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US president warns Tehran has ‘two or three days’ to reach a deal and reopen the Strait of HormuzView the full article

A few times each year, the tech community lights up with new theories and renewed speculation about what Apple might announce next. Those of us who scour the internet for the latest leaks and whispered rumors might try to guess what colors the next iPhone might come in, or what new features could ship with the next version of iOS, then watch Apple's keynote presentations live to see if we were right. If that sounds like you, listen up: This year, your guesses could win you a brand new Apple Watch. Throughout 2026, Lifehacker is running a guessing game contest based on Apple's new announcements and releases. Here's how it works: The contest will unfold across three rounds. We're currently in Round 1, which will continue through June 2. As you can see from the questions above, this round is focused on the scuttlebutt around Apple's software (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, etc.). Round 2, which will run from July 7 through July 21, concerns Apple's devices (iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Vision Pro, etc.). Round 3, which will span Aug. 18 through Sept. 1, centers on Apple's fall event. During each round, you'll answer five questions about what Apple might announce or reveal during its major keynote events. Each question you answer with a correct prediction earns you one entry into the grand-prize drawing, to be held at the conclusion of all three rounds. If you win the drawing, you'll walk away with the latest version of the Apple Watch. To be eligible, an entrant must be at least 18 years old, and a resident of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. Lifehacker isn't throwing this event alone: The other CNET Group sites (CNET, Mashable, PCMag, ZDNET) are also hosting their own questions. That means there will be 75 possible questions to answer across all CNET Group sites and all three rounds. You're free to submit answers to any and all of the questionnaires on these sites during each round, but please note that each entrant is only eligible to win one prize. Each of the five websites will announce the winner of its contest shortly after Apple's fall event. Once you've answered, you'll receive a copy of your responses at the email address you provide, so you can keep track of your predictions—and make sure to come back in July for Round 2 of Lifehacker's Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 p.m. ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC. Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc. View the full article

How to implement your firm’s strategic plan. By Matt Rampe Go PRO for members-only access to more Matt Rampe. View the full article

How to implement your firm’s strategic plan. By Matt Rampe Go PRO for members-only access to more Matt Rampe. View the full article

Standardize and tell your clients what you need. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article

Standardize and tell your clients what you need. By Jody Padar Radical Pricing – By The Radical CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Jody Padar. View the full article

Boards everywhere are saying “we need AI agents.” That pressure moves down the organization fast. Teams build a pilot and achieve good results in a sandbox. Then they try to put it in production and everything slows down. Usually, the model performed fine. What was missing was what surrounded it—monitoring, ownership, a plan for when things go wrong. I’ve been shipping software in regulated industries for 20 years. In those industries, when something hallucinates, planes don’t fly or money doesn’t move. So you learn to care about the process more than the tools, and realize that the model is the easy part. You can swap one for another in an afternoon. What you can’t swap is the workflow underneath it, and the domain knowledge baked into how an agent actually makes decisions. THE WORKFLOW IS THE PRODUCT In production, you don’t release anything without a rollback plan. You collect metrics from day one because if you forget, you can’t answer questions later. Every layer needs to be traceable. None of it changes just because the code is being written by an agent instead of a person. An agent in a regulated environment needs control on its decision logic, defined inputs and outputs, monitoring, and a way back to a safe state when something breaks. But the harder part is what comes before any of that—domain knowledge. The reason companies keep working with the same engineering teams for years is that those teams know which systems interact, which areas are fragile, and where a small change cascades. That accumulated understanding of a client’s business, processes, and technical landscape is what allows you to build agents that hold up in production. Without it, you may be automating processes you don’t fully understand. MIT’s 2025 research shows that 95% of enterprise AI pilots produce no measurable business impact, and the problem is consistently how organizations adopt, integrate, and govern AI. ONBOARD AGENTS THE WAY YOU ONBOARD ENGINEERS You don’t expect a new developer to do a proper feature or fix in the main branch on day one. There’s a ramp-up period and supervision. You start them on smaller tasks, review their work closely, and gradually increase the scope as they prove they can deliver reliably. Agents need the same treatment. That means giving them a clear “definition of done,” evaluating their output against known benchmarks, having someone review the results until trust is earned, and building an escalation path for when the agent hits something it can’t handle. The discipline we’ve spent decades building around human onboarding applies directly here, as well—we just haven’t been applying it. Stack Overflow’s 2025 Developer Survey, with more than 49,000 respondents, found that 45% of developers say debugging AI-generated code is more time-consuming than expected. The output looks right. Then you look closer and it isn’t. A function passes its tests but handles an edge case in a way no experienced engineer would accept. That’s where the human job is moving—not writing code, but catching what the machine got almost right. And doing that well requires people who know what “right” looks like in a given domain. REVIEW THE BLUEPRINT, NOT THE BRICKS An agent can produce a thousand lines of code in seconds. If your senior engineers are reviewing all of that after the fact, they become a permanent bottleneck. A better approach would be to do a shift left and review the spec before the agent starts. A small misalignment early on compounds quickly. By the end, you’re looking at an output that barely resembles what was intended. The teams understanding that have moved their senior people into something closer to an architect-supervisor role. They spend most of their time sharpening the brief, not inspecting finished work. That takes people who’ve shipped things in production, who know what breaks at scale, and who understand the domain well enough to write specs an agent can follow without drifting. The models will keep getting better on their own. The workflows, the guardrails, the knowledge of what actually matters in a specific industry, all come from years of doing the work. Denis Danov is CTO at Dreamix. View the full article

Plus a five-point checklist. By Martin Bissett Passport to Partnership Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Plus a five-point checklist. By Martin Bissett Passport to Partnership Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Finding the right accountant for your new business is a critical step in the direction of financial stability. You need to assess your specific accounting needs, such as tax obligations and payroll requirements. It’s essential to understand the different types of accountants available and how their expertise aligns with your industry. As you explore your options, consider the qualifications, communication styles, and whether they can grow with your business. Knowing what to look for can make all the difference as you navigate this important decision. Key Takeaways Assess your accounting needs to determine if you require ongoing support or seasonal assistance based on your business’s complexity and financial situation. Seek accountants with relevant industry experience to ensure they understand unique regulations and challenges specific to your business sector. Verify qualifications and credentials, such as CPA or CMA, while checking references and client testimonials for reliability and effectiveness. Evaluate communication styles and personal compatibility to ensure a comfortable working relationship for discussing sensitive financial matters. Discuss scalability of services to ensure your accountant can support your business as it grows and adapts to changing financial complexities. Assess Your Accounting Needs When you start a new business, it’s crucial to assess your accounting needs, as this will significantly influence your decision on which accountant to hire. First, evaluate whether you require ongoing accounting support or just seasonal assistance; this distinction will guide your choice. Next, identify specific services you need, like tax preparation, payroll management, or budgeting, to guarantee the accountant can meet your unique requirements. Consider the complexity of your financial situation; intricate needs may necessitate hiring a CPA or a specialized accountant. If your business operates in a sector with unique financial regulations, seek industry-specific expertise. Furthermore, assess your financial literacy and comfort with managing finances, as this will help you decide how much support you may need. Finally, prepare a list of questions to ask an accountant, as this will assist you in how to choose an accountant best suited for your new business. Understand the Different Types of Accountants When you’re selecting an accountant, it’s essential to understand the different types available and their key responsibilities. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) offer a broad range of services, whereas Enrolled Agents (EAs) focus on tax representation. Furthermore, knowing whether you need a Bookkeeper for daily transactions or a Tax Attorney for complex issues can greatly impact your business’s financial management. Types of Accounting Professionals Steering through the domain of accounting can feel overwhelming, especially for new business owners who need to understand the various types of accounting professionals available. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are licensed experts, equipped to handle complex tasks and provide strategic advice. Enrolled Agents (EAs) focus on tax preparation and can represent you before the IRS. If you face legal tax issues, a Tax Attorney specializes in tax law and can navigate disputes with the IRS. Management Accountants (CMAs) work within your organization, focusing on budgeting and financial analysis. To find the right fit, consider the specific financial needs of your business and prepare questions to ask a CPA, ensuring you select the professional best suited to help you succeed. Key Responsibilities of Accountants Grasping the key responsibilities of accountants is crucial for any new business owner. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) offer services like tax preparation, financial planning, and business consulting, making them indispensable for ongoing financial management. If you face complex tax situations, Enrolled Agents (EAs) are licensed by the IRS to represent you during audits and appeals. For legal matters, Tax Attorneys focus on tax law disputes and provide necessary legal advice. Management Accountants, or Certified Management Accountants (CMAs), specialize in financial analysis, guiding your business decisions based on financial data. Finally, Bookkeepers manage daily transactions like invoicing and payroll, ensuring accurate record-keeping that supports accountants in handling more complex tasks. Comprehending these roles helps you choose the right professional for your needs. Look for Relevant Industry Experience How important is it for your accountant to have industry-focused experience? It’s vital. When you inquire about their experience, focus on how well they understand your industry’s unique challenges and regulations. An accountant with a proven track record in your sector can provide valuable insights into tax breaks and financial strategies customized particularly for your business type. Moreover, make certain they’ve worked with businesses of similar size and complexity to grasp your financial needs and operational nuances. Familiarity with industry-oriented accounting software is likewise fundamental, as these tools can streamline your operations. Finally, prioritize accountants who demonstrate success in managing financial situations similar to those your business may face. This capability can greatly support your growth and help you navigate any challenges that arise. Having an accountant with relevant experience can make a considerable difference in your business’s financial health. Seek Referrals From Trusted Sources When starting a new business, seeking referrals from trusted sources can greatly improve your search for the right accountant. Friends, family, and colleagues can lead you to reliable accountants who understand your specific business needs. Often, word-of-mouth recommendations reveal insights into an accountant’s professionalism, reliability, and effectiveness, which can save you valuable time. Personal connections may share firsthand experiences, offering feedback on strengths and weaknesses in handling financial matters, giving you a clearer idea of what to expect. Moreover, engaging with adjacent businesses in your industry can yield referrals from those who’ve faced similar challenges and can recommend accountants familiar with your sector’s specific requirements. Finally, combining these personal referrals with online platforms and customer reviews will provide a well-rounded perspective, ensuring you choose the best fit for your new business. This approach can greatly improve your confidence in your final decision. Evaluate Qualifications and Certifications Finding the right accountant involves more than just personal recommendations; evaluating their qualifications and certifications is equally important. Start by looking for accountants with credentials like Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA), as these indicate a high level of expertise and commitment to ongoing education. Verify their qualifications align with your business’s specific needs, since different industries often require specialized knowledge in areas such as tax regulations. Next, assess their experience and examine their previous work history with businesses similar to yours. This will help you determine if they’ve successfully navigated challenges relevant to your sector. Furthermore, inquire about their proficiency with accounting software and tools that pertain to your operations, as modern technology is key for efficient financial management. Finally, check for any extra certifications or training that could improve their qualifications, such as expertise in specific tax laws or financial planning strategies beneficial to your business. Consider the Accountant’s Fee Structure Understanding the accountant’s fee structure is vital for effectively managing your business budget, especially since fees can vary widely based on the services provided. Typically, hourly rates range from $100 to $500, depending on the accountant’s experience and location. Some accountants charge a flat fee for specific tasks, like tax preparation, which can offer cost predictability, whereas others may bill hourly, leading to fluctuating expenses based on service complexity. It’s important to inquire about any additional costs that might arise, especially during peak times like tax season, to avoid surprises. Comparing quotes from multiple accountants can help you find the best value; nonetheless, keep in mind that the lowest price doesn’t always mean the best service. Look for a thorough fee structure that outlines all potential costs, including retainer fees for ongoing services, to guarantee alignment with your business’s financial capabilities and needs. Check References and Client Testimonials When you’re selecting an accountant, checking references and client testimonials is essential for verifying their expertise. Look for feedback from clients in similar industries to guarantee their experience aligns with your needs, and ask about their responsiveness and communication style. Moreover, independent review platforms can provide unbiased insights into the accountant’s reliability and effectiveness in addressing specific challenges, helping you make a well-informed decision. Importance of Verification Verification plays a crucial role in selecting the right accountant for your new business, as it helps guarantee you’re making an informed decision. Checking references from previous clients offers insights into an accountant’s reliability and effectiveness. Client testimonials can reveal strengths and weaknesses, providing a clearer picture of service quality. Engaging with former clients allows you to assess how the accountant navigated challenges and contributed to financial success. Furthermore, verifying credentials and licenses through official channels guarantees the accountant is qualified. Conducting independent research on reviews can uncover unbiased opinions, enhancing your assessment of their capabilities. Aspect Importance References Insight into reliability and professionalism Client Testimonials Highlights strengths and weaknesses Credential Verification Confirms qualifications are valid Independent Research Uncovers unbiased opinions Diverse Client Experiences Diverse client experiences are essential for grasping the effectiveness of an accountant, as they can reveal how well the accountant meets varied business needs. By checking references and client testimonials, you can gain valuable insights into their reliability and professionalism. Consider the following points: Speak with former clients to perceive their experience with businesses like yours. Look for testimonials that highlight both strengths and weaknesses. Gather feedback from multiple sources to avoid bias. Evaluate how the accountant handles industry-specific challenges. This approach guarantees you develop a thorough grasp of the accountant’s communication style and overall effectiveness in supporting your business. In the end, diverse client experiences will guide you in making a well-informed decision. Independent Reference Checks Independent reference checks are a vital step in selecting the right accountant for your business. By reaching out to former or current clients, you can gather unbiased insights about an accountant’s performance and reliability, rather than relying merely on firm-provided references. When you contact references, ask specific questions about their experiences, focusing on the accountant’s responsiveness, industry expertise, and ability to meet deadlines. Multiple client assessments can highlight consistent strengths and weaknesses, aiding your decision-making process. Furthermore, verify testimonials for credibility by ensuring they originate from legitimate businesses or individuals who’ve directly worked with the accountant. Thorough reference checks not just help you find a qualified accountant but also establish a foundation of trust and transparency for your future working relationship. Ensure Proficiency With Accounting Software When selecting an accountant for your new business, it’s vital to guarantee they’re proficient with accounting software that fits your needs. An accountant skilled in the right tools can streamline your financial management and improve efficiency. Here are some key points to keep in mind: Confirm their proficiency with popular platforms like QuickBooks, used by over 3.4 million businesses. Make sure they can seamlessly integrate with your existing accounting systems to avoid complications. Ask about their experience with cloud-based tools, which allow for real-time financial monitoring and collaboration. Inquire if they stay updated on new accounting technologies, as 70% of small businesses believe technology improves financial management. Evaluating an accountant’s adaptability to various software platforms is important since 80% of accountants report that the right technology boosts their efficiency and accuracy. Investing time in this area will pay off in the long run. Assess Communication Style and Personal Compatibility When you’re choosing an accountant for your new business, evaluating their communication style and personal compatibility is key. Pay close attention during initial meetings to see how well they listen and address your concerns, as this can reveal their approachability. Furthermore, consider their availability for ongoing consultations and how they explain complex financial concepts, ensuring you’re comfortable discussing sensitive issues as your relationship develops. Evaluate Initial Meetings How can you determine if an accountant is the right fit for your new business during initial meetings? Start by evaluating their communication style; they should explain complex financial concepts in a way that makes sense to you. Next, assess personal compatibility; you need to feel comfortable discussing sensitive financial matters. Pay attention to their responsiveness and availability, as this indicates