When you have an employee who needs to go, you might feel tempted to leave a resignation letter template lying on the copier. While that might work in some cases, passive-aggressive strategies rarely leave employees feeling good about their departures. Just like ending a business partnership, ending an employment agreement can be painful. No one enjoys firing an employee who genuinely wants to do well. Letting people go…
If you run a small business, your 2018 taxes were probably far higher than expected. The reason: The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act significantly modified the tax code. These changes didn’t become evident until Americans filed their 2018 taxes. At their heart, the changes aimed to lower taxes for corporations. While this mostly means bigger companies, forming or modifying an LLC can help reduce your tax burden.…
Every business partnership has ups and downs. Usually, the lowlands and peaks balance each other out. When the valleys become the status quo, however, it may be time to dissolve the partnership. The good news for partners in this predicament is that there are always other entrepreneurial fish in the sea; you can even use a dating app to find them. In the meantime, though, you have to…
When your co-worker underperforms, you have the option of looking the other way. But when you’re the team leader, you’re in a different position. As a manager, you’re expected to deal effectively with underperformers — either by letting them go or helping them improve. Easier said than done, right? However, with the proper mix of patience, guidance, and tact, you can manage your direct reports to success and…
Are good business leaders born or made in the trenches? Early work experience forges how a person will lead. For many successful CEOs, starting out on the company’s bottom rung has been an invaluable opportunity for learning. For example, David Cote started out at General Electric as an hourly employee when he was 21. By age 33, he’d worked his way up to a midlevel financial planner role…
Top Collision Speaker’s We’re Looking Forward to Seeing and Hearing This Week! The Collision Tech Conference is one of the leading tech conferences of its kind. In fact, the Toronto-based event is the fastest-growing tech conference in all of North America — now with over 25,000 attendees. Each year, Collision features some of the top faces in technology, allowing attendees to engage with industry leaders. Plan to…
Whether you’re looking to engage your audience, employees, customers, or family and friends, it boils down to communication. When you can effectively speak with others, you’re aligning your objectives, goals, and values with theirs. You’re also letting them know why and how they’re important within the bigger picture. Needless to say, this is an important area everyone should strengthen. One of the best ways to achieve this is…
Relationship building and networking are important to entrepreneurs, but they may not come easy. No, it’s not just you: Americans across the board are becoming lonelier. According to a Cigna study released last May, 46 percent of American adults say they always or sometimes feel alone. Just 53 percent say they experience meaningful in-person interactions, like engaging in a deep conversation with a friend or family member, on…
You thought “promposals,” undercooked cafeteria pizza, and hallway passes were things of the past. And hopefully, those unfortunate realities are indeed behind you. But to become a successful entrepreneur, it turns out you have to relive at least some of your high school experiences. Despite the challenges of being a teen, those years taught you valuable lessons that you can use as a corporate leader. From discovering and…
Your brain is locked in a never-ending battle between now and later. This tug of war is why you eagerly tackle nonessential tasks instead of pressing ones. You might know that a deadline is looming, but it feels so good to remove something from your to-do list that low-hanging fruit lures you away from more urgent matters. Simply put, we’re all wired to crave instant gratification. Researchers at…
