Baltimore's New Security Guard Wage Law: What It Means for Your Payroll and Books
Baltimore's ordinance sets a roughly $18/hour wage plus $5.50 benefits floor for security guards from January 1, 2028 — payroll taxes don't count toward it.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
Bounced Checks and NSF Fees: How to Book Returned Checks, Bank Charges, and Redeposits Without Double-Counting Revenue
A bounced check reverses the deposit and reopens the receivable — book the NSF fee as its own expense and apply the redeposit to the invoice, never to revenue.
Concentrated Stock Risk: When Your Business Is Most of Your Net Worth
About 70% of a business owner's wealth sits in the business; measure the ratio, then diversify with staged sales, Section 1202 QSBS, and outside accounts.
The Cost of Goods Manufactured Schedule: How Small Manufacturers Turn Raw Materials, Direct Labor, and Overhead Into a Real COGS Number
A COGM schedule turns raw materials, direct labor, and overhead into a real COGS — plus the WIP counts and Section 263A UNICAP limits that decide margin.
Customer Overpaid You? How to Handle Overpayments and Unapplied Cash Without Creating Ghost Revenue
An overpayment is a liability, not revenue. Book the excess as a customer credit, park unmatched cash in a clearing account, and escheat stale credits.
Daily Money Manager Bookkeeping: Retainers, Bill-Pay Trust Controls, and the Fiduciary Line
A daily money manager is not a fiduciary until formally appointed — price retainers deliberately, never commingle funds, and log every bill-pay.
Drone Mapping Business Bookkeeping: Part 107 Costs, Equipment Depreciation, and Per-Acre Pricing That Holds Margin
A $1,500 drone survey can net a few hundred dollars once US Part 107 fees, hull and payload insurance, and MACRS depreciation enter your per-acre math.
September 30 Is Coming: How Small Contractors Can Win a Share of the Federal Q4 Spending Sprint
Agencies obligate 30–40% of annual contract dollars in Q4, peaking in September — how a small firm gets SAM-ready and quotes fast enough to win a share.
Why the Gap Between Your Food Truck's Cash Drawer and POS Report Is an Auditor's Favorite Red Flag
IRS and state auditors start with the gap between your POS Z report and your drawer count. Log paid-outs, deposit intact, book the rest to Cash Over and Short.
Form W-4P in 2026: Stop Letting the Wrong Default Shrink Your Pension Check
Form W-4P defaults new pension payments to single status with no adjustments, not 10%. Check the Step 1 box to elect zero IRS withholding.
FRF for SMEs: The AICPA's Simpler Alternative to GAAP
FRF for SMEs is the AICPA's accrual framework for owner-managed firms: amortized goodwill, no VIE analysis, no ASC 842. Check loan covenants first.
Hop Farm Bookkeeping: Why Your $12,000-Per-Acre Trellis Depreciates Differently From the Bines
Hop yard buildout runs $12,000-$15,000 per acre, and the trellis depreciates as 7-year farm equipment while IRS Section 263A decides the plants.