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It’s a new year, and the merry-go-round has started. The strategy is off, the talent isn’t delivering, the pipeline is way off where it should be, and the technology is never delivering.

Sound familiar? Well, it should do. That’s about 80% of the global market right now. So, how do you go about changing that?

As a veteran of go-to-market strategy, I’ve come to understand that the most prolific pressure point in delivering results might be on the bottom line, but make no mistake, your hiring strategy or lack thereof creates it.

People have been the problem since the dawn of time, yet we allow ourselves to blame the tech and not the lack of adoption of the tech, the budget, the lack of business acumen required to deliver with the allocated budget and the pipeline, where we often know the people are underperforming but don’t invest in upskilling or allow the wrong people to remain in place for too long.

So you see, people are the crux of your success — not tech, not budgets, but people, and in 2025, as a founder or business unit lead, you have to be ruthless in hiring and firing decisions. But before you run out and wield the axe, let’s look at how you can track your people to ensure you are on top of how they feel in the workplace.

First, let’s set the metric you are gearing up for here: retention. Your goal is to establish who the best-fit talent for the journey is at this point and how you can further understand and support them. This goes well beyond the obligatory quarterly 1:2:1.

This requires some method of tracking sentiment. In my business, I use HubSpot’s Service Hub for customer success. I quickly learned I could use its Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) features to track employee engagement. Here’s how I did it.

Related: 3 Ways To Boost Retention Through a Positive Employee and Candidate Experience

Metrics to track employee engagement

1. Average length of employment in months per employee: The length of time talent remains gives insight into the culture. Good talent stays long, great. Bad talent stays long, and it’s not so good.

2. Employee onboarding score: All talent should have defined onboarding and a timeframe. Tracking how the employee concludes their onboarding with a HubSpot workflow/sequence gives a quality score at the company and contributor level.

3. The employee happiness score per month: Using a CSAT survey, you can repurpose this into a monthly happiness score to track the workforce sentiment month on month.

4. The number of HubSpot certifications per employee: As part of the onboarding, you can set tasks to complete relevant certifications and track them over time. Use this for upskilling and tech adoption.

5. Employee NPS (per employee and per team): Use the NPS survey to understand how individual employees feel about the workplace.

6. Total number of employees per month: Use HubSpot to track employee attendance to understand who and how often employees are present.

7. The number of training hours per employee: Track the number of employees’ training hours monthly/yearly from onboarding to continuous education and development.

8. The number of 1:1s completed per employee per quarter: To keep employee development on track, track your leaders by the number of 1:1s held per quarter.

9. The number of sick days per employee per quarter: Track employee sick days through HubSpot. Use a submission form for sick days and a calculation property to add the days and report on that.

10. Percentage of employees attaining personal development goals: Add new goals to employee onboarding workflows and track the number of completed tasks.

11. Average time to fill open positions: Track the time it takes to fill open positions, from posting a job on the company website to taking it down or tracking it as filled using a CRM “date from” and “date to” property.

12. The ratio of internal promotions to external hires: Track the number of employees promoted compared to those hired externally to assess how well the organization nurtures talent internally.

13. Number of employees in key roles: Track hiring for key roles and the length of time they remain unfilled and filled to see how talent in those roles consistently performs.

14. Average response time to employee queries or concerns: Using an internal ticketing pipeline, track employee responses to queries or concerns by open ticket time.

15. Internal job application rate: The rate of internal applicants for advertised roles is tracked by applications, contributors and the number of opportunities individuals apply for.

16. Employee peer recognition rates: Use a customized CSAT or NPS survey to allow employees to recognize and rate their peers.

17. Employee work-life balance score: Use an NPS to track quarterly work-life balance and score teams, business units and the broader organization.

18. Percentage of employees meeting strategic KPIs for organizational goals or business objectives: Use the “tasks” functionality in the Service Hub to track employees’ achievement of goals and objectives and report on the number and timeframe achieved.

19. Total number of customer interactions per employee: Track the monthly sales, marketing and customer service activities on a per-rep basis.

