Economic revival is giving some company owners hope that it may finally be a good time to sell their business. But without an exit strategy or some advance planning, those owners may be in for some sticker shock.

About four decades ago, Bob Clark and his brother Don began to work as weekend janitors for Clark Pacific. As young teens, they would tag along with Dad to work and earn a buck. Today, they are co-presidents of that same company, responsible for more than 500 employees and $75 million in annual revenue.

Chris Forsyth has a ritual: every time he finishes working on a campaign, he treats himself to a new tattoo. Having worked in the state Capitol for nearly 20 years, the heavily painted chief of staff to Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose) estimates that about 15 percent of state lawmakers have at least one tattoo.

Back in 1985, Margaret Wong saw potential in China’s booming economy and took her Sacramento-based lighting company, McWong International Inc., overseas.

As demand increases for U.S. products in China, government leaders in the Capital Region and across the country are making a push to foster connections between small, local businesses and the world’s fastest growing consumer market.

Even a half-hearted glance at the headlines would suggest that these are hardly the glory days for the nation’s law schools.

Terry Green was sitting at home a few years ago when his cell phone rang.

Would his company be interested in doing some projects in China?

I’ve long believed that just about the worst way to begin a workweek is scheduling an in-office staff meeting. Employees start dreading it by mid-day Sunday. The gatherings usually get off to a late start, drag on and are deemed worthless by most participants.

Enter the breakfast meeting.

Instead of sitting down to watch White Christmas or another streaming movie or TV show, Netflix online video users huddled around their television on Christmas Eve were greeted with an unfortunate message: the online content was unavailable.

A few years ago, Troy Underwood noticed a problem with one of his accountants. The man’s work performance and personal appearance had deteriorated, he talked constantly on the phone with his children and agonized about his domestic life.