SBA announced a 10% FY2027 veteran prime-contracting and subcontracting goal. AMS explains why certification, solicitation requirements and delivery capacity still need separate review.
Cover Story
NFIB’s October Survey: Steady Optimism Is a Reason to Test the Business Plan, Not Freeze It
NFIB’s November 10 release puts October optimism at 97.8 and uncertainty at 84. Suzan Gold explains how to translate the survey into a measured operating review.
Read the cover story →Latest News and Analysis
SBA’s iCAP Rollout: A Better Loan Workflow Still Needs a Correct Borrower File
SBA’s new iCAP platform promises lender workflow improvements through phased onboarding. Eric Kuvykin explains the borrower questions that remain separate from the technology rollout.
Adobe’s Holiday Forecast: AI-Referred Traffic Still Has to Complete a Useful Purchase
Adobe forecasts $275.1 billion in U.S. online holiday sales and 130% growth in AI-referred retail traffic. Eric Kuvykin examines the product information and checkout work behind the forecast.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines: Build the Customer Promise Backward From the Carrier Handoff
USPS’s recommended 2026 mailing dates are only part of a retailer’s holiday cutoff. Include stock, preparation, packing and customer communication before promising a shipment date.
General Business Credits: When Unused Amounts May Carry to Other Years
An unused business credit needs a year-by-year reconciliation. Separate calculated credits, amounts allowed on returns and cash actually received.
Food Delivery: Employee and Self-Employed Deduction Questions
Delivery workers need a payer-by-payer record of wages, platform compensation and voluntary tips before evaluating the qualified-tips deduction.
Salons and Spas: Reviewing the First Year of the Expanded Employer Credit
Suzan Gold examines the final 2025 Form 8846 instructions and the employer, service and payroll records a salon or spa should assemble before reviewing the expanded credit.
Holiday Restaurants: Tax Records During the Busiest Weeks
Before holiday bookings peak, test how mandatory service charges and voluntary tips move from the bill through checkout exports to payroll. A focused guide by Jodi Neilson.
Commercial Lease Timing: Why a Good Location Can Still Become a Bad Small-Business Deal
Signing, possession, rent commencement and opening can run on different clocks. Craig A. Fine, Esq. explains how to turn those gaps into a lease-review cash calendar.
Zelle for Small Business: Fast Bank Payments Need Real Authorization Controls
A payment screenshot is not a deposit record. Eric Kuvykin outlines a bank-specific process for receipts, new recipients and refunds when an eligible business uses Zelle.
Walmart’s Tap-to-Pay Rollout Puts Checkout Expectations Back on the Merchant’s Agenda
A major retailer’s payment decision can change what customers expect at a neighborhood counter. It does not decide which system an independent merchant should buy. The useful response is to check acceptance,…
Third-Quarter GDP Grew 3.4%: What the Advance Estimate Can Tell a Business Owner
BEA’s October 29 advance estimate shows faster third-quarter growth. Here is how to use that context without confusing national output with local sales.