan up to speed.November 20, 2013ManagementSmall Business Retirement Planning Means Tax Savings, Happy EmployeesSaving for retirement is a laudable goal that too often gets put on the back burner. Wouldn't it be great if you and your employees were able to accumulate funds for the golden years while lowering your tax burdens?You can achieve both goals by establishing an employer-sponsored retirement plan. It's a terrific perk that helps convey a sense of goodwill toward your top talent.July 22, 2013ManagementEmployers Grapple with Higher Workers' Compensation CostsEmployers have long been concerned about the cost of workers' compensation insurance. This year, though, the premium environment seems particularly harsh as the insurance industry changes the way it calculates the "experience rating modification," or x-mod, that powerful pricing engine gear assigned to each employer. The change is expected to result in higher rates at a time when premiums are already rising quickly in response to escalating medical costs.Workers' compensation premiums are rising at a rate of between 2 and 5 percent in many states this year. One reason is a change in the calculation for the "experience modification factor," or x-mod, which is assigned to each employer. A higher x-mod translates into higher workers' compensation premiums.May 27, 2013ManagementProtect Your Bank Accounts From Online FraudQuick. Easy. Efficient. What business doesn't love online banking? Be aware, though, of the danger: Hackers can access your account, drain your funds and threaten the survival of your business, and the risk is growing. Cyber attacks increased 24 percent in the first half of 2012 over the same period the previous year according to a report from security firm Symantec. The reason? "Any time the economy goes down, white-collar crime goes up," says Bill McDermott, CEO of Atlanta-based McDermott Financial Solutions.March 25, 2013ManagementIs Obamacare Good or Bad For Your Small Business?Will "Obamacare" batter or bolster your bottom line? The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) comes at a time of rising health insurance costs for small business owners. Annual premiums for employer-provided family coverage grew to just under $16,000 in 2012, a rate some four percent higher than 2011, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.Knowledge pays. That goes double for a vast piece of legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Want to learn more? Check these resources:Answer the following questions: Do you have 25 or fewer full-time employees? Are their average annual wages less than $50,000? And do you contribute more than 50 percent of your employee's total premium costs?January 28, 2013ManagementEconomic Forecast: What Will 2013 Hold?Overcast with clearing skies. That's the economic forecast as the nation approaches 2013. Drizzly conditions will remain at least for the first half of next year as consumers hold tight to their pocketbooks and commercial activity is constrained. Light should break through the clouds in summer and fall, though, as the resolution of critical uncertainties encourage corporate hiring, capital investment and consumer spending.November 28, 2012Social MediaManaging Your Company's Online ReputationPeople are talking about your business. Do you know what they're saying?October 2, 2012Previous PagePage 2 of 7Next PageTop StoriesRestorationHow We Did This Floor: A Huge Chevron Floor in a Historic Government BuildingUniversal Floors has done hundreds of historical renovations in Washington, D.C., but the Mellon Auditorium was one of the most challenging jobs they've done.Next GenThe Next Generation: How To Train a Wood Floor ProRetailHow We Tailor Our Retail Flooring Business to DesignersContractingHow I Changed What โProfitโ Meant in My Business and My LifeSponsor ContentEnter the 2024 Wood Floor Business Truck & Van Contest