Freight rates hint at cloudy forecast
Freight rates are a leading indicator of the U.S. economy. Rates have been plummeting in recent months and may indicate a recession is ahead.
Warning signs of a recession?
The average small business owner isn’t watching hours of CNBC or reading the Wall Street Journal every day. There has been some buzz in the financial world recently about the spread between the 2-year and 10-year treasury yields. The worry is that the spread is incredibly thin, meaning that the investment community is showing concerns …
Celebrating Small Business
In honor of Small Business Week, I wanted to take a moment to recognize small businesses and the owners and entrepreneurs that drive them forward. Small businesses make up about 44% of the US economy. Take a moment to look around and be grateful for the dog bakery around the corner, your local coffee shop, or the contractor you …
The small business bootstrap paradox
It is difficult to obtain financing as a small business. The primary reason is a limited track record or time in business. Without having demonstrated a pattern of success, banks are hesitant to lend and often have requirements that you be in business for two or three years. During this time, small business owners must …
Inflation is here and you must prepare
Each time I go to the grocery store lately I get sticker shock. It is an immediate reminder of the inflationary environment we’re living in today. Why is this happening? Let me summarize it for you: The economy was doing fine up until the pandemic and subsequent shutdown of the economy. Many factories and suppliers …
Become a data-driven business
Current and accurate data is critical to making informed decisions about your business. As businesses grow and add services or product lines, many do not create new accounts in their bookkeeping platform to categorize income, cost of goods sold, and expenses with sufficient detail. Without this information, businesses lose key insights into the profit drivers …
We can’t predict the future but we need to try
Recently I was working on an assignment for my students. I asked them to select a publicly traded company and analyze the firm’s financial condition. Since this is the first assignment of its kind, I decided I should lead by example and prepare a model for my students. Many of them have never been asked …
Top 3 challenges to growing your franchise
Transitioning from an operator of a single franchise to managing multiple units isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. There are unique challenges to running multiple units that require new skills and abilities to be successful. Below are the three main struggles operators are confronted with: Lack of oversight While a single unit operator can …
PPP Forgiveness May Skew Your Outlook
Spring of 2020 is a period time we will never forget, especially if you are a business owner or a former commercial banker like me. The daily, hourly, and even minute-by-minute updates over the announcement and subsequent application process of the Paycheck Protection Program left many owners [and bankers] confused and frustrated. Fast forward to …