the level of support you can expect. Consider these key points: Inquire about their approach to client relationships. Observe if they prioritize comprehension of your unique business needs. Verify they’re approachable and willing to provide ongoing advice. Gauge their enthusiasm for building a long-term partnership. These factors will help you make an informed decision. Determine Availability for Consultations Finding the right accountant goes beyond evaluating their skills; it also involves comprehending their availability for consultations and communication style. First, assess their availability to guarantee they can meet your business needs and provide timely support. During initial meetings, pay attention to how they communicate; their style should align with your preferences for effective collaboration. Responsiveness to inquiries is vital; an accountant who quickly addresses questions demonstrates commitment to client service. Furthermore, discuss your preferred communication methods—whether it’s email, phone calls, or in-person meetings—to make certain they can accommodate your style and frequency. Finally, personal compatibility matters; choose an accountant you feel comfortable with, as this promotes a trusting and productive working relationship. Assess Long-term Relationship Dynamics What should you consider when evaluating long-term relationship dynamics with an accountant? Start by evaluating personal compatibility, as this nurtures open communication and collaboration crucial for your business growth. During initial meetings, assess their communication style and confirm it aligns with your preferences. Consider the following factors: Approachability and availability for consultations, which impacts timely insights. Trust and transparency, fundamental for maneuvering complex financial scenarios. Comprehension of your business goals and challenges, indicating their commitment to your success. Responsiveness in discussions, which affects ongoing advice quality. These elements will help you determine if the accountant is a good fit for a lasting partnership that supports your business’s evolving needs. Plan for Future Growth and Changes in Your Business As your business evolves, planning for future growth and changes becomes crucial, especially in relation to selecting an accountant. You need an accountant who can scale their services as your business grows, ensuring they can handle increased complexity in financial management. Discuss your long-term goals with potential accountants to gauge their comprehension of how to support your financial strategies. Consider the following aspects when evaluating accountants: Key Aspect Considerations Experience with Scaling Familiarity with businesses adapting to sizes Approach to Change Guidance on mergers and acquisitions Financial Planning Proactive strategies for future needs Long-term Goals Alignment with your business objectives Frequently Asked Questions How Can I Determine if an Accountant Is Trustworthy? To determine if an accountant is trustworthy, start by checking their credentials, such as certifications and licenses. Look for reviews or testimonials from previous clients, as these can provide insight into their reliability. It’s prudent to interview the accountant directly; ask about their experience and approach to client service. Furthermore, verify they follow ethical guidelines and maintain transparency regarding fees and services to establish a solid foundation of trust. What Red Flags Should I Watch for During Interviews? During interviews, watch for red flags like unclear communication, reluctance to provide references, or lack of relevant experience. If an accountant seems overly focused on fees rather than your needs, that’s a concern. Be cautious if they avoid discussing their qualifications or if you sense disorganization in their approach. Trust your instincts; if something feels off, it probably is. Clear, transparent dialogue is essential for a successful working relationship. How Often Should I Meet With My Accountant? You should meet with your accountant at least once a quarter to review your financial health, discuss tax strategies, and address any concerns. Monthly meetings can be beneficial, especially during busy seasons or if your business is growing swiftly. These regular check-ins guarantee you stay on track with your financial goals, allow for timely adjustments, and help you make informed decisions based on accurate data. Consistent communication nurtures a strong partnership. Can an Accountant Help With Tax Planning Strategies? Yes, an accountant can definitely help with tax planning strategies. They analyze your financial situation, identify potential deductions, and recommend tax-efficient practices customized to your business. By staying updated on tax laws, they guarantee you comply as they reduce your tax liability. Furthermore, they can project future tax obligations, guiding you in making informed financial decisions. Collaborating with an accountant improves your ability to navigate complex tax regulations effectively and optimize your overall tax strategy. What Happens if I Don’t Like My Accountant After Hiring? If you don’t like your accountant after hiring, it’s important to address the issue without delay. You can communicate your concerns directly and see if adjustments can be made. If that doesn’t work, you have the option to terminate the relationship. Make sure you review your contract for any termination clauses, and consider finding a replacement who better fits your needs. Maintaining a good working relationship is crucial for effective financial management. Conclusion Finding the right accountant for your new business is a critical step toward achieving financial stability. By evaluating your specific needs, seeking referrals, and reviewing qualifications, you can identify a professional who aligns with your goals. Comprehending their expertise, communication style, and ability to adapt as your business grows will guarantee a successful partnership. Taking the time to make an informed choice now can save you time and resources in the future, in the end contributing to your business’s success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Essential Tips for Finding the Right Accountant for Your New Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Finding the right accountant for your new business is a critical step in the direction of financial stability. You need to assess your specific accounting needs, such as tax obligations and payroll requirements. It’s essential to understand the different types of accountants available and how their expertise aligns with your industry. As you explore your options, consider the qualifications, communication styles, and whether they can grow with your business. Knowing what to look for can make all the difference as you navigate this important decision. Key Takeaways Assess your accounting needs to determine if you require ongoing support or seasonal assistance based on your business’s complexity and financial situation. Seek accountants with relevant industry experience to ensure they understand unique regulations and challenges specific to your business sector. Verify qualifications and credentials, such as CPA or CMA, while checking references and client testimonials for reliability and effectiveness. Evaluate communication styles and personal compatibility to ensure a comfortable working relationship for discussing sensitive financial matters. Discuss scalability of services to ensure your accountant can support your business as it grows and adapts to changing financial complexities. Assess Your Accounting Needs When you start a new business, it’s crucial to assess your accounting needs, as this will significantly influence your decision on which accountant to hire. First, evaluate whether you require ongoing accounting support or just seasonal assistance; this distinction will guide your choice. Next, identify specific services you need, like tax preparation, payroll management, or budgeting, to guarantee the accountant can meet your unique requirements. Consider the complexity of your financial situation; intricate needs may necessitate hiring a CPA or a specialized accountant. If your business operates in a sector with unique financial regulations, seek industry-specific expertise. Furthermore, assess your financial literacy and comfort with managing finances, as this will help you decide how much support you may need. Finally, prepare a list of questions to ask an accountant, as this will assist you in how to choose an accountant best suited for your new business. Understand the Different Types of Accountants When you’re selecting an accountant, it’s essential to understand the different types available and their key responsibilities. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) offer a broad range of services, whereas Enrolled Agents (EAs) focus on tax representation. Furthermore, knowing whether you need a Bookkeeper for daily transactions or a Tax Attorney for complex issues can greatly impact your business’s financial management. Types of Accounting Professionals Steering through the domain of accounting can feel overwhelming, especially for new business owners who need to understand the various types of accounting professionals available. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are licensed experts, equipped to handle complex tasks and provide strategic advice. Enrolled Agents (EAs) focus on tax preparation and can represent you before the IRS. If you face legal tax issues, a Tax Attorney specializes in tax law and can navigate disputes with the IRS. Management Accountants (CMAs) work within your organization, focusing on budgeting and financial analysis. To find the right fit, consider the specific financial needs of your business and prepare questions to ask a CPA, ensuring you select the professional best suited to help you succeed. Key Responsibilities of Accountants Grasping the key responsibilities of accountants is crucial for any new business owner. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) offer services like tax preparation, financial planning, and business consulting, making them indispensable for ongoing financial management. If you face complex tax situations, Enrolled Agents (EAs) are licensed by the IRS to represent you during audits and appeals. For legal matters, Tax Attorneys focus on tax law disputes and provide necessary legal advice. Management Accountants, or Certified Management Accountants (CMAs), specialize in financial analysis, guiding your business decisions based on financial data. Finally, Bookkeepers manage daily transactions like invoicing and payroll, ensuring accurate record-keeping that supports accountants in handling more complex tasks. Comprehending these roles helps you choose the right professional for your needs. Look for Relevant Industry Experience How important is it for your accountant to have industry-focused experience? It’s vital. When you inquire about their experience, focus on how well they understand your industry’s unique challenges and regulations. An accountant with a proven track record in your sector can provide valuable insights into tax breaks and financial strategies customized particularly for your business type. Moreover, make certain they’ve worked with businesses of similar size and complexity to grasp your financial needs and operational nuances. Familiarity with industry-oriented accounting software is likewise fundamental, as these tools can streamline your operations. Finally, prioritize accountants who demonstrate success in managing financial situations similar to those your business may face. This capability can greatly support your growth and help you navigate any challenges that arise. Having an accountant with relevant experience can make a considerable difference in your business’s financial health. Seek Referrals From Trusted Sources When starting a new business, seeking referrals from trusted sources can greatly improve your search for the right accountant. Friends, family, and colleagues can lead you to reliable accountants who understand your specific business needs. Often, word-of-mouth recommendations reveal insights into an accountant’s professionalism, reliability, and effectiveness, which can save you valuable time. Personal connections may share firsthand experiences, offering feedback on strengths and weaknesses in handling financial matters, giving you a clearer idea of what to expect. Moreover, engaging with adjacent businesses in your industry can yield referrals from those who’ve faced similar challenges and can recommend accountants familiar with your sector’s specific requirements. Finally, combining these personal referrals with online platforms and customer reviews will provide a well-rounded perspective, ensuring you choose the best fit for your new business. This approach can greatly improve your confidence in your final decision. Evaluate Qualifications and Certifications Finding the right accountant involves more than just personal recommendations; evaluating their qualifications and certifications is equally important. Start by looking for accountants with credentials like Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA), as these indicate a high level of expertise and commitment to ongoing education. Verify their qualifications align with your business’s specific needs, since different industries often require specialized knowledge in areas such as tax regulations. Next, assess their experience and examine their previous work history with businesses similar to yours. This will help you determine if they’ve successfully navigated challenges relevant to your sector. Furthermore, inquire about their proficiency with accounting software and tools that pertain to your operations, as modern technology is key for efficient financial management. Finally, check for any extra certifications or training that could improve their qualifications, such as expertise in specific tax laws or financial planning strategies beneficial to your business. Consider the Accountant’s Fee Structure Understanding the accountant’s fee structure is vital for effectively managing your business budget, especially since fees can vary widely based on the services provided. Typically, hourly rates range from $100 to $500, depending on the accountant’s experience and location. Some accountants charge a flat fee for specific tasks, like tax preparation, which can offer cost predictability, whereas others may bill hourly, leading to fluctuating expenses based on service complexity. It’s important to inquire about any additional costs that might arise, especially during peak times like tax season, to avoid surprises. Comparing quotes from multiple accountants can help you find the best value; nonetheless, keep in mind that the lowest price doesn’t always mean the best service. Look for a thorough fee structure that outlines all potential costs, including retainer fees for ongoing services, to guarantee alignment with your business’s financial capabilities and needs. Check References and Client Testimonials When you’re selecting an accountant, checking references and client testimonials is essential for verifying their expertise. Look for feedback from clients in similar industries to guarantee their experience aligns with your needs, and ask about their responsiveness and communication style. Moreover, independent review platforms can provide unbiased insights into the accountant’s reliability and effectiveness in addressing specific challenges, helping you make a well-informed decision. Importance of Verification Verification plays a crucial role in selecting the right accountant for your new business, as it helps guarantee you’re making an informed decision. Checking references from previous clients offers insights into an accountant’s reliability and effectiveness. Client testimonials can reveal strengths and weaknesses, providing a clearer picture of service quality. Engaging with former clients allows you to assess how the accountant navigated challenges and contributed to financial success. Furthermore, verifying credentials and licenses through official channels guarantees the accountant is qualified. Conducting independent research on reviews can uncover unbiased opinions, enhancing your assessment of their capabilities. Aspect Importance References Insight into reliability and professionalism Client Testimonials Highlights strengths and weaknesses Credential Verification Confirms qualifications are valid Independent Research Uncovers unbiased opinions Diverse Client Experiences Diverse client experiences are essential for grasping the effectiveness of an accountant, as they can reveal how well the accountant meets varied business needs. By checking references and client testimonials, you can gain valuable insights into their reliability and professionalism. Consider the following points: Speak with former clients to perceive their experience with businesses like yours. Look for testimonials that highlight both strengths and weaknesses. Gather feedback from multiple sources to avoid bias. Evaluate how the accountant handles industry-specific challenges. This approach guarantees you develop a thorough grasp of the accountant’s communication style and overall effectiveness in supporting your business. In the end, diverse client experiences will guide you in making a well-informed decision. Independent Reference Checks Independent reference checks are a vital step in selecting the right accountant for your business. By reaching out to former or current clients, you can gather unbiased insights about an accountant’s performance and reliability, rather than relying merely on firm-provided references. When you contact references, ask specific questions about their experiences, focusing on the accountant’s responsiveness, industry expertise, and ability to meet deadlines. Multiple client assessments can highlight consistent strengths and weaknesses, aiding your decision-making process. Furthermore, verify testimonials for credibility by ensuring they originate from legitimate businesses or individuals who’ve directly worked with the accountant. Thorough reference checks not just help you find a qualified accountant but also establish a foundation of trust and transparency for your future working relationship. Ensure Proficiency With Accounting Software When selecting an accountant for your new business, it’s vital to guarantee they’re proficient with accounting software that fits your needs. An accountant skilled in the right tools can streamline your financial management and improve efficiency. Here are some key points to keep in mind: Confirm their proficiency with popular platforms like QuickBooks, used by over 3.4 million businesses. Make sure they can seamlessly integrate with your existing accounting systems to avoid complications. Ask about their experience with cloud-based tools, which allow for real-time financial monitoring and collaboration. Inquire if they stay updated on new accounting technologies, as 70% of small businesses believe technology improves financial management. Evaluating an accountant’s adaptability to various software platforms is important since 80% of accountants report that the right technology boosts their efficiency and accuracy. Investing time in this area will pay off in the long run. Assess Communication Style and Personal Compatibility When you’re choosing an accountant for your new business, evaluating their communication style and personal compatibility is key. Pay close attention during initial meetings to see how well they listen and address your concerns, as this can reveal their approachability. Furthermore, consider their availability for ongoing consultations and how they explain complex financial concepts, ensuring you’re comfortable discussing sensitive issues as your relationship develops. Evaluate Initial Meetings How can you determine if an accountant is the right fit for your new business during initial meetings? Start by evaluating their communication style; they should explain complex financial concepts in a way that makes sense to you. Next, assess personal compatibility; you need to feel comfortable discussing sensitive financial matters. Pay attention to their responsiveness and availability, as this indicates the level of support you can expect. Consider these key points: Inquire about their approach to client relationships. Observe if they prioritize comprehension of your unique business needs. Verify they’re approachable and willing to provide ongoing advice. Gauge their enthusiasm for building a long-term partnership. These factors will help you make an informed decision. Determine Availability for Consultations Finding the right accountant goes beyond evaluating their skills; it also involves comprehending their availability for consultations and communication style. First, assess their availability to guarantee they can meet your business needs and provide timely support. During initial meetings, pay attention to how they communicate; their style should align with your preferences for effective collaboration. Responsiveness to inquiries is vital; an accountant who quickly addresses questions demonstrates commitment to client service. Furthermore, discuss your preferred communication methods—whether it’s email, phone calls, or in-person meetings—to make certain they can accommodate your style and frequency. Finally, personal compatibility matters; choose an accountant you feel comfortable with, as this promotes a trusting and productive working relationship. Assess Long-term Relationship Dynamics What should you consider when