All business cases and some business issue articles presented below received a grade of A or A+ from my professors in graduate school. The remaining business issue articles were ungraded because I wrote them after finishing graduate school.
Business Cases:
Nucor Steel: Into the Storm
10-25-2011 Hits:5052 Company Analysis George Adams
One of the largest steel companies in the U.S.had a forty year track record of unbroken profitability until 2009. How can Nucor succeed in a tougher, harsher climate?
Read moreRITZ-CARLTON (Circa 2008)
12-14-2011 Hits:5591 Company Analysis George Adams
The business strategy of luxury with a human face requires both popularity and exclusivity. How can Ritz-Carlton master this apparent contradiction?
Read moreSAS Company Analysis (Circa 1995)
12-13-2011 Hits:4897 Company Analysis George Adams
Does it pay to fly dirty?
Read moreOtis Elevator (Circa 2004)
12-13-2011 Hits:6915 Company Analysis George Adams
The largest elevator company in the world has to make some tough choices.
Read moreVertex Company Analysis (Circa 2003)
12-27-2011 Hits:4359 Company Analysis George Adams
Crucial business decisions can benefit from the insights of combinatoric analysis.
Read moreWalmart Company Analysis (Circa 2003)
12-27-2011 Hits:4384 Company Analysis George Adams
The largest retailer in the world is getting too big to grow any further without new and better thinking.
Read moreSara Lee Corporation (Circa 2008)
12-27-2011 Hits:4347 Company Analysis George Adams
Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee, until the company started hating itself.
Read moreSouthwest Airlines (Circa 2010)
12-27-2011 Hits:4982 Company Analysis George Adams
How can the most successful U.S. airline keep it up?
Read moreThe Power to Save the World: Fusion, the Unknown Ideal
12-28-2012 Hits:5504 Company Analysis George Adams
Energy is the ultimate question of our time: how do we get it, at what cost and what consequences?
Read moreBusiness Issues:
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CHAOS IN D.C.
04-19-2021 Hits:276 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Tax Season 2021 is the worst in decades because of the many, many retroactive tax law changes spewing from D.C. This article will summarize key changes, which may force many taxpayers who already filed their taxes in February or early...
Read moreTHE SOCIETY OF FRIENDLY NUMBERS
04-06-2021 Hits:173 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Once upon a time there was a Society of Friendly Numbers, a Maine non-profit organization that truly believed that unfriendly numbers were the primary source of human misery and grief. Members of the Society were certain that language creates...
Read moreTAX TIME 2021
01-23-2021 Hits:447 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
With another new year comes another tax season. The IRS has announced that it will begin processing tax returns on Friday, February 12, 2021.
Read morePANDEMIC PANDEMONIUM
05-21-2020 Hits:1260 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
During the current Coronavirus global pandemic societies everywhere are confronting a stark choice between minimizing the harm caused by the virus and minimizing the harm caused by lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
Read moreKEY INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS
11-25-2019 Hits:1593 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Most homeowner associations hold their annual meetings in December. This article is intended to offer constructive suggestions and general advice.
Read moreIF YOU CAN'T TRUST A PROFESSIONAL YOU CAN'T BE A CLIENT
01-13-2020 Hits:1526 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Trust is the universal foundation of all enduring relationships, including the business relationships clients have with professionals in all industries.
Read moreWHEN SHOULD YOU CLAIM SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?
01-13-2020 Hits:1398 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
One of the most important considerations for maximizing social security benefits is to make a wise choice on when to start claiming.
Read moreFAILURE TO FILE TAX RETURNS
01-13-2020 Hits:1360 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
In my career I've helped many people who have fallen behind in filing tax returns. Failure to file can occur for many reasons, including personal tragedies, divorce, medical issues, etc.
Read moreLIKE KIND EXCHANGES
01-13-2020 Hits:1373 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
IRC Section 1031 allows taxpayers to exchange like-kind business and investment real estate tax free. Under the new tax law that took effect on January 1, 2018 personal property and intangible assets no longer qualify for a tax free like...
Read moreWHAT RECORDS SHOULD YOU GIVE YOUR ACCOUNTANT?
01-12-2017 Hits:4819 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
For many people it's not obvious what records and information their accountant needs. This article will discuss the most important information your accountant must know when it's time to do your taxes.
Read moreA MASSIVE TIDAL WAVE OF HIGHER LABOR COSTS IS COMING TO MAINE
02-21-2019 Hits:2441 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
One of my duties as an accountant is to warn people and small business owners of major economic changes. In 2016 a public referendum to increase Maine's minimum wage passed by a slim majority.
Read moreTHE NEW QUALIFIED BUSINESS INCOME DEDUCTION FOR LANDLORDS
02-27-2019 Hits:2362 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The Kings of Keys have a new tax deduction starting in 2018
Read moreSELLER FINANCING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
08-09-2018 Hits:2721 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Trying to sell or buy a business or commercial real estate? If you are the biggest obstacle you will encounter is financing.
Read moreWHY THINGS GO WRONG
06-23-2018 Hits:2715 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The supreme Enemy of Mankind is an equation.
Read moreWATCH YOUR MAIL
06-15-2018 Hits:2538 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
It is an unfortunate fact that many people and businesses treat administrative tasks like opening up mail as a nuisance. When people get busy with substantive work and the distracting events of life these seeming nuisance tasks get neglected, leading...
