It was a pleasure to be interviewed for this Syngenta Thrive article speaking on an issue near and dear to my heart- farm succession and estate planning. You can read more articles in the Thrive magazine here.
Considerations before Becoming a Minority Owner
Becoming a minority owner in a business can give you the opportunity to help a business grow and share in its success without the management responsibilities. Minority owners may be brought in to facilitate growth, perform acquisitions, or achieve other strategic goals and often provide valuable expertise in addition to the capital investment they make in the business. However, because …
How to Handle an Employee’s Injury on the Job
On-the-job injuries are an unfortunate reality for many employers. Every year, millions of employees suffer injuries and illnesses in the workplace. While some industries have a higher risk of harm than others, you can expect to deal with an injured worker at some point, even if your team works from the relative safety of an office. Employers have legal responsibilities …
How to Keep Your LLC in Good Standing
Starting a limited liability company (LLC) takes a lot of work. Before you serve your first customer or fulfill your first order, it is important to complete the initial business formation process. Although starting a business is a significant achievement, small business owners cannot coast on past accomplishments. You must look to the future and the next steps. This includes …
A Partnership Without a Partnership Agreement: The Default Rules
Forming a partnership in Illinois is exceedingly simple; that is the main draw of this kind of business organization. There are typically no formalities required; rather, a partnership is presumed whenever two or more parties come together in business with an implied or express agreement to share the profits that the business generates. Unlike other business formations, such as LLCs …
Name, Image, and Likeness: How to Protect Your Right to You
Creating a personal brand can be a way to establish an authentic image and stand out from the crowd. For most people, personal branding is a communications strategy rather than a career path. A carefully cultivated personal brand lets people know at a glance who we are, what we stand for, and the value we provide. But for anyone with …
Perfecting Your Partnership Agreement
The simplicity of partnerships is alluring. They are easy to form, and often easy to operate. It can be tempting to hit the ground running with a partnership without first setting a partnership agreement out in writing. In this blog, I explore why a written partnership agreement is nevertheless important, and I review a few relevant terms to include in …
Friend or Foe? How to Protect Your Business During Collaborative Projects
Standing out in today’s crowded digital marketplace requires business owners to think creatively about brands. Customer attention is a limited commodity that all brands compete for. But there may be opportunities to partner with other brands to gain consumer attention and loyalty. Brand collaboration, or co-branding, is a strategic advertising and marketing partnership between two brands that each bring success …
How Your Lawyer Can Support Business Wellness in 2023
January is when we turn the calendar ahead to a new year that is full of hope and fresh opportunities. Recognized as Financial Wellness Month, January is an ideal time to set business goals for the upcoming calendar year. Achieving business wellness in 2023 can go a long way toward improving your overall physical health. Financial health and personal health …
How to Prepare Your Business for the New Year
The beginning of the year is a time to reflect and refocus on what you want to achieve over the next twelve months. Optimally, entrepreneurs spent part of December on small business housekeeping tasks that helped them finish the year strong, and at the beginning of January, they prioritize setting themselves up to look ahead confidently. Reviewing key performance indicators …