All guides

Compare the true cost of an independent contractor and an employee with a break-even hours example, the IRS classification factors and the penalties for getting it wrong.

Step-by-step break-even formulas in units and dollars, with worked examples, a sensitivity table and the costs owners most often leave out of the calculation.

Understand the loan payment formula, the difference between interest rate and APR, how fees and term change total cost, and how to compare offers with a worked example.

Work out the true annual cost of an employee with payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' comp, benefits and overhead, using a worked example and checklist.

Learn how card processing fees are built, how to calculate your effective rate from a statement and how flat-rate, interchange-plus and tiered pricing compare.

Learn the difference between margin and markup, the formulas for each, a conversion table and how to set a price that actually delivers your target profit.

A practical map of the business calculators worth using, what each one answers, the inputs it needs and the mistakes that make results misleading.

Calculate burn rate and cash runway with simple formulas, a worked example, a 13-week forecast method and practical ways to extend your runway.

Calculate simple and discounted payback, ROI and the buy vs. lease question for business equipment, including how tax deductions like Section 179 change the math.

Work backward from the income you need to a billable hourly rate, with a worked example, a utilization table and tips for converting hourly rates to project fees.

How to calculate sales tax forward and backward, when you must collect it across states, what economic nexus means and how to avoid common filing mistakes.

Step-by-step self-employment tax math with a worked example, the half-deduction, quarterly estimated payment dates and safe harbor rules to avoid underpayment penalties.

Common calculation errors in pricing, forecasting, loans and taxes, with worked examples showing how each mistake distorts results and how to check your own numbers.

Calculate the annualized cost of early-payment discounts, late fees and invoice factoring, and learn when taking or offering a discount makes sense for your cash flow.

A factor rate of 1.3 sounds like 30 percent, but the annualized cost can be far higher. Learn the conversion math, worked examples and questions to ask before signing.

Learn the warning signs of fake lenders, advance-fee loans, grant scams and misleading online calculators, plus how to verify a lender and where to report fraud.

Compare spreadsheets, bookkeeping software and hiring an accountant by stage, complexity and cost of your time, with a decision framework and record-keeping basics.