
Family Policy
The Family Business Association of California is a lobbying firm founded to protect the interests of California family businesses in the state legislature, and to “fight against proposals which will add new regulations and costs to family businesses.”

Close to Home
Capital Region Family Business Center’s executive director on how family businesses can learn from one another
Since 2007, the nonprofit Capital Region Family Business Center has worked to help family-run businesses solve some of the unique challenges facing their companies. The organization recently took another step toward that goal by hiring Stella Premo as its first full-time, paid executive director. We talked to her about the ups and downs of running a family business.

Our Printer is Going Green(er)
Commerce Printing turns to solar power with plenty of downtown real estate — on their roof
Commerce Printing, located on 12th and C streets in Sacramento, has been printing Comstock’s magazine for roughly 16 years. As a business publication, we take pride in being the city’s only major magazine to be printed locally. But there’s another reason we’re proud of our long-standing relationship with the company: its commitment to environmentally sustainable practices.

No Such Thing as No Strings Attached
Watch out for well meaning family and friends when building a startup
Recently, within the context of being a co-founder and mentor at Roseville’s Glue Factory, an incubator for entrepreneurs willing to give back to the community in exchange for free workspace and guidance, I am often asked about the ins and outs of family and friends investing in a startup company.

Dilemma of the Month: Terminated for Breaking Company Policy
I was recently let go from a job due to accessing information on our system that I had been taught was allowed. HIPAA guidelines show no issue with getting this information because it was requested. I did break a policy (that I was unaware of), and the company did not wish to discuss the matter further.

The Hard Cell
Do stem-cell treatments for racehorses hold the key to healing human athletes?
Moore believes UC Davis could be the first institution in the country to have an approved clinical trial using banked stem cells in a young, athletic population.

Dilemma of the Month: Unrealistic Performance Goals
Is perfection really all that unreasonable of a request?
I was fired for not meeting 100 percent or higher of my performance goals. I feel these goals are unattainable. People are fired if they are at 99 percent. Is an employer allowed to set those types of goals?

Why Connecting with Strangers on Social Media May Not be Smart
Examine the pros and cons of connecting with people you don’t know online
Why should an ambitious person ever be more selective in their association? Because being indiscriminate with your connections can have consequences, too.

Knock it Off
How businesses deal with intellectual property in the internet age
Understanding the basics of intellectual property law is a good first step for business owners and the three most common protective measures include a trademark, a patent or a copyright.

What is California’s Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation?
Tasked with developing rules for medical marijuana production and sales
One of the biggest challenges facing California “pot czar” Lori Ajax in developing the first statewide regulations for medical marijuana might simply be getting folks to grasp what she and her team are and are not doing.