Paychex's September index: small-business hourly pay up 2.78%, weekly hours up seven straight months. Where the payroll growth is hiding.
September payrolls rose 29,000, unemployment hit 4.2%, and revisions erased 60,000 jobs, turning July negative. What owners should plan around.
L&I set WA's 2027 minimum wage at $17.73 (+3.5%). For employers with 51+ staff, the overtime-exempt salary floor jumps 15% to $92,196.
Intuit launched a $0 QuickBooks Free plan. The monthly limits, what's missing, how it compares with Wave and Zoho, and when a solo owner should pass.
Target got ~$1B back. Some small importers are timing out of CBP's CAPE refund window. What the deadline is and how to protect your claim.
WA's insurance commissioner approved a 22.2% average 2027 rate increase for individual plans. Carrier rates, drivers, and what self-employed owners should do.
Form 656 requires you to timely file and timely pay for five years after acceptance. One late return can default the agreement — and reinstate the original debt, less payments made, plus interest and penalties.
File the missing returns first — the failure-to-file penalty is 10x the failure-to-pay penalty, and the IRS won't discuss a payment plan until you're compliant. Then pick from six collection options.
Comments on SBA's size standards overhaul close Sept. 21, 2026. See who gains or loses small status, the key threshold jumps and how to comment.
The IRS extended the replacement deadline for livestock sold because of drought. Who qualifies, what's excluded and how to keep deferring the gain.
The Fed raised rates 25 bps on Sept. 16, 2026, its first hike since 2023. Here's what it means for lines of credit, SBA loans and cash planning.
IR-2026-104 tells employers to confirm their payroll provider carries a fiduciary bond. If it doesn't and the deposits stop, you still owe the tax.
August ISM Services: PMI 55.4, new orders 60.9, prices 72.6 - the highest since 2022 - while the employment index stayed in contraction at 47.8.
The August 2026 jobs report tripled forecasts, but the trailing average and two big revisions tell owners a different story about hiring.
A month of r/CFO threads reveals more people asking how to become a fractional CFO than how to hire one. Here's what the answers actually said, plus 2026 pricing benchmarks.