Recent Articles

Quote of the Year: 2008 in a nutshell

December 31, 2008 17:04

At their core, recessions are the ugly process of fixing imbalances that have come about because of unwise decisions by businesses, individuals or government leaders (or, often, all three).  People tend not to make the exact same mistakes repeatedly, instead finding new ones to make. Neil Irwin, ...

Most Read Legal Literacy Blog Posts of 2008

December 17, 2008 03:49

It will be 2009 before you know it and I want to take this opportunity to thank my growing list of Legal Literacy fans.  As you can see by the map in the lower right hand corner of this page, Legal Literacy’s reach is growing daily.  In looking at the year in review I want to share with [.....

Shop with Legal Literacy

December 12, 2008 23:36

    If gift cards are on your holiday shopping list, you’ll want to shop with legal literacy.    Yes, legal literacy.   Gift cards are great.  I love them.  They’re convenient for the gift giver – one size fits all.  They’re convenient for the gift recipient – you can buy want you really want or mo...

Party with Legal Literacy

December 10, 2008 02:12

The holiday season is cranking up as the year is winding down and we all know what that means – it’s PARTY TIME.  We party with friends.  We party with family.  We even party with co-workers. What in the world do parties have to do with legal literacy?  Well, office parties can be prett...

Trademarks and Your Business

November 28, 2008 17:06

My guest blogger posting at SCORE.org this week is on the staying power of trademarks.  When used properly trademarks not only have staying power, they are valuable assets that appreciate over time.  The more you use them the stronger they get.  Think of them as little brand names, logos, slogans an...

Giving Thanks 2008 Style

November 25, 2008 17:12

With the economy crashing down around us it may be hard to find a business bright spot to be thankful for.  But I found inspiration in some recent news from Iraq.   The headline read “Premier of Iraq is Quietly Firing Fraud Monitors” and the article described how Prime Minister Nuri Kamal Al-Maliki ...

Do Noncompete Agreements Really Work?

November 21, 2008 12:05

Sometimes managers wonder whether legal mumbo jumbo really makes a difference.  After all, isn’t all boilerplate language the same?  It’s just a contract.  People sign it and do what they want anyway.  Right? I understand that some people may feel that way.  But it demonstrates a high le...

Leadership Actions and Corporate Cultures

November 17, 2008 18:04

Actions speak louder than words.  Yet how many business leaders try to change corporate culture with policy pronouncements and mission statements while conducting business as usual?   I was reminded of that old adage today when I read Office Culture Can Determine Firm’s Success.  The story is about ...

Layoffs and Confidentiality

November 14, 2008 02:55

It used to be called downsizing or rightsizing, but in today’s economy it’s also been called streamlining, employee simplification, re-engineering, and cost improvement.  If business necessities are requiring reductions in your workforce you’ll want to carefully examine and ...

SCORE a double dose of Legal Literacy in November

November 07, 2008 17:02

This month, in addition to reading about Legal Literacy at this website you will be able to read even more at http://www.score.org. SCORE describes itself as “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”  It is a nonprofit association dedicated to ”educating entrepreneurs and th...