Journal
Notes from the operating side.
Short, practical notes on running a service business well: the systems, the trade-offs, and what we have seen work.
-
Consultant or new hire? The real cost of each and how to decide
When a business outgrows what its team can do, the options are to hire or to bring in outside help. This guide lays out what an employee really costs according to government data, when each option fits, and the four questions that settle it.
Read -
The biggest problems small businesses face, according to the Federal Reserve's survey of 6,500 owners
The Small Business Credit Survey asks thousands of small employers each year what is holding them back. This is what the last two surveys found on customers, costs, hiring, financing, and AI, and what each finding means in practice.
Read -
How much does a business consultant cost? What the wage data says and how fees are built
There is no list price for consulting, but the fees follow clear mechanics. This guide covers what government data says consultants earn, why hourly rates sit above that, the three billing models, and how to judge whether a quote is fair.
Read -
Best AI tools for small businesses: how to choose, based on what actually gets used
Lists of "the best AI tools" go stale in months. What lasts is a way of choosing. Here is what the data says small businesses actually use AI for, why most efforts stall, and a practical method for picking tools that stick.
Read -
How AI is changing entrepreneurship: what the data shows so far
Strip away the predictions and look at what government surveys and independent research actually measure. AI adoption among businesses is real but uneven, the gains are concentrated in specific tasks, and the fundamentals of running a business have not moved. Here is the evidence.
Read -
How to start a business using AI: what it does for a founder, and what it cannot
AI has made the first year of a business cheaper and faster in specific ways. It has not changed the reasons businesses fail. Here is where AI genuinely helps a new founder, where it does not, and how to set up from day one so the business can grow.
Read -
What is a business systems audit, and what should a good one give you?
A business systems audit is a structured review of how work, tools, and data move through a company. Here is what one covers, how it is done, what you should receive at the end, and how to tell a useful audit from a sales call in disguise.
Read