#cost-management
Cost Management
Manage and reduce costs for improved profitability
Activity-Based Costing and TDABC: A Practical Guide to Customer and SKU Profitability
Activity-Based Costing replaces volume-based overhead allocation with cause-and-effect cost drivers, revealing which customers and SKUs actually pay and which silently lose money. This guide explains how ABC and its modern successor TDABC work, the five implementation steps, and why roughly 20% of customers and 30–40% of SKUs often destroy value.
CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171 in 2026: A Small Defense Contractor's Certification Roadmap
CMMC 2.0 took effect November 10, 2025, and Level 2 third-party assessments begin November 10, 2026. A practical guide to scope, cost ($80K–$250K over three years), the 14 control families, the POA&M rule, and a 90-day path for small DoD contractors.
Self-Funded vs Level-Funded vs Fully-Insured Health Plans: How Small Employers Cut Premium Costs Without Taking on Catastrophic Claim Risk
A funding-model guide for small employers comparing fully-insured, level-funded, and self-funded group health plans, with the math on stop-loss coverage, ERISA fiduciary exposure, Form 5500 filings, and when each model actually saves money.
Online Bookkeeping vs Traditional Bookkeeper: A 2026 Decision Guide
A 2026 comparison of online bookkeeping services ($150–$500/month flat) and traditional in-person bookkeepers ($400–$1,000/month or $30–$50/hour), with six decision factors—digital vs. paper workflow, communication style, cost predictability, transaction volume, tech comfort, and industry fit—plus common pitfalls and when a hybrid model wins.
Passing Credit Card Fees to Customers: What's Legal, What Works, and What to Avoid
A practical breakdown of the three legal ways U.S. businesses can recover credit card processing costs—surcharges, convenience fees, and cash discounts—including state-by-state bans (CA, CT, ME, MA, OK), card network rules, the 4% federal cap, and rollout tactics that keep customers.
Fixed Costs: What They Are, How to Calculate, and How to Reduce Them
Learn what fixed costs are, how to calculate total and average fixed costs, the difference between committed and discretionary fixed costs, how they compare to variable costs, break-even analysis, and proven strategies to reduce fixed overhead expenses.
Operating Expenses: What They Are, How to Calculate, and How to Reduce Them
Learn what operating expenses are, how to calculate the operating expense ratio, the difference between OpEx and CapEx, where operating expenses appear on financial statements, tax implications, and eight practical strategies to reduce your operating costs.
SG&A Expenses: What They Are, How to Calculate Them, and Why They Matter
Learn what SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative) expenses are, how to calculate the SG&A ratio, industry benchmarks, and practical strategies to reduce overhead and improve profitability.
Variable Costs: What They Are, How to Calculate, and Reduce Them
Learn what variable costs are, how to calculate variable cost per unit and contribution margin, real-world examples across industries, the difference between variable and fixed costs, and seven proven strategies to reduce variable costs and boost profitability.
Fixed vs. Variable Costs: What They Are and How to Tell Them Apart
Learn the difference between fixed and variable costs, see real-world examples across industries, and discover how to use your cost structure for break-even analysis, smarter pricing, and better budgeting.
Overhead Costs: What They Are, How to Calculate and Reduce Them
Learn what overhead costs are, the three types (fixed, variable, semi-variable), how to calculate your overhead rate with formulas and examples, and eight strategies to reduce overhead and boost profitability.
SG&A Expenses: What They Are, How to Calculate Them, and Why They Matter
Learn what SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative) expenses are, how to calculate the SG&A ratio, industry benchmarks, tax deduction rules, and seven strategies to reduce SG&A without hurting growth.