January 2016 Issue

The Trusted Advisor: Accountants advise business owners on tax planning, expansion and more

By Ross Boissoneau

For many people, visiting their accountant is akin to seeing the dentist: An unpleasant yet necessary task. The only difference is a visit with the accountant only comes once a year (and you don’t get a free toothbrush).

For many business owners, however, the relationship is not at all painful. Instead, it is much more of a partnership. By discussing matters throughout the year, the two can determine the scope of business with a better short- and long-term perspective, consider the ramifications of expansion or selling, and in general set a tone that eliminates the need for last-second changes, panic, …

Small Business Guide: How to Lead a Business

By Guest Author

In 2002, I started working for a little company called Under Armour. There were 80 employees and only 15 clothing styles (mostly tight). The “Performance Apparel” category was relatively new to the general public, so most people didn’t know what we were even selling. They were also completely unaware of the benefits of compression clothing, and appalled by the thought of squeezing themselves into something so tight.

Despite all of this, every single one of …

Small Business Guide: How to Bring a Product to Market

By Guest Author

Bringing a product to market can be a stressful and challenging task given all the details that businesses must manage. The checklist below is a quick list of items that should be considered before a new product is launched.

The list is meant to be a general guide to help small- to medium-sized businesses with limited resources launch a new item. Keep in mind that it’s rare that all items can be totally focused on, …

Small Business Guide: How To Find Employees

By Guest Author

As the economy continues to improve, attracting qualified talent has become a challenge most employers face. When your company has a reputation as a good place to work, this process becomes much easier; people want to work for a company that is financially solid, treats employees fairly and takes actions to let employees know they are valued. Beyond that, here are a few strategies we have found work well for our clients.

Know what …

Newsmakers: People On The Move

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Dawn Hemming, president of hemming& in Traverse City and affiliated with SagePoint Financial, recently attended Barron’s 10th Annual Top Women Advisors Summit in Palm Beach, Florida. The invitation-only event consisted of the Top 100 Women Financial Advisors, honored annually in Barron’s magazine, as well as a select group …

By Lynn Geiger

Briefly: Big News In A Small Format

NEW COUNSELING PRACTICE OPENS

Mindful Life Practice, a new counseling partnership of Stephanie Berger, Linda Smith, and Earlene Blevins, has opened in Traverse City. The partners previously worked as therapists at Pine Rest Clinic and Child & Family Services. They have extensive experience working with children, teens, families and adult …

By Lynn Geiger

Small Business Guide: How to Market Your Small Business

“Fail to plan? Plan to fail,” he’d say. As a teenager, I used to roll my eyes when a friend’s dad would drill us with questions about logistics of an upcoming camping trip or some other event we were jetting off to. Oh, we’ll be fiiiine, I’d think. And then …

By Guest Author

What To Watch In 2016

Could 2016 be the year of the tall building in downtown Traverse City? The TCBN thinks so.

Two projects presented in 2015 have sights set on altering the building skyline in the core business district – should a lot of pieces fall into place.

River West – The two 96-foot …

By Lynn Geiger

Book Review – Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business

By Paul Downs

352 Pages, Blue Rider Press, 2015

Paperback: $16, e-Read version: $12.99

In a Nutshell – A year in the life of a furniture company owner who is more than candid about his failures and success.

Who’s it for? – Those seeking to understand the true rigors of …

By Chris Wendel

Businesses Working Together Do Big Things for Northern Michigan

By Laura Oblinger

Air Service Development

By Kevin Klein

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