evaluating long-term relationship dynamics with an accountant? Start by evaluating personal compatibility, as this nurtures open communication and collaboration crucial for your business growth. During initial meetings, assess their communication style and confirm it aligns with your preferences. Consider the following factors: Approachability and availability for consultations, which impacts timely insights. Trust and transparency, fundamental for maneuvering complex financial scenarios. Comprehension of your business goals and challenges, indicating their commitment to your success. Responsiveness in discussions, which affects ongoing advice quality. These elements will help you determine if the accountant is a good fit for a lasting partnership that supports your business’s evolving needs. Plan for Future Growth and Changes in Your Business As your business evolves, planning for future growth and changes becomes crucial, especially in relation to selecting an accountant. You need an accountant who can scale their services as your business grows, ensuring they can handle increased complexity in financial management. Discuss your long-term goals with potential accountants to gauge their comprehension of how to support your financial strategies. Consider the following aspects when evaluating accountants: Key Aspect Considerations Experience with Scaling Familiarity with businesses adapting to sizes Approach to Change Guidance on mergers and acquisitions Financial Planning Proactive strategies for future needs Long-term Goals Alignment with your business objectives Frequently Asked Questions How Can I Determine if an Accountant Is Trustworthy? To determine if an accountant is trustworthy, start by checking their credentials, such as certifications and licenses. Look for reviews or testimonials from previous clients, as these can provide insight into their reliability. It’s prudent to interview the accountant directly; ask about their experience and approach to client service. Furthermore, verify they follow ethical guidelines and maintain transparency regarding fees and services to establish a solid foundation of trust. What Red Flags Should I Watch for During Interviews? During interviews, watch for red flags like unclear communication, reluctance to provide references, or lack of relevant experience. If an accountant seems overly focused on fees rather than your needs, that’s a concern. Be cautious if they avoid discussing their qualifications or if you sense disorganization in their approach. Trust your instincts; if something feels off, it probably is. Clear, transparent dialogue is essential for a successful working relationship. How Often Should I Meet With My Accountant? You should meet with your accountant at least once a quarter to review your financial health, discuss tax strategies, and address any concerns. Monthly meetings can be beneficial, especially during busy seasons or if your business is growing swiftly. These regular check-ins guarantee you stay on track with your financial goals, allow for timely adjustments, and help you make informed decisions based on accurate data. Consistent communication nurtures a strong partnership. Can an Accountant Help With Tax Planning Strategies? Yes, an accountant can definitely help with tax planning strategies. They analyze your financial situation, identify potential deductions, and recommend tax-efficient practices customized to your business. By staying updated on tax laws, they guarantee you comply as they reduce your tax liability. Furthermore, they can project future tax obligations, guiding you in making informed financial decisions. Collaborating with an accountant improves your ability to navigate complex tax regulations effectively and optimize your overall tax strategy. What Happens if I Don’t Like My Accountant After Hiring? If you don’t like your accountant after hiring, it’s important to address the issue without delay. You can communicate your concerns directly and see if adjustments can be made. If that doesn’t work, you have the option to terminate the relationship. Make sure you review your contract for any termination clauses, and consider finding a replacement who better fits your needs. Maintaining a good working relationship is crucial for effective financial management. Conclusion Finding the right accountant for your new business is a critical step toward achieving financial stability. By evaluating your specific needs, seeking referrals, and reviewing qualifications, you can identify a professional who aligns with your goals. Comprehending their expertise, communication style, and ability to adapt as your business grows will guarantee a successful partnership. Taking the time to make an informed choice now can save you time and resources in the future, in the end contributing to your business’s success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "10 Essential Tips for Finding the Right Accountant for Your New Business" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A Sample Chart of Accounts serves as a fundamental framework for organizing an organization’s financial information. It categorizes accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses, each with a unique identifier for tracking. This structured approach not just aids in compliance and transparency but additionally simplifies bookkeeping. Comprehending how to effectively implement this chart can greatly impact your financial management practices. Let’s explore the different categories and best practices for using a Sample Chart of Accounts effectively. Key Takeaways A Sample Chart of Accounts organizes financial information into categories like assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses for easy tracking. It serves as a foundational tool for financial management, ensuring transparency and compliance, especially for nonprofits. Accounts are assigned unique identifiers, typically using a coding system for efficient organization and retrieval. The chart of accounts aids in preparing financial statements, streamlining bookkeeping processes, and supporting strategic planning. Complexity varies by organization size, with smaller entities using around 100 accounts and larger ones potentially requiring thousands. Definition of a Sample Chart of Accounts A sample chart of accounts serves as a foundational tool for organizing a business’s financial information. It provides a structured template that categorizes financial accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. Each account is assigned a unique identifier, allowing for easy identification and tracking. For example, in accounting for nonprofit membership organizations, a chart of accounts nonprofit example might include specific accounts for membership dues and grants. Typically, a well-designed sample chart of accounts includes detailed descriptions of each account, enhancing clarity in financial transactions. The complexity of these charts can vary, with smaller organizations using around 100 accounts, whereas larger entities may require thousands, customized to their specific financial reporting needs. Purpose and Importance Clarity in financial management hinges on a well-structured sample chart of accounts, which plays a crucial role in a business’s financial organization. For instance, when accounting for nonprofit membership and association organizations, a nonprofit accounting chart of accounts helps categorize funds effectively, ensuring transparency and compliance with regulations. This structured framework allows you to track financial activities systematically, enhancing your ability to prepare critical financial statements like balance sheets and income statements. Furthermore, using a chart of accounts for service businesses streamlines bookkeeping processes, reduces errors, and adapts easily to your specific needs. In the end, a sample chart of accounts provides the clarity and consistency necessary for accurate financial reporting and informed decision-making in any organization. Structure of a Sample Chart of Accounts When structuring a sample chart of accounts, it’s essential to organize it into two primary sections: Balance Sheet Accounts and Income Statement Accounts. Each account is assigned a unique identifier, typically using a coding system where the first digit denotes the account type. For instance, ‘1’ indicates Assets, whereas ‘2’ indicates Liabilities. You might have current assets like cash and accounts receivable, alongside current liabilities such as accounts payable. Here’s a simple qbo chart of accounts template: Account Type Example Accounts Assets Cash, Accounts Receivable Liabilities Accounts Payable Equity Retained Earnings Revenue Sales Revenue Expenses Salaries, Rent This structure allows for future growth and clarity in financial tracking. Categories of Accounts Now, let’s explore the different categories of accounts that make up a sample chart of accounts. You’ll find that asset accounts, like cash and inventory, represent resources owned by your business, whereas liability accounts, such as loans payable, indicate what you owe. Finally, equity accounts reflect the owner’s stake in the business, encompassing items like retained earnings and common stock, providing a clear picture of your financial position. Asset Accounts Overview Asset accounts play a crucial role in representing the resources owned by a company that hold future economic value. These accounts include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and property and equipment. You’ll find that asset accounts are divided into current and non-current categories. Current assets are those expected to be converted into cash or used up within one year, like cash on hand and accounts receivable. Conversely, non-current assets, or long-term assets, encompass property, plant, and equipment, which provide benefits over several accounting periods. Typically, asset accounts start with the number ‘1’ in the chart of accounts, making them easy to identify. The balance sheet displays these accounts at cost or lower, ensuring compliance with accounting standards. Liability Accounts Explained Liability accounts reflect the financial obligations a company has to external parties, representing amounts owed that can greatly impact its overall financial health. These accounts are typically categorized into current and long-term liabilities based on their due dates. Current liabilities, due within one year, include accounts payable, accrued expenses, and short-term loans, reflecting immediate financial obligations. Long-term liabilities, such as notes payable and bonds payable, extend beyond one year and are often used to finance significant investments. Each liability account usually contains “payable” in its name, indicating amounts owed, and is recorded with a credit balance. Accurately tracking these accounts is essential for maintaining financial health and ensuring compliance with reporting standards, as they directly affect cash flow and solvency ratios. Equity Accounts Breakdown Comprehending equity accounts is vital for grasping a company’s financial structure since they represent the ownership interest of shareholders after all liabilities have been settled. Common equity accounts include common stock, which represents ownership shares, and preferred stock, which offers dividends before common stockholders. Additional paid-in capital reflects funds received beyond the par value of shares. Retained earnings showcase cumulative net income minus any dividends declared, indicating profits reinvested in the business. Treasury stock, a contra equity account, represents shares the company has repurchased, thereby reducing total equity on the balance sheet. Comprehending these categories is significant, as they provide insight into a company’s financial health and capital structure, often detailed in the statement of stockholders’ equity. Asset Accounts Asset accounts are essential for comprehending the resources your company owns, which contribute to its financial stability and future growth. You’ll commonly encounter types like cash, accounts receivable, and inventory, all of which play a significant role in evaluating liquidity and overall health. Types of Asset Accounts In the domain of accounting, comprehension of the various types of asset accounts is essential for managing a business’s financial health. Asset accounts represent resources owned by your business that possess future economic value. They’re measurable in monetary terms, including cash, accounts receivable, and inventory. You’ll encounter two main categories: current and non-current assets. Current asset accounts, like cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and prepaid expenses, are expected to be converted to cash or used up within one year. Non-current assets, often termed long-term assets, encompass property, equipment, and investments that will provide value over more than one year. Each asset account gets a unique identifier in your chart of accounts for efficient tracking and reporting on the balance sheet. Importance of Asset Tracking Effective management of your asset accounts is crucial for maintaining a healthy financial position within your business. Asset accounts, including cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and fixed assets like property and equipment, represent resources that provide future economic benefits. Tracking these assets accurately is vital for managing liquidity and making informed investment decisions, which ultimately improves cash flow management. In addition, proper asset tracking guarantees compliance with accounting standards, impacting financial ratios that influence investor and lender perceptions of your company’s stability. Regular reconciliation of these accounts helps identify discrepancies, maintaining the integrity of your financial records. This practice not only facilitates strategic planning but additionally supports informed decision-making regarding your business’s future growth and sustainability. Liability Accounts Liability accounts serve as a crucial component of a company’s financial structure, representing the obligations owed to external parties. These accounts are typically categorized into current and long-term liabilities. It’s important to monitor them regularly to maintain financial health. Here’s a breakdown of common liability accounts: Accounts Payable – Money owed to suppliers for goods and services. Short-Term Loans – Loans that must be repaid within one year. Accrued Expenses – Expenses incurred but not yet paid, like wages or utilities. Long-Term Liabilities – Obligations extending beyond one year, such as mortgages and bonds payable. Each liability account usually has a unique account number starting with ‘2’, making identification straightforward and effective for financial management. Equity Accounts Equity accounts are essential as they represent your ownership interest in a company, encompassing types like common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings. Common stock gives you voting rights and a claim on assets, whereas preferred stock offers fixed dividends and priority during liquidation. Retained earnings, in contrast, reflect the profits your company keeps for reinvestment after paying out dividends, highlighting its growth strategy. Common Equity Account Types When you’re looking at common equity account types, you’ll find they play a crucial role in representing ownership and financial health within a corporation. Here are some key account types you should know: Common Stock: This represents ownership in the corporation and often carries voting rights for shareholders. Retained Earnings: This account accumulates net income retained in the business after dividends are declared, reflecting the company’s reinvestment strategy. Additional Paid-In Capital: This shows the amount received from shareholders above the stock’s par value, indicating confidence in the company’s growth. Treasury Stock: This accounts for shares repurchased by the company, reducing total equity and signaling a commitment to shareholder value. Understanding these types is crucial for evaluating a company’s financial status. Importance of Equity Accounts Grasping the significance of equity accounts is vital for anyone analyzing a company’s financial standing. Equity accounts represent the ownership interest in a business, including common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings. They reflect the company’s net worth after liabilities are deducted from assets. For example, retained earnings show cumulative net income retained for reinvestment, signaling growth potential. Common stock accounts indicate the total value of issued shares, providing insights into capital structure and investor confidence. Preferred stock accounts attract investment by offering preferential treatment in dividends and asset distribution. Revenue Accounts Revenue accounts play a crucial role in a business’s financial reporting, as they categorize and track various sources of income, such as sales revenue, service revenue, and interest revenue. These accounts help you maintain clear records of your income streams, facilitating better financial analysis. Here are some common types of revenue accounts you might include: Sales Revenue: Income generated from selling goods. Service Revenue: Earnings from providing services to customers. Interest Revenue: Income earned from interest on investments or loans. Other Income: Revenue from sources like rental income or asset sales. Each revenue account is assigned a unique identifier, often starting with the digit ‘4’, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting aligned with your business activities. Regularly review these accounts to keep them relevant. Expense Accounts Expense accounts are vital for tracking the costs your business incurs during its operations, as they categorize various types of expenses that directly impact your financial performance. Common expense accounts include cost of goods sold, salaries and wages, rent, utilities, and marketing expenses. These accounts are fundamental for reflecting the ongoing costs you face within a specific reporting period. Each expense account typically has a unique number within the chart of accounts, often starting with a 5XXX series, which helps organize them distinctly from asset and revenue accounts. Operating expenses are debited to their respective accounts and routinely carry a normal debit balance. Furthermore, non-operating expenses, like interest or losses from asset sales, are likewise tracked but relate to peripheral activities outside your core operations. Best Practices for Implementing a Sample Chart of Accounts Implementing a sample chart of accounts requires careful planning and organization to accurately reflect your business’s financial activities. Here are some best practices to follow: Ensure consistency in account naming, numbering, and categorization to improve clarity and comprehension of financial data. Anticipate future needs by leaving gaps in account numbers, making it easier to add new accounts as your business grows. Regularly review and update the chart to maintain relevance and accuracy, consolidating outdated or redundant accounts when necessary. Conduct training sessions for staff on using the chart of accounts, ensuring effective implementation and adherence to accounting practices. Common Challenges in Using a Chart of Accounts Even though a well-structured chart of accounts can greatly boost your financial management, several common challenges can arise that may hinder its effectiveness. Challenge Impact Overcomplication Slows down data entry and analysis Lack of standardization Creates reconciliation and reporting gaps Duplicate categories Leads to inconsistencies in financial comparisons Misalignment with reports Causes compliance issues with accounting standards Failure to update Results in outdated practices Navigating these challenges requires you to regularly review your chart of accounts. By simplifying its structure, adopting standardized naming conventions, and ensuring it aligns with your financial reports, you can improve its utility and maintain accurate financial insights as your business evolves. Examples of Sample Charts of Accounts When you’re setting up a chart of accounts, comprehension the structure and categories involved is crucial for effective financial management. A sample chart typically includes: Assets: Accounts starting with ‘1’, such as 1000 for cash and 1100 for accounts receivable. Liabilities: Accounts beginning with ‘2’, like 2000 for accounts payable and 2100 for accrued expenses. Revenue: Often starting with ‘4’, for example, 4000 for sales revenue. Expenses: These accounts begin with ‘5’, such as 5000 for cost of goods sold, and can include sub-accounts like 5100 for advertising and 5200 for electricity. Each account type has a unique numerical identifier, facilitating easy reference and efficient financial tracking customized to your business needs. