#risk-management
Risk Management
Strategies for identifying and mitigating business risks including insurance
FTC Non-Compete Rule Withdrawn: How Employers Should Adapt to the State-by-State Patchwork in 2026
On February 12, 2026, the FTC removed its 2024 non-compete ban from the Code of Federal Regulations, but pivoted to case-by-case Section 5 enforcement and consent orders against employers like Rollins. With California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and other states tightening their own rules, a single national non-compete template is now a compliance hazard. This guide maps the state landscape and lays out a five-step plan for employers.
Key Person Life Insurance and Section 101(j) Compliance
Key person life insurance pays the company, not the family, when a founder, rainmaker, or specialist dies. IRC Section 101(j) makes the death benefit taxable unless written notice and consent are completed before the policy issues — a step most small businesses skip, turning a $1M tax-free benefit into roughly $600K–$700K after tax.
Disability Insurance for Self-Employed and Small Business Owners: A Practical Income-Protection Guide
A working-age self-employed professional is roughly three times more likely to become disabled than to die before 65, yet most carry no disability coverage. This guide explains the four policy types, the clauses (own-occupation, elimination period, benefit period) that decide whether claims pay, 2026 premium ranges of 1–4% of income, and the after-tax-vs-deductible premium choice that can shift net benefits by six figures.
Section 831(b) Microcaptive Insurance: A Small Business Guide to Risk Management Without IRS Scrutiny
Section 831(b) microcaptive insurance lets small businesses retain underwriting profit on hard-to-insure risks, but the IRS's 2025 final regulations treat captives with loss ratios under 30% as listed transactions. Here is how to structure one that survives an audit.
Scope Management Guide: How to Prevent Scope Creep and Protect Your Service Business Revenue
Freelancers lose $15,000 to $25,000 yearly to scope creep, and 52% of agency projects expand past their original budgets. A six-step scope management lifecycle, written exclusions, and a formal change-order process keep service revenue from leaking.
Partial Payments: A Practical Guide for Service Businesses
How service businesses can structure partial payments — deposits, milestone billing, and stop-work clauses — to close more deals without funding work that never gets paid for. Includes bookkeeping rules for deferred revenue and a sample three-payment schedule.
Engagement Letters: The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Business Relationships
A practical guide to engagement letters for service businesses covering the eleven components every letter needs, the drafting mistakes that cost professionals real money, and how a signed letter connects to accurate revenue forecasting and accounts receivable in your books.
Foreign Currency Accounting for Small Businesses: A Practical Guide
Learn how to handle foreign currency accounting for your small business, including exchange rate rules, recording FX gains and losses, hedging strategies, and setting up multi-currency bookkeeping under GAAP.
Business Insurance: Essential Coverage Every Small Business Needs
Nearly 40% of small businesses carry no insurance. Learn about the essential coverage types—from general liability to cyber insurance—average costs, common mistakes to avoid, and how to choose the right policies for your business.
Business Insurance: The Complete Guide for Small Business Owners
Nearly 75% of small businesses are underinsured. Learn about the essential types of business insurance, average costs in 2026, and the 6 most common coverage mistakes to avoid protecting your company.
Cybersecurity Essentials for Small Businesses: How to Protect Your Financial Data
Learn 8 essential cybersecurity practices to protect your small business financial data from phishing, ransomware, and data breaches—plus free resources and a guide to building a security-first culture.
Protecting Your Business Intellectual Property: A Complete Guide to Trademarks, Patents, and Copyrights
Your intangible assets may be worth more than all your physical equipment combined. Learn how to protect your business with trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets—including 2025-2026 USPTO filing costs, step-by-step strategies, and the 10 most common IP mistakes to avoid.