When it comes to standing out as a small business, creativity often makes all the difference. While digital ads and social media campaigns are powerful, tangible marketing tools can have a unique impact. Wearable branding—on hoodies, tshirts, hats, and jackets—is is one such strategy that offers businesses a way to combine branding, customer engagement, and […] The post Wearable Branding Can Boost Your Small Business Marketing Efforts appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Salmon famously swim upstream to spawn and ensure the survival of their species. It’s a good metaphor for small business owners…go against the grain to ultimately prevail. Today’s business environment emphasizes the role of technology and doing things as fast as you can. But success may be found in eschewing technology in favor of some […] The post Contrarian Business Practices: Swimming Upstream for Success appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

It’s axiomatic that businesses can’t discriminate on the basis of age when it comes to hiring, promotion, etc. A federal law—Age Discrimination in Employment Act—bars discrimination for those age 40 and older. But when handling employee benefit plans, age matters, and there are special rules tied to age. Law changes in recent years further complicate […] The post Age Matters in Your Employee Benefit Plans in 2025 appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Most businesses use vehicles—cars, trucks, or vans—to conduct their activities. For example, on Schedule Cs for self-employed individuals in 2021 (the most recent year for statistics), deductions for car and truck expenses totaled nearly $9.1 billion! There are numerous tax-related issues for using vehicles in your business. Here is a list of 12 of them (expanded […] The post 12 Tax-Related Questions About a Company Vehicle appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Cybersecurity has become one of the most pressing concerns for businesses in the digital age, and for good reason. According to The State of Cybersecurity in 2024, 94% of SMBs experienced at least one cyberattack, up from 64% in 2019. With cyber-attacks growing in frequency and sophistication, organizations face an ongoing battle to protect their […] The post 10 Cybersecurity Strategies for Businesses: Protecting Against Modern Threats appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Many small business owners may set resolutions they hope to pursue in the coming year. Maybe it’s about finding and retaining good employees, adopting AI and other new technologies, or improving work-life balance. There are no statistics on how many small business owners set resolutions. But having resolutions is one thing; seeing them through is […] The post 5 Strategies for Actualizing Your New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

2024 is drawing to a close. Hopefully, this year has been a good one for your business. Perhaps you’ve hit or exceeded your sales goals. Maybe you expanded your product line, hired additional staff, or added a new location. There are many ways in which to succeed. If it’s been a bad year for sales […] The post Celebrate Your Business Success appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Lifelong learning is paramount to running a successful and thriving small business. The “Strategies for Increased Learning for Owners and Staff” post emphasizes how constant learning can help teams stay more engaged, likely become more productive, acquire new skills to use on the job, and even see cognitive benefits. It’s also crucial to ensure that you, […] The post Top Business Audiobooks for Small Business Leaders  appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

Many things happened in 2024—locally, nationally, and internationally. Some of these changes directly impact small businesses. Here’s a roundup of some key developments on the federal level of note. There are many more that are not included. Some key developments include: BOI reporting on pause The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) of 2021 imposed Beneficial Ownership […] The post Looking Back on 2024: What’s Changed for Small Businesses? appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more

“The foundation of every successful partnership is not just shared vision but shared values.” – Author unknown A partnership is… A partnership is not a taxpaying entity, but files an annual tax return, Form 1065, to report income, deductions, and other items. The same is true for a limited liability company (LLC) with two or more […] The post Partnerships and LLCs: A Look at IRS Statistics appeared first on Barbara Weltman ..read more