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Chart of Accounts With an Example? A chart of accounts (CoA) is a structured listing of all financial accounts a business uses, categorized for easy reference. For example, you might see asset accounts like Cash (101), Accounts Receivable (102), and liabilities like Accounts Payable (201). Revenue accounts could include Sales Revenue (401), whereas expenses might feature Rent Expense (501). Each account has a unique identifier, simplifying tracking and enhancing financial reporting, which aids in decision-making. What Are the 5 Main Types in the Chart of Accounts? The five main types in a chart of accounts are Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Revenue, and Expenses. Asset accounts include items like cash and inventory, representing resources you own. Liabilities cover your obligations, such as accounts payable. Equity reflects your ownership interest, including retained earnings. Revenue accounts track your income from sales, whereas Expense accounts capture costs associated with generating that income. Each type is essential for accurate financial reporting and analysis. What Should Be in My Chart of Accounts? Your chart of accounts should include key categories like Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Revenue, and Expenses. Under Assets, list accounts like cash and accounts receivable. For Liabilities, include accounts payable and notes payable. Revenue should cover sales and service income, whereas Expenses may include salaries, rent, and utilities. Each account needs a unique identifier for easy tracking. Regularly review and update your chart to guarantee it meets your business needs and accounting standards. How to Write a Chart of Accounts? To write a chart of accounts, start by defining your major categories: assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. Assign unique account numbers, using a consistent coding system; for instance, use ‘1’ for assets. List accounts in the order they’ll appear in financial statements, ensuring each has clear descriptions. Leave gaps in numbering for future additions, and regularly review the chart for accuracy to align with accounting standards like GAAP or IFRS. Conclusion In summary, a sample chart of accounts is crucial for effective financial management, offering a clear structure for organizing financial data. By categorizing accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses, it aids in compliance and transparency. Implementing best practices can help overcome common challenges, ensuring accurate financial reporting. Overall, utilizing a well-structured chart of accounts enables informed decision-making, streamlining bookkeeping processes and enhancing the financial health of any organization. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Sample Chart of Accounts?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A Sample Chart of Accounts serves as a fundamental framework for organizing an organization’s financial information. It categorizes accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses, each with a unique identifier for tracking. This structured approach not just aids in compliance and transparency but additionally simplifies bookkeeping. Comprehending how to effectively implement this chart can greatly impact your financial management practices. Let’s explore the different categories and best practices for using a Sample Chart of Accounts effectively. Key Takeaways A Sample Chart of Accounts organizes financial information into categories like assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses for easy tracking. It serves as a foundational tool for financial management, ensuring transparency and compliance, especially for nonprofits. Accounts are assigned unique identifiers, typically using a coding system for efficient organization and retrieval. The chart of accounts aids in preparing financial statements, streamlining bookkeeping processes, and supporting strategic planning. Complexity varies by organization size, with smaller entities using around 100 accounts and larger ones potentially requiring thousands. Definition of a Sample Chart of Accounts A sample chart of accounts serves as a foundational tool for organizing a business’s financial information. It provides a structured template that categorizes financial accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. Each account is assigned a unique identifier, allowing for easy identification and tracking. For example, in accounting for nonprofit membership organizations, a chart of accounts nonprofit example might include specific accounts for membership dues and grants. Typically, a well-designed sample chart of accounts includes detailed descriptions of each account, enhancing clarity in financial transactions. The complexity of these charts can vary, with smaller organizations using around 100 accounts, whereas larger entities may require thousands, customized to their specific financial reporting needs. Purpose and Importance Clarity in financial management hinges on a well-structured sample chart of accounts, which plays a crucial role in a business’s financial organization. For instance, when accounting for nonprofit membership and association organizations, a nonprofit accounting chart of accounts helps categorize funds effectively, ensuring transparency and compliance with regulations. This structured framework allows you to track financial activities systematically, enhancing your ability to prepare critical financial statements like balance sheets and income statements. Furthermore, using a chart of accounts for service businesses streamlines bookkeeping processes, reduces errors, and adapts easily to your specific needs. In the end, a sample chart of accounts provides the clarity and consistency necessary for accurate financial reporting and informed decision-making in any organization. Structure of a Sample Chart of Accounts When structuring a sample chart of accounts, it’s essential to organize it into two primary sections: Balance Sheet Accounts and Income Statement Accounts. Each account is assigned a unique identifier, typically using a coding system where the first digit denotes the account type. For instance, ‘1’ indicates Assets, whereas ‘2’ indicates Liabilities. You might have current assets like cash and accounts receivable, alongside current liabilities such as accounts payable. Here’s a simple qbo chart of accounts template: Account Type Example Accounts Assets Cash, Accounts Receivable Liabilities Accounts Payable Equity Retained Earnings Revenue Sales Revenue Expenses Salaries, Rent This structure allows for future growth and clarity in financial tracking. Categories of Accounts Now, let’s explore the different categories of accounts that make up a sample chart of accounts. You’ll find that asset accounts, like cash and inventory, represent resources owned by your business, whereas liability accounts, such as loans payable, indicate what you owe. Finally, equity accounts reflect the owner’s stake in the business, encompassing items like retained earnings and common stock, providing a clear picture of your financial position. Asset Accounts Overview Asset accounts play a crucial role in representing the resources owned by a company that hold future economic value. These accounts include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and property and equipment. You’ll find that asset accounts are divided into current and non-current categories. Current assets are those expected to be converted into cash or used up within one year, like cash on hand and accounts receivable. Conversely, non-current assets, or long-term assets, encompass property, plant, and equipment, which provide benefits over several accounting periods. Typically, asset accounts start with the number ‘1’ in the chart of accounts, making them easy to identify. The balance sheet displays these accounts at cost or lower, ensuring compliance with accounting standards. Liability Accounts Explained Liability accounts reflect the financial obligations a company has to external parties, representing amounts owed that can greatly impact its overall financial health. These accounts are typically categorized into current and long-term liabilities based on their due dates. Current liabilities, due within one year, include accounts payable, accrued expenses, and short-term loans, reflecting immediate financial obligations. Long-term liabilities, such as notes payable and bonds payable, extend beyond one year and are often used to finance significant investments. Each liability account usually contains “payable” in its name, indicating amounts owed, and is recorded with a credit balance. Accurately tracking these accounts is essential for maintaining financial health and ensuring compliance with reporting standards, as they directly affect cash flow and solvency ratios. Equity Accounts Breakdown Comprehending equity accounts is vital for grasping a company’s financial structure since they represent the ownership interest of shareholders after all liabilities have been settled. Common equity accounts include common stock, which represents ownership shares, and preferred stock, which offers dividends before common stockholders. Additional paid-in capital reflects funds received beyond the par value of shares. Retained earnings showcase cumulative net income minus any dividends declared, indicating profits reinvested in the business. Treasury stock, a contra equity account, represents shares the company has repurchased, thereby reducing total equity on the balance sheet. Comprehending these categories is significant, as they provide insight into a company’s financial health and capital structure, often detailed in the statement of stockholders’ equity. Asset Accounts Asset accounts are essential for comprehending the resources your company owns, which contribute to its financial stability and future growth. You’ll commonly encounter types like cash, accounts receivable, and inventory, all of which play a significant role in evaluating liquidity and overall health. Types of Asset Accounts In the domain of accounting, comprehension of the various types of asset accounts is essential for managing a business’s financial health. Asset accounts represent resources owned by your business that possess future economic value. They’re measurable in monetary terms, including cash, accounts receivable, and inventory. You’ll encounter two main categories: current and non-current assets. Current asset accounts, like cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and prepaid expenses, are expected to be converted to cash or used up within one year. Non-current assets, often termed long-term assets, encompass property, equipment, and investments that will provide value over more than one year. Each asset account gets a unique identifier in your chart of accounts for efficient tracking and reporting on the balance sheet. Importance of Asset Tracking Effective management of your asset accounts is crucial for maintaining a healthy financial position within your business. Asset accounts, including cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and fixed assets like property and equipment, represent resources that provide future economic benefits. Tracking these assets accurately is vital for managing liquidity and making informed investment decisions, which ultimately improves cash flow management. In addition, proper asset tracking guarantees compliance with accounting standards, impacting financial ratios that influence investor and lender perceptions of your company’s stability. Regular reconciliation of these accounts helps identify discrepancies, maintaining the integrity of your financial records. This practice not only facilitates strategic planning but additionally supports informed decision-making regarding your business’s future growth and sustainability. Liability Accounts Liability accounts serve as a crucial component of a company’s financial structure, representing the obligations owed to external parties. These accounts are typically categorized into current and long-term liabilities. It’s important to monitor them regularly to maintain financial health. Here’s a breakdown of common liability accounts: Accounts Payable – Money owed to suppliers for goods and services. Short-Term Loans – Loans that must be repaid within one year. Accrued Expenses – Expenses incurred but not yet paid, like wages or utilities. Long-Term Liabilities – Obligations extending beyond one year, such as mortgages and bonds payable. Each liability account usually has a unique account number starting with ‘2’, making identification straightforward and effective for financial management. Equity Accounts Equity accounts are essential as they represent your ownership interest in a company, encompassing types like common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings. Common stock gives you voting rights and a claim on assets, whereas preferred stock offers fixed dividends and priority during liquidation. Retained earnings, in contrast, reflect the profits your company keeps for reinvestment after paying out dividends, highlighting its growth strategy. Common Equity Account Types When you’re looking at common equity account types, you’ll find they play a crucial role in representing ownership and financial health within a corporation. Here are some key account types you should know: Common Stock: This represents ownership in the corporation and often carries voting rights for shareholders. Retained Earnings: This account accumulates net income retained in the business after dividends are declared, reflecting the company’s reinvestment strategy. Additional Paid-In Capital: This shows the amount received from shareholders above the stock’s par value, indicating confidence in the company’s growth. Treasury Stock: This accounts for shares repurchased by the company, reducing total equity and signaling a commitment to shareholder value. Understanding these types is crucial for evaluating a company’s financial status. Importance of Equity Accounts Grasping the significance of equity accounts is vital for anyone analyzing a company’s financial standing. Equity accounts represent the ownership interest in a business, including common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings. They reflect the company’s net worth after liabilities are deducted from assets. For example, retained earnings show cumulative net income retained for reinvestment, signaling growth potential. Common stock accounts indicate the total value of issued shares, providing insights into capital structure and investor confidence. Preferred stock accounts attract investment by offering preferential treatment in dividends and asset distribution. Revenue Accounts Revenue accounts play a crucial role in a business’s financial reporting, as they categorize and track various sources of income, such as sales revenue, service revenue, and interest revenue. These accounts help you maintain clear records of your income streams, facilitating better financial analysis. Here are some common types of revenue accounts you might include: Sales Revenue: Income generated from selling goods. Service Revenue: Earnings from providing services to customers. Interest Revenue: Income earned from interest on investments or loans. Other Income: Revenue from sources like rental income or asset sales. Each revenue account is assigned a unique identifier, often starting with the digit ‘4’, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting aligned with your business activities. Regularly review these accounts to keep them relevant. Expense Accounts Expense accounts are vital for tracking the costs your business incurs during its operations, as they categorize various types of expenses that directly impact your financial performance. Common expense accounts include cost of goods sold, salaries and wages, rent, utilities, and marketing expenses. These accounts are fundamental for reflecting the ongoing costs you face within a specific reporting period. Each expense account typically has a unique number within the chart of accounts, often starting with a 5XXX series, which helps organize them distinctly from asset and revenue accounts. Operating expenses are debited to their respective accounts and routinely carry a normal debit balance. Furthermore, non-operating expenses, like interest or losses from asset sales, are likewise tracked but relate to peripheral activities outside your core operations. Best Practices for Implementing a Sample Chart of Accounts Implementing a sample chart of accounts requires careful planning and organization to accurately reflect your business’s financial activities. Here are some best practices to follow: Ensure consistency in account naming, numbering, and categorization to improve clarity and comprehension of financial data. Anticipate future needs by leaving gaps in account numbers, making it easier to add new accounts as your business grows. Regularly review and update the chart to maintain relevance and accuracy, consolidating outdated or redundant accounts when necessary. Conduct training sessions for staff on using the chart of accounts, ensuring effective implementation and adherence to accounting practices. Common Challenges in Using a Chart of Accounts Even though a well-structured chart of accounts can greatly boost your financial management, several common challenges can arise that may hinder its effectiveness. Challenge Impact Overcomplication Slows down data entry and analysis Lack of standardization Creates reconciliation and reporting gaps Duplicate categories Leads to inconsistencies in financial comparisons Misalignment with reports Causes compliance issues with accounting standards Failure to update Results in outdated practices Navigating these challenges requires you to regularly review your chart of accounts. By simplifying its structure, adopting standardized naming conventions, and ensuring it aligns with your financial reports, you can improve its utility and maintain accurate financial insights as your business evolves. Examples of Sample Charts of Accounts When you’re setting up a chart of accounts, comprehension the structure and categories involved is crucial for effective financial management. A sample chart typically includes: Assets: Accounts starting with ‘1’, such as 1000 for cash and 1100 for accounts receivable. Liabilities: Accounts beginning with ‘2’, like 2000 for accounts payable and 2100 for accrued expenses. Revenue: Often starting with ‘4’, for example, 4000 for sales revenue. Expenses: These accounts begin with ‘5’, such as 5000 for cost of goods sold, and can include sub-accounts like 5100 for advertising and 5200 for electricity. Each account type has a unique numerical identifier, facilitating easy reference and efficient financial tracking customized to your business needs. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Chart of Accounts With an Example? A chart of accounts (CoA) is a structured listing of all financial accounts a business uses, categorized for easy reference. For example, you might see asset accounts like Cash (101), Accounts Receivable (102), and liabilities like Accounts Payable (201). Revenue accounts could include Sales Revenue (401), whereas expenses might feature Rent Expense (501). Each account has a unique identifier, simplifying tracking and enhancing financial reporting, which aids in decision-making. What Are the 5 Main Types in the Chart of Accounts? The five main types in a chart of accounts are Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Revenue, and Expenses. Asset accounts include items like cash and inventory, representing resources you own. Liabilities cover your obligations, such as accounts payable. Equity reflects your ownership interest, including retained earnings. Revenue accounts track your income from sales, whereas Expense accounts capture costs associated with generating that income. Each type is essential for accurate financial reporting and analysis. What Should Be in My Chart of Accounts? Your chart of accounts should include key categories like Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Revenue, and Expenses. Under Assets, list accounts like cash and accounts receivable. For Liabilities, include accounts payable and notes payable. Revenue should cover sales and service income, whereas Expenses may include salaries, rent, and utilities. Each account needs a unique identifier for easy tracking. Regularly review and update your chart to guarantee it meets your business needs and accounting standards. How to Write a Chart of Accounts? To write a chart of accounts, start by defining your major categories: assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. Assign unique account numbers, using a consistent coding system; for instance, use ‘1’ for assets. List accounts in the order they’ll appear in financial statements, ensuring each has clear descriptions. Leave gaps in numbering for future additions, and regularly review the chart for accuracy to align with accounting standards like GAAP or IFRS. Conclusion In summary, a sample chart of accounts is crucial for effective financial management, offering a clear structure for organizing financial data. By categorizing accounts into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses, it aids in compliance and transparency. Implementing best practices can help overcome common challenges, ensuring accurate financial reporting. Overall, utilizing a well-structured chart of accounts enables informed decision-making, streamlining bookkeeping processes and enhancing the financial health of any organization. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is a Sample Chart of Accounts?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Trains are set to resume rolling on the Long Island Rail Road on Tuesday after a deal was reached to end a strike that had shut down the busiest commuter rail system in the country. But commuters in the eastern suburbs of New York City still had to muddle through another tough morning rush hour, as trains weren’t set to be running in time for the commute into work after the agreement was reached late Monday. Limited train service was set to resume around noon, with full service expected to be back in time for the evening rush. The LIRR still urged riders to work from home again Tuesday if possible. Shuttle buses were being offered from a handful of locations on Long Island to subway stations in New York City. Five labor unions representing about half the train system’s workforce went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, halting service for roughly 250,000 commuters who use the rail system that connects New York City to its eastern suburbs every weekday. Hallie Kessler was among the weary Long Island commuters who welcomed the strike’s end. With the trains out of service, the 24-year old speech therapist commuted three hours home from her job at a public school in the New York City borough of Queens on Monday. “Obviously I wish trains would be running when peak hours start so I could avoid the long morning commute, but happy to not deal with it in the afternoon when I’m leaving work,” Kessler said. “Curious what the deal says about future fares, which has been a big concern, but we’ll see.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and railroad officials have said they’re not at liberty to disclose details of the new contract terms until they’re voted on and approved by union members. But the Democrat, who is up for reelection, stressed the deal won’t increase fares or taxes and will give unionized workers the fair wages they deserve. The first impacts of the walkout were felt over the weekend, as baseball fans had to find other ways to get to Citi Field in Queens to see the New York Mets take on their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees. Hochul said the deal ensures basketball fans won’t meet the same fate as they travel to watch the New York Knicks continue their playoff run on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the LIRR’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan. The unions — which represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and others — and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had been negotiating a new contract since 2023, but talks had stalled over salaries and healthcare. The unions have said raises were needed to help workers keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living in the New York City area. The MTA had said the union’s initial demands would lead to fare increases and set a difficult precedent for negotiations with other transit unions. The strike was the first walkout for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994. —Philip Marcelo, Associated Press View the full article

