Focus

Everything I need to know about reporting I learned from Sandra and Kevin, Jennifer and Tim, Judy and Todd. They were my peers in my first newsroom, and then my reporters when I was bumped up to managing editor. We’d sit in the pit, as the open newsroom was called,...

What do bankers want? Those four little words are on the minds of every business owner who needs a loan or line of credit to expand or operate. Upsize asked six local bankers for their answers, and we’ll let them stand as a concise snapshot into the minds of the...

AUDIO/VISUAL  has come  a long way since high school, now allowing high-definition connections wherever people are. We asked local experts to describe the latest tools for small and mid-sized businesses, how best to use them, and what it all costs. The answers are...

First a goal, then a plan, and only then a sale, advisers to closely held businesses recommend when the time comes. Or maybe not–sometimes a partial exit is best. Experts run down the options for owners to maximize the value of their life's work.  Time is right to...

Textbook cases Entrepreneurs who seek higher ed find variety of options   by beth ewen Donna Block, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with the advanced degrees and certifications necessary to practice medicine. But when she was planning to...

Patricia May walks with a bit of a swagger these days. That’s because her company in Lakeville, Tembua, which provides language translation services for businesses, acquired an Oregon-based firm earlier this year. All at once, she says, vendors, suppliers, customers...

Owners benefit as bankers compete for business Wells Fargo veep sees competitive market that favors borrowers ABOUT SBA LENDING: It’s very good, very strong. If I compare what we’ve seen at the end of last year and the start of this year there’s definitely been an...

Whether you want to franchise your system or buy into someone else’s, attorneys, consultants and owners offer their best advice to do it right

Business owners who say they’re feeling more scrutiny from their bankers aren’t necessarily being paranoid: many bankers really are requiring more detailed information than in the years of easy credit before late 2008’s financial meltdown.