Stacker-Small Business

Choosing a domain name can feel like a small decision next to building a new product. But domain registration is an important part of starting a business. Yes, you can change your domain later, but doing so after you’ve already acquired an audience can create more work for your already-busy team and cause confusion among your

When starting a business, every dollar counts. So, when you’re asked, “how much are you willing to pay for a domain?” you might be tempted to answer, “as little as possible.” But a domain name might be worth more than you’d think. First, a quick primer: A domain name is the address people type into their

There was a time when you heard the word subscription and all that came to mind was Netflix and that monthly gym membership you used twice and then never went back to. Cut to 2026, and monthly memberships and subscriptions are ubiquitous. Your car’s remote start needs a subscription, and so does your printer’s ink

If you’re spending hours chasing down receipts, categorizing expenses, reviewing purchases, and reconciling transactions at month-end, adopting another platform or feature may feel like more hassle than it’s worth. But today’s AI-powered spend-management software is designed to reduce manual effort, and it can help streamline your company’s spend management processes. In this article, Mercury, a

Visit any retail store on a Saturday in November. Between the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, you’ll see employees ringing up customers, heading to the backroom to grab requested items, and keeping everyday essentials stocked — all while they’re trying to keep the checkout line moving. On top of that, they’re answering the same

Peak sales season is one of the year’s biggest challenges and opportunities. A wave of demand can help e-commerce businesses increase sales, attract new customers, and strengthen existing relationships. But the same surge can push otherwise manageable weaknesses to the point of collapse. Beyond preparing to process higher order volumes, teams can align forecasting, inventory,

Shipping big packages can create big challenges for companies of all sizes. What starts as a simple parcel can quickly trigger oversized package fees or dimensional weight charges. Other shipments may be better suited for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, but knowing when to make the switch isn’t always obvious. Choosing between parcel vs. LTL freight isn’t

Midterm elections are approaching, and political discussions at work become harder to avoid. Employees start discussing their thoughts about candidates, ballot issues, news stories, or public policies during breaks, in group chats, or sometimes in front of customers. These discussions do not mean small business owners need to ban them. It does, however, mean it

What’s the number one regret small business owners have in their first year of business? According to an ERGO NEXT survey of 501 business owners nationwide, not understanding what business insurance they need to protect their business is the top concern cited by 50% of them. Understanding improves slightly in years two through five of

Most retail businesses run two shipping operations. One is integrated into their software, automated, and refined over time. The other is simply managed. For many merchants, parcel receives the most attention. Those businesses often use rate shopping, automation, real-time tracking, returns management, and other tools that connect parcel shipping to the rest of the business.

Chasing a late invoice is one of the more awkward parts of running a small business. The work has been done and the invoice has been sent, yet the money still hasn’t landed. According to Xero Small Business Insights, U.S. small businesses were paid an average of 8.5 days late and waited about 29.3 days

Small business ownership means sacrificing time, predictable income, and sometimes even your own paycheck to build a business. Those sacrifices can become permanent if you’re not careful. Becoming your own boss often comes with a trade-off or two. Starting a business can mean leaving behind a steady paycheck and paid time off, only to find

Price indices work off a basket: Pick a fixed list of goods, then track what that list costs over time. The Consumer Price Index does this for a whole economy. To create a similar index for the first 90 days of a company’s life, Brex examined internal data to determine what startups purchase using their

Among primary-residence buyers who applied to multiple lenders and ultimately closed, 21.4% of respondents reporting self-employment said an earlier application had been turned down, compared with 14.5% of wage-employed respondents, according to a new analysis from Griffin Funding. Separately, Polygon Research estimates non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) origination volume rose 31.6% in 2025 to $239.3 billion. Self-employed

Beauty is one of the most resilient industries in the U.S. Even while going through some difficult economic years, Americans still spend around $280 a year on cosmetics. Globally, the beauty and personal care market is a more-than-half-a-trillion-dollar industry. But behind all this strength and resilience stand social media and content creators. With 71% of

A California law written in 1967 to stop wiretapping on telephone lines has become the basis for thousands of lawsuits arguing that everyday website tools, chat widgets, tracking pixels and analytics scripts amount to illegal interception of a visitor’s communications. The suits aren’t limited to major technology companies. They’ve been filed against retailers, insurers, hospitals,

The economic contribution of Latinos living in the U.S. is estimated at $4.4 trillion, equivalent to having the fourth-largest gross domestic product in the world, according to a joint report from California Lutheran University and the UCLA Health Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture. For the fourth year in a row, the GDP

Setting up a payroll system can feel like a steep climb if accounting isn’t your strong suit, but it’s the backbone of your business’s health. In fact, when asked what one job they would trust AI to do perfectly, 17% of small business owners ranked bookkeeping and taxes as the top tasks they would outsource,