The recently released data by the U.S. Energy Information Administration reveals an escalating trend in energy production, marking 2025 as a landmark year with a total output reaching 107 quadrillion British thermal units (quads). This represents a 3.4% increase from the previous year, underscoring a sustained momentum in energy demand and production across various sectors. For small business owners, these shifts could have significant implications on operational costs, supply chains, and future energy strategies. The driving forces behind this increase are substantial gains in natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), and renewable energy output. With this being the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking energy production, the landscape for small businesses is changing rapidly. Natural gas production, which has been the largest source of U.S. domestic energy since 2011, surged by over 4%, hitting a record of 39 trillion cubic feet. Most of this increase originated from regions known for their robust energy infrastructure—Appalachia, Permian, and Haynesville. As natural gas prices remain generally lower than those of oil, many small businesses, particularly those in manufacturing and transportation, could benefit from a more stable and potentially cheaper energy source. Crude oil production also set a remarkable record at 13.6 million barrels per day, primarily driven by advancements in the Permian region. With crude oil representing 26% of domestic energy output, small businesses that rely on transportation might see fluctuating costs as global oil prices adjust to reflect this increased production. In addition to traditional energy sources, production of natural gas plant liquids rose by 7% to a record 4 trillion cubic feet. This indicates a growing market for NGPLs, which could present new avenues for businesses in related sectors or those looking to diversify their energy portfolios. Renewable energy production gained traction as well, recording a 3% increase and achieving its fifth consecutive year of growth. Solar and wind energy both broke previous records, attributed to new installations coming online. For small business owners considering sustainable practices, investing in renewable energy solutions may present both environmental benefits and long-term cost savings. The transition to renewables aligns with rising consumer preferences for environmentally responsible practices, potentially enhancing brand loyalty and market reach. However, the energy landscape is not without its challenges. As coal generation grew by 4%, it accounted for 10% of domestic energy production—indicating a slight recovery that may complicate the narrative surrounding renewable energy transitions. Small business owners must navigate these complexities, assessing how fluctuating energy prices might impact their bottom lines and supply chains. Despite considerable advancements, the small business community should remain cautious. The rapid pace of change in energy production can lead to volatility, particularly as global markets respond to U.S. output levels. Strategic planning becomes essential, with business owners encouraged to look for comprehensive energy management solutions that can adapt to shifts in both supply and pricing. As Brett Marohl emphasizes in the release, the ongoing trends suggest that U.S. energy production—marked by growth in both traditional and renewable sources—will continue to be a critical component of economic strategy for businesses of all sizes. This report highlights not only the growing dominance of natural gas and renewables but also the potential for economic opportunity and innovation. For small business owners eager to optimize their costs and future-proof their operations, staying informed on these trends can unlock new pathways for efficiency and growth. To explore the complete details of this report, visit the original post here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "U.S. Energy Production Hits Record 107 Quadrillion BTUs, Driven by Gas and Renewables" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The recently released data by the U.S. Energy Information Administration reveals an escalating trend in energy production, marking 2025 as a landmark year with a total output reaching 107 quadrillion British thermal units (quads). This represents a 3.4% increase from the previous year, underscoring a sustained momentum in energy demand and production across various sectors. For small business owners, these shifts could have significant implications on operational costs, supply chains, and future energy strategies. The driving forces behind this increase are substantial gains in natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), and renewable energy output. With this being the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking energy production, the landscape for small businesses is changing rapidly. Natural gas production, which has been the largest source of U.S. domestic energy since 2011, surged by over 4%, hitting a record of 39 trillion cubic feet. Most of this increase originated from regions known for their robust energy infrastructure—Appalachia, Permian, and Haynesville. As natural gas prices remain generally lower than those of oil, many small businesses, particularly those in manufacturing and transportation, could benefit from a more stable and potentially cheaper energy source. Crude oil production also set a remarkable record at 13.6 million barrels per day, primarily driven by advancements in the Permian region. With crude oil representing 26% of domestic energy output, small businesses that rely on transportation might see fluctuating costs as global oil prices adjust to reflect this increased production. In addition to traditional energy sources, production of natural gas plant liquids rose by 7% to a record 4 trillion cubic feet. This indicates a growing market for NGPLs, which could present new avenues for businesses in related sectors or those looking to diversify their energy portfolios. Renewable energy production gained traction as well, recording a 3% increase and achieving its fifth consecutive year of growth. Solar and wind energy both broke previous records, attributed to new installations coming online. For small business owners considering sustainable practices, investing in renewable energy solutions may present both environmental benefits and long-term cost savings. The transition to renewables aligns with rising consumer preferences for environmentally responsible practices, potentially enhancing brand loyalty and market reach. However, the energy landscape is not without its challenges. As coal generation grew by 4%, it accounted for 10% of domestic energy production—indicating a slight recovery that may complicate the narrative surrounding renewable energy transitions. Small business owners must navigate these complexities, assessing how fluctuating energy prices might impact their bottom lines and supply chains. Despite considerable advancements, the small business community should remain cautious. The rapid pace of change in energy production can lead to volatility, particularly as global markets respond to U.S. output levels. Strategic planning becomes essential, with business owners encouraged to look for comprehensive energy management solutions that can adapt to shifts in both supply and pricing. As Brett Marohl emphasizes in the release, the ongoing trends suggest that U.S. energy production—marked by growth in both traditional and renewable sources—will continue to be a critical component of economic strategy for businesses of all sizes. This report highlights not only the growing dominance of natural gas and renewables but also the potential for economic opportunity and innovation. For small business owners eager to optimize their costs and future-proof their operations, staying informed on these trends can unlock new pathways for efficiency and growth. To explore the complete details of this report, visit the original post here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "U.S. Energy Production Hits Record 107 Quadrillion BTUs, Driven by Gas and Renewables" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re interested in expanding your DIY tool kit or building a new one, a good set of cordless tools is essential. The DeWalt cordless tools I use at work are durable and the batteries last hours on a single charge, even after years of use. Here are some deals on DeWalt tools at Home Depot in the run-up to Memorial Day that can save you some money on good quality cordless tools and batteries. The DeWalt 6-tool set is on sale for $499If you’re building a new DeWalt set, buying a tool bundle that comes with the basics (and batteries) can save you some money and set you up for DIY success. Since you’ll need a drill, driver, and cutting tools, a set comes with what you need to get started—and having a couple of batteries means you can have one on the charger while you’re working so you don’t have to wait for batteries to charge when it’s time to swap them. The DeWalt 20-volt, 6-tool set comes with an impact driver, a drill, a circular saw, a sawzall, an angle grinder, an oscillating multitool, a 5-amp-hour battery, a 2-amp-hour battery, and a charger. The set is on sale for $499, 45% off its regular price. A drill and driver are the most basic DIY tools, used to drill holes and drive screws and bolts. A circular saw and sawzall will allow you to make cuts in wood and some other materials for making things like shelving or fencing. An angle grinder can be used for grinding off screw and nail tips that poke through, as well as for shaping and finishing surfaces. An oscillating multitool can be used to cut many materials and can be used as a sander and polisher, too. A DeWalt drill and driver are each on sale for $99The DeWalt 20-volt compact impact driver and the DeWalt 20-volt drill are both on sale for $99, 45% off their usual price. Each one comes with a 2-amp-hour, 20-volt battery and a charger so they’re ready to use out of the box. If you’re starting a cordless tool set for basic home maintenance, these are good tools to start with because they allow you to drive screws and drill holes for DIY projects like mounting a flat screen TV or swapping out drawer and cabinet hardware. These trimming and finishing tools are on sale at Home DepotThe DeWalt 20-volt oscillating multitool set is on sale for $119, 54% off its typical price. The set includes the 20-volt oscillating multitool, two multimaterial blades, adapters for blades and sanding, 25 sanding sheets, a 2-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag. This tool can be used for plunge-cutting drywall and plaster, cutting metal, PVC, and wood, and you can use it to sand in tight corners. I use mine all the time for cutting PVC drain parts and finishing woodworking projects. The DeWalt 20-volt random orbital sander is on sale for $99, 45% off its regular price. This is a tool-only deal, so you’ll need a DeWalt 20-volt battery and charger to use it. I got an orbital sander as an addition to a cordless set I already own so I could use it for woodworking, and it works really well. If you’re trying to get an even, smooth surface, using an orbital sander is ideal, and having a cordless one allows you to use the tool without the added friction and weight of dragging a cord around. These DeWalt batteries and chargers are on sale at Home DepotIf you are expanding a DeWalt set or looking to upgrade so you can use multiple tools simultaneously, you might have noticed that cordless tool batteries can be expensive. They’re often the most expensive component for a cordless tool set, and since even the best batteries will wear out after about ten years of use, you’ll eventually need to buy extra batteries for your tool set. The DeWalt 20-volt battery starter set is on sale for $172, 51% off its usual price. The set comes with a 6-amp-hour battery, a 4-amp-hour battery, and a charger. These larger capacity batteries are especially useful if you’re using your batteries farther from a power source or if you plan to run your tools continuously. If you just need extra tool batteries, a 2-pack of DeWalt 20-volt, 3-amp-hour batteries is on sale for $99, 50% off its typical price. A 2-pack of DeWalt 20-volt, 5-amp-hour batteries is on sale for $149, 40% off its regular price. View the full article

The question I get asked most in 2026 is: How do we measure this? How do we measure whether our brand is showing up in ChatGPT? How do we measure whether Perplexity is recommending us? How do we measure whether the work we did last quarter on grounding for AI Mode moved the needle? Nobody has solved this. Anyone selling you a clean dashboard for tracking presence in grounding, visibility in display, or action at won across search, assistive, and agent simultaneously is selling you a snapshot view that amounts to a bad best guess. The standard advice is “track these queries that we think people might ask,” or “track these queries that are a best-guess adaptation of search keywords.” That advice is unhelpful because prebuilt keyword lists pick queries that are easy to track, map to existing marketing efforts, or would be ideal if the audience were predictable. The visibility question is right. The precise-number answer it expects is wrong. The measurement question, as the industry currently frames it, uses the wrong reference discipline. Brands still hunting for the perfect AI-era visibility KPI are hunting for something that doesn’t exist and never will. The right answer is a methodology that takes its discipline from how economists measure systems too complex and opaque to measure precisely. My methodology is the Funnel Query Pathway, and it does more than measurement. It’s one operational artifact that does three jobs simultaneously: strategy, measurement, and analysis. Marketers want a number on a dashboard, tracking week over week, tied to a specific query on a specific engine for any user, the way search delivered for 20 years. Search could deliver that number because the surface was finite, the rankings were stable, the click was measurable, and the journey was observable. Assistive and agential surfaces deliver none of that. We’re operating in a new environment now, and that environment forces us to ask different questions, measure different signals, and act on different proof. Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with Why AI visibility is a macro measurement problem I studied economics and statistical analysis at Liverpool John Moores University, which is why the shape of this measurement problem looks familiar. The same shape shows up whenever a discipline that worked at one scale tries to operate at a scale where its instruments stop applying. Microeconomics versus macroeconomics is the canonical case. The corner shop measures inventory precisely, the central bank can’t measure inflation precisely, and both disciplines are correct at their scales. Neither discipline’s instruments work in the other’s environment. The discipline I’m proposing isn’t macroeconomics applied to brands. It’s the macro instinct applied to AI-era brand measurement. AI surfaces are macro for the same three structural reasons macroeconomics had to develop its own discipline. The first is opacity. The system’s internal state isn’t observable, the way central banks can’t observe every transaction and modern LLMs can’t expose why they decided what they decided. I call this brand-user-algorithm (BUA) opacity. The user can’t see the alternatives the algorithm rejected, the brand can’t see the journey within the walled garden, and the algorithm can’t fully introspect on why it decided what it did. The second reason is personalization, the AI-era equivalent of heterogeneous agents: Each user gets a different answer because the engine factors in different context. The third is the explosion of possibilities, and the explosion isn’t just across the seven engines. The surfaces now include apps (Copilot in Word, ChatGPT inside Slack, Perplexity in Comet), operating systems (Copilot baked into Windows, Apple Intelligence in macOS and iOS), and hardware (Lenovo Copilot+ laptops with a dedicated Copilot key, Samsung Galaxy AI on the phone, and Meta Ray-Bans on your face). Ambient research becomes a major entry mode. The AI surfaces a recommendation unprompted because it understands the context. That’s where the funnel query pathway lives. Importantly, it isn’t an evolution of keyword mapping or a pimped-up intent-based methodology. Because it looks at the macro level, it’s a fundamentally different beast. The unit of measurement is a cohort Most practitioners running keyword campaigns think they’re grouping queries by intent, but more often than not, they’re grouping by category, which isn’t the same thing as intent. A typical Google Ads campaign would place every Phuket hotel query into one ad group, with the implicit logic that “Phuket hotels” is a logical intent group. It isn’t. “Phuket hotels” defines the destination. The buyer behind “5-star hotels in Phuket” and the buyer behind “cheap hotels in Phuket” share a destination and have almost nothing else in common: different budgets, decision criteria, conversion paths, and downstream behavior. Grouping them produces an ad group whose performance averages across two cohorts that should never have been combined. Categories group things. Cohorts group people. Intent is about people, not things. Google engineers tell me this is the most common mistake they see in AI Max and Performance Max campaigns because the algorithm routing a prospect doesn’t ask, “What category is this query in?” It asks, “What cohort does this user belong to, with what intent?” The intersection of cohort and intent defines the node A cohort is a group of people who’ll behave in a similar way given a specific stimulus. XL men, luxury travelers, and parents shopping for kids. Each is a cohort, defined by some durable identity that persists across time and context. The XL man is still an XL man when he’s buying winter coats in November, a vacation in July, and a wedding ring in March. An intent is the situational vector that crosses through the cohort at a moment in time. Buying a shirt, booking a hotel for next month, and kitting out a child for summer. Each is an intent, and each one spans many cohorts. Buying a shirt pulls in XL men, S men, women, and parents shopping for kids, all walking different paths to different brands at different price points. Every cohort carries many intents across a lifetime, and the same intent spans many cohorts across the market. The intersection of cohort and intent is what defines a node in the Funnel Query Pathway tree. XL men buying a shirt in winter is a node. Luxury travelers booking a hotel for next month is a node. Parents shopping for kids’ shorts for summer is a node. Importantly, cohort alone doesn’t work because XL men buying pajamas behave differently from XL men buying office shirts or holidays. Intent alone won’t track because luxury travelers booking Bali behave differently from budget travelers booking Bali. The intersection is where behavioral