The operational side of running a business. Done in plain English.
Formation paperwork. Payroll setup. Multi-state nexus. Contractor 1099s. Franchise tax. Sub-account architecture. None of this is exotic — but most owners learned it the hard way. Every article in this category covers one operational topic so owners can stop guessing and start running.
Running a business has an operational layer that lives underneath the tax-strategy layer. Forming the right entity. Setting up payroll. Hiring your first contractor. Filing the Texas franchise tax return. Understanding multi-state nexus when you start selling to clients in other states. The articles in this category walk through the operational moves — not in the dense IRS-publication style, but in the plain-English voice of someone who's done it 200 times.
4 clusters. Articles grouped by what you're actually trying to solve.
Each cluster covers one operational area in depth. Articles within a cluster reinforce each other; clusters cross-link between categories where the topics overlap.
Formation + Setup
1/4 liveLLC formation · S-corp election · Delaware vs. Texas vs. home state · DBA · EIN · operating agreement
Payroll
1/4 liveGusto setup · reasonable comp documentation · contractor 1099-NEC · multi-state payroll · year-end W-2s
Multi-State Compliance
1/4 liveNexus thresholds · state income tax · franchise tax · sales tax · employee location triggers
Business Banking
1/4 liveRelay vs. Bluevine vs. Chase · sub-account architecture · Profit First · banking + Kick integration
5 articles in Operating a Business
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Multi-State Tax Nexus in 2026: Sales Tax, Income Tax, P.L. 86-272, and the Remote-Employee Trap
Most business owners only know about nexus when they get a state tax notice. By then it's too late — back taxes, penalties, and interest are already accruing. Here's the 2026 map: when sales nexus triggers, when income-tax nexus triggers (different rules, different states), how P.L. 86-272 used to protect you but increasingly doesn't, and what to do once you're nexus-positive.
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Gusto Setup for S-Corp Owners: The Operational Walkthrough
If you elected S-corp status, Gusto is almost certainly the right payroll provider. Here's the operational setup that takes you from S-corp election to first paycheck in under a week.
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Texas Franchise Tax + PIR: The 2026 Practical Guide
Most Texas small businesses owe no franchise tax — but they still have to file the PIR every year or risk forfeiture. Here's what's required, when, and what to do if you've missed it.
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LLC Formation Checklist (50-State Coverage)
Forming an LLC is paperwork plus six operational decisions. Here's the complete checklist — what you file, what you need to set up, what comes after, and the pitfalls.
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Relay vs. Bluevine: The Real Comparison
Both are modern business banks. Relay wins on multi-account architecture + integrations. Bluevine wins on yield. Here's the honest comparison + when each one fits.
If Operating a Business fits your situation, here's where to go next.
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