Stacker-Small Business

By Mary Beth Eastman for ERGO NEXT Data from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2025 Business Impact Report found that 81% of small businesses surveyed reported a security breach, a data breach, or both in the last year. Cyber liability insurance could help protect small businesses from some of the costs of data breaches,

By Shannah Pittman for Rocket Lawyer On July 14, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent rather than having most of the country return to standard time each fall. If this policy does become the new standard, winter sunrise and sunset will both occur

By Caroline Price for Toast It’s 11:40 a.m., and the invoices from the morning delivery are still stacked by the pass. Two servers have asked to swap shifts, and the pre-shift meeting notes are half-written on a check pad. You have a cook waiting on the prep list, a driver knocking at the back dock,

By Katharina Reekmans, EA for Intuit TurboTax The home office tax deduction allows qualified taxpayers to write off certain home expenses related to the business use of their home when they file their taxes. Qualifying for a home office deduction depends on things like whether you are a remote or self-employed worker, whether you use

By Elliot Gajadhar for 1-800Accountant The typical annual revenue for an independent business is near $19,200 at the midpoint of 31 industries, closer to supplemental income than to a full salary, data from 1-800Accountant’s 1099 Earnings Report shows. That describes the situation for a lot of Americans: About 1 in 3 report having a side hustle, according

By Karen Guglielmo for Simply Business Setting up a small business is exciting, but it can also be a huge effort. The owners have to take into account a number of external factors, for example, economic pressures, labor shortages, and changing regulations. A small business may close permanently if it cannot keep up with consumer

A small business owner has a decision to make. Overtime has climbed for the third month in a row, and the team is stretched. Adding another employee could ease the workload, but it also means adding to payroll at a time when cash flow needs to be watched closely. It’s tempting to look at the

There is a lot of AI in the retail industry. From writing product descriptions, to creating marketing, helping with customer service, forecasting sales, displaying products, etc. While all these are great, what can AI actually help a retailer with? If you have a current POS system, you’re already halfway there. Data is created with each

When the holiday season arrives, corporate gifting can oftentimes feel impersonal: a basic water bottle with the company logo splashed on it or the twisty pen that sometimes works. What many folks in HR don’t know is that intentional gifting is the most overlooked retention tool in businesses. Here’s why. According to a Holiday gifting

The annual holiday shopping season typically gives retailers an opportunity to increase sales. Or for some businesses, earn the majority of their annual revenue. But the end-of-year shopping months also come with more risks for any business, including crowded stores, increased deliveries, technology bottlenecks and small teams stretched thin. Is your retail business or online

It’s mid-October. Holiday orders are in with a dozen suppliers, each with different payment terms. The first invoices are arriving, with more in November, but most of the holiday revenue won’t come in until December. That’s an accounts payable squeeze: You owe suppliers for goods that haven’t sold yet. For most retailers, that means inventory

Many businesses are approaching automation exactly like most people approach a new hobby: a lot of enthusiasm but shaky planning. And it’s happening at scale. The majority of SMBs (76%) have adopted some form of automation, ranging from simple rule-based workflows (38%) to AI that makes decisions across multiple systems with limited human input (30%). Unlike hobbies,

A customer opens your returns page. The jacket didn’t fit. They’re disappointed, a little impatient, and one bad experience away from never buying from you again. What happens next could determine whether they become a repeat customer—or move on to a competitor. That’s because a return isn’t just the end of a sale. It’s another

Choosing the right domain name sets the tone for your website. It’s your web address, your first impression and a key part of your brand. A good domain should be easy to remember, reflect your business and help people find you online. “Changing domains down the road can be costly and confusing, so it pays

With data from more than 200,000 active accounts, Bluevine has a unique view into small-business momentum across America. Combining that proprietary perspective with government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and other sources, Bluevine ranked the 100 U.S. metros with the most Bluevine customers and identified the top 15 cities for small

The holiday rush can bring in more customers and work than your regular staff can handle. Seasonal employees can help you meet this demand, but that extra help comes with additional expenses, tasks and risks. If you’re hiring for the winter months, maximize your investment. ERGO NEXT looks at how to determine how much extra help you

For most small business owners, tax season does not start in April. It’s year-round, and doesn’t begin until the last weeks of December, when the window closes on many of the moves that shape what they will owe. That window matters more than many owners realize. In the 2026 Small Business Tax Confidence Report from 1-800Accountant, a

Have you ever driven past an empty lot one day, only to find a car wash the next time you pass it? It isn’t surprising, knowing that the car wash market size was estimated at $16.3 billion in 2025 by Grandview Research, and that number is just going to keep on climbing. It’s expected to reach $20.7

Choosing a domain name can feel like a small decision next to building a new product. But domain registration is an important part of starting a business. Yes, you can change your domain later, but doing so after you’ve already acquired an audience can create more work for your already-busy team and cause confusion among your