Banknotes

Congress’s well-intentioned plan to bolster retirements for working Americans – the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act – will come with its own set of wrinkles and challenges for defined-contribution plan sponsors (e.g., 403[b], 401[k], etc, which I’ll collectively refer to as “401[k] plans,” for the purposes of this article).

I have to be brief and selective, but here are a few topics to consider carefully if you are tasked with administering the plan for your co-workers or employees.

Topics: Business Banking, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Small Business, Business Operations, Retirement Planning

Without question, statistics show that greater diversity within an organization drives better performance and more innovation.

It makes sense. With diversity comes different life experiences and perspectives that provide insight into consumer-purchasing decisions. For instance, more women now make decisions about health care, home purchases, and many other financial decisions that affect the family.

Topics: Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan

If you’re like most people, you likely had a bit of a chaotic end to the year, balancing ongoing business demands with increased personal obligations around the holidays. For as joyful a time as it most often is, it can be equally stressful. With the din of the holidays beginning to quiet and life resuming a semblance of normalcy, let’s take a look at what the New Year can mean for you and your business.

Topics: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan, Budget

Regardless of the nature of your business, relationships play a vital role in every facet of its operation. Relationship quality has an especially profound impact on sales and client retention. So let’s take a closer look at why strong relationships and the behaviors that strengthen them are so important to your success.

Topics: Business Banking, Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan

As any business owner can attest, there are myriad financial considerations that must be taken into account in deciding how to run the business. They can choose (to some extent) how much to pay themselves in terms of a salary, a bonus, and, if there is money left over, a distribution or dividend from the enterprise’s profits. A qualified tax advisor is very helpful in making those year-to-year decisions.

Topics: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan

As a business banker, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a variety of companies across a number of industries, and because of that, I tend to look at the annual business cycle in generalities. January and February are the months in which most companies finish their annual reviews from the year prior, and use that information to plan for the year ahead. September and October tend to be when businesses perform that final benchmark check of their annual goals and budget, and begin looking at what needs to get done before year-end. 

Topics: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Community Banking, Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan

I’m always fascinated by lists, especially those that show the differences in this wonderful country of ours. For example, I recently learned from a list that, in Wisconsin, our favorite Halloween candy is Starburst, while in New Jersey, Tootsie Pops are king. As the end of the year approaches, I thought it might be interesting to examine the differences in how well each state sticks to its New Year’s resolutions.

Topics: Small Business, Business Operations, Business Plan

We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes money to make money.” Small business owners, solo practitioners, and budding entrepreneurs may feel the pinch of this statement more than most when trying to grow their companies to the next level.

Topics: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Small Business, Business Operations

In every conversation I have with a client, I ask, “What do you need help with?” Sometimes, perhaps not surprisingly, the answers have nothing to do business wealth management. In fact, one of the most common responses involves attracting and retaining quality employees, especially skilled or specialized workers. 

Topics: Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, Community Banking, Small Business, Business Operations

For business owners, keeping company finances separate from personal ones is a smart decision. However, for small business owners in particular, that can be easier said than done. If you find yourself using your personal credit card to cover business purchases, you’re certainly not alone – in reality, more than 65% of all SMB owners use credit cards on a regular basis, and less than 50% of those cards are in the company’s name. Here are some of the key advantages that enterprise cards hold over their personal counterparts.

Topics: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Treasury Management, Credit Card, Small Business, Business Operations, Merchant Services