Posts by Amy Ragan

When your business purchases a new computer, delivery vehicle, or expensive piece of equipment, how should that purchase appear in your financial records? You might assume the entire cost becomes an expense immediately. However, that is not always how accounting works. Business depreciation allows companies to spread the cost of certain assets across the years…

The Dream Was Freedom. Nobody Mentioned the Chaos. Starting a small business sounds like the ultimate goal. You get to be your own boss, build something from the ground up, and create a schedule that finally belongs to you. Then real life shows up. Suddenly, starting a small business means answering emails before breakfast, solving…

Halloween is the season for ghosts, haunted houses, and things that go bump in the night. But for small business owners, some of the scariest surprises aren’t hiding in dark corners. They’re hiding in your financial records. We’re talking about hidden business expenses. Those forgotten subscriptions, automatic payments, unnecessary fees, and spending habits that quietly…

The Numbers Matter, but So Does the Story Behind Them Small business is personal, and choosing a local accountant should feel personal too. It is the restaurant where you know the owner. The contractor whose truck you recognize around town. The shop that sponsors the local team. The company that employs your neighbor, your friend,…

The $600 Rule Is Officially History For years, $600 was one of those numbers business owners learned to recognize. If you paid an independent contractor $600 or more for services during the year, a Form 1099 NEC was often part of your January paperwork. For payments made in 2026, that number changed. The 1099 reporting…

Your LLC Is Simple Until Taxes Enter the Chat Starting an LLC can feel like a major win. You have a business name, a legal structure, and a little more separation between your personal life and your company. Then taxes show up. Suddenly you are asking whether the LLC pays taxes, whether you pay them…

Why Year End Reveals Accounting Problems Year end has a way of exposing accounting problems that were easy to ignore earlier in the year. A missing receipt in March may not seem serious. An unreconciled account in June might feel like something you can fix later. But once tax season approaches, small accounting mistakes can…

Some customers look great on paper. They bring in revenue. They keep your calendar full. They may even be one of your largest accounts. But behind the scenes, they require constant attention, ask for extra work, pay slowly, and use far more time than expected. That is how unprofitable customers hide in plain sight. When…

A Tax Deduction Does Not Automatically Make It a Good Purchase Year end can make a major business equipment purchase feel especially tempting. A new computer system, vehicle, machine, or piece of office equipment may qualify for valuable tax deductions. That can make buying before December 31 look like an easy decision. But a tax…

See Your Business Through Fresh Eyes Imagine your business walked into an interview tomorrow. You are not the owner for a moment. Instead, you are a potential employee, customer, vendor, or even investor deciding whether this is a company you want to work with. Would you be impressed? That question can reveal more than another…