Friend or Foe? How to Protect Your Business During Collaborative Projects

Cari RinckerBusiness Law Leave a Comment

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 …

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How Your Lawyer Can Support Business Wellness in 2023

Cari RinckerBusiness/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

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 …

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Ask Cari: How do you Maintain a LLC?

Cari RinckerBusiness/Commercial Law, Podcasts Leave a Comment

And here it is- part 3 of a 3 part series on the ABC’s of Limited Liability Companies with the Central Illinois Business Leaders Podcast. Listen to the podcast episode here.

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How to Prepare Your Business for the New Year

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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 …

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Ask Cari: How do you apply for a LLC?

Cari RinckerBusiness/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

Loved joining Derek Hayden and Garrett Ulmer discuss all things limited liability companies – a topic near and dear to my entrepreneurial heart.  You can listen to the episode on the Central Illinois Business Leaders Podcast here.

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Ask Cari: What is an LLC?

Cari RinckerBusiness/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

Here me on this episode of the Central Illinois Business Leaders podcast talking about what is a limited liability company.  This is a very common question that I get asked – always love a good convo with Derek Hayden and Garrett Ulmer.

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Balance Sheets: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

Cari RinckerBusiness Law, Business/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

A balance sheet is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of a company’s financials at a specific time. Also known as a statement of financial position, a balance sheet shows what the company owns that can be converted to cash (assets), its debts and financial obligations (liabilities), and its net worth (owner’s equity or shareholder’s equity). By knowing the …

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Is My Electronic Signature Valid?

Cari RinckerBusiness Law, Business/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

Some of us remember when, to sign a document, it was necessary to print out the form, physically sign it, scan the signed document, and then send it as an email attachment. Electronic signatures have made this process all but obsolete. Nowadays, for most transactions that require us to sign our name, we can apply a digital signature that satisfies …

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How Hiring Employees Increases Your Legal Risks

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When hiring a new worker, companies have two choices: bring a new employee on board or hire an independent contractor. One of the main benefits of having employees is that you have much more control over the work they do. You can train them how you want, specify the hours they work, and require them to work only for you. …

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Legal Considerations for Email Marketing

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Small businesses have more ways than ever to reach their audience. Social media, websites and blogs, video campaigns, webinars, and podcasts are just a few of the marketing strategies that you may leverage to drive sales. And while it is good to experiment with new ways of communicating your message, you should not overlook tried-and-true strategies like email marketing. Email …

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What You Need to Know When Advertising Your Business

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The topics of misinformation and disinformation frequently arise in conversations about news coverage. But the question of truth is not just relevant to the media we consume. It is also a significant issue to consider for a business’s advertisements. Truth in advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Regardless of where an advertisement appears—internet, radio, TV, billboard, or …

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Purpose and Profits: A New Emerging Business Structure

Cari RinckerBusiness Law, Business/Commercial Law Leave a Comment

It is a long-held capitalist axiom that businesses exist solely to make a profit. Typical for-profit corporations are legally required to act in the best interests of their shareholders, which means maximizing profits—often at the expense of other considerations. In fact, failure to focus strictly on profits can expose corporate leadership to shareholder litigation. But this exclusive focus on profits, …

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