Neely’s close restaurants for makeover

Neely's Restaurants in Memphis closed on Friday (Oct. 5) for renovations.

Pat and Gina Neely, the owners of the Memphis locations on Jefferson and Mt. Moriah, decided to close the locations while the restaurants undergo renovations.

In a trust you can trust

If you think trusts are only for rich people, think again.

Generally speaking, a trust is simply an arrangement whereby one person agrees to hold property for the benefit of another. So, a trust is made to order if you are looking to reduce your assets/income or estate tax liabilities, avoid probate, or issue money to your beneficiaries in increments – instead of lump sums – in the event of your death.

‘Marketing Meets Microfinancing’

On Oct. 9, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: NYX), Accion and Yelp will bring the NYSE Big StartUp "Small Business Connections: Marketing Meets Microfinancing" nationwide workshop tour to Memphis.

The seventh stop on the Small Business Connections tour, the event will provide local small business owners with social media marketing know-how and access to capital. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at EmergeMemphis, 516 Tennessee St.

To roll or not to roll

It used to be common for employers to encourage (or require) departing employees to withdraw their money from the company's retirement plan. Like most employee benefits, an employer-sponsored retirement plan is typically an expense for the employer.

Now that the baby-boom generation has started reaching retirement age (at the rate of about 10,000 per day), some employers are encouraging departing employees to leave their retirement savings in the company plan.

Avoid the drama, get a will

The best way for a family to experience drama and foolishness is for a family member with any kind of assets to pass away without a will.

Some of the worst behavior is frequently exhibited during the time of a family member's death. One would never want to see such behavior, but unfortunately true colors come out during this time period.  So plan accordingly.

African-American consumers rate African-American media more ‘relevant’

WASHINGTON– Companies that fail to advertise with black media are missing an opportunity to effectively reach nearly 43 million African Americans whose $967 billion annual buying power is projected to exceed $1 trillion in three years, according to the new study released by Nielsen and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

Tax-averse? Try tax-efficient investments

Raising taxes is one of many ideas that have been proposed to help reduce mounting federal budget deficits. Yet some taxpayers are already facing the prospect of higher taxes as a result of health-reform legislation passed in 2009.

Power of attorney: a hedge against the ‘what ifs’

Though none of us like to think of the "what ifs" from a negative perspective, it serves us all well to be prepared in case of the worst happening.

A "power of attorney" (POA) is a legal document that gives another person the authority to act as your legal representative or agent either immediately or at some date in the future.

Surprise! It’s retirement time

In a 2012 survey, 50 percent of current retirees said they retired earlier than they had planned, up from 45 percent in 2011.

Many retirees reported reasons that were beyond their control, such as health problems or disability, company downsizing or closure, changes in the skills required for their jobs, or having to care for a spouse or family member.

4 ways to avoid paying for hotel Wi-Fi

While finalizing your travel arrangements, whether for business or pleasure, you want to make sure Wi-Fi is available at your hotel. Some hotels are able to offer Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel property, while others charge for connection in the room only. Why is that? Because many hotels make deals with media vendors to provide per-pay television programming inside your hotel room.

BIZ BITS: Methodist South welcomes new chief executive officer

Dr. James 'Jay' Robinson III was recently named chief executive officer at Methodist South Hospital.

"Jay's leadership style is a great fit with our culture and his career accomplishments are impressive," said Michael Ugwueke, SVP of Methodist North and South Hospitals. "Selecting him as CEO at South is exactly the right approach."

Another option for Internet crowd funding

With the passing of the JOBS Act of 2012, small businesses will have greater access to capital through Internet crowd funding. The basic concept is to raise money via an online funding portal through small contributions from a large number of people that wish to support the dreams and efforts of others.

Last week, we discussed two Internet crowd funding models – "All or Nothing" or "Keep it All." Another category includes raising funds for business ventures by either giving up some level of equity in the venture or by obtaining interest bearing loans.