coherence lives, and behavioral coherence is what makes the node trackable in the opaque AI surfaces we’re working with. The query qualifies for tracking when both cohort and intent are legible in it The test for whether a query belongs in a funnel query pathway tree is whether both cohort and intent are legible in the query itself. “Men’s red shirt from Uniqlo” surfaces a man shopping for clothes (the cohort) and buying a red shirt at the buying moment (the intent), with the brand named as the commercial destination. Both axes are legible. “Hotels in Bali” surfaces an intent but hides the cohort (luxury, business, budget, honeymoon, family, backpacker), which is why it can’t function as a node. The people submitting it will behave nothing alike as they work their way down the funnel. Narrow it to “cheap hotels in Bali,” and the budget cohort emerges alongside the intent, and the query qualifies for the funnel query pathway. The test is behavioral coherence, not specificity. If both axes are clear, it’s a node. If not, narrow it until they are, and you’ll discover the cohort and intent that together make sense to your business. Build the funnel query pathway from the conversion moment upward The funnel query pathway doesn’t track what users actually type. It tracks what the cohort would ask given the intent. Every query in the tree is a theoretical representative of cohort behavior at the buying moment, not an empirical record of individual users. This is the macro discipline in practice. We don’t research search volume for these queries because they aren’t necessarily queries anyone has typed. We construct them by reasoning forward from cohort plus intent, building the ideal pathway a representative member of the cohort would walk. The “would” carries the entire methodology, and the moment you slip into thinking about what users “actually” type, you’ve collapsed back into the micro instinct the methodology was designed to escape. Once a query passes the test, it’s your starting point. The funnel query pathway (branching tree) builds upward from there. This mirrors the funnel flip at the query level. AI-era acquisition starts at the conversion moment and projects upward because the algorithm forward-calculates the conversion path from intent, not from awareness. Start with the ideal branded BOFU query for one cohort with one intent, then project upward through the evaluation questions that cohort would ask, then upward again through the awareness questions that would come even earlier. Example: Building one funnel query pathway tree from a single Uniqlo query Take Uniqlo as the brand and “men shopping for clothes” as the cohort. The intent is the situational vector that defines the buying moment, and different intents inside the same cohort produce different trees: men buying a shirt, men buying winter outerwear, and men buying gym kit. Each is a node. Start with one. For example, pick the intent of buying a red shirt, which I do often. The branded bottom-of-funnel query that fits the cohort-intent intersection is “men’s red shirt from Uniqlo.” That’s the conversion node. Five to 10 variations of similarly shaped queries fit the same intersection and don’t need to be tracked individually: “men’s Uniqlo Oxford shirt,” “Uniqlo men’s smart shirt,” “men’s red dress shirt Uniqlo,” and “Uniqlo men’s casual red shirt.” Each is the same cohort with the same intent landing on the same brand. Pick the one that’s most useful for your business. Build upward. Next, find the middle-of-funnel branches that would land at your ideal BOFU query. In our example, “men’s red shirt from Uniqlo,” we’re looking for the evaluation queries the same man would ask the engine before arriving at the branded buying moment. The cohort is still men shopping for clothes, the intent is still buying a red shirt, and the brand isn’t named yet because the cohort is still considering options: “Best red shirt for men” “Red shirt for office work” “Where to buy a quality red Oxford shirt” “Which red shirt looks best with chinos” “Affordable men’s red shirts that don’t fade” “Red shirts for men under €50” “Best affordable clothing brands for men” “Minimalist menswear brands with color ranges” “Where to buy quality basics for men online” “Best affordable men’s shirt brands” Ten branches, all the same cohort, all the same intent, all logically routing to “men’s red shirt Uniqlo” as the ideal BOFU commercial query for the brand. Top-of-funnel branches that would land at each of those middle-of-funnel queries are the broader awareness questions the same man would ask even earlier, before narrowing to specific shirt types or brands. For “best red shirt for men”: “Can men wear red shirts to work” “How to add color to a man’s wardrobe” “Shirt color rules for office wear” “How many shirts should a man own” “Which shirt colors suit men with what skin tone” “What color clothing would make me stand out in a crowd” That’s one 60-query funnel query pathway. I could’ve included 120 or more. That’s a choice, as we’ll see. As a rule of thumb, 60 is a reasonable number from a budget-versus-insights perspective. The point of the macro approach is that it doesn’t need you to go granular to measure. The important thing here is that the 60 queries all route to one branded buying moment for one cohort with one intent. Do it again with another intent inside the same cohort (men buying winter outerwear, men buying office trousers), then another cohort (women shopping for clothes, with the intent of buying pajamas, branded BOFU “women’s pajamas Uniqlo”). The tracking surface is a forest of trees, accumulated as the methodology runs. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. AI routing uses the same math as Google Ads bidding I discovered this while running keynotes and workshops for Google Marketing Live in Asia Pacific this month, in conversations with senior Google engineers about how Gemini routes recommendations. The math Gemini runs to decide which answer to surface next is the same math Google Ads has been running to decide which ad to serve next: forward-calculate the probability that this cohort, with this intent, lands at a conversion, and pick the path most likely to get them there. Every practitioner who’s bid on a campaign in the last 15 years has been working with that probability calculation. For me, this is the most useful framing the funnel query pathway can inherit, because it explains why the cohort-with-intent unit aligns with the engine’s internal logic. The engine isn’t tracking categories or queries in isolation. It’s running a funnel pathway probability calculation on cohort plus intent. Every node you populate teaches the engine which path is the fastest way to get this user to the best solution to their problem. Ads includes profit margin. Organic doesn’t. The operational formula in Ads is cohort x intent x conversion rate x profit margin. Google holds all four because the advertiser provides Google with the commercial information needed to optimize bidding. The auction maximizes expected profit because Google has the inputs to calculate it. The operational formula in organic is cohort + intent + conversion rate. Profit margin drops out because the engine doesn’t have the commercial information. The engine doesn’t know your gross margin on a red shirt versus your gross margin on pajamas, and it doesn’t optimize for your bottom line. It optimizes for user satisfaction, which is its own proxy for engine-level commercial outcome, but not for yours. The principle holds across both surfaces: cohort + intent + conversion rate is the unit AI algorithms work with best. What differs is the precision of the conversion estimate. In organic, the conversion is inferred from behavioral patterns. In Ads, it’s measured from data provided by the advertiser. Interestingly, the macro discipline operates in organic where micro precision isn’t available. Micro precision operates in Ads where it is. Luckily, the funnel query pathway tree works on both. Populate it once, and use it for organic content, Ads campaign structure, and analytical insights across both. Build the funnel query pathway from the conversion moment upward One terminological clarification in the 15-gate model I’ve built. The AI engine pipeline runs 10 binary gates: Discovered, selected, crawled, rendered, and indexed (DSCRI), which are handled by the bot, invisible to the algorithm. Annotated, recruited, grounded, displayed, and won (ARGDW), which are handled by the algorithm, invisible to the bot. Our framework extends another five gates after being won: onboarded, performed, integrated, devoted, and codified (OPIDC), which are handled by post-transaction operations that serve people, invisible to both bot and algorithm. Fifteen gates total, each a binary checkpoint where the brand either survives or doesn’t. Nobody inside the system sees the whole chain. Only the brand does. Won itself has three flavors depending on surface: The imperfect click in traditional search. The perfect click in assistive engines. The agentic click in assistive agents. The funnel sits on the display gate. The user’s journey from question to purchase moves through three phases at display — awareness, consideration, and decision. Phases are continuous human positions. Gates are binary machine checkpoints. The funnel query pathway tracks the queries the user submits across those three phases, with the branded buying-moment query landing at the decision phase that triggers won. Gates and phases aren’t synonyms, and conflating them breaks the methodology. Step 1: Start at the bottom of the funnel Identify the queries your ideal customer profile (ICP) would ideally submit using your brand name at the moment they’re ready to buy. The emphasis is on “ideally.” Keyword research asks what people actually type. The funnel query pathway asks what the cohort with this intent would ideally ask the engine just before they purchase from you, with your brand name in the query. Branded, bottom-of-funnel, intent-confirmed, cohort-coherent. Calibrate the specificity to the cohort definition. “Men’s red shirt from Uniqlo” fits the broad cohort of men shopping for clothes. “Men’s extra-large red shirt from Uniqlo” fits a sizing sub-cohort that behaves differently because size availability constrains the consideration set. Either is fine. Pick the cohort level where you want to operate, then operate consistently upward within the branches of your tree. Generic keyword research won’t surface these queries because keyword tools optimize for volume, and cohort-with-intent queries are usually low volume by design. You have to know your cohort well enough to write them down yourself. If you can’t write five, your ICP work needs more depth before this methodology will produce results that are actually useful to your business. Step 2: Project the pathway upwards Each bottom-of-funnel query branches into multiple middle-of-funnel queries (the evaluation questions the same cohort would ask before arriving at the buying moment), each of which branches into multiple top-of-funnel queries (the awareness questions that would come even earlier). Build out gradually, one bottom-of-funnel query at a time. The funnel flip operates at the query level: Generation starts at the conversion query and projects upward, rather than starting at top-of-funnel awareness and hoping the buyer arrives at conversion. Granularity is cohorts x intents. Tracking is a budget call. The question of how many trees to build has one answer: as many as the team can populate. The question of how many trees to track has one answer: as many as give you statistically meaningful data. The starting unit is one cohort with one intent. Men shopping for clothes, with the intent of buying a red shirt. That’s one tree, around 60 queries. Add intents inside the same cohort (XL men buying winter outerwear, office trousers, and gym kit). Add cohorts (XL women, parents). Cohorts times intents gives the tree count. The numbers scale with the budget: CohortsIntents per cohortTreesApprox. queries111603515900510503,00010101006,000 What changes with resolution is the precision of the diagnosis. Track three trees, and you have a low-resolution read on three cohort-with-intent intersections. Track 100, and you have a high-resolution read on most of your buying landscape. Both are defensible macro reads because macro is about defining your methodology and scope to reliably read direction and rate of change, rather than specific values. This methodology means you can start small and build out. Start tracking three Funnel Query Pathways for your most profitable ICP this month, then add another next month. Group them, and you can compare like with like starting today using a macro approach that scales and survives over time. Populate the tree, and you teach the engine the conversion path The shaping mechanism is what makes the funnel query pathway more than a measurement methodology. The engine routes recommendations by predicting what comes next for the cohort with the intent. When the brand feeds the AI with content that builds logically structured funnel query pathways and answers each node, the engine learns the chain: Which awareness questions belong to this cohort. Which evaluation questions follow them. Which branded buying-moment query is the conversion answer. For obvious pathways (red shirts), the algorithms already have the pathways ingrained, but for less popular pathways, the engine has no opinion, and you have every opportunity to shape its perception. Since the engine is an active participant in the funnel alongside the user, it can form a predictive map, and the path it surfaces for any prospect in the cohort is the path the brand trained. Shaping isn’t a side effect. It’s the compounding mechanism, and it means the brand stops competing for individual query rankings and starts engineering the inference paths the engine forward-calculates from. The competitor optimizing query by query is optimizing against a model the engine has already moved past. The deeper move: Mapping the funnel query pathway into every webpage The methodology can sit beside the website as a tracking document, and that works, but the deeper move is mapping the funnel query pathway into your strategy, both on-site and off-site. Every node in every tree corresponds to a query the engine surfaces for the cohort. Every query needs a passage that answers it. Every page names the cohort it’s serving. Every passage names the intent that might bring the cohort there and clearly outlines the next step in the cohort’s conversion path. Top-of-funnel pages route toward the evaluation pages. Middle-of-funnel pages route toward the branded buying-moment pages. Bottom-of-funnel pages close the conversion. If you can align the content across your brand’s digital footprint to the forward-calculation logic the engine is already running — cohort, intent, awareness layer, evaluation layer, conversion layer — then when the engine forward-calculates the next step for any user in the cohort, the brand’s site is one of the few places that has the complete chain laid out, and the probability calculation tilts in your favor. Build all the funnel query pathways for your ICP, and you’re teaching the machine exactly what the path looks like for every cohort-intent intersection you serve, while encouraging it to bring the subset of its users who are your ideal audience right to your door. One framework for strategy, measurement, and analysis The funnel query pathway does three jobs simultaneously: strategy, measurement, and analysis. Strategy: You populate every node of the tree with content that proves the answer at that phase of the buying journey: awareness content at the top, evaluation content in the middle, and the branded conversion moment at the bottom. Stop running content generation as a calendar against a keyword list, and start engineering paths that represent your ICP’s buying journey. Measurement: You run the same funnel query pathways across the three modes (search, assistive, and agent) and the engines (Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot, Siri, Alexa, etc.). You can’t track every surface those engines appear on (Copilot in Word, ChatGPT in Slack, Apple Intelligence in iOS, and Copilot+ on a Lenovo laptop are all closed contexts that don’t let you rank-track). But every surface runs the same underlying engine, so your tracking extrapolates to every surface each engine sits inside. Analysis: You can use the pattern of where the brand surfaces and where it doesn’t across the funnel query pathway, by mode and by engine, as the macro view you can rely on for a like-for-like comparison over time. See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with What you actually get from the funnel query pathway Here’s what you actually get from running the funnel query pathway: a quarter-after-quarter read of whether AI is recommending your brand to the right people at the right moment. You see direction, momentum, and a record of what’s working. You build, you measure, you analyze, and you adjust. Then you do it again next quarter. The brands that start this discipline now will be the ones AI knows by name in three years. Pick one cohort, the most strategically important if you have several. Pick one intent inside that cohort. Write five to 10 branded bottom-of-funnel queries that cohort-with-intent would ideally submit at the buying moment (“men’s red shirt from Uniqlo” in our example). Pick one and map upward: five to 15 middle-of-funnel queries that would land at it, then three to 10 top-of-funnel queries that would land at each of those. You now have one tree, somewhere between 50 and 200 queries. Run strategy, measurement, and analysis on the funnel query pathway branches. Strategy: Do you have pages and passages that address each of the nodes? Fill the gaps. Measurement: Run the tree across engines and document where the brand surfaces. Analysis: Where are the gaps clustered, which node is weakest, and which engines are recruiting most consistently? Build out the content that fills the gaps in your ICP funnel query pathways, and track that set of queries monthly. You’ll see results, and you’ll be able to measure them. AI-era optimization is about defining your methodology, picking your ICP and tracking, and building and strategizing with a macro mindset, which is the subject of the next article in this series. This is the 14th piece in my AI authority series. Part 1, “Rand Fishkin proved AI recommendations are inconsistent – here’s why and how to fix it,” introduced cascading confidence. Part 2, “AAO: Why assistive agent optimization is the next evolution of SEO,” named the discipline. Part 3, “The AI engine pipeline: 10 gates that decide whether you win the recommendation,” mapped the full pipeline. Part 4, “The five infrastructure gates behind crawl, render, and index,” walked through the infrastructure phase. Part 5, “5 competitive gates hidden inside ‘rank and display’,” covered the competitive phase. Part 6, “The entity home: The page that shapes how search, AI, and users see your brand,” mapped the raw material. Part 7, “The push layer returns: Why ‘publish and wait’ is half a strategy,” extended the entry model. Part 8, “How AI decides what your content means and why it gets you wrong,” covered annotation — the last gate where you’re alone with the machine. Part 9, “Why topical authority isn’t enough for AI search,” opened the competitive phase proper with topical ownership. Part 10, “The funnel flip: Why AI forces a bottom-up acquisition strategy,” named the process. Part 11, “The framing gap: Why AI can’t position your brand” exposed the gap between evidence and recommendation. Part 12, “The 10-gate AI search pipeline: Find where your content fails,” showed you how to find (and repair) your F grades in the AI engine pipeline. Part 13, “The delegation boundary: How AI decides which brands win,” mapped how delegation moves between user and engine across search, assistive, and agent modes. Up next: The micro-macro shift, the paradigm framework that names the structural change in measurement, analysis, and strategy that the AI era requires. View the full article

