Category: Tools and Information

When Do You Need a Certified Public Accountant? | businessnewsdaily.com

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As a small business owner, you may find it difficult to gauge when to outsource responsibilities or handle them on your own. This is especially true in the case of a certified public accountant (CPA), especially if you’ve just started your business or if your company has grown beyond an expected size.

While you can certainly take care of the day-to-day accounting yourself – especially if you have a top accounting software – or hire a bookkeeper, there are instances when the expertise of a CPA can help you make sound business decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and save you time.

What is a CPA?

CPAs are tax experts who can file your business’s taxes, answer important financial questions and potentially save your business money. While CPAs have accounting degrees, their certification differs from traditional accountants.

CPAs have passed the Uniform CPA Exam – a rigorous exam testing one’s understanding of tax law and standard accounting practices – and obtained a state license. (The state license includes ethical requirements, too.) They must take professional education courses to maintain their license, and may lose it if they are convicted of fraud, negligence, or ethics violations. Furthermore, CPAs have unlimited representation rights to negotiate with the IRS on your behalf.

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How to Become the Go-To Expert in Your Industry | AllBusiness.com

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When founders tell me they “don’t have time” for thought leadership, I usually ask one question: If your ideal client were choosing between you and a competitor tomorrow, what would they find about you in two minutes on Google?

When over 90% of consumers say they trust recommendations from people they know, and trust peer recommendations more than ads, your reputation as an individual expert is more powerful than your brand’s marketing in 2026.

Thought leadership is not about ego; it is about using your experience to solve real problems in public forums, in a way that builds trust, opens doors, and drives commercial outcomes.

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How to Undersell and Overdeliver | AllBusiness.com

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We’ve all met them. The person who tells you they’ve found the only marketing firm worth hiring, developed the greatest product ever made, or bought the best (fill in the blank!) They speak in absolutes and hyperbole. They radiate certainty. And yet, instead of convincing us, their words plant seeds of doubt.

Why? Because the moment you speak in absolutes, most people stop believing you. The higher and more definitive the claim, the more it feels like an overreach. Overpromising—even with good intentions—almost always backfires.

The smarter, quieter alternative is to undersell and overdeliver. It’s a strategy rooted in humility, realistic self-awareness, and one often-overlooked skill: being approachable.

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Applying for a Business Loan | business.com

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Many small businesses require loans to start out or scale up, but the process of applying for a small business loan can be confusing. Submitting a loan application is often an intimidating process because it requires you to give a bank or credit union significant information about your company’s financial performance and projections.

But landing a small business loan doesn’t have to be difficult. It just takes a little knowledge to navigate the application process and position your business for lender approval. This guide will walk you through the process of securing a small business loan from start to finish.

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Understanding Small Business Insurance Costs | Business

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Insurance is a necessary investment for small businesses as it offers financial protection against various risks and losses that can occur during operations, including third-party injury claims, property damage, employee injuries, and theft. A lack of insurance during a time of crisis can be devastating.

Your coverage and its ensuing costs will depend on your business and its specific risk factors. While most businesses with employees need essential business insurance, such as workers’ compensation, other policies can be just as crucial for comprehensive protection and peace of mind. As you shop for insurance, you’ll need to budget appropriately for your business needs. Here’s a look at the costs you can expect for suitable business coverage.

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How Small Businesses Can Stay Connected With Their Customers | The Startup Magazine

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Running a small business means that you’re always going to be juggling responsibilities. You have to focus on sales, marketing operations, and customer service. All of this within the same day. In the middle of all of that, staying consistent and connected with your customers can easily find itself far down on your priority list.

However, regular customer communication is one of the most important things that will drive long-term growth for your small business. When you stay visible and accessible, your customers will remember you, and remembrance means they return.

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Why Your Startup Needs a Strong Brand Identity From Day One | The Startup Magazine

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In the rush to launch a product and find market fit, many startups push branding to the bottom of their to-do list, which can lead to website mistakes for small business owners. This approach, however, overlooks a fundamental truth: a strong, holistic brand identity isn’t just cosmetic polish; it’s the core of your business infrastructure from day one. It shapes perception, builds trust, and sets the stage for sustainable growth.

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6 Steps to Build a Rock Solid Foundation For Your New Business | Entrepreneur

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Key Takeaways

  • Lay the groundwork before you launch. Listen to your customers, research the market, create a business plan, and make funding decisions early to shape how you grow.
  • Protect your business from the start. The right legal structure, registration, and insurance stabilize what you build.
  • Leverage technology. Smart accounting, payroll, and HR tools automate the back office and free you to focus on customers and growth.

Starting a business always begins the same way — with a spark. You see an opportunity, you feel that pull to create something, and you want to move fast. But before you sprint ahead, take a step back. The groundwork you lay now determines how well your business will stand later.

Many owners I’ve known have learned this the hard way: Skipping the basics early on can cost you time, money, and focus down the road. Here’s how to build your business on a solid foundation.

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Chemistry student develops clear polish that turns your fingernail into a touch-screen stylus | Live Science

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A college student has created a prototype polish to turn a fingernail into a touch-screen stylus, after noticing that people with long nails and calloused fingertips struggled to work their smartphones.

Manasi Desai, a student at Centenary College of Louisiana with an interest in cosmetic chemistry, launched the project with her research supervisor, Joshua Lawrence, an associate professor of chemistry at Centenary. Their goal was to create a clear, nontoxic polish that would allow a nail to access a touch screen the way a human fingertip does.

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