The holiday season is underway, so you’ve probably made plans for your company already. But, if you are still on the fence, here are a couple of facts to consider: Christmas is a season, not a day. Depending on how a person observes the holiday, it can last up until...

Fraud guides are supposed to protect potential victims by alerting them to common schemes and instructing them on measures they should take to protect themselves. But in the upside-down, inside-out world that is the Internet, “dark web” sites provide information,...

Not every business transaction involves cash, and small businesses often find it beneficial to barter for goods and services instead of paying for them. Small business owners generally find that by bartering, they can get what they want below the market rate and save...

The short definition of fraud is theft by deception. Someone misrepresented pertinent facts, orally as an assurance or within the four corners of a contract, so that the other party to the deal got something other than what he bargained for. Blatant fraud...

Businesses generally engage accountants to report on past performance. You want a record, that is a history, of how your company has performed. This gives you a fairly clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, so you can make adjustments going...

Small business owners and CEOs must make a variety of decisions about how to allocate company resources. If you’re in charge, one area where you really have to perform the cost-benefit analysis is with the choice of buying or leasing business equipment....

The recent hacking of Capital One by a disgruntled former employee sent shockwaves through the finance sector as an estimated 100 million credit card applicants had their personally identifying information exposed. The incident has hurt Capital One’s...

Cyber security is a major issue for any business that keeps digital records of customer and employee data. If a hacker worms his way into your system and pilfers your data, you’re in for more than embarrassment. Victims of the breach can sue you for...

The Roman Senator Cicero famously wrote, “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves...

When we talk to small business owners about enhancing their company’s efficiency, the discussion inevitably touches on employee performance reviews. This is often a moment of levity, as if we can hear Jerry Seinfeld’s voice, asking “And what’s up with...

How vulnerable are construction companies to fraud? Would you believe they suffer annual financial losses at almost twice the rate of other businesses? Last year, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners released its Report to the Nations: 2018 Global...

At Breon & Associates, we believe that a strong ethical culture can protect your company from unnecessary losses due to liability and fraud. Naturally, an important ingredient in an ethical culture is the presence of ethical individuals. Thus, when you...