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Welcome back to the tariffs-and-what-they-mean-for-you segment of your weekly Strategy Note. On today’s agenda: Steel and aluminum. The U.S. just raised tariffs on these to 50 percent. If your Birmingham business relies heavily on manufacturing and...

Payroll day has a way of sneaking up on you. Even when things are running smoothly, there’s still that moment of holding your breath—Will the software cooperate? Are the numbers right? Is everyone getting paid on time? And if something does go wrong, it’s on you to...

Because you're probably digging out from under a heap of emails and half-finished to-do’s after the long weekend, I’ll get straight to it: There was quite a bit of tariff movement that happened over the weekend. The U.S. and E.U. are accelerating trade...

Feeling the strain of tightening things up and trying to stay one step ahead of whatever’s coming next? You’re in good company – because this kind of pressure isn’t new.Sam Walton didn’t have deep pockets or a fancy MBA. But he did have a knack for thinking a few...

There’s an inbox full of good news to take in this morning.First, we didn’t die from the 53-year-old Russian spacecraft that was hurtling uncontrolled towards Earth this weekend. Kosmos 482 finally crashed into the Indian Ocean after failing to land on Venus in...

This is a special week – because it’s all about YOU. It’s National Small Business Week, and I’ve got to take a minute to say it: Running your Birmingham business is no small thing. You’re the one wearing every hat from CEO to janitor, doing a thousand...

You’ve heard me say it a lot: Keep your head down and focus on what’s actually important – not what’s trending in the fear-focused news headlines. I’ll be the first to admit, this mantra is easier said than done sometimes. Especially these days, when the grip of...

If there’s one thing you can take comfort in as you’re handling the effects of tariffs in your Birmingham business, it’s that you’re not alone. Even titans like Pepsi are feeling the impact. They’re taking hits because of the 25 percent tariff on aluminum, and...

As I sit to write this, it’s the eve of Tax Deadline Day (I’ll be sure to put milk and cookies out for Uncle Sam before leaving the office). Hope you feel the relief of putting your 2024 taxes behind you. Now, you can devote your attention to this other important...

They say money can’t buy happiness…But it can buy you a good CPA – which is basically the same thing in April.Because on a serious note, it’s hard to have peace of mind about your Birmingham business’s finances if your taxes aren’t squared away. The threat of IRS...

In my precious moments of respite from tax season chaos this weekend (of which only two weeks remain, I’ll remind you – if you haven’t filed, get on that ASAP), I read an article that was a good reminder of why I started my business in the first place. It was about...

The nation’s collective basketball-related madness has begun. (Thanks to tax season, my team and I have been feeling the madness for a while now. So welcome to the party). How is your bracket faring? Because I love statistics, here’s one for you: So far in March...