The Self-Employed Man

Be your own boss and still pay the bills: clients, pricing, taxes, tools and time for your family.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Men Do's & Don'ts: Business Owners

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Retirement accounts and the one question that sorts them

401(k), IRA, Roth, HSA, SEP. Strip the alphabet soup and it comes down to who taxes the money and when.

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

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.

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GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Finding north with a stick, a watch and the Big Dipper

The sun gives you west in twenty minutes, Polaris gives you north in ten seconds, and neither one needs a battery or a signal.

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$The rent versus buy math nobody runs before they sign$

Money5 min read

The rent versus buy math nobody runs before they sign

A $350,000 house, an $1,850 rent, and five years of arithmetic that doesn't flatter either side.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

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.

GuideSkillsCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Burns, Sprains And Deep Cuts, Handled In The Right Order

Cool water for twenty minutes, pressure you don't peek at, and a short list of things that mean you stop treating it at home and get in the truck.

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GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

Negotiate your raise with a page of evidence, not nerve

Courage doesn't move a budget line. A one-page file with numbers, dates and a market range does, and you can build it in a few evenings.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

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.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

The Axe Work That Drops a Small Tree Where You Want It

Read the lean, cut the notch wide, leave the hinge alone, and be twenty feet away before it lands. Then limb it without burying the bit in your boot.

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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.

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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.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?