City Style

Tailoring, sneakers and the smart-casual line nobody explains properly.

Negotiating with suppliers when you're the small account

You don't have volume leverage. You have four other kinds, and most small operators never use any of them.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Read a map and compass in the order you actually use them

Set declination, orient the map, walk a bearing, and find yourself again when the trail disappears. No battery required.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideStartupsRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

One Hour on Friday Is All Your Books Need

Do your bookkeeping in a fixed weekly hour and you'll always know three numbers that decide whether your business lives.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

Old School6 min read

Give a kid the whole job, not the easy half

Chores that actually end, consequences that last ten minutes, and an afternoon outside nobody supervises. The old system still works, and it's cheap.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideSkillsCal BrennanSep 23, 20265 min

Spotting a stroke or a heart attack in the first ten minutes

What to look for, what to say on the phone, and the four things to do before the ambulance turns onto your street.

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

Write the job post so the wrong people don't apply

Most hiring problems start with a posting that could belong to anybody. Put the pay in, name the hard part, and watch your applicant pile get smaller and better.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

The family tax breaks that are worth the paperwork

A credit cuts your bill dollar for dollar. A deduction cuts it by your tax rate. Once you see the difference, the rest of the form gets simpler.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Reset the breaker, then find out why it tripped

Flipping it back on takes ten seconds. Knowing what made it trip is the part that keeps your house standing.

GuideOld SchoolNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

The Manners My Grandmother Drilled In Still Open Doors

Thank-you notes, arriving early, remembering the name of the guy who fixed your truck. Small old rules that make people want to help you.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What each college savings account actually does with your money

529, Coverdell, custodial, Roth, plain brokerage, I bonds. The real differences, the tax math, and which one deserves your first $200 a month.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Sharpen a chainsaw chain by hand, in the right order

If your saw is throwing dust instead of chips, ten minutes with a round file will give you back a saw that pulls itself into the wood.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Handing the family business over without blowing up the family

Most successions fail years before the lawyer gets involved. The fix is a date, real authority, and a number everybody agreed to while things were calm.