#small-business
Small Business
Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners
Texas SB 1036: Solar Retailers Must Register with TDLR by September 1, 2026
Starting September 1, 2026, Texas SB 1036 requires residential solar retailers and salespersons to register with TDLR, with penalties up to $2,500 per violation ($10,000 when the customer is 65+) and contract-refund orders. Here's who must register, what the code of conduct prohibits, and how to prepare.
UCC-1 Financing Statements: The 5-Year Lapse, the Continuation Window, and the Stale Liens That Block Loans
A UCC-1 financing statement lapses exactly five years after filing unless the lender files a UCC-3 continuation within the six months before the lapse date — and paid-off liens that never get terminated can quietly block your next SBA loan. Here's how to search your own UCC record and clear stale filings before a lender finds them.
UK Companies House Identity Verification: ECCTA Deadlines Every Director and PSC Must Know
Since November 18, 2025, UK company directors and PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House under ECCTA — new appointments verify immediately, existing directors by their next confirmation statement (backstop November 18, 2026), with fines up to £5,000, filing lockout, and strike-off for non-compliance.
U.S. Commercial Service Fees Just Tripled for Small Exporters: What the July 22, 2026 Schedule Changes and How to Respond
Effective July 22, 2026, the U.S. Commercial Service eliminated small-business discount tiers, raising the Gold Key Service from $950 to $3,250 for small exporters (+242%) while fee increases across the schedule range from 67% to 520%. Here's what changed, why, and how SBA STEP grants can offset the new costs.
The $38 Billion Visa–Mastercard Swipe-Fee Settlement: What Small Businesses Can Now Surcharge, Decline, and Discount at the Register
In June 2026 a federal judge preliminarily approved the $38 billion Visa–Mastercard settlement, cutting average credit interchange by about 0.1 point for five years, capping standard consumer cards at 1.25% for eight years, and — with no sunset date — letting merchants surcharge by card type or decline premium card categories. Here is what the settlement permits, which states still ban or cap surcharging, and the network compliance checklist to follow before changing point-of-sale pricing.
Washington, D.C. Sales Tax Rises to 7% on October 1, 2026: What It Means for Digital Goods and SaaS Sellers
Washington, D.C.'s general sales tax rate rises from 6% to 7% on October 1, 2026, and the District taxes digital goods and SaaS at the full rate with no B2B exemption. This guide covers the delayed Budget Support Act increase, D.C.'s $100,000/200-transaction economic nexus thresholds, and a five-step compliance checklist for invoices that straddle the rate change.
The Agri Stats Consent Decree: New Antitrust Rules for Benchmarking and Industry Data Sharing
The DOJ's May 2026 consent decree with Agri Stats sets concrete rules for lawful benchmarking — pricing data must average 45+ days old, output data 90+ days, reports must be quartile-aggregated and equally available to all buyers. Here's what the settlement means for any small business in a trade-association survey or industry pricing dashboard.
AI-Generated Fake Invoices Are Fooling Accounts Payable Teams — Here's How to Stop Them
Generative AI made vendor impersonation cheap: 76% of organizations faced payments fraud in 2025, and AI-generated fakes now drive 70.8% of expense-report fraud. Here are the controls that still work — out-of-band verification, dual authorization, vendor-file hygiene, and auditable books.
The BIS Affiliates Rule: What 50% Ownership Means for Small Exporters Before November 2026
Starting November 10, 2026, the BIS Affiliates Rule extends Entity List and MEU List restrictions to any company 50% or more owned by listed entities — aggregated across owners and traced through corporate layers. Here's what small exporters need to do about screening, Red Flag 29, and documentation before the stay ends.
Boat Detailing Business Bookkeeping: Per-Foot Pricing, Seasonal Cash Flow, and Marina Contracts
How to set up the books for a boat detailing business — separate income accounts for each service tier (wash, polish, ceramic coating, oxidation restoration priced $10–$200 per foot), a 12-month cash flow forecast for a season that concentrates 80% of revenue into six months, and distinct tracking for recurring marina and yacht club contracts.
Buy Here, Pay Here Used Car Lot Accounting: What Independent Dealers Get Wrong About the Books
How buy-here-pay-here dealers should book installment notes receivable, separate unearned finance charges from vehicle-sale revenue, reserve for repossessions on portfolios where ~78% of loan volume is subprime, and structure a Related Finance Company that survives an IRS audit — plus why accrual accounting and year-of-sale gain recognition are mandatory for dealer inventory.
California's SB 343 'Truth in Recycling' Law Is Blocked — What the Injunction Means for Your Recyclable Labels
A federal judge blocked California's SB 343 "Truth in Recycling" law on July 14, 2026, pausing its October 4 recyclable-labeling deadline. Here's what the preliminary injunction does and doesn't change — the FTC Green Guides, SB 54, and UCL false-advertising risk still apply — and how small brands should handle compliance spending now.