Read moreMEASURING EMPLOYEE WORTH
05-30-2018 Hits:3030 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The job market today is tough and highly competitive. The first concern of many employees is to just hold onto their job. Labor force mobility (workers quitting one job to begin another) is at an all-time low. But all workers...
Read moreSMART MID-YEAR TAX MOVES
05-30-2018 Hits:2811 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Mid-year and mid-summer arrive on schedule every June 30th or so. Here are some smart tax moves you should consider in order to avoid a nasty 'April surprise' next year:
Read morePLANNING FOR THE UNEXPECTED
05-30-2018 Hits:2616 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Anyone who owns anything of value needs three things to document their intentions and protect their interests. These three critical documents are a will, a durable power of attorney and a living trust.
Read moreMAINE OPPORTUNITY CREDIT
05-30-2018 Hits:3662 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
One of the most generous and most overlooked Maine income tax credits is the so-called Credit for Educational Opportunity. In my experience few accountants and even fewer clients are aware of its existence. The credit is intended to reward college-educated...
Read moreUNUSUAL TAX RULES
05-30-2018 Hits:2672 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The tax law is a strange hybrid containing many obscure rules, exceptions to the exceptions, and deeply counter-intuitive definitions. Buried in the clutter of what Congress created is opportunity. Finding useful opportunities in the tax law is like digging through...
Read moreTHE NEW TAX LAW
12-31-2017 Hits:7844 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and represents the most significant change in tax law since 1987.
Read moreHOW TRUMP DID IT
11-09-2016 Hits:4484 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
This article is strictly non-political and explains how the billionaire Donald Trump legally avoided income taxes for many years.
Read moreBEWARE OF DARK CARS
01-12-2017 Hits:4018 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
One phenomenon that began in the last few years in Central Maine is dark cars
Read moreYEAR END TAX PLANNING
11-29-2015 Hits:5122 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Once more it’s time to play another deep game of chess with the IRS. Are you ready? The clock is ticking....
Read moreWhy Are You Using An LLC?
05-20-2012 Hits:10451 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
It can cost you a fortune if you choose the wrong entity for your business.
Read morePi and Pi Squared
10-31-2011 Hits:10159 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
How can companies motivate innovation and manage internal conflict effectively?
Read moreSecret Unions: Employee Collusion and Conspiracy
10-25-2011 Hits:10132 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Anyone can use Game Theory to try to get ahead. But sometimes there is a better, simpler strategy.
Read moreJump! Employee Performance On Trial
10-31-2011 Hits:9523 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The true and the obvious frequently differ, especially when it comes to assessing employee performance.
Read moreYou Have to Break Eggs to Make an Omelet
11-30-2011 Hits:8747 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Some employees take their work seriously while others don’t.
Read moreThe Fallacy of Teamwork Part I: Train of Thought
11-30-2011 Hits:10689 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Is teamwork the answer to every business problem?
Read moreThe Fallacy of Teamwork Part II: Michael Jordan Doesn’t Need a Memo
11-30-2011 Hits:11365 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
What does neuroscience have to say about the applicability of the team sports model to business collaboration?
Read moreOn the Relative Importance of Sales People and Technical People to Business
11-30-2011 Hits:9386 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Is it really true that technical employees are just a bunch of nerds a company puts up with so its star sales people can make big profits?
Read moreBusiness Cannot Ignore Its Environment
11-30-2011 Hits:10460 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The power of goodwill to destroy the most successful companies.
Read moreArtificial Intelligence
11-30-2011 Hits:12843 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
There is nothing new under the sun, until computers become smarter than the smartest person.
Read moreThe Growing Spectacle of Job Lotteries
11-30-2011 Hits:9543 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
A new take on the growing commodification of labor.
Read moreUnderstanding Tax Clients
06-05-2012 Hits:6540 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The primary cliché of our profession of taxes and accounting is that every client is different.
Read moreMaking Business Succeed, Part One: Winning at Retail
06-26-2013 Hits:6888 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
What you don't know may put you out of business.
Read moreMaking Business Succeed, Part Two: Fresh Thinking For Farmers
07-23-2013 Hits:6180 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
There are many reasons for having faith in a seed.
Read moreMaking Business Succeed, Part Three: Succeeding with Services
09-05-2013 Hits:9971 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Your journey to success will have many twists and turns. Here are important insights to guide you to success with your service business.
Read moreMaking Business Succeed, Part Four: Victory for Vacationland
09-26-2013 Hits:6643 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Tourism and related businesses dominate the economy of Vacationland.
Read moreFive Key Facts of Life for Non‐Profits
08-14-2013 Hits:7777 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
You may be the last line of defense for your non-profit organization.
Read moreCLOUDY, WITH A CHANCE OF PAIN
07-30-2014 Hits:7390 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
The truth about cloud-based accounting and the dangers of bundling.
Read moreTAX RETURN FRAUD IS RAMPANT
04-26-2015 Hits:5246 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
According to a January 2015 news release from the IRS, for the period 2011 – 2014 the tax agency stopped 19 million suspicious tax returns and prevented the issuance of approximately $63 billion in phony refunds.
Read moreGEORGE'S POWER BREAKFAST
01-17-2016 Hits:8822 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Business owners are the nucleus of their business, the center upon which everything else depends. It is frequently the case that business owners simply can't afford to get sick. Healthy food is the best preventative medicine of all.
Read moreGHOST ASSETS
10-26-2016 Hits:4164 Business Issue Analysis George Adams
Are You Being Haunted By Them? If You Are It’s Costing You Money
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