News & editorial
From the editorial desk
Market news, buyer's guides and plain explanations of how the Awards work, plus profiles of past winners. The editorial desk dates and publishes every piece.
Holiday Demand Forecasting: A Simple Plan for Inventory
Holiday demand forecasting for small sellers: use last year's sales, lead times and a safety stock buffer to order for peak weeks. A worked example.
Patch Management: Keeping Business Software Updated
Patch management means keeping business software updated. A simple routine: list your software, test updates, set a schedule and plan for urgent fixes.
Accountable Plan Reimbursements: Tax Rules for Expenses
Accountable plan reimbursements stay out of taxable wages when they pass three tests. Learn the tests, the 60-day and 120-day rules, and the records to keep.
Employment Background Checks: FCRA Steps for Employers
Employment background checks come with federal rules. Learn the FCRA disclosure, consent and adverse action steps employers must follow, in plain words.
No tax on tips deduction: what employers must report
The no tax on tips deduction lets workers deduct up to $25,000. Here is what employers must report on Form W-2 and information returns.
Commercial Property Insurance: What a Policy Covers
Commercial property insurance covers buildings, contents and equipment against listed perils. Learn what is excluded, including flood, and how payouts are set.
Business Valuation Methods: How Buyers Price a Company
Business valuation methods explained: the asset, income and market approaches, and which one fits when a small company is sold.
LLC Annual Report: How States Handle Yearly Filings
An LLC annual report is a yearly or two-year filing most states require. See what it asks for, how fees and deadlines differ, and what late filing risks.
Business Bank Account: How to Open One and What to Bring
A business bank account keeps company money apart from yours. Learn which documents banks ask for, which account types exist and how to choose one.
1099 Reporting Threshold: What Changes for Payments After 2025
The 1099 reporting threshold for contractor payments rises from $600 to $2,000 for payments made after 2025. Here is what that means and what to do now.
Charitable Contributions Deduction: Rules for Businesses
The charitable contributions deduction differs for sole proprietors, partners and C corporations. See the limits, the 2026 floor and the receipts to keep.
Employee Onboarding Checklist: A First 90 Days Plan
An employee onboarding checklist for a new hire's first 90 days: paperwork deadlines, training, check-ins and goals, in plain steps.
De Minimis Import Rule: What Ended for Small Shipments
The de minimis import rule let small U.S. shipments skip duty. A July 30, 2025 order ends that on Aug 29. Here is what changed and what sellers should check.
Qualified Small Business Stock: How Section 1202 Works
Qualified small business stock can let you skip federal tax on stock gains. Learn the holding periods, caps and rules, and what the July 4, 2025 law changed.
Commercial Lease Negotiation: Terms Tenants Should Check
Commercial lease negotiation checklist for tenants: rent, triple net charges, term and renewal, build-outs, guarantees, subleases and exit clauses.
REAL ID Business Travel: What Employers Should Plan For
REAL ID business travel rules took effect May 7, 2025. See what staff need at airports and federal sites, and which other IDs work.
IRS audit small business: what tends to trigger one
IRS audit small business owners: what the IRS says prompts an exam, the three audit types, and how to keep records ready.
S Corporation Election: How to File Form 2553 on Time
S corporation election made simple: the 2 months and 15 days deadline for Form 2553, who is eligible, and how late election relief works.
SBA 504 Loan: How Owners Finance Property and Equipment
An SBA 504 loan splits project costs between a bank, a nonprofit CDC and the owner. Learn what it buys, who qualifies and how the pieces fit.
Standard Mileage Rate: How to Claim Business Driving
The standard mileage rate for 2025 is 70 cents per mile. Learn how to claim it, what log to keep and when actual expenses may be better.
Fixed Asset Register: How to Track Business Equipment
A fixed asset register is a list of the equipment your business owns. Learn what to record, how it ties to depreciation, and how to check it each year.
Retail Shrink Prevention: Cutting Theft and Counting Errors
Retail shrink prevention checklist for small shops: find where inventory goes missing, from theft to receiving errors, and fix it step by step.
Payroll Tax Deposits: Monthly vs Semiweekly Schedules
Payroll tax deposits follow a monthly or semiweekly schedule set by a lookback period. Learn how the IRS picks yours and what late deposits cost.
Safe Harbor 401(k): How Small Employers Skip Testing
A safe harbor 401(k) lets a small employer skip yearly nondiscrimination tests. Learn the contribution choices, notice rules and deadlines.
Business Credit Cards: How to Compare Fees and Rewards
Business credit cards differ from personal cards. Learn how to compare annual fees, APR, rewards and liability terms side by side before you apply.
SBA Size Standards: How Small Is Small for Contracts
SBA size standards decide if a business counts as small for federal contracts. Learn how NAICS codes, receipts and employee counts set the line.
Commercial Auto Insurance: When a Business Needs a Policy
Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles used for work. Learn when a personal policy falls short and how to decide on a business policy.
Child Labor Rules: Summer Jobs for Teen Workers
Child labor rules for teen summer hires: age limits, hours limits and banned tasks under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, in plain steps.
Business Tax Extension: How to File Form 7004
A business tax extension gives most companies six more months to file, not to pay. Learn how Form 7004 works, which returns it covers, and what it costs.
E-Verify: How Employers Check Work Eligibility
E-Verify is a free online system that checks work eligibility. Learn how it works, who must use it, and how it differs from Form I-9.
Corporate Transparency Act: Who Must File a BOI Report
The corporate transparency act makes many small companies report their owners to FinCEN. See who must file, who is exempt, and the deadlines.
Form 1099-K: Threshold Rules for Online Sellers
Form 1099-K explained: the IRS delayed the $600 rule for 2023, plans $5,000 for 2024, and what online sellers should keep. Published January 14, 2024.
State Minimum Wage Increases: A Planning Guide
State minimum wage increases take effect January 1 in many states. Learn how they work and a simple payroll checklist for employers, with official sources.
DoD SkillBridge: How Employers Host Service Members
DoD SkillBridge lets service members train with civilian employers in their last 180 days of service. Here is how employers host them and join the program.
Section 174 research expenses: the 5 year amortization rule
Section 174 research expenses must now be spread over five years. See which software and research costs count, how the midpoint rule works, and what to track.
Grants.gov: How to Find and Apply for Federal Grants
Grants.gov is the federal site for finding grants. Learn who can apply, what to register first, and the steps to submit, as of September 2023.