Small Business Guides

Plain-English starter guides for entrepreneurs — entity types, taxes, hiring, bookkeeping, and the SBA programs worth knowing.

• 1099 Contractor vs W-2 Employee: The Difference Matters

  Plain-English guide to W-2 employees vs 1099 independent contractors — IRS and DOL tests, why misclassification is illegal, and the serious penalties of getting it wrong.

  7 min read

• Accepting Payments: Cash, Card, ACH, Stripe, Square

  A plain-English comparison of how small businesses accept payments — cash, check, credit and debit cards, ACH, and the major payment platforms, with fees and trade-offs.

  6 min read

• Bookkeeping Basics for the First Year

  A simple, plain-English bookkeeping system for a first-year small business — chart of accounts, weekly rhythm, cash vs. accrual, recordkeeping rules, and the common mistakes to avoid.

  5 min read

• Cash Flow vs Profit: Why Healthy Businesses Still Run Out of Money

  Plain-English explanation of the difference between profit and cash flow, why profitable small businesses run out of cash, and the practical fixes that close the gap.

  6 min read

• Choosing a Business Name and a Trademark

  How to pick a business name that survives state, federal trademark, and domain checks — and when to file a USPTO trademark to protect your brand nationally.

  6 min read

• Hiring Your First Employee Without Breaking the Law

  A plain-English checklist for hiring your first U.S. employee — classification, EIN, I-9 and E-Verify, payroll taxes, FLSA wage and hour rules, OSHA, EEOC, and required benefits.

  5 min read

• How to Get an EIN (and Why You Need One)

  Step-by-step guide to applying for a free Employer Identification Number from the IRS, what you need before you start, and the common mistakes that delay approval.

  6 min read

• How to Open a Business Bank Account

  Step-by-step guide to opening a U.S. small business bank account — what paperwork to bring, how to choose a bank, and the common mistakes that cost time and money.

  6 min read

• How to Pay Yourself as a Business Owner

  Plain-English guide to paying yourself from a small business — owner draws, S-corp reasonable salary, partnership guaranteed payments, and the tax trap to avoid for each entity type.

  6 min read

• How to Read Your Profit and Loss Statement

  A line-by-line plain-English walkthrough of the small business profit and loss statement — revenue, COGS, gross margin, operating expenses, and net profit.

  6 min read

• Inventory Management for Small Retail Businesses

  Plain-English guide to inventory for small retailers — periodic vs perpetual tracking, FIFO, LIFO, weighted average, reorder points, turnover, shrinkage, and the IRS rules to discuss with a CPA.

  6 min read

• LLC vs. Sole Proprietor: Plain-English Differences

  A plain-English comparison of LLCs and sole proprietorships — liability protection, taxes, fees, and when each structure makes sense for a U.S. small business.

  6 min read

• Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

  Plain-English guide to free and low-cost marketing for small businesses — Google Business Profile, referrals, email, content, partnerships, and SBA-funded help.

  7 min read

• Pricing Your Product or Service Without Guessing

  A plain-English guide to small business pricing — cost-plus, value-based, and competitor methods, gross margin, contribution margin, and how to set prices you can defend.

  5 min read

• Quarterly Estimated Taxes Explained

  Plain-English guide to U.S. quarterly estimated taxes — who has to pay, the four deadlines, the safe-harbor rule, how to pay, and how to avoid the IRS underpayment penalty.

  5 min read

• Sales Tax for Small Businesses, State by State

  How U.S. sales tax actually works for small businesses — what is taxable, the NOMAD states, economic nexus after Wayfair, registration, and the common compliance mistakes.

  5 min read

• SBA Loans Explained

  Plain-English overview of SBA-backed small business loans — how the guarantee works, the 7(a), 504, microloan, and disaster programs, who qualifies, and what to expect from the application.

  5 min read

• Selling Your Small Business: First Steps

  High-level walkthrough of selling a small business — sale-ready cleanup, valuation, broker vs direct, due diligence, and the asset vs stock decision. Hire a CPA, attorney, and broker before any real action.

  7 min read

• Setting Up a Simple Website for Your Business

  Vendor-neutral, plain-English guide to launching a simple, mobile-friendly small business website — required content, accessibility, privacy disclosure, SEO basics, and what you do not need on day one.

  6 min read

• Should You Take a Business Loan? A Decision Framework

  Plain-English framework for deciding whether to borrow for your small business — types of loans, APR vs total cost, personal guarantees, and questions to answer before you sign.

  6 min read

• Small Business Insurance: What You Actually Need

  Plain-English guide to U.S. small business insurance — general liability, professional liability, workers' comp, commercial property, cyber, EPLI, and what is required by law.

  5 min read

• Starting a Business: The First 30 Days

  A realistic week-by-week checklist for the first 30 days of a U.S. small business — naming, entity choice, EIN, banking, licenses, and back-office setup in plain English.

  6 min read

• The Plain-English Guide to Business Credit

  How business credit works, why it is separate from personal credit, how to build it through EIN, D-U-N-S, supplier accounts, and credit cards, and why personal guarantees stay normal for small business loans.

  6 min read

• The Plain-English Guide to Self-Employment Tax

  How self-employment tax works in plain English — what it is, the 15.3% rate, the 92.35% net earnings step, who owes it, and the legitimate ways to lower it.

  6 min read

• When to Incorporate: A Decision Framework

  A plain-English framework for deciding when to form an LLC, elect S-corp status, or stay a sole proprietor — based on liability, profit, owners, and paperwork tolerance.

  6 min read