If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It: Marketing the Fact that Your Business is Family-Owned

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA

For some people long ago, it was preferred to keep the “family-owned” status of your company hidden, as it might imply to prospects that your firm was very small or less professional.  As members of the Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance, naturally we believe that being a family business carries many advantages, for both the company and for its customers.  So why not point out some of those advantages in the marketing of […]

March 17, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Boy, How Quickly the News of Bad Service Travels…

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA, Principal

Remember the old adage about those having bad service experience tell ten people, and those having a good service experience maybe tell only one person?  Well into today’s digital age, just think of all the people you could gripe to if you had a bad experience – all with the click of a button.  This is even more reason for today’s businesses to make sure their customer service is at the top of […]

February 14, 2011 Family Owned Businesses Read more...

Family Businesses Meeting With Each Other: An Offer You Can’t Refuse

It is standard practice to research the competition before deciding to start a business, and during the existence of the business.  The reasons are legion: ensuring there is a need for the existence of your business; finding out what your product/service differentiators are; assistance in setting a price point; making use of good tools (or employees!) that are already out there; avoiding the pitfalls someone else became a victim to before; and many more.

This interest in the competition remains […]

January 13, 2011 Family Owned Businesses, Human Resources Read more...

How the Tax Cut Extensions Affect Family Businesses

Unless you have been mired down with holiday gift buying and year-end celebrations, you have heard that on December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010, or H.R. 4853, a bill that extends the President G. W. Bush-era tax cuts, including retaining favorable tax rates on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, providing estate and gift tax relief and an AMT “patch” for all Americans for another […]

December 17, 2010 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses, Tax Read more...

HOW DOES THE 2010 SMALL BUSINESS JOBS ACT AFFECT ME?

On September 27, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act which contains many tax changes impacting individuals as well as small businesses.
Bonus Depreciation:  Generally, taxpayers can currently deduct 50% of the cost of most new tangible personal property placed in service in 2010. Not all property qualifies, so you should consult your tax advisor for specifics.  Passenger cars acquired in 2010 are eligible for $8,000 of bonus depreciation in addition to the otherwise allowable depreciation. […]

November 27, 2010 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses, Tax Read more...

What and When to Prepare for Selling Your Family Business

Posting by Joel C. Susco, CPA, Principal

If asked the question, most business owners would affirm that their ultimate motive in owning a business is to build it in such a way to allow them to leave a legacy for the future.  In addition, in an ideal world an owner would want to transfer it to another without any significant negative financial impact and with the possibility of retaining some control in the operations of the business.   Alternatively, new […]

November 5, 2010 Accounting, Family Owned Businesses, Tax Read more...

Geoffrey Brown Receives Certificate in Family Business Advising

BETHESDA, Maryland (November 1, 2010) – 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, announced today that Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, a Principal with Bond Beebe, the founding company of the Alliance, has received the Family Firm Institute (“FFI”) Certificate in Family Business Advising. The FFI presented Brown with the certificate during their international conference, “Family Enterprise: New Game? New Rule?” […]

November 1, 2010 Family Owned Businesses, Firm News & Events Read more...

Have You Really “Sold” the Family Business if You Sell the Family Business

Posting by Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA
Members of the Greater Washington DC Family Business Alliance spend most of our time talking about how best to preserve the family business for the next generation or generations; however, there may be times when the absolute best decision might be to sell the family business. Perhaps there is no one in the succeeding generation who has any interest in operating or managing the business or perhaps there is so much rancor and distrust […]

November 1, 2010 Family Owned Businesses, Valuation Read more...

Geoffrey Brown Receives Certificate in Family Business Advising

 

BETHESDA, Maryland (November 1, 2010) – 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, announced today that Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, a Principal with Bond Beebe, the founding company of the Alliance, has received the Family Firm Institute (“FFI”) Certificate in Family Business Advising. The FFI presented Brown with the certificate during their international conference, “Family Enterprise: New Game? New Rule?” […]

November 1, 2010 Family Owned Businesses, Firm News & Events Read more...

Geoffrey Brown Receives Certificate in Family Business Advising

Geoffrey D. Brown, CPA, Principal with Bond Beebe, the founding company of the DC Family Business Alliance, has received the Family Firm Institute (“FFI”) Certificate in Family Business Advising.  The FFI presented Brown with the certificate during their international conference, “Family Enterprise: New Game? New Rule?” held on October 13-16, 2010 in Chicago.  The FFI is the premier international body for advising and research in the family business and family wealth fields, with the purpose of increasing public awareness […]

November 1, 2010 Family Owned Businesses, Firm News & Events Read more...