A reader writes: I’ve been working at this smallish company for five and a half years now. I started as the office manager when we were nine people and now we’re approaching 50. I am a friendly person and have great relationships with many of my coworkers. We’re a friendly group, but strangely with my manager, I genuinely feel total invisible to him. In my many years of working, this is a weird experience for me. I’ve always had very good relationships with my managers. A few examples of what I mean: This morning I walked into the office and he’s standing talking to my coworker (he’s also her manager) and he’s looking right at me as I walk by and I look at him and say, “Good morning.” He looks down, doesn’t reply, and my other coworker says, “Good morning.” This has happened many times, where I may have walked by him in the kitchen first thing and say good morning and he just walks by. I have sometimes thought that maybe he didn’t hear me. This morning he 100% heard me. I sit in a pod of desks, and he often comes by to speak to one of the other two people I sit with. One time he came by, and only the person who sits across from me was sitting here and I was here — and he came over and said, “You know I’m coming to talk to you because no one else is here” and that coworker says, “But MyName is here” and I pipe up with, “I’m here! I”m here!” He says nothing and doesn’t acknowledge the banter. So all this makes me feel absolutely invisible. It’s so weird, because if I message him with an issue, he will reply. If I go to his office to talk to him about something, he obviously will talk to me. Am I being overly sensitive? I appreciate not being micromanaged and nitpicked and the work gets done — I don’t need oversight. He does come to me when he needs me to do something for him, although it doesn’t happen often. Does he not like me? Does it matter? He chit chats with other coworkers and he shares personal stuff with them. I’m not looking to be BFFs, but a “good morning” would be nice. Part of me thinks I shouldn’t care, but I was raised to be polite. You greet people when you come in and you say goodbye when you leave. How do I not let this make me feel like less? I don’t think bringing it up to him would be helpful; I think he would just end being way more awkward. No, you’re not being overly sensitive! It’s weird for anyone in your office, let alone your boss, to act like you’re invisible and ignore you when you greet them. It would be different if your boss were like this with everyone. Then you could write it off it as shyness or social awkwardness. But when he’s only doing it you and you see him chatting perfectly comfortably with others, it feels personal. Plus I’m wondering about his comment to your coworker when he didn’t realize you were there — “You know I’m coming to talk to you because no one else is here.” That makes it sound like the coworker knows your boss prefers not to come talk when you’re around. Or maybe it was a reference to the coworker knowing your boss is generally socially uncomfortable and prefers talking one-on-one … but given that it only seems to be you he avoids, you’ve got to wonder. (Also, did he just … not see you? Are you literally invisible and just don’t realize it? If you look in a mirror, are you visible?) As for what’s going on, I can think of a bunch of possible explanations: * He has a crush on you. * Your resemblance to someone else makes him uncomfortable (a hated cousin, the bully who tormented him in school, a dead loved one). * You offended him in some profound way at some point (presumably this wouldn’t be something small like accidentally cutting him off in the hallway, but rather more like you said something implying he or his loved ones don’t deserve rights, or something indicating you’re part of a group that he doesn’t think deserve rights). * You’re different from him in a way he’s uncomfortable with (including things like race, politics, sexual orientation, even age). Was he like this from the very start or did it change to this at some point? If he was like this from the very beginning, that points to different possibilities than if he was normal with you at first and then changed. If you were still a very small office, I’d consider other possibilities, too: like that you were the only woman there, or the only woman in a certain age group, or that he actually is very socially awkward in general but that other people there have figured out how to bond with him. But in an office of nearly 50 people, those seem much less likely. As for what to do about it, personally I wouldn’t be able to resist asking and would want to say to him, “Have I done something to offend you? You’re always available when I need you for work questions, but I can’t help but notice you don’t acknowledge me outside of that, even when I greet you or we’re in conversation with others.” I know you don’t want to do that because you think it’ll make things more awkward … but how much more awkward can they realistically get? I suppose he could also start being weird with you during work-related interactions, but I think the potential benefits from just asking about it outweigh the risks. Still, though, if you don’t want to, then all you can really do is to (a) look at whether this might stem from something on your end (like did you insult his partner or his child and then blithely continue on?) and (b) assuming that you reflect on that and are confident that you didn’t, assume that whatever’s going on is entirely about him, and try to see the entertainment value in having a boss who’s this obliviously rude. That said, you do need to look at whether his weirdness is affecting you professionally. I’ve got to think having a boss who avoids you affects the type of feedback and professional development opportunities you receive, and at some point there’s just a quality of life tax to working for someone who won’t acknowledge you except when forced to. After five and a half years there, when you imagine moving on and working instead with people who don’t ignore you, do you feel relief? If so, that’s something to consider too. (Also, you may find this letter on a similar topic from 2021 interesting! I was pleased to see that I came up with the same bulleted list of possibilities then.) The post my boss treats me like I’m invisible appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Elon Musk’s loss in his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, decided on Monday by a jury and upheld by a judge, wasn’t the only damaging revelation to emerge from the California courtroom. The two-week trial also punctured the carefully managed public images of some of the most prominent figures shaping AI for hundreds of millions of people. Whether it was Musk’s combative texts to Altman threatening to make “[Altman and Brockman] the most hated men in America” if OpenAI refused to settle, co-defendant Greg Brockman’s painfully earnest diary entries about becoming a billionaire (“Financially, what will take me to $1B?”), or Mira Murati’s anxious messages to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as OpenAI’s boardroom coup unraveled, executives who had spent years projecting total control were revealed to be far more human, and far messier, than they intended. (Microsoft owns a 27% stake in OpenAI.) The case was “a reminder that discovery can be the real trial. In this case, hundreds of emails, texts, Slack messages, and private diary entries from years back were aired publicly and often unflatteringly,” says Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University. For executives watching from boardrooms, and perhaps even for some sitting in the courtroom itself, the takeaway was straightforward: Nothing is ever private. Lawyers and HR executives have long warned against treating corporate messaging platforms as places to joke, vent, or trade sarcastic barbs. That lesson played out repeatedly during the trial. Among the central figures, Nadella largely escaped the most embarrassing disclosures, thanks in part to his reluctance to commit thoughts to writing. Documents introduced at trial showed him to be comparatively restrained and opaque, even in internal discussions over replacing (and ultimately reinstating) Altman. Nadella’s relative silence suggested a lesson others in the industry may have ignored: it is often safer to pick up the phone than fire off texts or emails. “You just have to assume that everything you write is going to be revealed at some point,” says Nell Minow, chair of ValueEdge Advisors and a corporate governance advocate. Whether the public airing of those private conversations will meaningfully change executive behavior is another question. That’s because, according to Minow, executives like Musk and Altman are shaped by a “go fast, break things, clean up the mess later” culture that does not lend itself to restraint. Maura R. Grossman, an e-discovery specialist and University of Waterloo professor, sees the disclosures as part of a broader shift in elite behavior. “It has somehow become acceptable for people in positions of power to say things that would never have been deemed acceptable a decade ago,” she says. Most ordinary people, she adds, understand that texts and written communications can eventually surface. The fact that so many key players in the OpenAI saga appeared unconcerned by that possibility says plenty on its own. Musk may still view the disclosures as a kind of Pyrrhic victory if they succeeded in publicly embarrassing his rivals. But Minow says the lesson isn’t to stop putting anything in writing at all. Excessive caution around written communication, she argues, risks undermining candid internal debate and eroding institutional memory. Without documentation, organizations lose out on a paper trail that can be useful in the event that something goes wrong within a firm, and enables observers or law enforcement to establish what went wrong and why. Cornell University’s Kreps argues the smarter response is not to write less, but to write with greater discipline. “Document intent, options, rationale without the snark or speculation,” she says. Otherwise, companies risk replacing accountability with verbal-only decision-making and opaque governance. View the full article

AI offers a conversational experience. We use LLMs through chatbots. But no one has yet looked at how citations and mentions evolve in a conversation. I analyzed data from the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit to review 20 buyer journeys across four different verticals to compare high vs. low reasoning for ChatGPT5.2. View embedded content In this analysis: Why high reasoning cites a nearly different web (only 25.6% domain overlap with minimal) and which source types gain or lose ground. Why TOFU content has a payoff again: Grands cited at the Problem stage are more likely to persist all the way to Selection under high reasoning, and never under minimal. How to split your prompt tracking by reasoning mode so your AI visibility reporting reflects 2 different systems, not an averaged one. Methodology Data comes from the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit, which captures the prompts, citations, and fan-out queries ChatGPT generates per response. We ran 100 prompts twice through GPT-5.2, once with minimal reasoning and once with high reasoning, for 200 total responses. Prompts span 20 buyer journeys across 4 categories (B2B SaaS, Finance, Consumer Tech, Health/Lifestyle), with 5 stages per journey: Problem, Exploration, Comparison, Validation, Selection. Citation rate is the share of prompts where the response cited at least one external source. Average citation counts sources per cited response. Fan-out queries are the sub-queries the model fires internally to research the prompt before answering, surfaced via the Semrush API. GPT 5.2’s high reasoning cites and searches more Turn high reasoning on, and the citation rate jumps from 50% to 68% (+18 percentage points), the average sources per response nearly doubles (2.6 to 4.5), and fan-out queries go up 4.6x. High reasoning also pulls from 173 unique domains across the test set vs. 127 for minimal; 99 of those domains never appear under minimal reasoning. *Citation Rate is defined as the share of prompts where the response cited at least one external source. This is grounding at its finest. When the model thinks harder, it relies more on web search. Reasoning plays a major role in brand visibility, though we don’t know how many users activate reasoning vs not. Query intent is a cleaner proxy than user demographics. Free-tier users have reasoning access too, just rate-limited, and ChatGPT auto-routes hard prompts to Thinking mode without the user clicking anything. So the question isn’t who can afford reasoning. It’s which prompts trigger reasoning automatically. Multi-criteria comparisons, evaluation frameworks, regulatory and compliance questions, and complex shopping builds are the prompts most likely to fire reasoning regardless of plan. Map your audience by query type, not by paywall status. High reasoning fires more fan-out queries deeper in the funnel Users move through problem-solving and purchase decisions in stages, often within the same conversation. The gap between minimal and high reasoning isn’t constant. It scales with where the user sits in the journey. What the five stages look like in practice. Take a buyer evaluating CRM software: Problem: “How do I know if my sales team needs a CRM?” Exploration: “What types of CRM software exist for B2B SaaS?” Comparison: “HubSpot vs. Salesforce vs. Pipedrive for a 50-person sales team.” Validation: “Is HubSpot worth the price for mid-market B2B?” Selection: “How do I get started with HubSpot Sales Hub?” The three patterns hold across all 20 journeys: Citation rate climbs through the funnel under both modes, but high reasoning closes the early-stage gap most aggressively: +35pp at Problem, only +5pp at Validation. The model treats early-funnel questions as research tasks when high reasoning is on, whereas it answers-from-memory when it’s off. Fan-out queries peak at Comparison. High reasoning fires 24 sub-queries per response there vs. 5.5 for minimal. Selection runs 15.4 vs. 2.6. Average citations per response peaks at Comparison (9.8 high, 5.8 minimal) and narrows at Selection (4.7 high, 2.6 minimal). The model resembles an hourglass across funnel stages. At the aggregate level, minimal reasoning fires 245 search queries across 100 prompts. High reasoning fires 1,130. When the model operates with high reasoning, it runs a mini investigation per prompt, and most of the investigation happens at the Comparison and Selection stages. What does a fan-out actually look like? A B2B SaaS prompt under high reasoning comparing Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive for a 50-person sales team breaks into separate queries about API rate limits per vendor, SOC 2 / ISO 27001 compliance, SAML/SSO/SCIM support, webhook architecture, OAuth flow, developer documentation, enterprise pricing tiers, and change-data-capture support. Each becomes its own retrieval. The brand that wins the answer is the one whose documentation surfaces clean for each sub-query, not the one that ranks for the parent prompt. The Selection stage has the widest per-response query variance: 0 to 40 fan-out queries on the same five-stage cohort. The driver is prompt specificity. Bounded prompts (like “should I finance through the dealer at 0% APR or use a bank?” or “draft an RFP to 3 SEO agencies”) run zero queries because the answer’s structure is given. Open-ended product builds (“shopping list for a $3,000 home gym” or “which travel card ecosystem fits our grocery spending?”) run 28 to 40 queries. The Selection stage isn’t bounded by one type of question, and the model’s research effort tracks how many degrees of freedom the prompt leaves on the table. StageMinimal: Avg queriesHigh: Avg queriesProblem0.05.2Exploration0.82.6Comparison5.524.1Validation3.49.1Selection2.615.4 For marketers: Early-funnel visibility is a reasoning-mode story. If your buyers use ChatGPT with reasoning on, problem-stage, and exploration-stage content is in play. If they don’t, you’re effectively invisible until Comparison. Reasoning affects how brands appear in a conversation An LLM session is a conversation, not a single query. The question that it opens up: Does a brand cited at the start of the journey carry through to the end? If yes, early-funnel visibility compounds. If not, every stage is a fresh fight. When a brand gets cited in the Problem stage (step 1), does it survive to the Selection stage (step 5)? When using minimal reasoning: No. Zero journeys show this kind of persistence. In high reasoning: Yes. Brand continuity is maintained in 4 journeys across all 5 stages. Within a single response, high reasoning also anchors harder on individual sources. 51 of 100 high-reasoning responses cite the same domain more than once in the same answer, vs. 26 of 100 for minimal. High reasoning quotes a source repeatedly when it commits to it. Brand mentions tell a softer version of the same story. If you loosen the test from cited domain to brand named in the answer text, persistence shows up in 3 high-reasoning journeys (HubSpot across CRM Selection, American Express across Business Credit Cards, Sony and Canon across Mirrorless Camera) and 2 minimal-reasoning journeys (HubSpot, Mercury). Consumer Tech shows up here even though it doesn’t show up in the citation persistence table. Brands like Sony and Canon are mentioned through the conversation without the model linking out to them, which is its own form of category dominance and worth tracking separately. High reasoning builds a consistent mental model of the solution space throughout a session. The headline finding: TOFU prompts have value. If a brand shows up at the Problem stage, it tends to carry through to Selection. Top-of-funnel content isn’t just brand awareness for AI visibility. It’s a leading indicator of where the model lands at decision time. Two more implications: All four persistent journeys are in Finance, which suggests persistence rides on the same authoritative-source content (regulatory pages, official brand sites) that drives the +28pp Finance lift overall. For marketers running an account-based or category-creation play, reasoning-mode visibility is the prize. It’s the only mode where early-funnel content compounds into selection-stage citations. Reasoning mode is a separate search engine The brand that wins under minimal reasoning is not the brand that wins under high reasoning: 3 in 4 cited domains are different. The mix of source types is different. The stages where citations appear are different. I’m excited about two findings in particular from this analysis: The first is measurement. We need to track low vs. high reasoning in our prompt trackers. It’s best to avoid an aggregate view because the mechanisms are truly different. Bad news: This adds more effort and cost to prompt tracking. Good news: We can make prompt tracking a lot more accurate. The second is funnel stages. In the latest AI Mode user behavior study, I found that users react strongly to shortlists, demonstrating a similar behavior seen with Google’s classic search results where the top result matters most. That result made it seem to me that focusing on BOFU prompts that return shortlists is the game. However, now we know there is value in TOFU prompts because of persistence: Brands that appear early in the buyer journey can persist all the way through. The best way to find that out for yourself is to map buyer journeys and track your persistence. This post first appeared on the author’s website and is republished here with permission. View the full article

After some harsh feedback about the quality of Windows 11, Microsoft is on a sort of apology tour. The company is promising to improve the operating system, addressing critical issues and features that annoy longtime Windows users. It started off with a way to delay Windows updates for longer than a week. Now, Microsoft is testing new settings that let users customize the placement and size of the taskbar alongside the start menu. The fact that you couldn't move the taskbar to the top or side of the screen has bothered Windows 11 users ever since launch. As with many frustrating aspects of Windows, there are multiple workarounds to customize the taskbar and its placement using third-party apps and registry hacks. But now, Windows users will finally have a native, reliable option for customizing the taskbar. These changes are currently rolling out over the next couple of weeks to Windows Insider members in the Experimental channel. Hopefully, they make it to a public build in the near future. Move the taskbar anywhere you want Credit: Microsoft The biggest news, of course, is that the taskbar is finally detached from the bottom of the screen—at least, if you want it to be. You can now move it to the top, or to the left or right edge of the screen. When you do, the taskbar content will adapt automatically. You can also choose where you'd like to align the icons. You can place them on top or in the center when the taskbar is on the sides, or on the left or center when it is on the top or the bottom. If you dock the taskbar to the side, there's a new option to “Never combine” taskbar buttons and to show full labels for all windows separately. This will basically show you a vertical list of all open windows, even if they're from the same app. Windows Insiders who already have this feature can go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors to customize the taskbar position and icon alignment. Credit: Microsoft If you're using a Windows tablet, or a laptop with a small screen, there's now an option to make the Windows taskbar smaller (icons will also scale down automatically). Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Show smaller taskbar buttons and set it to Always. Debloating the Start menu gets easier Credit: Microsoft The Start menu in Windows 11 has expanded to include not just apps, but also recommendations, shortcuts, and even updates from your connected smartphone. If all you really want is a quick way to launch apps, this can seem like too much. Microsoft is now consolidating settings for customizing the Start menu, making it easier to get to the minimal Start menu experience. Credit: Microsoft There are many other changes planned for the taskbar in the near future. Over the next couple of weeks, Microsoft will start adding Start menu customization features to independently show or hide sections like Pinned, Recommended, and All. There will be a separate toggle to disable the Recommended section only in the Start menu (decoupling it from the Recent Files section in the File Explorer), as well as a new size setting for the Start menu, letting you choose between a Small or Large size. Currently, the Start menu automatically adapts to your display, which can be inconsistent if you use multiple displays along with your laptop. Lastly, Microsoft is adding an option to hide your name and profile picture from the Start menu for added privacy. With all these features combined, you can create a Start menu that's smaller, devoid of profile pictures, and only showing apps that you have pinned yourself. View the full article

