Business Management

Trademark vs. service mark? What’s the difference? Both are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to distinguish a brand’s products and services from those of other businesses. Trademarks distinguish a company’s products, whereas a service mark relates to the services a company provides. Both fall under the

Every now and then a trademark application case hits the headlines that makes you cringe at its arrogance (Apple’s fight to stop any sort of apple symbol being used in a logo) or just makes you laugh (Taylor Swift attempting to trademark the phrase “this sick beat”). And then there’s

Are you distancing yourself from relationships, feeling a loss of personal accomplishment or just overall suffering from emotional exhaustion? You could be on the dangerous road to CPA burnout. Whether your accounting firm is just starting out or growing by leaps and bounds, running your own business can be extremely

In the past, it seemed pivotal that an entrepreneur have a brick and mortar or office location for their business. If they were unable to afford or secure one, many people would abandon their business dreams altogether. Luckily, this has changed, as more and more entrepreneurs are opening or moving

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you frequently get the urge to change the way you do things and replace them with new systems and fresh ideas. After all, spring is the time for new beginnings, and your accounting firm operations could probably use a bit of a refresh. As you

It seems that everyone on Instagram is an Entrepreneur or CEO. What used to be a high risk and scary choice, has now been glamorized into fast money, luxurious lifestyles, and ready-set-go businesses. A picture is worth a thousand words, but the stories behind the glossy pictures are anything but

No matter what your industry, you know when your busy season is about to start. For accountants, it’s tax season, where you can generate half your annual revenue or more for your accounting during these busy months. But how do you handle the extra workload during tax season without losing

Choosing the perfect business or brand name is only half the battle when starting a new venture. You need to protect that name from getting stolen or misused. But what if you haven’t started using the brand name yet? The good news is even if your website is still under

Many limited liability companies (LLCs) and C Corporations choose to be taxed as S Corporations to lower their tax burden. It’s relatively easy to do as long as the business entity meets IRS requirements and files Form 2553. But what happens if a business owner finds an S Corp hasn’t

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about keeping business and personal finances separate. Truthfully, most entrepreneurs tap into their personal savings to start their businesses, so opening separate bank accounts isn’t their top priority when there are so many other things to handle. However, not maintaining independent business and

Most states require limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations to submit some form of ongoing business entity filing. While many states require these filings annually (i.e., “annual reports”), several require these types of reports biennially (every two years) rather than every year. A biennial report allows the state’s Secretary of

If you’ve been considering forming a business (or already have started one), you’ve probably have heard the term registered agent. Alternate names include statutory agent, agent for service of process, or resident agent. A registered agent is a designated party located within the state that a business has authorized to