Between the parties and fun of the holiday season, comes a lot of stress and planning for small business owners. It’s a time for evaluating how the year went, making plans and setting goals for the new year, and wrapping up important tax documentation. To help with the crazy that happens this time of year, we gathered articles about managing stress this season, year-end tax tips, and some ways to get you planning for the new year.

With an extra focus on family this time of year, we thought it would be a good time to talk about family run small businesses. Working with your family is going to be different than working with others; your family knows every single thing about you, including your strengths and weaknesses, and tend to be a bit more honest than others might be. Whether you are already in business and want to keep thriving, or looking for best tips to start, we have some articles that should help you out.

Money tasks aren’t usually enjoyable to deal with, and as a small business owner they can be especially stressful. As we are quickly approaching year-end, it doesn’t hurt to spend a few minutes cleaning up your finances and if you’re struggling, finding some new ways to change your spending habits to start the new year on a clean slate.

With National Entrepreneurs’ Day and Thanksgiving this week, there is a special emphasis on being thankful and practicing gratitude. In addition to this time of year, it’s important to be thankful year-round and can actually lead to better health and well-being, along with delivering positive results for your small business. This week, we found a few articles that help explain these topics in more detail.

Ahead of National Entrepreneurs’ Day, we wanted to find some articles that celebrate the success of small business owners. Being a small business owner is no easy feat, and for those times when you’re feeling a bit discouraged, it can be helpful to look at some stories to see you aren’t alone in your struggles and can succeed. Learn from one small business owner who went from broke to raking in sales, one Uber driver who got creative and turned his vehicle into a product showroom, and lastly check out four more stories that have something to teach you about being a small business owner.

Employee handbooks. How often have you received one of these and wondered if it was worth the time it takes to read? You might thing that most of the information in the handbook is stuff you’ve seen before.

It seems like we are always on the quest for happiness. For some people, happiness comes naturally and others it can take a little more work to find it. There is also always the question about what truly makes you happy. This week, we gathered an article that gives you all of the details on an extremely popular happiness course at Yale. Next, learn the truth about how much money will make you happy, and lastly find out how to refocus on the things that are truly important in your life.

Safety is an important workplace subject that has evolved over the years. As a small business owner, depending on your business, you may be wondering just how much emphasis you need to place on safety. It’s important to remember that while some industries have more to plan around than others, injuries and accidents can be as simple as tripping over your computer cord. By ensuring your small business is as safe as possible, you can protect yourself, employees, and customers from unfortunate situations that can easily be avoided.  

In recent years the workforce has been changing, and more and more people are working remotely. While many people believe that work from home employees are less productive and tend to slack off more, research actually shows the opposite. However, it can easy for remote employees to feel like they aren’t part of a time and that communicating can sometimes be a problem. This week, we found some articles that will better help you understand remote employees and ways to keep them engaged.

The holiday shopping season is quickly approaching, with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday now being less than a month away. This year, consumers are ready to spend, which is great news for your small business. This week, to help you gear up for the season, we gathered articles about how other small business owners are advertising, the consumer shopping habits for the season, and the 5 online shopping trends to be aware of.

We are officially one month out from Small Business Saturday! As a small business owner, this is a day to look forward to, but you might not know how best to participate. Last year, we did a two-part series about the history and importance of Small Business Saturday and some things that you should keep in mind as you plan. This year, we are sharing some stats from the 2017 shopping season, providing a recap of what you can do to be successful, and asking for your help in filling out a fast Small Business Saturday survey.

Hiring as a small business owner can be hard and overwhelming. With everything else you have going on, while you might need help, getting the process started can take a while. This week, we found some articles that can help you out and offer advice on hiring on a limited budget, hiring more effectively, and how to find the right seasonal employees for your small business.

At this point, you have learned what employee engagement is, how money may or may not affect engagement, and now you’re ready to learn how to keep employees at your small business engaged. Perhaps you have the money to give everybody raises, but if you don’t, there are plenty of ways that you can still keep employees engaged in the work they are doing. 

For any business to be successful, a solid marketing plan is key. After all, if people don’t know that you exist, or what products or services you sell, how are you supposed to make any money? Marketing can also be confusing, and is an area that is always evolving. This week, we have some articles that will help you better understand marketing, tips for a great plan, and how Generation Z is going to shake up online marketing.

“Money can’t buy happiness.” How often have you heard this saying, and how often have you heard the follow up along the lines of “maybe not, but I would be happier sitting at my beach house with a margarita in hand”? Researchers have spent a lot of time understanding how money affects people, and at what point will they be happy. The same is applied to workers and how much money will make an employee engaged. 

Did you know that October is National Women’s Small Business Month? To kick off the month, we are dedicating this week’s reading list to female small business owners. Being a female small business owner can be a challenge. From typically being paid less than male counterparts, or struggling to find the funding, many women are intimidated to launch their own business. This week, we gathered some articles that will help female entrepreneurs with funding, building a supportive team, and understanding how to charge what they are worth. 

Employee engagement can be tricky to measure. Some people think that money is the biggest factor involved, while others turn to workplace benefits and culture. In our three part series on employee engagement, we are going to explain what it is, share some research about it not being all about money, and how you can get your employees more engaged, especially if you can’t increase salary.

As a small business owner, you likely struggle to find the time to keep up on the important news that could impact your business. This week, we gathered three timely pieces that you should be aware of. Check in to learn the latest tech news, which states are “friendliest” for small business owners, and understand what other small business owners are thinking about the new tariffs.

You know why you should be working how, and the long-term health and mental benefits of doing so, but do you know that exercise can help your small business? The articles below discuss a few benefits, such as how exercising can be your biggest competitive advantage, or how you can learn business tips from a popular boutique fitness studio. 

Each season brings something new such as warmer temperatures or changing leaves. When it comes to owning a small business, that something new may be your busy season. Two of the most common busy seasons are summer and holidays. For some businesses, these seasons are crucial to their success, such as a summer only lakefront restaurant, or a wintertime ski resort. During your busy time, you may be struggling to manage everything solo. In these cases, seasonal employees can be a major asset to your business. These seasonal employee hiring tips are bound to set your business up for success before the crowds start pounding down your door.