20. Number of vacation days taken per employee per month: Track the number of holidays taken per month and correlate that against the team’s performance.

Related: How to Support Employees and Improve Retention With a Strong Company Culture

There you have it. Using tools commonly adopted in the workplace, including your CRM, your marketing, sales and services tech, you can correlate company performance against your employee engagement and see how it affects your overall results.

In my opinion, a great working culture is critical to your long-term success, and people are the backbone of the results. Focus on how they feel and behave; your go-to-market strategy may just perform somersaults this year.

Walmart store managers can now earn up to $620,000 per year in total compensation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Walmart is increasing the pay of market managers, or regional store managers in charge of about a dozen Walmart stores, to a total compensation of $420,000 to $620,000 this year. These managers earned $320,000 to $570,000 last year, resulting in a possible pay increase of up to $100,000.

A Walmart spokesperson specified to the Journal that the minimum base pay for market managers has increased from $130,000 to $160,000 a year, while the maximum has remained the same at $260,000 per year.

Related: ‘We Need Panic Buttons’: Some Walmart Employees Begin Wearing Body Cameras

The additional layers of compensation come from stock grants, which have increased to $100,000 a year from $75,000 last year, and potential annual bonuses, which are now up to 100% of base pay from 90% last year. Walmart began offering store managers stock grants last year.

In a video posted on Linkedin last year first announcing that store managers would receive annual stock grants, Walmart’s U.S. president and CEO John Furner emphasized the critical part Walmart store managers play at the company.

“A Walmart store manager is running a multimillion-dollar business and managing hundreds of people,” Furner said. “We ask our managers to own their roles and act like owners.”

Related: Walmart to Lay Off Hundreds of Employees, Relocate Remote Workers Back to the Office

Walmart Reduces Pay for Other Employees

Meanwhile, Walmart is reducing perks in other areas, including reducing overall pay for some staff and cutting back on remote work.

In September, the retailer gave thousands of office staff new titles and pay packages, reducing stock awards for 2,000 workers.

In May, Walmart announced that hundreds of remote workers would be mandated back to the office at the retailer’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and other hubs around the country.

Walmart employees pushed back on the return-to-office plan, expressing concerns about childcare, life in another state, and their partner’s jobs also being affected. Some even chose to quit, with the most high-profile resignation being the chief technology officer of Sam’s Club.

Walmart had around 1.6 million U.S. employees at the end of fiscal year 2024.

Related: Sam’s Club Exec Would Rather Quit Than Move to Arkansas

Fitness trends come and go, but Crunch Fitness has managed to build a brand that’s both enduring and innovative. Ranked #32 on Entrepreneur‘s 2025 Franchise 500 and #1 in the health and wellness category, Crunch is redefining what it means to get fit with an inclusive, high-energy environment designed to keep members coming back.

• Overall Franchise 500 rank: 32
• Number of units: 458
• Change in units: +30.1% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $918,000-$6,700,000

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Founded in 1989, Crunch Fitness combines a welcoming atmosphere with cutting-edge workouts and amenities. Its “No Judgments” philosophy allows it to appeal to a broad audience of fitness enthusiasts. Whether it’s group fitness classes, personal training or premium equipment, Crunch offers something for everyone — and all at an affordable price point.

The global fitness industry is valued at more than $260 billion, and Crunch Fitness thrives in this competitive market. With more than 400 locations in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Spain, the brand has become a standout franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs. It’s easy to see why: Crunch provides franchisees with extensive training, operational support and marketing tools, empowering them to build successful businesses.

Related: See Which Brands Topped Entrepreneur‘s 46th Annual Franchise 500

Crunch’s ability to stay ahead of fitness trends also contributes to its success. From innovative class offerings to its HIIT Zone training program, the brand consistently finds ways to engage members and deliver value. Additionally, its focus on technology, including mobile apps and virtual training, keeps it competitive in an increasingly digital fitness landscape.

For entrepreneurs passionate about health and wellness, Crunch Fitness offers a proven business model that combines health, inclusivity and scalability. Whether you’re new to franchising or an experienced operator, Crunch’s vibrant community and strong support system make it a smart investment in the fitness industry.

Related: Here’s how we determined our annual Franchise 500 ranking and what we learned from the data.

News of layoffs has seemed nonstop in January, with CNN, Citigroup, and Microsoft all cutting roles this week alone. Usually, these notices are pretty standard—heavy on the legal wording, and light on the cartoons.

But that wasn’t the case at Stripe, a payments software company that laid off 300 employees on Monday. Some employees in the various roles affected (product, operations, engineering) were notified by an illustration of a cartoon duck, Business Insider reports. The dates on the termination notices were also incorrect.

Related: ‘We Will Have Job Eliminations’: Starbucks CEO Announces Corporate Layoffs Will Begin Soon

The illustration was sent as a PDF attachment and said, “US-Non-California Duck.” Business Insider received a picture of the yellow duck from employees on a Blind chat.

“The comms to those laid off were flubbed completely,” one employee reportedly wrote.

Software company Stripe laid off 300 employees this week and mysteriously and confusingly included a photo of a duck in the email that notified workers they’d been let go.

While this was clearly a preventable gaffe, the far bigger one was ##Stripe telling 300 human beings they’d… pic.twitter.com/oeIIWhkwOu

— Mark C. Crowley (@MarkCCrowley) January 23, 2025

A Stripe representative told Business Insider that follow-up emails went out to affected employees.

“I apologize for the error and any confusion it caused,” wrote Rob McIntosh, the company’s chief people officer. “Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes.”

Related: Citigroup Eliminated More Jobs This Week. Here Are the Roles Affected.

Stripe is valued at $70 billion in the private markets, per CNBC.

Despite the cuts, McIntosh said the company is “not slowing down hiring” and expects to increase its workforce by 17% this year to 10,000.

Have you ever made a mistake in business that you wish didn’t happen? The truth is that every business owner must face failure at some point, but problems don’t have to be pointless.

In fact, some mistakes lead to incredible success! Take the Post-it, for example. In the process of trying to create a super-strong bonding agent, Dr. Spencer Silver at 3M produced the opposite — a super weak adhesive that could easily separate from anything. Silver dedicated himself to discovering a use for this, and it led to incredible wealth and success.

What if you took your mistake and turned it into gold, too? That’s exactly what I did last year.

My mistake in 2024 went under my radar. I didn’t even notice it until I started doing some digging.

You see, I have always had a strict internal rule that our postcard promotion has to go out every single week without fail. Even my team in manufacturing knows this! When I started PostcardMania, the number was 1000 postcards a week — then 2,500. It was working, but in order to increase it to 5,000 pieces, I had to cut my own pay … so I did!

It really paid off, so over time, we continued to increase that number up to 205,000 in 2023. Then, in October of last year, I saw our top-line revenue from new clients wasn’t growing as fast as it had in previous years. I talked to my Vice President of Sales, and she stated the obvious: “How about we mail more postcards?”

We pulled a report and found that, at some point, our weekly cards dropped from 205,000 a week to 195,000. We immediately pushed it back up, and within a month, our growth was back on track.

We just increased it to 260,000 postcards per week, and I’m excited to see what happens in 2025. This year, we are over $1 million over last year in revenue from brand-new clients.

Here are three takeaways I learned from my 2024 mistake.

Related: 3 Marketing Blind Spots That Are Holding You Back (and How to Fix Them)

Never forget the tried-and-true marketing tactics that worked in the past

I’ve built my business on the concept that direct mail works, and thousands of small business owners I’ve helped know this truth, too. But I still lost sight of my best marketing tactic. Even though the error was a 5% cut in postcard quantity, it was enough to cost my business revenue.

This moment was huge for me — I needed to practice what I preach! If we increase our postcard mailings, we increase our top line without fail.

It’s easy to get swept up in the trendiest marketing platforms or tactics today, but never forget your own marketing truths.

What worked for you in the past? It could even be something as simple as referrals and launching a marketing plan that rewards your customers or clients if they refer your business to a friend.

Take a deep dive into your history and see what you find.

Look at your top line to figure out where your new customers are coming from

Yes, you need to look into your past to remember where your customers came from back then, but you also need to know where your new customers are coming from now.

While there is value in looking at your bottom line, I actually look at the top line first to see what is bringing the most revenue into my business.

New customers show you exactly where the new money is coming from, and then you can expand on your biggest growth drivers to bring in more revenue.

Once we have our top-line growth moving in the right direction, I add in efficiencies to maximize profitability from that growth. If you do the same, the sky is the limit with your future success.

Related: The End-of-the-Year Marketing Checklist That Helped Triple Our Annual Revenue Growth

Be willing to invest more in your marketing to grow your business

This is my second-greatest marketing mantra of all time: You need to market like crazy to grow.

This is because when you want to grow, you have to be willing to spend more. How and where you spend that extra money isn’t an exact science. You have to test different tactics and track results to figure that part out for yourself. But this part is an exact science because cutting back will always cripple your gains. Instead, market as much as you can.

Coming into the final stretch of the year, I decided to take my own advice and increase our marketing spend because I saw that our revenue numbers were not on track to hit their targets.

We added about $100,000 to the last six weeks of the year with the goal of achieving another million. It’s mostly going to direct mail, but we’re also increasing other areas as well.

It’s an expensive decision. Will it get us that extra million? I feel confident it will — even if I don’t see that extra million until January. Increasing my marketing spend has always worked in the past, so I expect it to pay off again.

So, do yourself a favor and learn from your mistakes like me. Heck, write them down on a Post-it to remind yourself! Turn those “failures” into gold.

Related: I Made These 3 Big Mistakes When Starting a Business — Here’s What I Learned From Them

President Trump and a host of tech leaders (Softbank’s Masayoshi Son, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Oracle‘s Larry Ellison) teamed up to announce “Stargate” on Tuesday, an AI mega-project that includes a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure to build data centers in the U.S.

“Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI,” Trump said at the announcement. “And this will include the construction of colossal data centers.”

One tech titan who wasn’t a part of the reveal was Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk—though he did make his voice heard.

In a series of late-night posts on X responding to OpenAI, the new DOGE leader criticized the plan and claimed the funding isn’t really there.

They don’t actually have the money

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2025

“They don’t actually have the money,” Musk wrote, adding in a follow-up post that he has it “on good authority” that “SoftBank has well under $10B secured.”

Altman, who cofounded OpenAI with Elon Musk (before he left the company in 2018), responded that Musk is “wrong” and then invited him to see the site when it is underway, as the first data center is being built in Texas, where Musk’s companies are based.

“This is great for the country,” Altman wrote. “I realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role, I hope you’ll mostly put [America] first.”

Related: Elon Musk Accuses ChatGPT-Maker OpenAI of Being a ‘Market-Paralyzing Gorgon’: Lawsuit

Trump touted the plan during his announcement Tuesday.

“I think it’s going to be something that’s very special. It’ll lead to something that could be the biggest of all,” Trump said.

Musk and Altman have been trading insults for some time. In March 2024, Musk sued Altman and other OpenAI cofounders, accusing the company of breaking its founding agreement.

Since then, there’s been lots of back and forth— both in the courts and on social media.

Related: How Do Billionaires Become Best Friends? They Launch Rockets on the Same Day. That’s What Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos Did.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says he no longer has any hard feelings toward Elon Musk after lawsuits between the bank and Musk-led Tesla previously interfered with their relationship.

“He came to one of our conferences, he and I had a nice, long chat,” Dimon said at the World Economic Forum’s annual event in Davos, Switzerland. “We’ve settled some of our differences.”

Dimon told CNBC that “Elon and I have hugged it out,” with the timing of the reconciliation unclear. JPMorgan sued Tesla in 2021 over a dispute over a stock warrant deal. Both companies dropped their claims in November after reaching a settlement agreement.

