I thought I had seen everything and then this crazy story comes along. According to the New York Times a man is suing the photographer that shot his 2003 wedding for not only the cost of the service but for the money he says is required to re-create the entire wedding including flying in all of the guests! Interestingly, the marriage is long since over and the former bride has returned to Latvia. To read the rest of this story click here.

In her remarks, the judge make humorous remarks and recalls passages from Barbra Streisand’s song, “The Way We Were” to make light of the situation. The problem is, there is nothing funny or light about this mess.

Way too many business owners are regularly held hostage by unbelievably stupid lawsuits. Lawyers paid on commission (or contingency) can basically extort money from a business by simply beating them down. While the plaintiff’s lawyer is waiting for his commission check at the end of the fight, the defendant is paying out of pocket to deal with the law suit. Great for lawyers but terrible for business owners.  After a while, most defendants just throw up their hands and pay the jerks to go away.

If it sounds like this makes me grouchy, you’re right. I hear the horror stories that business owners tell us. It is why they come to Laughlin Associates. They never want to go through such a nightmare again.

Do yourself a favor folks and get your house in order. Stop these stupid lawsuits before they start. Don’t be an easy target. It’s totally up to you.

Recently our company CEO, Aaron Young, was interviewed by motivational speaker and business leader, Les Brown on KFWB’s News Talk 980 aired on CBS’ Los Angeles radio syndicate. This was a huge honor and a phenomenal opportunity for any business owner to speak with such a inspirational individual like Les Brown.

The interview discusses how Aaron came into entrepreneurship and how he eventually came to own the incorporation services provider, Laughlin Associates. Listen to Aaron and Les and they discuss the road to true success and how finding real happiness as a business owner is not just about the destination, but more importantly, the journey.

Click the microphone to listen to the interview now!

The CEO of Laughlin Associates, leader in small business incorporation services and seminars for small business, Aaron Young was on hand for the launch event of the An Empowered Woman Foundation on September 11, 2011.

Laughlin served as sponsor of the “Do I Feel Lucky” scholarship that was awarded to Bridgette Shemone, a Northern California actress and entrepreneur.

The event took place on the largest yacht in Marina Del Rey, CA. Among the guests and participants were financial guru, Loral Langemeier, Radio Personality and author, Les Brown, and CEO Space California President, Chimene Holmes.

The An Empowered Woman Foundation (AEWF) was organized to assist women striving to start a business but are in need of resources including mentoring and funding. Each year the foundation will sponsor 100 aspiring entrepreneurs and help them on their path to business development.

The scholarship winner, Shemone, accepted her winnings and promptly returned that amount back to the AEWF to help future female entrepreneurs achieve success and reach their dreams.

Desiree Doubrox, the CEO of An Empowered Woman, enthusiastically declared, “Now that’s what I call ‘An Empowered Woman!’” when asked about Shemone’s donation of her scholarship funds.

The AEWF mission is to annually support 100 women in launching a sustainable business that would positively impact their families and communities. This mission is supported and actualized by companies like Laughlin Associates that are contributing education and resources to assist such female entrepreneurs. For more information visit www.AEWFoundation.org.

 Laughlin Associates offers small business incorporation services in all 50 states, seminars for small business, advice for entrepreneurs on choosing an LLC vs. a Corporation, consultations on how to properly protect your assets, and Nevada resident agent service.

*Thank you to Ian Foxx of Foxx Media Group for the photos from this event.

One of the great pleasures of my job is getting to meet fascinating people who are doing fascinating things and to listen to their stories. I love it when those stories include efforts to help of small businesses succeed. One such company that is making a difference is An Empowered Woman (AEW). They have recently set-up a foundation specifically aimed at helping women who want to launch a company but may have challenges that make it especially difficult.  

I had the privilege of visiting with the Desiree Doubrox, CEO of An Empowered Woman, yesterday in anticipation of their “Dream Catcher” event that will serve as the official launch of the foundation (and in which Laughlin Associates will participate). The work that  AEW does to help women fulfill their dreams of owning their own business is truly remarkable. I encourage you to take a look at their web site (www.anempoweredwoman.com) and let women everywhere know about this terrific resource.

Click on the microphone to listen to the interview.

A few days ago our CEO, Aaron Young, had a great opportunity to speak with fellow entrepreneur and business owner, Pat Lynch, of WomensRadio.com. Pat is the host of “Speak Up,” a radio show that hosts a wide range of speakers and topics, providing insight into today’s economic issues, business leadership techniques, and how to better manage your business ventures.

Aaron and Pat spoke on a number of topics during the interview, but most importantly the value of incorporating your business as a small business owner. In today’s economic climate, it is more important than ever to protect yourself, your assets, and the mounting liabilities that today’s small businesses face.

Learn more by listening to the interview here.

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