Not everyone has the aptitude, the savvy or the deep pockets to be able to start and manage a business on their own. Most of us are dependent on bringing along a partner (or partners) of some type to help finance and run the shop. And while those associates will likely expect – and deserve – a measure of equity in the firm, just how much of that share in ownership should you allow? What are the implications when that percentage surpasses a certain threshold? Should you be con

Check out this recent article we wrote about cash flow projections for the magazine, Capital at Play. http://www.capitalatplay.com/show-me-the-money/ #KenKaplan

When applying for a bank loan, banks determine your creditworthiness and risk. Banks want to ensure that you are capable of paying back the loan and the interest on it. They need to assess your business solvency for the short-term and determine your leverage for the long-term. Two important measures bankers use are Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and Debt to Net Assets. Banks will have an acceptable range for each of these measures, and the range will vary across industries. Fixe

The soaring cost of health care coverage is forcing employers to look for alternative solutions. With its many benefits, partially self-funded health care plans are growing in popularity among medium size companies as they combat the rising costs. Partially self-funded health care plans not only reduce your health care costs but also provide better coverage for your employees and potentially lower out of pocket expense. Here are the six most significant benefits of partially

In part one of What Every Business Owner Needs To Know About Accounting, we looked at the basic accounting equation — Assets = Liabilities + Equity — and we explained the core behind this equation. (Feel free to review that post for more explanation.) In this post, we’ll addresses the impact of growth on this equation and, more importantly, how it affects your business. If you were skillful and fortunate enough to grow your sales by 20% last year, your assets probably grew b

No, it is not debits and credits, or the benefits of bonus depreciation. The single most important accounting concept that any business owner needs to understand is a simple mathematical equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity This is the formula that defines every company’s balance sheet. What's more, the relationship between assets, liabilities and equity forms the fundamental basis of all economic wealth. Here how it works. Your assets are everything your business owns. B