Darden FY2027 Q1 Earnings: The $3.2B Quarter Where LongHorn Carried Olive Garden
Darden's Q1 FY2027 sales rose 5.1% to $3.2B as LongHorn comped 6.2% and Olive Garden 1.1%; adjusted EPS grew 4.1% while buybacks ran on short-term debt.
Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
Can You Run a Credit Check on Job Applicants? State Bans and FCRA Rules for Small Employers
Eleven US states now bar most employer credit checks. Where they stay legal, the FCRA requires written disclosure, consent and adverse action notices.
Hiring a Fractional CMO: What $3,000–$15,000 a Month Actually Buys Your Small Business
A fractional CMO costs $3,000–$15,000 a month versus $275,000+ for full-time — here is what each pricing tier buys and the red flags to avoid.
Gala Tickets, Charity Auctions, Raffles: Which Fundraiser Payments Are Tax-Deductible?
IRS rules: deduct only what a gala ticket or auction bid exceeds fair market value; raffle and 50/50 tickets are never deductible, even for charity.
Grant Writer Bookkeeping: Pricing, Ethics, and 1099 Rules for Freelancers Who Serve Nonprofits
Grant writers can't take contingency fees under GPA ethics or 2 CFR 200.442. Bill hourly, flat or retainer, book deposits as liabilities, and track IRS 1099s.
Your Holiday Sales Are Coming Back in January: A Small Seller's Guide to Budgeting E-Commerce Returns
About 17% of holiday e-commerce sales come back, at $20–$30 per return to process — reserve cash in November, accrue the liability in December.
IRS Notice CP136: How the Lookback Period Sets Your 2027 Payroll Deposit Schedule
IRS Notice CP136 sets your 2027 payroll deposit schedule: over $50,000 of Form 941 tax from July 2025–June 2026 makes you a semiweekly depositor.
Kazakhstan's 2026 Tax Overhaul: The VAT Hike, the Simplified-Regime Squeeze, and the Deduction Ban
Kazakhstan's 2026 Tax Code lifts VAT from 12% to 16%, halves the registration threshold and bars deducting payments to simplified-regime suppliers.
KB Home FY2026 Q3: $1.30B Revenue and a Backlog Growing Again
KB Home's FY2026 Q3 revenue fell 20% to $1.30B and net income 41% to $65.3M, yet housing margin rose to 16.5% and backlog grew for the first time in four years.
Leasing Your Land to Hunters: Lease Terms, Liability Protection, and Pricing
Hunting leases now pay $8–$50+ per acre a year, but charging for access can void your recreational-use liability shield — write the lease, require insurance.
Letting Employees Donate PTO to a Coworker in Crisis: How Leave-Sharing Plans Work
Donated PTO is taxed to the donor unless it flows through an IRS-qualified leave bank for a medical emergency or declared disaster — here's how to build one.
Meal Kit and Perishable Subscription Box Bookkeeping: FEFO Costing, Spoilage, and Deferred Revenue
Cost perishables first-expired-first-out, book spoilage as its own line, and hold prepaid box revenue as deferred until it ships — or per-box margin lies.