CrowdFundInsider just posted an article on a new Fintech Startup – Lemonade. You should check the article out here I’ll start by answering a basic question: (By the way – the photo is one I took last year from Central Park – my limited experience with New York.) What is Fintech? According to FinTech Weekly:Continue reading “Why Startup Fintech Company “Lemonade” is so Intriguing.”
Category Archives: startups
Grand Rapids’ Businesses: Lessons from a Recent West Michigan Court Case- Read Those Terms and Conditions.
Business owner – let’s say you just signed a purchase order and agreed to buy some product for your business. The product is not what you expected. In fact, its not going to help you in your business at all. You don’t pay for it. You get sued. You take the contract to your lawyerContinue reading “Grand Rapids’ Businesses: Lessons from a Recent West Michigan Court Case- Read Those Terms and Conditions.”
Business Owners: Think Before you Sign. Recent Court Case Shows Why the Language in Your Contracts Matter.
Here’s to warmer weather! I’ve previously written about the importance of understanding the contracts you sign. I just read a recent Court of Appeals decision that provides a great illustration for business owners to give pause before signing a contract on the dotted line. Check out the case of Solis v Kroger and The Greener Side.Continue reading “Business Owners: Think Before you Sign. Recent Court Case Shows Why the Language in Your Contracts Matter.”
Celebrating Entrepreneurs: National Startup Day
Yesterday August 4 was the 4th Annual National Startup Day Across America. According to the website, National Startup Day Across America was created to: “raise awareness of startup activity and job creation and help catalyze support for your local entrepreneurial community. On the importance of startups in the U.S.: “Startup companies act as entrepreneurial leaders, innovators, and jobContinue reading “Celebrating Entrepreneurs: National Startup Day”
Community Development: The Tension Between Real Estate Entrepreneurship and Keeping Families In Affordable Housing.
This morning I read a MIBiz article by Nick Manes titled: “Hungry investors seek Grand Rapids housing deals, rankling longtime residents” The article does a good job of addressing the “tension” that I wrote about in a previous post. New investment in downtown Grand Rapids is exciting. But, as Nick Manes puts it, the flip-side ofContinue reading “Community Development: The Tension Between Real Estate Entrepreneurship and Keeping Families In Affordable Housing.”
Another West Michigan Business becomes a Certified B Corp
Happy Friday! Yesterday MIBiz reported on the latest West Michigan Business to obtain B -Corp Certification The Highland Group becomes certified B Corp. I’ve previously posted on West Michigan’s Thriving Culture of Social Entrepreneurship in Michigan, the biggest concentration of the B-Corp businesses are in the Grand Rapids area, where there are 11 — twice as manyContinue reading “Another West Michigan Business becomes a Certified B Corp”
Lesson for Businesses: “Words Matter.” Court of Appeals Reverses in favor of Bank of America.
Words Matter. Contracts are about risk allocation. In a transaction, who bears what risk? Back in April I posted on a recent Supreme Court case – Bank of America v First American Title, et. al. If you recall, that case involved allegations of mortgage fraud perpetrated against BOA to the tune of millions of dollars. AboutContinue reading “Lesson for Businesses: “Words Matter.” Court of Appeals Reverses in favor of Bank of America.”
West Michigan and its Thriving Culture of Social Entrepreneurship
Today I read an article by MLIVE titled “Michigan Companies could act like non-profits under proposed law” commenting on Michigan’s new Benefit Corporation Legislation – I posted about the new BCorp Legislation a week ago Something caught my attention in this article: in Michigan, the biggest concentration of the B-Corp businesses are in the Grand RapidsContinue reading “West Michigan and its Thriving Culture of Social Entrepreneurship”
B-Corporations and the Rise of Social Entrepreneurship
A few months back I sat on a panel to discuss Non-Profit Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship. You can check out the video here. I was asked to provide some comments on B Corps – or Benefit Corporations. To cover some basics – B-Corps have a dual purpose – To create profit and “create aContinue reading “B-Corporations and the Rise of Social Entrepreneurship”
Startups – Don’t Make this Mistake!
Happy Friday! A few months back I wrote a post titled Business Startups: Don’t make these mistakes. I discussed a recent case that highlighted mistakes that business startups can make – including, shutting down a business, then starting a new one just to avoid debts/creditors. Generally speaking, that doesn’t work! A May 3rd Cour of appealsContinue reading “Startups – Don’t Make this Mistake!”
Purpose Driven General Counsel 