Grocery giant Kroger Co. is the latest in a growing number of companies whose brands have been impacted by potential Salmonella contamination involving milk powder. California-based Sugar Foods LLC is recalling some of its Kroger-branded Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons. The product used milk powder that may have been contaminated by Salmonella, according to a recall notice shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, May 18. The milk powder was supplied by California Dairies, Inc, the same company linked to other recent Salmonella recalls. “The affected seasoning batches tested negative for Salmonella prior to use,” Sugar Foods stated in its FDA announcement. “Out of an abundance of caution, and because this milk powder was used in a seasoning ingredient supplied to Sugar Foods, the company is initiating this recall.” Sugar Foods had received no reports of illness at the time of the recall. Which products are affected? Only the 5 oz Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons are part of the recall. The UPC number for affected products is 0 11110 81353 4. However, the recall spans a number of best by dates: Best by February 17, 2027 Best by February 18, 2027 Best by February 27, 2027 Best by February 28, 2027 Best by March 6, 2027 Best by March 9, 2027 Best by March 21, 2027 Best by April 1, 2027 Best by April 7, 2027 The products are past their best-by dates and no longer on store shelves. However, consumers may have them in their homes. Photos of the affected product are available here. Where was the product sold? The Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons were sold in Kroger stores between March 7, 2026, and April 7, 2026, in these states: Alabama Arkansas Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Michigan Missouri Mississippi Ohio South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin West Virginia What should I do if I have this product? If you have impacted Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons then discard them. You can contact Sugar Foods at 332-240-6676 at any time to ask questions. What products are included in the recalls? Sugar Foods joins the likes of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Utz Quality Foods LLC, both of which issued recalls due to potential Salmonella contamination in the last month. As of May 18, the full list of recalls tied to California Dairies is as follows: Sugar Foods (Cheese garlic croutons) Blackstone (Parmesan ranch seasoning) Williams Sonoma, Fireworks Popcorn (White cheddar seasoning) Stoltzfus Family Dairy (Sour cream and onion cheese curds) Wildlife Seasoning (Flavored popcorn seasoning) Giant Eagle (Pita chips with Parmesan, garlic, and herbs) Fisher, Southern Style Nuts, Squirrel Brand, Good & Gather (Snack mixes) Pork King Good (Pork rinds and seasoning bottles) Zapp’s, Dirty (Potato chips) Ghirardelli (Powdered beverage mix) California Dairies has not responded to multiple requests for comments about the recalls. What Salmonella symptoms should I look out for? Have you consumed any of the affected products? Look out for Salmonella symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Take special care with young children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system as they have a greater risk of infection. The Cleveland Clinic has further information on Salmonella infection symptoms. View the full article

For a long time, SEO reporting revolved around dashboards. When a meeting was on your schedule, you’d spend your day preparing by exporting data from Google Search Console, cleaning it in spreadsheets, and layering charts into Data Studio. Now, AI coding agents are changing that workflow. Instead of the manual work that would previously take hours, you can use tools like Claude Code to surface customized data with polished visuals in just minutes. Here’s how to turn Google Search Console data into custom reports and speed up your reporting workflow. What Claude Code can do with GSC data Claude Code isn’t the same as using Claude in a browser tab. The standard Claude.ai interface works like a regular chatbot. Claude Code, on the other hand, is Anthropic’s terminal-based AI coding assistant. It still feels conversational, but instead of living in a browser tab, it can interact directly with files, folders, spreadsheets, and scripts on your machine. It can read exported GSC CSV files, process large datasets locally, generate charts and summaries, analyze trends across pages and queries, and ultimately create structured deliverables from raw data. Claude Code isn’t simply generating text responses like a chatbot. Instead, it’s creating a local reporting environment that behaves like a lightweight software project. Dig deeper: How to turn Claude Code into your SEO command center Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up. The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. Start Free Trial Get started with There’s a learning curve Before you can start building beautiful, custom reports, you’ll need to set up Claude Code. If you’re not an engineer or developer, this process can feel overwhelming at first. There is a learning curve, but don’t give up. Setup is actually the most time-intensive piece of the process, but it’s a one-time process. Depending on your technical experience, the initial setup may take a couple of hours. The “reports in minutes” concept really applies after the environment is configured. Once you’re past the initial setup and Claude is connected to GSC, you can run any custom SEO report you want in a matter of minutes. If you’re in an enterprise environment, this setup process can go faster with a little help from the tech team. If you’re an agency or an SEO consultant, you can always lean on the expertise of in-house developers or engineers or an outside contractor. Getting started If you don’t already have one, create an account atClaude.ai. You can sign up with Google, email/password, or enterprise SSO. Most SEOs using Claude Code for reporting have a paid plan or use Anthropic API access. But you can use a free plan at the time of writing. Install Node.js Claude Code runs locally on your machine, so you’ll first need Node.js installed. You can also use it on a Chromebook by activating the Linux subsystem. For the purposes of this tutorial, I used a Mac. Next, download the current LTS (Long-Term Support) version. Once installed, you’ll have access to npm, which is used to install Claude Code. To verify the installation, open Terminal (Mac/Linux) or PowerShell (Windows) and run: node -v npm -v If both commands return version numbers, you’re ready to continue. Install Claude Code Next, install Claude Code globally: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code Once the installation finishes, start Claude Code by running: claude The CLI will walk you through authentication and connect to your Anthropic account. After that, Claude Code can work directly with local project folders containing exported SEO data, scripts, spreadsheets, and reporting templates. Dig deeper: SEO reporting outgrew Data Studio — here’s what comes next Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Establishing the reporting framework At this point, you’ll be able to interact with Claude Code in the terminal using commands much like you would with an AI chatbot. To kick off the workflow, I gave Claude a prompt: “I have a marketing meeting coming up, and I want to show our performance from Google Search Console.” One benefit is that Claude now becomes an onboarding assistant. Claude will ask a handful of clarifying questions to get started. For example, during the setup process, Claude asked: Whether to use a service account or OAuth credentials to access the Google Search Console API. Which reporting views or marketing priorities mattered most. Where the reporting project should live locally on the machine. Which Google Search Console property to connect to. Claude also asked where the reporting project should live locally. (As an aside, we prefer to store it inside a dedicated code directory rather than a standard Documents folder because development projects can sometimes run into file permission or syncing issues when stored inside cloud-synced folders like Documents or Desktop.) Next, I established how the visuals will be built before connecting to GSC. We like using Observable Framework, an open-source framework for building data apps, dashboards, and reports. You don’t necessarily need to follow this exact structure; Claude Code is highly customizable, and you’ll settle into what works for you. And remember: if you’re unsure about any next steps, you can just ask Claude, and it will help guide the setup. Connecting to GSC Before Claude Code can start generating reports from live GSC data, you’ll need to connect it to the Search Console API. This is another technical part of the process, but the good news is that Claude can walk you through much of the setup interactively. To establish the connection, you’ll need to create a Google Cloud Project (GCP) and configure API credentials. That setup process typically includes: Creating a Google Cloud project. Enabling the Search Console API. Generating OAuth credentials or API secrets. Adding those credentials to a local environment file. In larger organizations, your IT or development team may already manage this infrastructure. If not, you can still configure it yourself using a standard Google account or Google Workspace account. Generating reports Once you’ve finished connecting to GSC, congratulations! You made it through the hardest part. Once setup is complete, your reporting process changes entirely. You can now focus on the reporting views you want to create, such as: “Show me the top 10 landing pages that gained traffic this month.” “Create a chart of declining nonbrand queries over the last 90 days.” “Compare CTR trends by device type.” “Show me the top-performing pages from New York last month.” Claude is now like an on-demand reporting assistant. You simply open the project folder, launch Claude Code, and ask for the charts you need. In addition, you can be more dynamic in your meetings. Instead of building a rigid dashboard ahead of time and hoping stakeholders ask predictable questions, you can generate new views dynamically as questions come up. That means you can walk into a meeting, ask Claude for a completely new chart or segmentation, and generate it in minutes rather than rebuilding an entire dashboard manually. Now let’s look at some reports you might quickly run before your next meeting. Here’s an example of a custom SEO performance dashboard generated from Google Search Console data. While some of these metrics are available inside GSC, building your own report gives you much more flexibility in how trends, comparisons, and supporting metrics are visualized together. You could also generate a bar chart with YoY rankings, or a heat map of rankings for keywords by month. Both examples are below. What we like to include in our reporting is a combination of scorecards, time-series charts, year-over-year bar chart comparisons, and heat maps that break down the key drivers behind a metric. See the complete picture of your search visibility. Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform. Start Free Trial Get started with Claude Code completely transforms SEO reporting SEO reporting has always been a push and pull between speed and flexibility. Dashboards are fast once they are built, but they are often rigid. Custom analysis is powerful but historically has been time-intensive. Claude Code changes everything. Now you can interact with your GSC data more dynamically, explore new questions as they arise, and create reporting views that would have previously taken hours to build manually. Once the initial setup is complete, reporting becomes far more adaptable to the needs of you and your stakeholders. Dig deeper: How to vibe-code an SEO tool without losing control of your LLM View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Nothing is really new in conspiracy theories, but the churning morass of social media sometimes mixes up new combinations of old nonsense that bubbles up to the surface unexpectedly. Lately, interest in "Grabovoi codes" or "Grabovoi numbers" is high. The CIA is supposedly hiding Grabovoi codes, strings of numbers that one can concentrate upon in order to cure disease, get rich, and manifest a new car. This video, for instance, has been viewed over a million times in the last couple weeks: "You can search 'quantum healing codes' at the CIA.gov website and it has many different codes for many different things," This TikToker says, "for instance you would think of the part of your body that's hurting and repeat 55515 and, voila, pain starts to vanish," they add. Many TikTokers are into this. There are over 43,000 posts on the "Grabovoi" hashtag. It might seem like lightweight wish fulfillment, but I looked into where belief in the Grabovoi codes comes from, and it's way deeper than TikTok. The online world's belief in magic numbers is a case of historical telephone that can be traced to a convicted Russian conman, an American broadcasting tycoon who believed he could travel outside of his body, and the strange history of the CIA and KGB's research into the paranormal—it gets real weird, real quick. But first, do the Grabovoi codes actually work? Can you use Grabovoi codes to cure pain and disease and/or manifest wealth?No. But sometimes, kind of yes. There is a library of research about the connection between the cognitive mind and the perception of pain, and scientific research supports the general idea that if you are experiencing mild pain, concentrating on something else, like a specific number, could reduce the perception of that pain. But the number itself is irrelevant; it's the distraction that matters. All other claims about benefits from these numbers—that they represent frequencies connected to specific real life outcomes, that they can help you find love, etc.— are not supported by any evidence. Do Grabovoi codes come from the CIA?No. But kind of yes. Despite the claims of online believers, searching "quantum healing codes," or "Grabovoi" in the CIA's declassified files database does not result in a list of healing numbers. There is no mention of the inventor of the Grabovoi numbers, Grigori Grabovoi, in the files either. There is actually one "healing number" contained in declassified CIA files. But first... Who is Grigori Grabovoi?Grabovoi is the founder of the Russian group Teaching Universal Salvation and Harmonious Development. He claims he is the second coming of Jesus, can cure cancer, can teleport, and can repair anything, mechanical or electronic, remotely. In 2008, Grabovoi was sentenced to 11 years in a Russian prison for fraud after accepting payment to resurrect children slain in the Beslan school siege. He's served his sentence and lives in Serbia now. Among the hundreds of books (usually transcripts of lectures) Grabovoi has authored is Restoration of Matter of Human Being by Concentrating on Number Sequence, which lays out some of the Grabovoi numbers. Not all of them, though. Grabovoi tends to publish books of numbers for specific subjects, like Concentration on Numerical Sequences to Reset the Body of Cats. Grabovoi doesn't miss a trick. Which brings us to TikTok. Beginning around 2016, Grabovoi and his believers/followers started promoting his numbers and theories on Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and basically everywhere else, and they were spread by people connected with hashtags like #manifestation, particularly when Covid19 was at its peak. So that's why everyone is talking about Grabovoi codes, but it doesn't explain the CIA connection. That's because of Robert Monroe. Who is Robert Monroe?Robert Allan Monroe was a media tycoon who made a ton of money producing radio shows in the 1930s and 40s. By the late 1950s, Monroe owned a network of radio stations and early cable TV channels across Virginia. In 1958, this rich radio dude claimed he had a spontaneous out-of-body experience after listening to binaural sounds. To study the phenomena, Monroe used his considerable wealth to found the Monroe Institute. In 1977 the Institute published the The Gateway Intermediate Workbook, a collection of mental exercises and visualization tools designed to help people relax and/or project their consciousness across time and space. It advised people in pain to close their eyes and repeat "55515" to dull pain signals. Why this number specifically is not explained, but Monroe's whole thing was "hemi-sync" audio signals, aka "binaural beats," so the idea may have been that repeating a precise rhythmic sequence like "five-five-five-one-five" would echo pulsing audio frequencies. It's hard to say. Anyway, repeating this series of numbers is unlikely to have any more effect on pain than repeating anything else, and the research on binaural beats isn't promising. None of this changes the fact that the CIA had a real connection to the Monroe Institute. How the CIA connected to the Monroe InstituteThe Monroe Institute's workbook and other esoteric material were part of the CIA's reading room, and by the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, the U.S. Army and the CIA routinely sent high level intelligence officers to the Monroe Institute's campus, especially in connection with Project Stargate, the military's effort to create psychic soldiers and/or remote viewers who could project their consciousness anywhere they wanted. The "CIA connection" is the most compelling thing about TikTok's interest in magic numbers. The CIA and army intelligence are thought of as serious, smart people who deal in information the rest of us are not privy to. If they believe in magic numbers, it must be true, right? Well, yes and no. The CIA/military is a group of people, and all groups of people (even smart ones) can be bamboozled. Cold war paranoia leads to esoteric researchConsider the atomic bomb from a military, non-scientist perspective: If a split atom can level a city, is it that strange to believe the human mind has capacities we don't understand? Add to that the revelation that the USSR was conducting its own paranormal research, and you have a perfect storm. If we're wrong about this, the thinking that led to military paranormal research likely went, and the Soviets make atomic-bomb-level breakthroughs in the field of parapsychology, they'll bury us without firing a shot; it would be crazy to not look into it. And given the massive military budgets of the time, it was a tiny expenditure with a potentially nuclear-level outcome. (There's also the possibility that both the CIA and the KGB were purposefully deceiving one another about the extent of their research to make the other spend more. Things get shadowy during the Cold War.) Enter the Monroe Institute. Robert Allan Monroe wasn't a wild-eyed hippie. He wore expensive suits and had straight white teeth. At least on the surface, the Monroe Institute was taking a corporate approach to the mind/body connection. Its approach was structured, serious, and deliberately clinical. The Gateway Workbook is a step-by-step process instead of a leap of faith. The Monroe Institute was the kind of place the military might feel confident sending its men. The reality check of the 1990sResearch into remote viewing and other esoterica went on, seemingly with no tangible results. In 1989, Soviet Union collapsed without the help of psychic warriors or atomic bombs, and the CIA took a hard look at its paranormal programs in the mid 1990s. 1995's report "An Evaluation of Remote Viewing: Research and Applications," concludes, "OK, this was dumb and it never worked and we should stop throwing money at it." I mean, that's the gist. Anyway, the material was declassified so we could all take a look at how our taxes are spent. Which brings us back to TikTok. Everything the CIA releases has always been pored over by curious people, where it marinates with other "official" weirdness like UFO research and quantum mechanics until it gets spit back in altered form. The no-context architecture of social media seems designed to legitimize fringe ideas. A convicted Russian conman's magic numbers collide with a wealthy eccentric's out-of-body workbook that got filed in a CIA reading room, and suddenly a million people think the CIA has a secret cure for back pain. The low cost of entry of the Grabovoi codesI don't think too many people on TikTok really believe that they can manifest magic and get rid of pain by repeating a number, but like a paranoid military throwing a few million at psychic research in the remote hopes of a Cold War-winning breakthrough, the barrier to entry is low. When you're in pain or you're broke or you're scared, why not repeat some numbers to yourself? It can't hurt. But it won't help that much, either. Research shows that cognitively demanding tasks like puzzles or math problems are more effective ways to distract yourself from pain than repeating a number, and while learning about out-of-body experiences from the Monroe Institute (which is still around, by the way) might be interesting, there are better ways to relax and clear your mind. For instance, rather than spending $2,895.00 to sit around in a dark room in Virginia envisioning a tropical beach at the Institute's five-day "Gateway Voyage," book a trip to Bali. For the same price, you could actually be on a tropical beach, and stay at a luxury villa with a private plunge pool and a personal butler. View the full article