Level up: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.
5 hidden fees costing your small business money
Starting your own business can be exciting, but it often comes with a rocky road ahead. Those rocks will cut into your wallet through several expenses. Miscalculating the daily costs of running a company can hurt you in the long run.
Although some fees are hard to miss, others can slip through the cracks. Those can cost you a ton of cash over time. Here are five hidden fees that may have slipped past your radar.
1. Too many accounts for the same program
Let’s say you need to use an expensive program that charges per user. If you have five login accounts but only three people need them, you’re paying for two subscriptions you don’t use. Take stock of the resources you pay for and analyze how many workers use them.
Maybe you’re paying for a team to use expensive accounting software, for example. But if only one person uses it, you should demote your subscription to a single-person plan.
This is an easy mistake, especially when you have a high turnover. One employee may have set up a paid account before leaving the company. Since they’re gone, you should delete their accounts. There’s no sense in paying for an account that’s no longer in use.
2. Using an expensive subscription when a cheaper one will do
It’s tempting to pay for the highest tier. Maybe you found cutting-edge accounting software with a ton of features. Unless you’re using all of those features, you’re probably paying for more than you need.
You can save money by ensuring you aren’t automatically signing up for a top-of-the-line subscription when you’d be fine down a tier or two. Sometimes, the cheapest subscription will serve all your needs — and put extra money in your pocket.
3. Tricky phone bills
Unexpected fees can pop up, making your phone bill hard to comprehend. There are many parts to understand, from calling plans and services to taxes, surcharges and miscellaneous fees.
That’s why we recommend auditing your phone service. It’s common for business leaders to buy phone service and cross it off their mental list forever. That’s not a good idea, though — the market changes, prices go up and you can overpay if you don’t check in now and then.
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You're on camera — all the time
The average person likely gets recorded 400 to 500 times a week. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison says it’s only going to get worse. Plus, Google AI used in cyberattacks, UnitedHealthcare hack aftermath, and is the dead internet theory real?
Free AI test drive: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.
Sick of QuickBooks? There’s a better way!
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You get visibility and control of your financials, inventory, HR, planning, budgeting, and more — all from one easy dashboard. Don’t just take my word for it — over 37,000 businesses already use NetSuite.
Streamline workflow with these automation tips
Are you sick of wasting time on repetitive tasks? You don’t have to go it alone. Automation can streamline lead generators, customer service and other business needs. We’ll show you how in our step-by-step guide to small business automation.
💸 Stargate will change everything: Yesterday’s announcement by President Trump, along with the biggest tech CEOs, is the most consequential technical project of the century. Stargate is bigger than anything. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son declared a half-trillion-dollar investment in AI. In medicine, Stargate promises cures and the ability to stop most diseases from happening. We cannot fathom all this means except that our country will be an AI leader. Stargate will create an immediate 100,000 jobs.
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Free online financial calculators to get debt under control, plan for retirement and see your net worth
If you need help managing your money, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of financial tips for investors and small business owners. Case in point: Here are 10 free spreadsheet templates to help you get a handle on your money.
Reader question: 'What can I use instead of QuickBooks?'
If you’re a business owner, you don’t need us to tell you that running a business is tough. Don’t let QuickBooks and spreadsheets slow you down, making things more complicated than necessary. It’s time to upgrade to our sponsor NetSuite.
Master Excel with these 5 genius tricks
You can’t keep track of everything on paper. Excel can play a significant role in your daily workload. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro user, there’s much to learn — like these five useful Excel tricks.
Want to become an Excel expert? It’s a good strategy for small business owners who want to grow this year. After all, you’ll generate tons of data. Speaking of which, here’s how to stop third parties from selling your data.
5 free resources to grow your business
Entrepreneurs and small business owners need all the help they can get. When you’re a self-starter, you’re constantly on the go, multitasking and doing all you can to grow your company quickly. Luckily, there are a ton of free small business resources that can help you along the way.
AI will watch everything you do
Are you behaving badly? Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison predicts that AI will soon keep you in line. In other news: MoviePass fraud exposed, Snapchat uses your face for ads, and the story behind the viral ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl.
Why '1984' is no longer just a tech cliché
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