Mobile Mechanic Bookkeeping: Van Build-Out vs. Lease, Parts Markup, and Pricing the Trip Charge
A $125 posted labor rate falls to $94 once drive time counts. Price the trip charge by zone, tier parts markup, and claim Section 179 on a 6,000-lb van.
#small-business
Small Business
Financial management strategies and tools for small business owners
Montana's Homestead Property Tax Phase-In: Why Your Business Could Pay More in 2026
Montana's 2026 commercial rate drops to 1.50% below $2.27M, yet floating mills can still raise your bill — verify homestead and rental enrollment first.
Pet Deposits vs. Pet Rent vs. Pet Fees: What You Can Actually Charge
Pet deposits are refundable and often capped; pet fees and pet rent are Schedule E income when received — IRS Pub 527 rules, state caps, and how to book each.
Self-Employment Tax Pricing: How to Build the 15.3% Into Your Rates
US self-employment tax is 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit — about 14.1% effective. Price it in with a five-step rate formula, not salary divided by 2,080.
No Federal Mandate, Five State Ones: Health Insurance Penalties in CA, MA, NJ, RI, and D.C.
No federal penalty ($0), but CA, MA, NJ, RI, and D.C. still charge $300–$4,908 per person — plus separate state employer filings.
Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android: Take Cards With No Terminal — and What It Really Costs
Tap to Pay skips the $59 reader but still pays 2.6–2.7% card-present rates; a per-tap surcharge and the IRS 1099-K decide whether phone-only actually wins.
Your Trademark Registration Expires If You Ignore It: The Section 8, Section 9, and Section 15 Filings Every Owner Must Calendar
Your trademark needs a Section 8 filing between years 5–6 and a combined Section 8/9 renewal every decade — miss the grace period and the USPTO cancels it.
The Workers' Comp Ghost Policy: A COI With No Employees to Cover
A workers' comp ghost policy covers nobody — it buys the COI a general contractor demands for $750–$1,200 a year. Who qualifies, and what the audit checks.
AI Deepfakes Now Drive 40% of Business Email Compromise: The AP Controls That Stop a Cloned Voice From Approving a Fake Wire
40% of business email compromise now uses AI deepfakes. Out-of-band callbacks, dual approval, and locked vendor records stop voice-clone wire fraud.
Authorized Push Payment Fraud: The Invoice Scam Your Bank Won't Reverse
Because you authorized the wire, US banks rarely refund APP fraud — $8.3B lost in 2024. Out-of-band vendor verification and dual approval stop it.
Billable Expense Income Done Right: How to Invoice Client Pass-Throughs Without Overpaying (or Underpaying) Tax
Client reimbursements are gross income on Schedule C, and most states tax them even at zero markup — bill and book pass-throughs correctly.
California Prop 65 Warnings: What Online Sellers Must Put on Labels and Websites
California Prop 65 reaches any seller shipping into the state with 10+ employees — warn before checkout, name the chemical, and relabel short forms by 2028.