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Small Business

Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners

Wild Rice Harvester Bookkeeping: How to Manage an Unpredictable Harvest Window

Natural wild rice has a fixed August 15–September 30 season and a 9 a.m.–3 p.m. daily harvest window, so its bookkeeping must separate harvest, processing, inventory, and deferred customer deposits. This guide shows how to build a crop-based chart of accounts, treat preorders as a liability until earned, reconcile buyer settlements, and run a weekly cash check.

The Modern Worker Empowerment Act Explained: Would H.R. 1319 Bring Back the Common-Law Test for Independent Contractors?

H.R. 1319, the Modern Worker Empowerment Act, would replace the DOL's six-factor economic reality test with a single common-law standard for worker classification under both the FLSA and NLRA, centered on two prongs — control over the work and entrepreneurial opportunity — while explicitly excluding safety rules and project deadlines as evidence of control. Here's how it compares to the ABC test, what it wouldn't change, and the contractor bookkeeping checklist to run while the bill is pending.

Wall Street Can't Buy That House Anymore: What the ROAD to Housing Act's Ban on Large Investors Means for Small Landlords and Property Managers

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (Public Law 119-101, enacted July 11, 2026) bans institutional investors controlling 350+ single-family homes from buying more, with exceptions for build-to-rent, renovate-to-rent rehabs costing at least 15% of purchase price, and rent-to-own programs. Here is how the thresholds, exceptions, and a two-year grace window affect small landlords and property managers — and the ownership-count and job-cost records to set up now.

AI-Generated Content and Copyright in 2026: What Small Businesses Can Actually Own, Use, and Risk

After a $1.5 billion settlement and a Supreme Court decision reaffirming human authorship, 2026 rulings split AI training from AI output: training can be fair use, but storing pirated copies is not, and publishing outputs that reproduce protected work still risks infringement. This guide shows what small businesses can own, what they risk, and how to keep AI-assisted work defensible and auditable.

American Express Graphite and the New $895 Platinum Fee: A Business Owner's Guide to Budgeting Corporate Cards Without Losing the Math

Amex launched the Graphite Business Cash Unlimited at $295 with 2% unlimited cash back and raised Business Platinum to $895 in 2026. Learn how no preset spending limit affects forecasts, how to book annual fees and 2%–5% rewards correctly, and a framework to compare effective fees, credits, and cash flow before you renew.