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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Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it

How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.

Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.

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It’s playoff season: Right now, new DraftKings Pick6 customers who play $5 get $50 in Pick6 credits with code KIMK. Play online or download the DraftKings Pick6 app for iPhone or Android. Fingers crossed for a touchdown.

Don’t fall for “Get Paid to Play” scams

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 Those texts offering easy money for simple tasks? They’re scams costing victims over $220 million this year. Here’s what to watch for and how to protect yourself.

Calling all sports fans: It’s playoff time! Right now, new DraftKings Pick6 customers who play $5 get $50 in Pick6 credits with code KIMK. Play online or download the DraftKings Pick6 app for iPhone or Android. Rooting for you!

$100-plus

Potential per-hour rates for a professional back-scratcher. It’s not just scratching someone’s back; you play with their hair, too. One pro scratcher quit her six-figure job to open a spa. Now, she’s making even more money.

Small-biz tip: How to onboard a remote employee

If you’re a small business owner, onboarding a new employee virtually can be a huge undertaking. Taking a new hire out to lunch, giving them a tour of the office and introducing them to coworkers is often an integral part of the experience, but that might not be possible if you hire remote employees.

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Your smartwatch isn’t as accurate as you think

Sensors in today’s smartwatches can detect your heartbeat, track how you sleep and even monitor blood oxygen levels. We’re not far from your watch tracking your blood sugar … and possibly sending reports about it to your doctor.

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😎 Go play outside: Almost half the world might be nearsighted (it’s called “myopia”) by 2050 because kids are on their screens too much and don’t spend enough time outside. Researchers say just an hour in the sun a day could reduce the risk of myopia by 45% (paywall link). Sunlight triggers dopamine, which helps eyeballs grow correctly. Plus, that sweet vitamin D makes your eye tissues stronger.

Pushing out the little guy: Google’s algorithm changes are hitting smaller independent websites hard. Between AI-generated answers, sponsored ads and bigger publishers getting all the play, gaming site Retro Dodo says its traffic has tanked 85% since September 2023. Just 16 companies own over 400 sites that receive 3.8 billion clicks a month from Google. Let that sink in for a moment.

🐶 Hold onto your leash: Have you seen the viral videos of dogs pressing buttons on soundboards to “talk”? They’re real! A study tracked over 190,000 button presses from 152 dogs over 21 months. Dogs pressed buttons like “play + ball” in a way that showed they knew what they wanted. (That’s why your pup isn’t hitting the “bath” button.) I’m eyeing this set so I can teach Abby!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Netflix shortcuts: Try these next time you’re watching from a browser. Hit F for full-screen mode and Esc to exit. Hit the spacebar to play and pause. M mutes, and the up and down arrows control the volume. Sweet!

🦁 This cheetah isn’t lion: Professional blackjack and poker players say tech is powering cheating schemes in casinos. People pass info via tiny cameras hidden in their shirts at card level, then get feedback through earbuds from card counters outside. Two players won $220,000. Speaking of … Never play poker with a toilet — too many flushes.

Keep your battery level over 0%: Letting your phone die does more than leave you without a way to play Wordle. It can also degrade your battery over time. Keep a portable charger on hand and power up before you hit 0%.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

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.

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🧱 Keep calm and Lego on: Lego wanted to ditch paper instructions and go all digital, hoping to play their part in building a sustainable future. Fans said, “No way,” so paper instructions aren’t going anywhere … for now. Gift idea: If you haven’t seen the Lego sets for adults, these are amazing. I gifted some last year and everyone loved them.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

1 in 5 remote workers

Naps during the workday. A new survey revealed 33% of remote workers take calls in the bathroom and 17% watch TV or play video games. Working hard or hardly working?

YouTube now shows ads when you hit pause: The video shrinks to the left, and an ad pops up on the right. To make it disappear, hit play or click Dismiss. YouTube calls it a “less interruptive” experience, but the normal ads play just as often. Ahem, they want you to pay $13.99 a month for ad-free Premium.

Scam emails we got this week – Don’t fall for this junk!

Eight billion. That’s how many spam emails go out in the U.S. every single day. Komando staff (me included!) have received some real winners recently. Here’s a look at actual spam emails circulating right now. I want to keep you safe from junk like this, so read carefully!

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🚨 Watching you, watching me: Nearly 1.3 million Android TV boxes across 197 countries are infected with Vo1d malware. Compromised devices include the R4 TV Box, the KJ-SMART4KVIP and TV Box models that use Android 12.1. All run outdated Android versions with unpatched security holes. If you have an Android TV box, make sure the firmware is updated and that it’s Play Protect certified.