#small-business
Small Business
Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners
DOL Overtime Rule Reversal: What the $684 Salary Threshold Means for Small Employers
The DOL formally vacated the 2024 overtime rule on May 14, 2026, reverting the federal exempt salary threshold to $684/week ($35,568/year); small employers who reclassified staff in 2024 should re-check duties tests and state thresholds before undoing anything.
Driving School Bookkeeping: Deferred Revenue, Dual-Control Vehicles, and the 1099 Question
A $650 prepaid lesson package is a liability, not revenue, until the lessons are delivered. How driving schools handle deferred revenue, choose between Section 179 (up to $12,200 for light vehicles, $32,000 for 6,001–14,000 lb GVWR in 2026) and standard mileage on dual-control cars, classify instructors as 1099 or W-2 under the IRS three-factor test, budget for state surety bonds ($2,000–$50,000), and track the two KPIs — revenue per vehicle-hour ($70+ target) and instructor utilization (75–85%) — that predict margins.
E-Invoicing 2026 Mandates: A Guide for US Exporters and SaaS Sellers
Belgium requires structured B2B e-invoices via Peppol from January 1, 2026; France follows September 1, 2026; Poland's KSeF phases in February–April 2026; Germany mandates issuing in 2027–2028. What US exporters and SaaS sellers must do — required formats (UBL, Factur-X, XRechnung), network access, and penalties up to 100% of the invoice's VAT.
Earned Wage Access Laws by State: A 2026 Guide for Small Employers
A dozen states now have earned wage access laws as of 2026, and the CFPB reversed its own TILA guidance in December 2025 — employer-sponsored EWA tied to verified wages is currently the lower-risk path, while California classifies direct-to-consumer EWA as a loan outright.
E-Bike and Scooter Rental Fleet Bookkeeping: Depreciation, Unit Economics, and Breakeven
Rental e-bikes and scooters are fixed assets, not inventory — and useful life ranges from under two months for early shared scooters to 2–3+ years for reinforced fleet hardware. How micromobility operators should structure a chart of accounts that separates batteries, theft, and field-ops labor, calculate contribution per vehicle per day, book damage deposits as liabilities, and find breakeven on blended seasonal utilization rather than peak-week numbers.
E-Bike and Scooter Rental Fleet Bookkeeping: Depreciation, Per-Ride Economics, and the Path to Breakeven
A chart-of-accounts and depreciation framework for e-bike and scooter rental fleets, showing how to track vehicles by acquisition cohort, calculate gross margin per ride, and model a realistic path to breakeven by year three.
The Founder's Guide to ESOPs: Selling Your Business to Your Employees
How an ESOP lets founders exit on their own terms — 6,411 US ESOPs hold $2.1 trillion for 15.1 million employees. Covers Section 1042 capital gains deferral, the S-corp federal tax exemption, 2–4% deal costs, fiduciary and repurchase obligations, and which businesses actually fit the structure.
EV Charging Station Bookkeeping: The Real Math Behind Per-kWh Margins, Demand Charges, and Payback Period
Demand charges can account for 30–70% of a commercial electricity bill and add roughly $9,000 to a single month when six DC fast chargers peak simultaneously — yet most operators blend them into one utilities account. How to book charging revenue against per-kWh COGS, track the Section 30C credit that now sunsets June 30, 2026, and model realistic payback periods for Level 2 ($4,500–$12,000/port) and DC fast chargers ($90,000–$200,000/port).
Flight School Bookkeeping: Block-Time Deferred Revenue, Leasebacks, and CFI Classification
Flight schools should book prepaid block-time packages as deferred revenue, distinguish owned aircraft from leaseback and dry/wet-leased aircraft for depreciation purposes, classify CFIs correctly against IRS behavioral-control tests, and track revenue-per-aircraft-hour to know if the business is actually profitable.
The FTC Abandoned Its Noncompete Ban — What Small Employers Need to Know in 2026
The FTC formally withdrew its nationwide noncompete ban from the Code of Federal Regulations on February 12, 2026, and pivoted to case-by-case Section 5 enforcement — its April 2026 order against Rollins, Inc. covered more than 18,000 employees — while state law, from outright bans in California and Minnesota to salary thresholds in Washington and Colorado, remains the primary source of risk for small employers.
Getting Paid in Stablecoins: What the GENIUS Act Means for Small Business
The GENIUS Act, signed into law in July 2025, creates the first federal framework for payment stablecoins, and small businesses accepting them must record fair market value at receipt, track cost basis per transaction, and prepare for Form 1099-DA reporting starting with 2026 transactions.
Independent Flight School Bookkeeping (Part 141 and Part 61): Block-Time Deferred Revenue, Aircraft Leaseback and Dry/Wet Rental Accounting, Fuel Reserves, CFI Classification, and the KPIs That Matter
Flight schools are utilization businesses — track block-time deferred revenue per student, leaseback per tail, fuel and overhaul reserves per hour, CFI classification, and revenue per aircraft hour to clear break-even.