5 Signs Your Business is Growing Too Fast: Lessons from Bow Truss Coffee

Crain’s Chicago recently reported that Bow Truss coffee houses, a hip café, temporarily closed its doors. Among the public feuds between the founder on one side and the employees on the other, Bow Truss is a cautionary tale on growing too quickly.  By all accounts, Bow Truss opened 10…

How I Know Your Business “Marriage” Ain’t Gonna Make It

In the midst of providing Business “Marriage” Counseling to two or more business partners, there is a moment when I have to predict a course. See, there are only a couple of paths we can take. People who come to me to work on their intra-company relationships have usually…

7 Traits You Want to Find in a Business Partner

Much like a marriage, a business partnership is nothing to enter into lightly. Many possible perils await co-founders of a business when they haven’t carefully considered the pros and cons of such a relationship. Some of that includes considering the traits your business partner(s) brings to the table. As…

5 Legal Things that Can Kill Your Company

As a business leader, your job is not just to grow your company – it’s also to try to not kill it. And, there are an uncountable number of weapons and wars that can fell your business. Here are 5 ways legal trouble can kill your business and some…

Business “Marriage” Counseling

As a business lawyer, I sometimes get hired to perform a sort of marriage counseling for business partners. The goal is to preserve the business by coaxing the partners back together or gently breaking them apart.  I always know I can save the partnership when each partner asks the…