Ann M Hartz, CPA and Associates

06/18/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 2025?

JPMorgan Chase’s 2026 Business Leaders Outlook found that business owners made several changes in response to cost pressure:

• 38% reduced non-essential expenses
• 32% raised prices on all products or services
• 31% added new products or services
• 30% raised prices on select products
• 25% invested in technology to improve operations

Which of these changes did you make in your business in 2025?

06/17/2026

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙨?

Start by looking at how your business is being charged.

Flat-rate providers can be simple, but they may not be the cheapest option once your card sales grow.

An interchange-plus plan can cut out the blended-rate markup, so you’re not paying premium processing rates on transactions that may cost less to run.

You can also review:
• Whether large invoices could be paid by ACH
• Whether a dual-pricing setup makes sense
• Whether your merchant statement includes hidden fees
• Whether your current processor still fits your sales volume

A quick quarterly review can catch fees before they quietly drain cash flow.

When was the last time you looked closely at your merchant statement?

06/16/2026

The economy added 172,000 jobs in May.

So why does hiring still feel so hard for your business?

The report looked strong overall, but growth wasn’t spread evenly across every industry.

If you’re struggling to find employees, it might be time to look at the team you already have:

• Who could grow with a little training?
• What tasks could be shared differently?
• What tools could take pressure off the team?

When hiring feels stuck, start inside your own business.

https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/may-job-growth-uneven-labor-market?mbcid=46039271.4093642&mblid=2a8ee9dc8a40&mid=07b33c9f5339a15bd3763206a28228ec&utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

06/15/2026

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨?

Yes, because although profitability measures efficiency, cash flow measures timing.

Your business may look profitable on paper, but if customers are slow to pay invoices, you may still struggle to cover bills.

That’s why profit margin and cash flow both need your attention.

And if your margins are thinner than you’d like, don’t panic. The next step may be reviewing pricing, trimming unnecessary expenses, or changing how the business operates.

If your business looks profitable but cash still feels tight, let’s look at what the numbers are actually saying.

06/12/2026

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚?

Start with your net profit margin.

That number shows how much you keep from every dollar your business brings in after everything is accounted for.

If your margin is 12 percent, you’re keeping 12 cents from every dollar.

You can also watch your gross profit margin and operating profit margin, because those can point to pricing or overhead issues earlier.

Are you tracking your profits monthly, quarterly, or only when something feels off?

06/12/2026

The Ann M. Hartz, CPA and Associates Guide to Minimizing Credit Card Processing Fees For Small Business Owners

Credit card processing fees for small businesses are more flexible than you think. Learn how to protect your profit margins and avoid IRS audit traps.

06/11/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨?

A new idea doesn’t have to be perfect before you try it. But it does need to answer:
1. Who is this for?
2. What problem does it solve?
3. What would someone actually pay for?
4. What’s the smallest way to try it?

A business is an opportunity to fill a need, so making sure you're clear on what need is being filled and how to actually charge for it is your basis for everything.

06/10/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚?

A lot of businesses don’t think about family and medical leave until an employee is already asking for time away.

That can make the process harder for everyone.

Before that happens, it’s worth reviewing these components of your business:
• Who is covered
• How leave is handled
• Whether part-time employees are included
• What your employee handbook says
• Whether insurance should be part of the plan

A clear policy gives your team fewer unanswered questions when life happens.

If your employee needed leave tomorrow, would your policy provide clear next steps?

06/09/2026

Entrepreneurship is a big thing in our economy right now, especially with the major influx of content creators over the past few years.

But being an entrepreneur doesn't mean you need to wait for a big “aha” moment to start a successful business.

Sometimes a business idea simply comes from paying attention, asking better questions, and finding a need to fill.

Want help processing your business idea? Let's talk it out in the comments.

https://www.inc.com/yuvaltal/you-dont-need-a-eureka-moment-to-start-a-company/91285000

06/08/2026

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬?

Your business handles sensitive information every week. Things like client files, employee records, payment details, and passwords could be at risk of online exposure.

So, ask yourself, and ask your clients:
𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵?