You've finished your tax return for the year, but your work isn't done. It's time to put those records away and begin to focus on keeping track of tax-related activities for this year. While recordkeeping may not be the most exciting part of being a business owner, it's a vital one to ensure that you don't overpay your taxes and are prepared for any IRS questions that may come your way.

On April 8, 2016, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued the long-awaited final rule for stockbrokers. The rule -- referred to as the fiduciary rule -- has strict guidelines about investment advice with respect to retirement accounts, including 401(k)s and IRAs. The rule was created to increase consumer protection for account owners but as with most government regulation, there are unintended consequences. Will the fiduciary rule help or hurt your retirement account or influence your decisions about offering retirement plans to your staff?

Uber recently settled in the California lawsuit (without admitting wrongdoing) for $10 million for misleading the public about the background checks of its drivers. Uber's background checks didn't include fingerprints to find past convictions, and weren't equivalent to checks to which taxi drivers are subjected. After learning of this case you'd think that all companies should be doing background checks, but you'd be wrong.

Access to capital was, is, and likely will continue to be challenging for small businesses. Since the Great Recession, banks have not found it profitable to offer traditional financing to small businesses. Even SBA loans -- commercial loans guaranteed by the SBA -- are difficult to obtain. Fortunately, technology has made it easier for small businesses to learn about their financing options online and obtain the capital they need.