Related: JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Dimon and Musk’s relationship has been fraught with litigation. The issue stemmed from Musk’s 2018 tweet saying he could take Tesla private at a share price of $420 with “funding secured,” and a 2014 contract that allowed Tesla to sell stock warrants to JPMorgan so the bank could buy shares of the company at a set “strike” price. If Tesla’s stock traded above the strike price, Tesla would owe JPMorgan money in the form of shares or cash.

JPMorgan accused Tesla of breaking its contract, and Tesla countersued in January 2022.

^{Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan. Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

After announcing at Davos that the two have repaired their relationship, Dimon then praised Musk, calling him “our Einstein” and wishing him “the best” in his efforts to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, which President Donald Trump created by executive order on Monday. The new department is tasked with downsizing the U.S. government and cutting government spending.

“I think it is completely rational for someone to look at our government and say it’s been ineffective,” Dimon told CNBC.

Now, at the World Economic Forum, Dimon says that he would “like to be helpful” to Musk and his companies.

Dimon Calls U.S. Stock Market ‘Inflated’

Dimon also told CNBC that U.S. stock market prices were “kind of inflated” and were “in the top 10% or 15%” of their historical value.

“You need really good outcomes to justify those prices,” Dimon said.

U.S. stocks were among the world’s most high-performing stocks last year, caused by a strong U.S. economy, a strong labor market, and robust consumer spending, according to Investopedia.

JPMorgan is the biggest American bank, with $3.3 trillion in assets.

Related: JPMorgan Will Reportedly Follow Amazon, Walmart With Strict Return-to-Office Policy

Dimon on Tariffs: ‘Get Over It’

Dimon also said that the tariffs Trump could impose on foreign countries could have pros that outweigh the cons — mainly that they could promote American interests at the bargaining table with other countries.

Global fund managers have expressed concerns that tariffs could lead to higher inflation. But Dimon says that even if inflation does rise, the national security benefits outweigh it.

“If it’s a little inflationary, but it’s good for national security, so be it,” Dimon told CNBC. “I mean, get over it. National security trumps a little bit more inflation.”

Navigating the process of buying or selling a business can feel daunting for entrepreneurs. That’s where Transworld Business Advisors excels, offering expertise that simplifies complex transactions. Ranked #57 on Entrepreneur‘s 2025 Franchise 500 and the top performer in the business services category, Transworld has earned its place as a trusted leader in the industry.

• Overall Franchise 500 rank: 57
• Number of units: 486
• Change in units: +52.4% over 3 years
• Initial investment: $97,000-$122,000

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Transworld specializes in business brokerage, franchise consulting and franchise development, making it a one-stop shop for those looking to take the next step in business ownership. With a network of more than 300 offices worldwide, Transworld connects buyers and sellers across industries and provides the tools and strategies to ensure successful outcomes.

Transworld’s comprehensive training and support are critical for franchise owners. New franchisees gain access to proven systems, cutting-edge marketing strategies and a network of experienced advisors who help them thrive in their local markets. Transworld’s model emphasizes relationship-building, ensuring franchisees become trusted advisors in their communities.

Related: The One Factor the Top Franchises of 2025 Have in Common

The brand’s growth reflects the increasing demand for professional guidance in business transactions. Whether helping a retiring business owner find the right buyer or guiding an aspiring entrepreneur toward their dream opportunity, Transworld creates meaningful connections that drive economic success. By leveraging its extensive network, industry expertise and personalized approach, Transworld facilitates transactions that not only meet financial goals but also align with the unique aspirations and needs of its clients. This focus on creating mutually beneficial outcomes has cemented Transworld’s reputation as a trusted partner in the business brokerage industry.

Transworld Business Advisors offers a rewarding franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs passionate about helping others achieve their goals. Backed by decades of experience, a strong global network and a proven track record, Transworld is more than a business — it’s a platform for empowering entrepreneurs to succeed.

Related: Explore the full 2025 Franchise 500 list, complete with category rankings.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned a hard truth: It’s not just about doing more; it’s about doing less of what doesn’t serve you. I tried to do every little task in my business for years. I thought, “If I want it done right, I should do it myself.” That mentality left me exhausted and my business stagnant. It was then that I realized the key to real growth wasn’t working harder; it was letting go.

