The season of giving is just around the corner!   Additionally, your company may be inclined to donate to the recent Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.  Have you planned accordingly?  If not, the spirit of giving can end up hitting you were it hurts... your bottom line !  Below are some tips to considering for charitable giving.  Set an Annual Charitable Giving Budget  When preparing a budget for the year, set aside funds for charitable giving.   If you participate in the same charities and fund-raising events annually, then allocate funds to those from the start.   Be sure to leave some room for unforeseen giving opportunities such as disaster relief funds, an employee’s hardship, or client requests.   Keep in mind, there is always time that you can give as well.   Organize a service day amongst your staff and volunteer with a local charity.   Evaluate Charities It can often be difficult to sift through the millions o...

As crazy as it is to believe, we are nearing the end of 2017.  Seriously... we are half way through August!!!  That means we have football season and holidays nearing!  The most wonderful times of the year in my opinion... however...with that comes the logistical nightmare that is planning special events such as tailgate parties and holiday parties. Now is the time to start planning (if you haven't already)!  Here are a few tips from someone who has been organizing events for nearly 10 years: Book early.   Venues book up quickly for end of the year parties.  If you do not already have a venue scheduled, start looking and making calls.  Your date may need to be flexible, so pick a few dates that will work for you, and check the options.  Work Backwards.  In order to get a timeline together, you need to work backwards from the date of the event.  As an example, here's just one piece of the event planning pie... invitations... How f...