As a business law attorney, I understand that many factors can affect a company’s value, especially when the company has many shareholders or investors. Publicly-traded entities can be particularly prone to fluctuations. Any decisions or news that might impact the company in any way are likely to cause at least some changes in the company’s […]
Non-Compete Agreements and Enforcement in Illinois
Across the country, more and more employers are requiring their employees to sign non-compete agreements. These documents, or clauses within an employment contract, are typically designed to keep employees—along with former owners and investors—from going to work for a competitor within a certain time frame. Many of my business-owner clients have come to me with […]
Naperville Business Lawyer on the Importance of Logos and Visual Branding
It is the dream of most business owners to one day have their companies be recognized among the giants on the world’s commercial stage. An owner can close his or her eyes and imagine the company growing to be included in the same breath as Nike, eBay, Starbucks, BMW, and McDonald’s. To that end, what […]
The Rise of Minority Entrepreneurs in the United States
For decades, minority-owned businesses and other forms of minority-led entrepreneurship have been on the rise in the U.S. In fact, from the period of 2002 through 2007, there was a 46 percent increase in the amount of minority-owned businesses. This increase has been aided by a variety of impetuses including the U.S.’s ever increasing immigrant […]
New Small Business Administrator Appointed to United States Senate
Earlier this week the year-long search for a new Small Business Administration (“SBA”) leader ended with the appointment of Maria Contreras-Sweet. Contreras-Sweet was nominated by President Obama, and was confirmed this week by the U.S. Senate. Many believe that Contreras-Sweet’s appointment will breathe a breath of fresh air into the SBA, while also encouraging the […]
Understanding the Illinois Small Business Set Aside Program
Illinois’ Small Business Set-Aside Program (SBSP) exists to help small businesses in Illinois build their credibility and achieve higher revenues. Operated by the Chief Procurement Office, the program awards millions of dollars to small businesses in the supply and service industries each year. The state of Illinois has identified 120 procurement categories that have been […]
Bruce Rauner v. Gov. Pat Quinn: What’s their Stance on Business in Illinois?
March 18th marked the completion of the Illinois governor primary elections. The primary elections allow both the republican and democratic voters to choose the individual that they would like to represent their respective parties in the November 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election. Democrat Governor Pat Quinn easily swept past his foes in order to clinch the […]
Coworking Spaces Offer Unique Opportunity for Local Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Deciding to start your own small business can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming. Costs for a typical business include office space, startup costs, inventory, administrative costs, and employee pay. Here in Illinois, local entrepreneurs and small business owners are finding interesting new ways to cut costs through the use of shared coworking spaces. What […]
Big Data and Small Businesses
Small business owners have a relatively new tool at their disposal that can help them stay on par with big businesses. Big data tools allow small business owners to gather massive amounts of data into tangible forms. The data collected is then used for a variety of business enhancement purposes, including tracking customer preferences in […]