By letting the things go that do not have personal touches, you get into bringing better talent, more global specialization and, yes, more time and more money. Alright then, let’s dive in on five things you need to stop doing so that you go from a busy business owner to an empowered leader.

Related: 3 Major Time Wasters for Leaders — and How to Overcome Them

1. Stop doing it all yourself

Doing it all yourself isn’t a sign of strength; it’s a roadblock to growth. Business owners often think no one can do it as well as we can. However, if you hold on too tightly, you’re not allowing others to share their expertise, you’re not saving time by delegating, and you’re not giving yourself the mental space to make strategic decisions.

Take action: Find the tasks that are eating up your day but do not require your direct input. Customer support, social media management, basic accounting — you name it. Delegate these tasks to people who can do it better than you and free up your time to focus on growth and strategy.

2. Don’t limit yourself to local talent

If you’re limiting yourself to within your zip code for where your talent is, that really puts you at a disadvantage against leveraging the massive global talent pool out there that has that exact skill set and tends to be at a more competitive rate. Going global offers opportunities for expertise you just will not find locally, and it affords your company leverage around insights and cutting-edge practice from the world.

Take action: Begin searching for platforms that connect you with global talent. You can find experts in digital marketing or technical support through sites like Upwork, Freelancer or specialized agencies, and many of them have worked for companies like yours.

3. Stop ignoring the benefits of specialization

That’s what the current business world is all about — specialization. You’re trying to manage tasks across accounting, marketing, operations and customer service without experts for each, and you get left in the dust with competitors who know the magic of specialized skills. By bringing such experts in, you acquire not only knowledge but also efficiency, insight and better results in the final analysis.

Take action: Determine where you can leverage outside expertise and determine your company’s core activities. For instance, instead of trying to learn everything about digital advertising, hire a specialist or agency. Specialization is not an expense; it is an investment in excellence.

Related: Should You DIY or Outsource to an Expert? Here’s How to Decide What’s Best for Your Business.

4. Don’t waste time on $10 tasks

Too many business owners spend precious hours on tasks that don’t drive growth: responding to routine emails, scheduling meetings or troubleshooting minor IT issues. This is time you could be spending on developing strategies, networking or innovating. True growth is driven by focusing on high-value activities and letting go of the ones that don’t need your attention.

Take action: Determine the value of your time. If you’re doing something that others can do for you for $10 or $20 an hour is holding you back. It’s holding back your business. Let junior people in your team and virtual assistants handle the small things and give you more time to develop your empire.

5. Do not neglect systems and automation

Stop doing repetitive work manually. Such processes like invoicing, inventory management and sending follow-ups via email are automated in many processes, which reduces the error percentage while saving you a lot of time. Such simple automation tools keep your business working smoothly even when you get busy with bigger things in life.

Take action: Write down all the repetitive tasks and see what tools or software can automate them. From customer relationship management to accounting, programs like Zapier, QuickBooks and HubSpot can take care of everything, so you don’t have to worry about the day-to-day minutiae.

Related: How to Enhance Business Automation and Unlock New Levels of Operational Efficiency

Running a business doesn’t mean you have to do everything. It is knowing what to focus on, whom to trust and using the right tools and people to help you grow. Outsourcing, embracing global talent, specializing, offloading low-value tasks and utilizing automation all help you build a system that works for you rather than the other way around.

Remember, the goal is not to work harder but to work smarter so that you can spend your time on what truly matters — building a billion-dollar vision, growing relationships and enjoying the freedom you set out to achieve.

“Nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

This proverb, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, has stood the test of time. But if I could add one more piece to this pearl of wisdom, it would be this: “Nothing is certain except death and taxes, but death doesn’t change; taxes are always changing.”

With President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration, entrepreneurs and investors are watching closely for those changes. In his first term, President Trump accomplished one of the most significant overhauls to the tax code in decades with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). With issues surrounding the economy and job growth front and center, the next four years may bring another wave of change.

