Gene Marks

One year into President Trump’s second term, Gene delivers a fast-paced playbook for leaders managing tariffs, sticky inflation, higher rates, labor shortages, and shifting regulations—while capitalizing on new opportunities. He shares practical tactics for protecting margins and cash flow, retaining and attracting talent, planning succession (“Silver Tsunami”), and leveraging AI and other technologies. Attendees leave with clear metrics to track the economy, policy watch-outs, financing and tax strategies, and real-world, industry-specific tech examples.

As President Trump marks one year into his second term, familiar challenges—tariffs, elevated costs, and ongoing labor shortages—persist, even as fresh opportunities and renewed momentum for business growth emerge. Ongoing regulatory changes continue to reshape the landscape, while tax reforms signal potential advantages for strategic, forward-thinking organizations. Higher interest rates are affecting financing and expansion, sticky inflation is pressuring margins, and our growing national debt is creating long-term challenges for the economy and for business leaders.

Meanwhile, AI continues its transformative role across industries, bringing both risks and unprecedented potential for efficiency and innovation. The “Silver Tsunami” is accelerating, making succession planning more critical than ever as experienced leaders transition to the next generation.

What are some of the smartest and most experienced business leaders doing to drive growth, sustainability, and profitability beyond 2026 amidst all of these challenges?

What changes are they making in their operations and cash management? How are they attracting and retaining talent?

What technologies are they investing in? How are they addressing both federal and local regulations that are impacting their businesses?

In this fast-paced, entertaining, and highly valuable session, Gene will share real-world, practical strategies and tactics that smart leaders are using to navigate an uncertain economy, a shifting and often divisive political climate, and the complexities of technological and workplace decisions—positioning their companies for sustained growth and success in the face of change.

After Gene’s presentation, audience members will be able to:

• Track the economy effectively using lesser known but impactful economic metrics based on real-life data;
• Stay informed on congressional initiatives that will directly affect your industry;
• Implement proven tactics to retain top employees and attract new talent, even during these times of tight labor;
• Leverage financing, market opportunities, and tax planning strategies to maximize profits and ensure sustainability;
• Apply the latest estate, wealth management, and succession planning strategies for long-term business success;
• Adapt to AI and emerging technologies with real world examples of industry-specific tools transforming workforce productivity.

You’ve read about ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Bard/Duet and other AI tools that will changing the way we work, both in the short and longer term. As a business leader you want to leverage this technology to increase both productivity and profits. So, what should you know now? Where should you be investing?

During this fast-moving, informative and entertaining presentation, Forbes Technology columnist and consultant Gene Marks will share his thoughts on the biggest technology and AI trends that will affect your business in the near and long term and help you make the right investment decisions.

Gene will cover the following topics:

• An overview of artificial intelligence, what it means and how it works
• A discussion of how ChatGPT and related systems can be used right now in your business
• The latest updates from Microsoft, Google, Apple and other big tech companies that will drive AI adoption in your business
• Advice for tightening up your company’s data to fully leverage automation tools and an update on the latest security tools and processes for protecting your data
• Examples of how your customer relationship management, financial and HR platforms will be utilizing AI in the near and long term
• Specific AI and other technologies for your industry to review and consider
• The latest reporting and financial automation tools to increase productivity internally

Whether you are looking to buy a business or sell your business, there are a number of steps you’ll need to take. Join CPA and journalist Gene Marks as he walks you through each step and hits on the biggest issues facing buyers and sellers in today’s current market.

During this presentation Gene will cover the following topics:

✓ A current M&A market review to understand popular locations, industries and hot buttons;

✓ A look at the most popular ways to value a business from asset valuation to income multipliers;

✓ Pros/cons of stock vs asset deals;

✓ Tax implications of M&A transactions for both buyer and seller;

✓ Who should be on your buying or selling team; ✓ A deep dive into all the documentation needed for a transaction;

✓ a review of buy/sell agreements that every business should have;

The average age of the U.S. small business owner is about 53 years old, which means that many will be looking to transition from business owner to retirement in the years to come.

But what’s the best strategy for you? What are the considerations for passing your business down to family members? What options do you have for selling your company? How should you best prepare your company — and your finances — to best take advantage of today’s tax and business laws?

Join certified public accountant Gene Marks for a fast paced, entertaining and informative discussion where you will better understand your best succession actions you should be taking that benefit yourself, your family and others connected to your business.

✓ How the 2017 tax reform will impact your business structuring and life insurance planning.

✓ The latest estate planning developments from the recent year that affect business owners like yourself.

✓ The key issues in transitioning a business to family members or key employees while providing for financial security.

✓ The most important retirement and estate tax considerations you should be taking into account to ensure that your income will be maximized for the years to come.

Currently a $1.5 trillion market, the cybercrime economy continues to grow. Is your business prepared with the security it needs to protect against a cyber-attack? In 2023, the workforce is more virtual than ever, making cybersecurity a priority for every business in the years to come.

Join nationally recognized journalist, best-selling author, and business owner Gene Marks CPA for a fast paced, entertaining and data filled presentation where he will share with you advice, lessons and actions to position your company for security in the years to come. During this lively presentation Gene will cover the following topics:

✓ A look at how cybersecurity has changed during the pandemic and why cyber-attacks are increasingly on the rise.

✓ The biggest and latest threats in 2023 that business owners are facing in this new hybrid, virtual world such as ransomware, phishing/ SMiShing, Internet of Things, and reputation implications.

✓ How business owners can protect themselves, their business, and employees through training, security software, password management, multifactor authentication, backups, VPN, managed services providers, and operating system upgrades.

✓ The importance of employee training: The biggest cause of data breaches and malware attacks is employee error. And the biggest reason why so many employees are making errors is because they’re not satisfactorily trained.

✓ The new and latest software technologies that your business can begin implementing and investing in today to ensure security for your entire business for the future.

✓ Workspace collaboration tools to migrate and manage all your business data in one secure place and more.

Managing cash flow continues to be one of the biggest issues small business owners face. Almost two thirds of small business owners are regularly stressed or have anxiety about cash flow concerns. In this economic downturn never has intelligent cash flow management been more important.

Join CPA and journalist Gene Marks who will discuss some of the latest trends, technologies, best practices and strategies that smart business managers are implementing to manage their cash flow and build reserves to see them through to future growth.

✓ Technologies and strategies to help you intelligently revisit and segment pricing, product lines and margins.

✓ The latest tactics for managing receivable payables and the most relevant financial metrics needed to navigate your business through a downturn. Also some thoughts on reducing your taxes before year end.

✓ The newest and innovative cloud based technologies that are helping companies of all sizes increase productivity and profits.

✓ Financing options and opportunities available from governments, nonprofits, private organizations and other lenders.