Get ready for next year’s tax season
December 16, 2021
While next year’s tax season is still a few months away, taking steps now to make sure you’re organized and prepared can save you time, headaches, and even money later.…
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Your Guide to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
November 19, 2021
By Kristen S. Jerome, CPA Partner, Bauknight Pietras & Stormer Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, can be used at any level of any organization to evaluate success toward specified goals. …
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: accounting, advice, on-the-move
Marketing Minute: Marketing for Professional Services
November 5, 2021
Marketing Minute with Catherine Dingler, NP Strategy In the recent past, professionals could rely solely on their reputation and a simple handshake to grow their practice. Now, in our highly…
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Marketing Minute: Best Practices and Advice
October 25, 2021
Marketing Minute with Krystal Cau, NP Strategy Marketing has always been important for the success of any business. However, since the many changes the world encountered due to the pandemic,…
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Vote to Close the Library Nov. 2nd. Book Burning Party Nov. 5th
October 18, 2021
By Ken Gasque After the 2008 recession Troy, Michigan, made major cuts to its public spending. One victim was the Troy Public Library. It was given just enough money to…
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Discussing a prenuptial agreement with your adult children
September 30, 2021
By Edward W. Kramer, CFP®, EA Should you require your children to have a prenuptial agreement? This question can be very important if you have a family business, financial wealth,…
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Entice them with facts, sell with emotion
September 30, 2021
By Jerry Bellune A friend of ours is a super salesman married to a super saleswoman. In national publishing, his customers and prospects were advertising buyers, marketers and their bosses.…
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Marketing Minute: Building Your Brand After a Crisis
September 27, 2021
Marketing Minute with Erin Smith, NP Strategy Today, consumers and key stakeholders engage with companies and brands that they trust. If your company has recently been faced with a crisis,…
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President Biden announces plan calling for employee vaccination requirements
September 14, 2021
By David Dubberly and Brittany Clark Nexsen Pruet On Sept. 9, 2021, President Biden issued a six-part plan to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic “while also keeping schools open and…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, employment, government, on-the-move
What are your values and your mission?
September 9, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Author and entrepreneur Jennifer Allwood says something amazing happens when you decide you want to be an entrepreneur. You get to call the shots. She’s half right.…
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Marketing Minute: Stakeholder Engagement
August 30, 2021
Marketing Minute with Seth Palmer, NP Strategy Stakeholders are everyone from industry partners, government leaders, education leaders, and community members. They have the potential to be your greatest champions or key…
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Maverick strategists think differently
August 25, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Had Jeff Bezos been around early in the last century when the auto industry was in its infancy – and the buggy business going out – he…
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Aristotle’s art of persuasion
August 19, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Do you want a prime prospect to go for your latest offer? Aristotle taught that there were 3 keys to persuade yourself or someone else to do…
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Mask Up, Mask Down: In Reversal, Health Officials Recommend Masks for Fully-Vaccinated Individuals. What is the Potential Impact on Employer Immunity?
August 3, 2021
By Brittany Clark On July 27, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on masking and other health measures in light of the rise in coronavirus…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, law, on-the-move
Marketing Minute: Changing Careers
August 3, 2021
Marketing Minute with Beverly Bowers, NP Strategy Gone are the days where you picked one job straight out of college, clocked in, clocked out, and continue the routine until you…
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How Hard is Your Cash Working?
July 27, 2021
Managing cash in a low interest rate environment by Stephen E. Maggard With current treasury yields hovering slightly above zero, individuals are experiencing angst over the lack of returns from…
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“I like beer.” Tom T. Hall
July 26, 2021
By Ken Gasque Beer brings out the humor in us and some deep and some not so deep philosophical thoughts and sentiments. We hope you will enjoy a few quotes…
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Overcome and learn from setbacks
July 23, 2021
By Jerry Bellune What’s your story? Is it positive or negative? Is it about what you excel at? Or where you are frustrated and failing? Author and motivational speaker…
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Summer tax tips, from teen jobs to summer camp
July 21, 2021
Summer means warmer temperatures, vacations, and special tax situations. Wait. Tax situations? From teen summer jobs and W-4s to taxes on gig work and using summer camp costs for a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, government, on-the-move
Marketing Minute: Revamping Your Video Marketing Strategy
July 19, 2021
Marketing Minute with Jasmine Spencer, NP Strategy In the last two years, the amount of hours people spend viewing online videos has doubled to 16 hours a week. It’s likely…
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Don’t let contractors let you down
July 16, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Many of us read The Wall Street Journal for the latest business news, trends and ideas to grow our businesses. It is an excellent newspaper but its…
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President Biden encourages FTC to consider limiting non-competition agreements with employees
July 12, 2021
By David Dubberly and Brittany Clark On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy.” The order directs more than a dozen…
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Tell stories to attract prospects
July 9, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Celebrity lawyer Howard Weitzman’s dream was to play professional baseball. Like many kids, he lacked the talent needed. But he had other talents. A coach recommended he…
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Marketing Minute: Advocacy
July 6, 2021
Marketing Minute with Seth Palmer, NP Strategy While advocacy is usually reserved for discussions involving lobbyists and elected officials, many of the same principles can be applied to any marketing campaign.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: advice, business-services, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
How to write letters to your prospects
June 25, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Jane Ellen Murray bubbled over with advertising ideas. After she was graduated from college, she landed a menial job at an ad agency where she loved working.…
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Marketing Minute: Communicating Effectively to Diverse Audiences
June 21, 2021
Marketing Minute with Valentina Rojas, NP Strategy With an increasingly diverse nation, your audience is likely to speak various languages or have differing backgrounds. This week’s video shares tips on…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Is there a perfect logo?
