Insights

Finance, capital & AI — in plain terms.

Practical reads for growing businesses on the decisions in front of you: cash flow, lending, pricing, metrics, and where AI actually pays off.

Capital · Rates & SBA10 min read

The Fed raised rates. The SBA raised the bar.New

Borrowing just got more expensive, and on October 1 SBA credit gets harder to qualify for. What changed, what it costs, and where a fractional CFO earns its keep.

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Business · Strategy5 min read

Banks won’t pay for the long term. Neither will your clients.

A collapsed CD term premium explains why long-term contracts are stalling — and why flexible terms may be the fastest way to close business right now.

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Capital · Investment6 min read

Labor is a record cost. Nobody’s investing to fix it.

A record 14% of owners call labor costs their top problem. Only 16% plan capital outlays — the lowest since March 2009.

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AI & Technology6 min read

The Cost of Standing Still

Why doing nothing is the most expensive decision an SMB can make right now. Part 1 of the Measured Momentum series.

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AI & Technology7 min read

Hours Saved Isn’t ROI

The new scorecard for telling whether your AI and efficiency bets actually paid off. Part 2 of the Measured Momentum series.

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Capital · Lending9 min read

What lenders actually look for

How a credit officer reads your business, the 2026 SBA changes, why your banking relationship still matters, and how to get approved.

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Finance Roles · Metrics5 min read

The finance function, and the numbers that run it

Who does what in a finance team, the five numbers worth watching, and why profit on paper is not cash in the bank.

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AI & Technology5 min read

Where AI actually pays off for a small business

Adoption is near universal, impact is not. Where the near-term return is and how to hold the spend accountable.

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