Patriot’s Picks: The Best Small Business Articles

Here are our top article picks for the month of April. We hope you find them as useful and interesting as we did.

Advice for business owners

Smart Strategies for Couples Who Run a Business Together | Kiplinger 

Business + Marriage = A high-stakes game? Starting a business with a spouse requires a careful balancing act to protect your joint finances, expectations, and happiness. After all, you want to be in alignment when it comes to things like risks and long-term vision. (Read)

Small business tips 

How Much Money You Should Keep in Each Type of Banking Account | GoBankingRates

Want your money to work for you? Who doesn’t! When you run a business, you should open a separate business bank account (or two or three) so you’re not mixing personal and business funds. Take that another step, and you may be wondering what types of bank accounts you should open and how much to store in each. Whether it’s personal or business accounts, you can structure your cash into three groups: 1. Routine, recurring expenses; 2. Larger, planned expenses; and 3. Emergency funds. Learn more here, including how much to keep in each. (Read)

Couponing: Waste of Time or Smart Side Hustle? | Wealth of Geeks

Think the age of clipping coupons is over? Think again. See real examples of people who’ve shaved down grocery, department store, home improvement, and restaurant bills to put a little extra money in their pockets. You might be inspired to see what kind of coupons you can find to cut down your business expenses. (Read)

Marketing your business 

How to Market Your Business for Free | American Express

Short on cash? Or, do you want to try your hand at varying marketing strategies before putting some money behind them? Whatever your motivation, hearing the word “free” is always music to the ears. This article goes over seven ways to market your business for free, including the use of online directories, social media, and a blog. (Read)

In the workplace 

A Complete Guide To Writing An Effective Project Status Report | Hive

If you ask your team for project status reports, you need them thorough and correct. After all, you want to know what’s what in your business—without reading through a 25-page paper. For better project status reports, encourage your team to be clear and concise, keep things brief, identify risks, and be proactive. (Read)

Small business articles from Patriot

Here are some of the top accounting and payroll articles published by Patriot Software.

Accounting

Offering a Retirement Plan Could Score You 401(k) Tax Credits 

Thinking about starting a new 401(k) plan for your business? Thanks to the SECURE Act, you may be eligible for a startup costs tax credit. Already have a 401(k) plan? You may be eligible for the SECURE Act’s automatic enrollment tax credit. Learn more about lowering your tax liability (and improving your employee benefits) here. (Read)

Your Bookkeeping Clean-up Checklist [for Squeaky Clean Books!]

Ever feel like something’s missing from your books? Sigh. If the thing that’s missing is organization and accuracy, this article’s for you. Check out the six-step process for fixing bad bookkeeping. (Read)

Payroll 

7 Workplace Laws You Can’t Afford to Let Slip Your Mind

FLSA. FMLA. ADA. OSHA. No, this wasn’t a keyword malfunction. These are four major workplace laws you must familiarize yourself with as an employer. From the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), workplace and labor laws protect employee rights. Read more here. (Read)

How to Offer Employer-provided Housing to Employees
Quick—here are three fast facts you should know about employer-provided housing: 1. Free or discounted housing is considered employer-provided housing. 2. Employer-provided housing is a fringe benefit that’s typically taxable. 3. You can learn more in the article here. (Read)