Blog

Flying Solo Is A No-No!

One of the most frequent reasons would-be entrepreneurs give for wanting to start a business is: “I want to be the master of my own destiny!” This desire for independence, and to a large extent for control, is a good thing. The motivation it provides is critical for the survival of the start-up during the

Gearing Up for St. Patrick’s Day!

If you haven’t heard, there’s a real Irish pub in Salisbury now and business has been brisk since opening the doors in December 2012. Located in the Clairmont Shopping Center on Route 13 just north of Salisbury University, co-owners Jeff Trivits and Scott Urban have created an atmosphere you might find in any good pub

​Will Obamacare Affect My Small Business?

As an insurance representative with 17+ years in the business, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been the most challenging and time consuming regulatory task I have faced. The law as approved March 23, 2010 has not significantly changed from its inception. The several thousands of pages of proposed guidance, transitional relief and

MCE Celebrates Black History Month

According to the US Census bureau, there are more than 1,000 businesses owned by African Americans located on the Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Most of these are “micro-businesses” being led by entrepreneurs. They are owned and operated by one person and he/she is the only employee.         They are truckers, DJ’s, real estate

What happened to my paycheck?

After receiving the first paycheck this year many employees had a moment of shock and awe. The immediate response was likely a desire to run to whoever processes payroll and demand to know why they had received a pay reduction. However, the decrease in take-home pay was not a result of a bad work ethic

Develop an effective performance appraisal process

Employees and employers often think of the performance appraisal as a once a year, one hour long (or less) meeting. However, the most effective program is one that is administered throughout the year and is a process rather than just a review. The performance appraisal process will be more effective if you understand its underlying purpose—to provide

Crisfield Clinic serving vital community need

MCE sits down with nurse practitioner Kerry Palakanis, DNP, FNP-BC, who has opened a health clinic in Crisfield to serve a chronically underserved community. Tell us about your background. Are you a local? How did you end up in Crisfield? I have been a nurse for over 28 years and a family nurse practitioner for

Three new businesses come to Eastern Shore thanks to business plan competitions

EASTON, MD – A recent Harvard Business Review blog described “action” as what differentiates an entrepreneur from an inventor. Three Maryland entrepreneurs were recently awarded a total of $35,000 to turn their innovations into business enterprises on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The startup cash and services were awarded through the inaugural Eastern Shore Business Plan Competition,

Year-End 2012 Tax Planning For Business

The wise taxpayer may have to consider more than one tax strategy as we come to the end of 2012. Running the numbers under two or more scenarios may be the necessary for a year filled with significant tax uncertainty. Much of the tax uncertainty is due to: Many popular business tax breaks that either