Blog
Insights, analysis, and updates from the AI agent economy. Browse by tag.
California Just Legalized DTC Spirits Shipping: What AB 1246's One-Year Pilot Means for Craft Distillers
AB 1246 creates a Jan 1 2026–Jan 1 2027 pilot letting qualifying craft distillers ship spirits direct to California consumers — permits, limits, and bookkeeping.
Business Email Compromise Cost Small Businesses Over $3 Billion Last Year: The Payment-Verification Controls the FBI Says Actually Stop Wire Fraud
The FBI attributes over $3 billion in losses to business email compromise. Learn how BEC wire fraud works — vendor impersonation, CEO fraud, payroll diversion — and the verification controls that stop payments before they leave.
Building Business Credit in 2026: How Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax Scores Actually Work, and What the SBA's SBSS Sunset Means for Your Next Loan
Business credit is not one score but three bureaus plus FICO SBSS. Learn how PAYDEX, Intelliscore Plus, and Equifax Risk scores work, why the SBA sunset the mandatory SBSS for 7(a) small loans on March 1, 2026, and how to build all three profiles before you apply.
77% Say It's Worth It, But 27% Burn Out: What Bluevine's 2026 Small Business Report Shows
Bluevine's 2026 BOSS Report: 77% say ownership met or exceeded expectations but 27% report higher-than-expected burnout and 77% made sacrifices — cash-flow lessons.
Axe Throwing Business Statistics in 2026: What $329 Million in Revenue Says About Profitability
$329M in U.S. axe throwing revenue, 1.4% growth, corporate bookings at 44.6% of sales — what the numbers say about building a profitable venue in 2026.
Auto-IRA Mandates Just Expanded to Utah, Mississippi, and Philadelphia: A 2026 State-by-State Guide for Small Employers Without a 401(k)
Utah, Mississippi, and Philadelphia joined the auto-IRA wave in 2026 — Philadelphia as the first city. Learn which employers must auto-enroll, the 2026 deadlines, and how a 401(k) exempts you.
Appliance Repair Bookkeeping: Per-Job Parts Costing, Truck Stock, and the Warranty vs. Retail Split That Decides Your Real Margin
Customer-pay appliance repair calls earn roughly $200 in profit versus about $75 for warranty calls, and parts carry 30-100% markup — books that track parts cost per job, truck stock as real inventory, and the warranty-retail mix reveal which calls actually make money.
Aplos vs. QuickBooks for Nonprofits: Why "Classes" Aren't Real Fund Accounting, and How to Actually Choose
QuickBooks uses Classes to tag nonprofit funds; Aplos does native fund accounting. Learn the balance-sheet, restriction, and audit differences that decide which to choose in 2026.
Anthropic's Claude AI Agents for Finance: What Small Businesses Actually Get in 2026
Anthropic's Claude for Small Business and 10 finance agents (KYC, reconciliation) — 15 pre-built workflows, Intuit partnership, and what to automate first.
Amazon's New 3.5% Fuel and Logistics Surcharge: What FBA Sellers Pay Starting April 17, 2026
Amazon's 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge starts Apr 17 2026 on FBA US/CA and remote fulfillment, May 2 on Buy with Prime and MCF — 3.5% of fulfillment fees, ~$0.17/unit avg.
Grocery Taxes Are Back — But Alabama Just Paused Its: How the Two-Month State Food Tax Holiday Works for Retailers in 2026
Alabama's state 2% grocery tax was suspended May 1–June 30, 2026 via Act 2026-604. Learn what qualifies as SNAP-eligible food, how retailers must still report gross sales, and the county/city tax that remains.
The Silent Guest in Every Client Call: The Legal and Privacy Risks Small Businesses Must Weigh Before Turning On an AI Notetaker
AI notetakers can violate two-party consent laws, waive privilege, and create discoverable records. Learn the consent, notice, and data-handling controls small businesses need before the next meeting.