June 19, 2021
By Ken Gasque Yes, there is a perfect logo. It’s my favorite logo, and it’s most commonly found in the South.* It’s abstract. It’s simple. It’s bold. It’s symmetrical.…
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The #1 secret of sale success
June 17, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Our friend John Carlton has noticed something disturbing about people lately. What is it? Nobody asks good questions when they meet new people. Most folks don’t…
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Protecting Your Children’s Credit
June 16, 2021
By Brittany M. Midgette As you sort through your mail, you may notice that some mail has arrived that is addressed to your child. For example, your ten-year-old child may…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: advice, banking-and-finance, financial-advisors, on-the-move
OSHA issues emergency rule for healthcare employers and updates guidance for other employers
June 14, 2021
By David Dubberly On January 21, 2021, one day after his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider issuing a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, law, on-the-move
Savvy sellers build strong networks
June 10, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Many of us learned the hard lessons about selling door to door. Beauty aids, Girl Scout cookies, garden seeds, household products, magazines, you name it. It…
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What Makes Good Storytelling in a Video?
June 7, 2021
By Michelle Legaspi NP Strategy Since the invention of cameras, communicating through video remains a go-to method to tell stories, entertain or share a message. Now, with short attention…
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Chumps – not champs – cold call
June 6, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Merrill Lynch has finally come to its senses. Since 1945, the giant wealth management company made its new hires cold call. It’s like Navy SEAL training…
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The secret is in your smile
June 6, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Greg Wych named his successful dental practice “The Art of Dentistry.” You may not think of dentistry as an art. Isn’t it about straightening, drilling and…
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Glorious yes
May 27, 2021
By Jeff Becraft When I was in middle school (although we called it junior high), my friends and I would have scrounges. If you don’t know what a scrounge…
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Marketing Minute Video: Thought Leadership
May 24, 2021
Marketing Minute with Tina Emerson, NP Strategy If speaking engagements are important to your business development strategy, you may be more successful if you share the spotlight with other…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
They won’t tell you about your brand.
May 24, 2021
By Ken Gasque Your brand is their experience. It exists in the mind of your customer. When the experience is good, they may tell a friend, but they won’t tell…
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OSHA Backs New CDC Mask Recommendations … For Now, and Implications for Employer Policies
May 24, 2021
By David Dubberly Nexsen Pruet, LLC The day after his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to “consider whether any emergency temporary standards…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, law, on-the-move
Never trust a seller – check it out
May 20, 2021
by Jerry Bellune An entrepreneur we once worked with was a hard-nosed negotiator. We didn’t like his style but we had to admire the little empire of more than 25…
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How to make business plans that work
May 19, 2021
By Jerry Bellune When an angel investor hired us to advise him on a proposed new newspaper, we took the plan to 3 publishers we knew. Each one thought the…
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What to do if you can’t afford to pay your taxes, Individual Income Tax returns are due May 17
May 13, 2021
The Individual Income Tax due date is fast approaching on Monday, May 17. If you have a tax bill and are worried you can’t pay, the South Carolina Department of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, government, on-the-move
Learn to spot the signs of elder abuse in South Carolina during Older Americans Month
May 13, 2021
By Justin Hawkins, Wells Fargo Bank The 73-year-old woman put her trust in, and handed over her financial resources to, her two supposed caregivers. In return, they stole all of…
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We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet! Continuing Safety Measures for Those Vaccinated Against COVID-19
May 11, 2021
By Mike DuBose If you’re one of the more than 56% of American adults who has received your first COVID-19 shot, congratulations! You have seen through the misinformation and conspiracy…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, covid-19, on-the-move
Marketing Minute Video: Asking for Feedback
May 10, 2021
Marketing Minute with Matthew Gallagher, NP Strategy Asking clients for feedback can be scary if you’re not sure how they will respond. As business professionals, we may assume if a client…
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Colliers Op-Ed: Three Things Hoteliers Should Start Doing Today
May 6, 2021
Some hoteliers hit the pause button in March 2020 with COVID-19’s arrival to wait and see what would happen, but now is the time to set things into motion again.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, commercial-real-estate, on-the-move, op-ed
Find their needs and fill them
May 5, 2021
By Jerry Bellune One of our favorite cities, Charleston, SC, has an inaffordable housing problem. The average cost of a 1-bedroom apartment is $1,223 a month. That may compare…
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At Long Last: South Carolina Passes COVID-19 Liability Immunity
May 4, 2021
By Brittany Clark Employment and Labor Law Associate On April 28, 2021, Gov. Henry McMaster signed South Carolina’s COVID-19 Liability Immunity Act into law. The state’s employers will now have…
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SCDOR busts 10 common tax myths
May 4, 2021
Taxes can seem confusing and complicated, leaving room for misconceptions and myths to pop up – especially during tax season. The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) wants you to…
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Order of Contributions
April 30, 2021
By Corinne Hanna, CFP® Whether you are an employee deciding about your annual benefits at election time or an employer deciding which benefits to offer, make your workplace benefits work…
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How to win prospects’ trust
April 29, 2021
By Jerry Bellune Successful negotiation will get you what you want if you give prospects what they need, says Walker McKay of No BS Sales. You have equal stature with…
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