With many of the tax cuts in the TCJA set to expire at the end of 2025 absent Congressional action, at least some change is inevitable. However, how much change and what kind is much harder to predict. The current political climate means Republicans will need to drive any tax policy changes, but with a razor-thin majority in the House, any single legislator will have tremendous power.

Despite the uncertainty, there are some things entrepreneurs can likely expect.

1. The corporate tax rate is unlikely to increase

The TCJA slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% — a pro-business shift that has spurred investment in countless industries. The good news for entrepreneurs is that this change isn’t among those set to expire.

President-elect Trump has publicly floated the idea of reducing the corporate tax rate even further, potentially to 15% for companies that make their products in the U.S. Given concerns over the federal budget deficit, it’s unclear when or if such a reduction could come to pass. But the overall message on corporate taxes is clear: keeping them low is a priority.

2. Individual tax rates will stay roughly the same

While the individual income tax reductions and standard deduction in the TCJA are set to expire at the end of 2025, extending them is widely popular. In a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center, more than half of U.S. adults said they feel they pay more than their fair share of taxes and that the tax system is frustratingly complex.

Given this public support and President-elect Trump’s advocacy for extending the TCJA, we’re most likely to see individual tax brackets remain roughly the same, and the standard deduction might even increase.

3. Big tax deductions are likely to change

The TCJA introduced or expanded a number of tax deductions that are hugely valuable to entrepreneurs. Here are three to watch:

• Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction

This deduction allows many owners of pass-through businesses to deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified business income, plus 20 percent of qualified real estate investment trust dividends and qualified publicly traded partnership income. The deduction is available even for taxpayers who take the standard deduction, and it has been a game-changer for small business owners.

Unfortunately for many entrepreneurs who rely on this deduction, its extension may not make the cut in the upcoming tax debate; many Democrats argue it is helping the wealthy at the expense of average taxpayers, and many Republicans will prioritize reductions to the corporate tax rate over the QBI.

Bonus depreciation is a tax deduction the government uses to encourage businesses to invest in certain assets, including some equipment, software, vehicles and rental real estate. The TCJA increased bonus depreciation from 50% to 100% until 2022. Since then, it has dropped by 20 percentage points each year and is set to reach zero by 2027 without Congressional action. President-elect Trump has proposed reinstating a full 100% bonus depreciation deduction, and I expect the new Congress to support this for manufacturing and other equipment purchases. However, real estate purchases seem less certain.

• State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction

Entrepreneurs living in high-tax states have felt the pain of the $10,000 cap the TCJA put on deducting state and local taxes. Intense pressure from lawmakers in certain states with high-income residents will likely lead to an increase in this deduction. Without action by Congress, the cap will expire at the end of 2025. However, given concerns over the budget deficit, it’s more likely that we will see lawmakers opt to increase the cap.

• Fewer, if any, green energy incentives

In recent years, entrepreneurs and investors have made good use of several tax incentives that promote investments in electric vehicles, solar power systems, wind farms and other renewable energy and environmental efforts. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, in particular, included significant tax credits for the cost of renewable energy systems.

President-elect Trump advocated for a more oil and natural gas-centric energy policy on the campaign trail, calling President Biden’s energy policy a “new green scam.” So, if the current incentives are part of your tax strategy, it is wise to connect with your tax advisor to discuss alternatives.

That said, it’s also possible that those incentives will remain while others for fossil fuel-related energy projects will return. The president-elect has expressed support for U.S. energy independence, and he named North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — who supports both oil and renewable production — his choice to lead a new National Energy Council.

How to prepare

Here is the good news. While most entrepreneurs have little influence over how these policies will shake out following the inauguration, the fundamentals of creating a good tax strategy will not change.

Remember: Your tax is based on your unique set of facts. To change your tax, you just need to change your facts.

How do you do this? The tax law is a series of incentives designed to influence how people earn and invest their money. The key is to pay attention to how the tax law changes and shift your strategy accordingly. Stay informed and work with an advisor who will partner with you on a long-term approach to minimize taxes while maximizing your wealth.