When a company’s leadership engages in strategic planning, growing the business is typically at the top of the agenda. This is as it should be — ambition is part and parcel of being a successful business owner. What’s more, in many industries, failing to grow could leave the company at the mercy of competitors.

With electronic payments and in-app purchases becoming so much the norm, many midsize to large companies have grown accustomed to software-driven accounts receivable. But there are some smaller businesses that continue to soldier on with only partially automated payment systems….

The IRS recently announced that it’ll increase the standard mileage rate for qualified business driving for the second half of 2022. The adjustment reflects the soaring cost of gasoline this year. In fact, as of June 13, the nationwide average…

While many economic indicators remain strong, the U.S. economy is still giving business owners plenty to think about. The nation’s gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of 2022. Rising inflation is on everyone’s mind.

Common sense dictates that every company, no matter how small, should carry various forms of business insurance. But that doesn’t mean you should pay unnecessarily high premiums just to retain the coverage you need. Here are five ways to better control your insurance costs without sacrificing the quality of your policies:

Business owners, year end is officially here. It may even be over by the time you read this. (If so, Happy New Year!) In any case, the end of one year and the beginning of another is always an optimal time to look back on the preceding 12 calendar months and ask a deceptively simple question: How’d we do?

Have you ever received your tax return, only to be surprised by the end result? Have you ever said to yourself: “I wish I would have known that before the end of the year!” ? Here’s a guide on how plan ahead so your tax returns don’t catch you by surprise.

Commercial loans, particularly small business loans, have been in the news over the past year or so. The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been helpful to many companies, though fraught with administrative challenges.

Business owners are regularly urged to create and update their succession plans. And rightfully so — in the event of an ownership change, a solid succession plan can help prevent conflicts and preserve the legacy you’ve spent years or decades building.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released new guidance intended to expedite the forgiveness process for certain borrowers under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The simplified process generally is available for loans of $150,000 or less, which the SBA reports account for 93% of outstanding PPP loans. The guidance comes at a time when many borrowers are nearing a critical deadline regarding their applications for forgiveness.

Fun fact: A summer job may enable your teen to contribute to a Roth IRA.

Most business owners would likely agree that strategic planning is important. Yet many companies rarely engage in active measures to gather and discuss strategy. Sometimes strategic planning is tacked on to a meeting about something else; other times it occurs only at the annual company retreat when employees may feel out of their element and perhaps not be fully focused.

A critical deadline is approaching for many of the businesses that have received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created in March 2020 by the CARES Act. If these borrowers don’t take action before the deadline expires, their loans will become standard loans, and the borrowers could be responsible for repaying the full amount plus 1% interest before the maturity date. In addition, some borrowers could face audits.

No matter the size or shape of a business, one really can’t overstate the importance of sound accounts receivable policies and procedures. Without a strong and steady inflow of cash, even the most wildly successful company will likely stumble and could even collapse. If your collections aren’t as efficient as you’d like, consider these five ways to improve them.

Are you just starting your business? Maybe you received the notice that QuickBooks Desktop/Intuit payroll will be retired after this year and wondering what your options are. Do you currently have QuickBooks Desktop and are wishing you could have multiple people access the data from other than your computer?