The business environment of the last five years has been challenging to say the least. The Great Recession has sent many people and businesses into bankruptcy. Consumer confidence is down, spending is down, and many industries are in transition, the victims of changing technology and a softening market place. And yet there are some silver linings: the stock market is at an all-time high; many innovative companies are challenging established paradigms and attaining record profitability; the housing market and consumer spending are slowing bouncing back.…