Business owners don’t need a degree in accounting, but they do need to know how to read basic financial statements and when to ask the accountants who prepare them to explain what they don’t understand.

No one wants to be like the business owner who believed she was making a profit because her checkbook had a positive balance. But even business owners who diligently record financial transactions using basic accounting software don’t always comprehend the reports their CPA generates based on these records.

That means they’re not using the expertise they pay for, and they’re not using the numbers as tools to build their business.

The three financial reports every business...

AirBnb is not just another billion-dollar Silicon Valley start-up, although with a market value estimated at $30 billion, the company certainly qualifies. No, AirBnB is a disrupter, a company that has caused a fundamental change in the hospitality industry. And like any change, this one has produced winners and losers.

The winners include almost 3,500 people across New Mexico who have turned their spare bedrooms — and second homes — into a source of income. In Santa Fe, for example, there are nearly 1,000 people renting space. In Angel Fire, the average rental is more than $350 per night.

The losers include the tax coffers of the state and local governments that collect a...

Nothing spent on education and job training; benefits like child care assistance not well coordinated

ALBUQUERQUE—New Mexico’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program—what was formerly known as ‘welfare’—could do a much better job of helping families find educational pathways out of poverty. No TANF money is spent on education and training services that help parents gain credentials and secure family-sustaining employment. And while a significant percentage of TANF funding is used to pay for services like child care assistance and NM Pre-K, too few families with young children who receive TANF benefits are able to take advantage of these programs.

That is...

Today is Dec. 16 and there are about two weeks or so left in 2016. Boy how time flies!

As 2016 draws to a close, let’s reflect on the year we are about to leave behind: Did you have goals? Did you reach or surpass those goals?

If you didn’t reach your goals, the bright side of the situation is that there is still some time left to achieve them, so don’t give up.

Many changes are ahead for us as a country. There is a new president and a new vice-president of the United States. No one knows where the newness of everything will take us, but of course we hope and pray for the best.

There will be a new county official in office come January with Bill Lee, president of the...