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Most of us are aware that the U.S. dollar has been struggling lately. Evidence the fact that it has been on a steady decline compared to the euro. In fact, the dollar recently fell to yet another record low against the euro ...

Some people have the erroneous idea that a small business cannot effectively compete against larger competitors. This concept is quite far from the truth ...

Have you ever dreamed about taking your company public -- the relative ease of raising capital, the ability to use your company's stock to buy other businesses, and the liquidity of your own shares so that you can "cash out" when you are ready? ...

This is the time of year when the small-business owner has to start thinking of year-end strategies for his/her company. Because tax strategies have a large, yet controllable, influence on your business, they should be your main focus as a business owner ...

Today, with the pressures on business executives to meet their projections and to always present a glowing picture to analysts, it is understandable how some succumb to the temptation to present a rosy outlook when things actually might be deteriorating ...

Most businesspeople get a knot in their stomachs when they think of bankruptcy. The reasons for this, I believe, are twofold: They don't have the basic knowledge about the implications of bankruptcy; and they feel a loss of control whenever they think about it ...

Has this thought ever haunted you: "What if one of my big customers goes under?" And, have you ever felt out of control when having such worrisome thoughts? Well, you don't have to sit back and wait for something to happen. You can be proactive ...

Have you ever dreamed about taking your company public -- the relative ease of raising capital, the ability to use your company's stock to buy other businesses, and the liquidity of your own shares so that you can "cash out" when you are ready? ...

One of the greatest challenges facing small businesses today is the acquisition of capital. In a previous article, "Finding Dollars for Small-Cap Companies," I explored the non-underwritten IPO as a source of capital for the small business. This article addresses two other sources of capital for the small business -- the Angel Investor and the Venture Capitalist...

If someone were to ask you, "What are the most important financial controls for a small business?" what would your answer be? This article looks at the minimum monitors that must be in place in order to protect and preserve the assets of a business ...

In my last article, Sarbanes-Oxley: Avoiding Its Pitfalls, I talked about alleviating the fears of well-meaning management. This article addresses the concerns of sincere board members of publicly held corporations and privately held companies. It provides guidance to enable board members to focus on making a contribution, rather than attempting to avoid civil and criminal liability by running afoul of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)...

Since Sarbanes-Oxley (S0X) was enacted into law on July 30, 2002, management has been scrambling to comply with the Act. In a previous column [Theodore F. di Stefano, "Sarbanes-Oxley: Insurmountable Hurdle for Small Business?" September 10, 2004], I gave some background as to what gave rise to SOX, how Congress reacted to the public outcry, and the resultant legislation...

In a previous article [Theodore F. di Stefano, "Finding Dollars for Small-Cap Companies," June 28, 2004], I wrote about the IPO process and how it can be user friendly. The government can't and won't put the small-cap company out of business. Stay the course and, if you have plans for an IPO, don't let Sarbanes-Oxley stop you. And, as always, good luck!...

You may not have heard of the phrase "pump and dump." I would be surprised, however, if you haven't been personally solicited by a so-called investment advisory firm that was trying to sell you a penny stock ...

In a previous column, [Theodore F. di Stefano, "Finding Dollars for Small-Cap Companies," E-Commerce Times, June 28, 2004], I briefly mentioned that the SEC's new approach "...might prove to be the death knell of reverse mergers." This column explores what appears to be the SEC's present intention toward reverse mergers and public shells...

When a privately held company goes public, it is invariably worth more. Specifically, how does this "alchemy" work? Isn't it like turning lead into gold? Yes, but once the process is dissected, it's far easier to understand ...

Many businesspeople have thought about the thrill of going public: the challenge, the excitement, the bragging rights and the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow ...

To anyone who runs a small company, raising capital might seem like an overwhelming task. Venture capital companies usually want a big piece of your pie if they are to invest in your business. ...