1. M&A Activity Is Heating Up Once Again; Is This The Beginning Of Another Buyout Boom?
(Matching tags: business owners,mergers,marketing)

Consumer confidence is what drives retail sales; business confidence is what drives mergers and acquisitions.   The acquisition of H. J. Heinz and the merger of American Airlines and US Airways ...

2. Are You Ready For A 1990s IPO Market Redux? Development In Three Legs Of IPO Market Ecosystem Opens Possibilities Of Most Robust IPO Market In History
(Matching tags: investment strategies,business owners,markets)

If you and your clients have been late to the stock market party, there’s still hope for initial public offerings (IPOs).   The last big years for IPOs was in the 1990s and the IPO market ...

3. Business Roundtable Recommends Raising Retirement Age For Social Security And Eligibility Age For Medicare To 70
(Matching tags: business owners,Congress,social security)

The Business Roundtable representing CEOs of major US corporations recommended increasing eligibility ages for Social Security and Medicare as a way to bolster the two programs.   It would raise ...

4. If Your Clients Are Small Business Owners, It's A Good Time To Assess Their Liability Under The New Tax Law
(Matching tags: Advisor businesses,business owners,investment strategies)

A number of small businesses will see their tax rates rise as a result of the fiscal cliff deal passed on January 1. The deal didn’t change the corporate tax rate.   But many small businesses ...

5. Jump In Durable Goods Orders Means Businesses Are Investing Again But The Improvement May Not Yet Be Sustainable
(Matching tags: Economic Outlook,economic indicators,business owners)

Sales of durable goods were the strongest in five months as reported in October. This means companies are beginning to invest. They’re getting over the fiscal cliff syndrome.

6. Other Groups Outside Of Congress Are Worth Watching As Fiscal Cliff And Deficit Discussions Progress
(Matching tags: Congress,business owners,deficit)

The US Chamber of Commerce—full of corporate members such as Ford Motor Co., Honeywell International, Inc., and Dow Chemical Co.—traditionally has been an influential group of business leaders.   ...

7. Big Business Is Holding Back On Investments But Small Businesses Have More Positive Outlook
(Matching tags: business owners,Economic Outlook,deficit)

A review by the Wall Street Journal of securities filings and conference calls shows that 40% of the largest publicly traded companies are scaling back their investment plans and at the fastest pace ...

8. House Energy And Commerce Sub-Committee Looks At Spectrum Auctions For Broadband; House Small Business Committee Decries Higher Taxes For Small Businesses
(Matching tags: Congress,business owners,technology)

The House Energy and Commerce’s Communications and Technology sub-committee announced on November 15 that all five FCC commissioners will testify before Congress on December 12.

9. Treating Your Business As A Source Of Income Can Diminish Its Value When It's Time To Exit
(Matching tags: Advisor businesses,business strategy,business owners)

More independent advisors are likely to see the values of their businesses stagnate just as they begin to think of exiting the business.  ...

10. China's Top Billionaire Says Economy Cannot Be Effectively Driven By Exports And Investment
(Matching tags: China,business owners,economy)

China’s top billionaire got his start selling sodas and popsicles to schoolchildren. While living in a commune from 1964 to 1978 during the Mao Zedong Cultural Revolution, he studied Mao’s ...

11. New M&A Reports Forecast Slowdown In Startup Funding And Also In Business Acquisitions
(Matching tags: M&A,economy,business owners)

A weekend report from Ernst & Young over the weekend echoed findings from a report issued by Dow Jones VentureSource last week noting a slowdown in acquisitions over the last quarter.

12. Meeting Colleagues After Work For A Drink May Become The Latest Way To Support Your Local Charity
(Matching tags: investment,charitable giving,business owners)

There’s about to be a new and innovative way to donate to your favorite charity. A new pub has opened in Portland, OR that will donate customer tabs to the local non-profit group of their choice. ...

13. A New Law Review Paper Examines The Conflicting Fiduciary Roles In Which Your Business-Owning Clients May Find Themselves
(Matching tags: fiduciaries,client service,business owners)

If you have entrepreneurial clients, then it’s also likely that you are working with them on succession plans for their businesses. Many want to transition control of their businesses to a child ...

14. Global Study Of Entrepreneurs Finds Small Business Owners More Confident About Current Business Conditions Than They've Been In Years
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,business owners)

A recent global study of entrepreneurs by the Alexandria, VA-based Entrepreneur’s Organization found that entrepreneurs are more optimistic about the current business climate than they have been ...

15. Your Entreprenuerial Clients Need To Know: The SEC Is Warning Small Businesses Not To Engage In Crowdfunding Until New Rules Are In Force
(Matching tags: client education,business owners,business strategy)

If you have clients who want to start a small business, they may be looking to crowd funding as a source of capital. If so, they definitely need your guidance to stay out of trouble.   The ...

16. Many Investors Do Not Have Life Insurance Policies Although Purchasing One Is A High Priority
(Matching tags: life planning,business owners,investor behavior)

A new survey says that investors would invest in a life insurance policy if they were offered it. Most life insurance owners have recognized their need for a policy on their own. Of those who have not ...

17. View Succession Planning As An Investment Strategy And Address Family Differences And Controversies Before A Liquidity Event
(Matching tags: investment strategies,Advisor businesses,business owners)

Small business growth is a key component in growth of US GDP. If you’re not advising on the family business directly, then you’re advising on your client’s share of the profits. This ...

18. Preparing For Transition: Management Succession Planning
(Matching tags: business cycles,business owners,business planning,business strategy,management,retirement,retirement planning,succession planning)

In an entrepreneurial business, it is common for the primary owner to be the driving force of the company. The owner has cemented close ties with key customers and suppliers, is responsible for the “creative” ...

19. A 'Top Ten List' For Succession Helps Advisors Gain Clients By Example
(Matching tags: Advisor businesses,marketing,niches,business owners,business planning)

  Succession is a delicate topic. People don’t like to talk about their own mortality. Family clients with businesses may doubt the next generation’s capabilities. Yet, leaving succession ...

20. For Advisors, Business Success Requires Recognizing An Opportunity, Seizing The Moment, And Taking A Risk; An Introduction Of Lisa Gray To A4A Readers
(Matching tags: leadership,Wealth Management,RIAs,managing,family offices,practice management,business owners,advisor industry people)

At dinner last night here at the FPA Business Solutions in San Francisco, an advisor who manages a successful practice told a story about how he came to buy his practice from its former owner. It’s ...