A Holiday Reflection: Giving Thanks for the Family

Posting by Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, Principal at Bond Beebe Accountants & Advisors

One of my associates, Eric Fletcher, recently sent a Thanksgiving blog post that someone else had written that basically discussed how thankful and appreciative he was for all that was around him.  I happened to think that it was a wonderful idea and decided to mimic that gesture with my own twist.

This past year has been, at times, tumultuous and at others extremely gratifying; it certainly has […]

December 7, 2011 Family Owned Businesses, Uncategorized Read more...

The Top 10 Challenges Family Businesses Must Overcome

Posting by Jacqueline M. Thompson, CPA, Principal

All businesses face challenges, whether it is dealing with the changing economy, finding and hiring the right employees, or increased competition in the market. Family-owned businesses are not immune to these challenges. In fact, there is also a unique set of challenges that family-owned businesses have to face as a result of the nature of their business structure. It is important to understand what these hurdles are so that if you find yourself […]

October 27, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Focusing ohttp://www.bbcpa.com/?p=2207&preview=truen the Mission: Lessons Learned from One Family’s Charitable Endeavors

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA

The 4th Annual Brain Aneurysm Race for Awareness 8K in Memory of Timothy P. Susco was hosted on Saturday, October 1st.  The race originated in 2008, as a tribute to the memory of my nephew who passed away at the age of 25 due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.  The race raises donations to support brain aneurysm research and organ donation awareness programs.  However, this race is more than just a memorial to my […]

October 12, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Facing Common Ownership Challenges: Insights and Strategies from Walker & Dunlop’s Family Leadership

Posting by Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, Principal

On Thursday, September 22, Mallory and Willy Walker of Walker & Dunlop addressed a group of members, partners and other invitees of the Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance on the topic of family ownership and transition, and how it has affected their family business.  Now in its third generation of Walker family management, Walker & Dunlop remains a very successful company and a leader in commercial real estate financing.  I would like […]

October 6, 2011 Family Owned Businesses, Valuation Read more...

Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance Hosts Mallory and Willy Walker of Walker & Dunlop for Keynote Event

BETHESDA, Maryland (September 29, 2011) – The Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance (“The Alliance”), the go-to resource for family businesses located in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia, hosted “Three Generations of Ownership Challenges,” featuring Mallory Walker and Willy Walker of Walker & Dunlop, a real estate financing firm headquartered in the Washington DC area. This keynote presentation was held on September 22, 2011 at The Washington Club in Washington, DC.

Mallory Walker is the second generation […]

September 29, 2011 Family Owned Businesses, Firm News & Events Read more...

It’s YOUR Name on the Door: Keeping the Family Name Clean

Posting by Joel C. Susco,CPA

Ah, ethics.  We all think we have them; we can all justify why our behavior in a given situation is considered ethical.  And there’s the rub – it can be very subjective.  However in business, including family businesses, there are some definitions of ethics that are more universal.

Levels of Business Ethics: When Does it Get Personal

Systemic business ethics deals with general systems like legal, political, and economic ones; following business regulation laws like not holding […]

September 22, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Top Ten Fraud Prevention Tips for Small Businesses, Tip #9: Simple Internal Controls Small Businesses Often Miss

Alex Helfand, ENCE, Computer Forensic Specialist

As a small business owner or senior executive, it is your responsibility to promote integrity and ethical values to your employees and implement the proper controls and procedures to prevent fraud.  In this series, we are highlighting ten basic fraud prevention steps you can take to keep your organization safe.
Small businesses are especially vulnerable to fraud simply because they often lack the necessary internal controls to help prevent fraudulent activities and safeguard assets.  A […]

June 6, 2011 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses, Forensic Accounting Read more...

You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling: Getting that First Generation Family Business Enthusiasm to the Second and Third Generations

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA, Principal

I’ve seen it before.  You’ve seen it before.  A business is created from scratch, perhaps a lifelong dream of the founder, and after years of sweat equity and learning from mistakes, a rags-to-riches tale unfolds.  We all know the type of person who starts a successful business.  Their passion is omnipresent, their multitasking constant, their drive unrelenting, and their mission clear.  No wonder this type of person succeeds in starting a business, and […]

June 6, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

NEW 1099 RULES REPEALED! SMALL BUSINESSES AND LANDLORDS BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF!

On April 14, 2011 President Obama signed into law, legislation to repeal the new Form 1099 information reporting rules.  Under the now repealed rules, businesses would have been required to issue a Form 1099 to corporations for goods and services that reach $600 or more per year to each vendor.  And, landlords would have been required to issue a Form 1099 to a vendor for services (such as, plumbing, lawn maintenance, rental management, accounting, etc.) when total payments reached […]

April 20, 2011 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Succession Could Be Just Around the Corner

Posting by Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, Principal

I recently had a head-on collision with my own mortality when my doctor told me that I needed open-heart surgery to fix a rather unusual problem with my heart. Fortunately we live in a time when it could be fixed, the surgery was successful and I’m back in the swing of things.

Of the many things that I thought about, one item – in my role as a family business advisor – was about […]

April 11, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...