April 1, 2026 - Volume 25, No. 4

AI for Small Business: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claudio can provide meaningful assistance to businesses. They can help with customer relations, employee productivity, research, insight and ideas, and more. Constant Contact’s Small Biz Now found that 54% of small business owners are already using AI marketing tools and 27% plan to do so in 2026. But there are traps that are becoming apparent... Read More

Why Owner Health Matters: 10 Practical Tips for Business Owners

There’s an English proverb: Health is better than wealth. For small business owners, wealth is difficult to achieve without health. A small business owner’s health is critical to the success of the business. For small businesses, there aren’t departments or lots of employees to handle the various aspects of conducting business. Read More

Navigating Worker Classification: The Confusion Continues

The determination of whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor has wide-ranging ramifications for both the company for which work is being performed and the person doing it. The matter of worker classification is ongoing because there is no single definition that can be relied upon. Read More

Q1 Wrap-Up: 4 Things Smart Business Owners Do Now

March 31, 2026, marked the end of the first quarter of 2026. This is a propitious time to attend to certain matters that ensure the health and growth of your business. These things should be done at the close of each quarter of the year. Start now that Q1 has ended. Read More

New Bonus Depreciation Rules for Equipment and Production Property

Bonus depreciation is a first-year write-off for the cost of eligible property that’s used instead of depreciating the cost over a number of years. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made changes to bonus depreciation for equipment and introduced bonus depreciation for certain realty. Read More

Life Without Pennies: The New Rules for Your Business

The penny was one of the first coins of the federal government authorized under the Coinage Act of 1792 and minted in 1793. The penny ceased to be minted in 2025 (the last order of penny blanks was placed in May 2025, with minting completed in November). Today, there are penny shortages (even though the average life of a penny is 30 years). Read More

Price Increases: Should You Make the Move Now?

According to one survey, 48% of small businesses plan to raise their prices within the next 6 months. Are you in this group? Should you be? The following is an update from a blog that was posted here a number of years ago and reflects changes in the economy, inflation, tariffs, taxes, and other factors that are impacting small businesses today. Read More

The Unseen Spring Cleaning that Boosts Your Bottom Line

The idea of Spring cleaning brings to mind dusting office furniture and dumping piles of papers that’s been accumulating. But this time of year is an opportunity to tackle some tasks that involve your mind and not physical activity. These intangibles are vital to your bottom line. Here are half a dozen tasks to consider now: Read More

Women-Owned Businesses in 2026: What the Data Reveals

March was Women's History Month and a good time to examine women-owned businesses. The 2026 Report of The Impact of Women-Owned Businesses, which looked at businesses through 2025, shows that “women-owned businesses play an increasingly vital role in shaping the American business landscape and driving the economy.” Read More

100 Best Small Business Blogs to Follow in 2026

Honored that my blog is included in this best Small Business list of blogs

(Based on multiple factors, including content relevancy, subject expertise, posting frequency, and freshness of content)

Our Featured Guest Blog

Would you like to have your blog featured?

Click here to learn how you can become a guest blogger.

How Small Businesses Can Compete with Big Players Using Same-Day Delivery

by Jack Shaw

E-commerce giants have fundamentally changed customer expectations. Fast — and even same-day — delivery is now a new standard rather than a luxury. For small businesses, this adds competitive pressure. Many clients now weigh shipping speed in their purchasing decisions, and failing to meet these expectations can mean losing business to faster rivals. Fortunately, their local presence helps level the playing field. Read More

A New eBook Arrives in Time for Your Tax Return Deadline!

Small Business Owner's Guide to Tax Terms, Acronyms, and More

This book is designed as a reference guide to help small business owners understand terms, acronyms, and initialisms you may encounter so that you make more informed business decisions and converse more effectively with your tax professional and other advisers. Created to help you manage your small business in the world of tax, laws, and government compliance.

Get your copy today on Amazon!

Child-Related Tax Relief and Support for Small Business Owners and Employees

Raising kids is financially challenging. For dual-working families, the cost of childcare adds another burden averaging more than $1,200 per month. The Working Family Tax Cuts Act of 2025 (the One Big Beautiful Bill) contains numerous tax breaks to help parents keep more of their earnings.

Read the entire article on SBE Council

Two Key Regulatory Developments Favorable to Small Businesses

The number and scope of federal regulations in recent years have made it more difficult for small businesses to function.

The history of how we arrived at the current status of these rules is twisted for sure, but current actions have provided some clarity and relief for small businesses.

Read the entire article on SBE Council