Wearing All the Hats in Small Business
Running a small business is not one job, it is many jobs. You handle accounting, technology, operations, marketing, HR, legal, leadership, and the rest of real life. This page organizes everything by hat so you can jump straight to practical guides, checklists, and stories from a small business owner who has lived it.
I am Josh, founder of HatStacked. If you juggle invoices, software hiccups, hiring, and late night marketing experiments, you are in the right place.
The Entrepreneur Hat Startup basics, business plans, first customers, lean launches
Start and grow a business with clear, repeatable steps. Learn idea validation, offers that sell, pricing, legal basics for new owners, and how to ship version one without perfect funding or timing.
- Write a business plan that guides action, not a dust collector
- Validate demand with simple tests before you spend real money
- Find the first ten customers with low cost channels and partnerships
- Choose a business structure that fits how you plan to operate
The Accounting Hat Bookkeeping, cash flow, taxes, QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks
Understand your numbers, then act on them. We cover chart of accounts, reconciliations, cash flow forecasting, owner payroll, quarterly taxes, and clean month end checklists.
- Pick the right software and set it up the correct way
- Read a profit and loss statement without guessing
- Forecast cash and avoid end of month surprises
- Stay compliant with simple routines and calendars
The Technology Hat Email, websites, security, automation, backups, troubleshooting
Choose tools that help instead of hinder. We cover domain setup, email deliverability, Ghost and CMS basics, password managers, endpoint protection, backups, uptime monitoring, and automation that saves time.
- Harden logins and reduce risk with practical security steps
- Improve site speed and first contentful paint
- Automate repetitive tasks without hiring a developer
- Fix common outages fast with simple diagnostics
The Operations Hat SOPs, workflow design, capacity, scheduling, project management
Turn daily chaos into repeatable systems. Learn to map processes, remove bottlenecks, set service levels, and keep projects moving with a small team.
- Create simple SOPs that teammates actually follow
- Use checklists and dashboards to spot problems early
- Schedule for predictable output, not burnout
- Build feedback loops that improve quality over time
The Marketing Hat Positioning, content, SEO, email, social, conversion
Market in a way customers trust. We cover practical positioning, copywriting, search intent, email strategy, distribution, and landing pages that convert without gimmicks.
- Write pages and product descriptions that sound human
- Build a content plan that targets real search queries
- Grow an email list with value instead of tricks
- Measure what matters and cut what does not move revenue
The Inventory Hat Stock control, forecasting, reorder points, suppliers, shrink
Keep cash moving instead of stuck on shelves. Learn demand planning, reorder math, purchase order discipline, cycle counts, and supplier scorecards.
- Set reorder points that balance risk and cash
- Reduce stockouts and overstocks with simple signals
- Track shrink and stop the silent profit leaks
- Audit suppliers before they audit your inventory
The HR Hat Hiring, onboarding, policies, performance, payroll basics
Build a reliable team with clear expectations. We cover job posts that attract the right people, structured interviews, onboarding checklists, performance basics, and practical compliance.
- Write job ads that filter in the right candidates
- Standardize onboarding to reduce first week confusion
- Document policies that keep everyone aligned
- Handle tough conversations with clarity and respect
The Legal Hat Contracts, structure, IP, risk, compliance checklists
Protect the business with plain language basics. Learn core contract clauses, NDAs, releases, trademarks, and policies that reduce risk. This is information, not legal advice, so talk to counsel when needed.
- Use written agreements that fit how you operate
- Know when to register IP and when not to bother
- Reduce risk with simple processes and documentation
- Keep compliance tasks on a recurring calendar
The Leadership Hat Clarity, priorities, one to ones, decisions, culture
Lead with steadiness and useful communication. Learn to set priorities, run simple meetings, hold effective one to ones, and make decisions when information is messy.
- State goals in clear language and repeat them often
- Give feedback that helps instead of confuses
- Build culture with small habits that stick
- Guard your time and energy so you can think
The Life Hat Energy, family, health, boundaries, recovery, real life
Protect the human who runs the business. We cover routines for focus, stress management, family logistics, health basics, and boundaries that let you step away without guilt.
- Plan weeks that include work and real rest
- Build habits that survive busy seasons
- Set communication rules for nights and weekends
- Remember that lunch is not optional