April is Financial Literacy Month, a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of understanding money and how it works. For small business owners, financial literacy isn’t just helpful—it’s foundational. Financial wellness begins with managing your business in a way that allows you to pay yourself, build savings, prepare for emergencies, purchase assets, and invest in retirement. These are the building blocks of wealth creation through entrepreneurship. From cash flow and credit to pricing and investment, financial knowledge empowers entrepreneurs to make smart decisions and build sustainable businesses.

At TAP, financial wellness is a core pillar of our work. We provide small business owners with the tools, templates, and hands-on consulting they need to take control of their finances and plan for growth.

On April 10, TAP participated in the SEC Small Business Forum in Washington, D.C., where we submitted policy recommendations based on our direct work with over 11,000 under-resourced business owners. Most of these entrepreneurs generate under 1 million USD in annual revenue and face significant challenges when trying to access capital or build long-term wealth.

Our recommendations focused on three key areas:

• Transparency in alternative financing: We urged the SEC to require clear APR disclosures and comparison tools for merchant cash advance and factoring products, which often carry hidden rates and are marketed to small business owners with limited financing options.

• Financial literacy at business formation:We proposed a brief, accessible financial education requirement at the point of business registration. New business owners often lack guidance on how to structure their finances in a way that supports profitability, ensures proper tax compliance, and builds a foundation for future growth and funding readiness.

• Succession and exit planning support: We advocated for the creation of a national support hub to help small business owners with revenues under $3 million plan for exit and ownership transition. Effective exit strategies should not only secure the owner’s legacy but also consider what’s next—ensuring their communities continue to have access to essential products and services.

These recommendations are rooted in TAP’s everyday experience and reflect our belief that financial knowledge is a public good that should be accessible to every entrepreneur.

It’s Nola is a snack company based in Brooklyn, founded by Margaret Barrow in 2018, offering healthy granola bites primarily through B2B channels with a growing online presence.

Margaret partnered with TAP to deepen her financial knowledge and strengthen her foundation for growth. She participated in a TAP deep dive on loan readiness, with a focus on the 5 Cs of credit, projected cash flow, and marketing strategies to drive sales and ensure loan repayment capacity.

TAP consultants also worked with Margaret one on one to uncover discrepancies in her profit and loss statements, giving her a clearer view of her current financial position. She received custom P&L projection templates to use with her accountant, helping her assess the sustainability of her business. We also introduced her to TAP’s educational webinars to better understand financing options available to It’s Nola.

“I am so excited about the templates and tools as all of them are useful and help me to create a set of processes that I can use on a continual basis. They are specifically designed for me to create a better organized understanding of my finances so that I can make informed decisions about moving the company forward.”

Margaret’s journey reflects what happens when financial literacy is paired with practical tools and trusted guidance. Her business is now positioned for more informed decisions, smarter growth, and long term resilience.

Financial literacy is not a luxury or a nice to have, it is a must. When business owners understand how to manage costs, track margins, and prepare for growth, they are able to build stability for their families and create positive ripple effects in their communities.

At TAP, we are proud to deliver financial education in ways that are actionable, accessible, and tailored to each entrepreneur’s needs. Whether through one-on-one consulting or national policy advocacy, our goal is the same, to equip small business owners with the tools to thrive.

If you are a small business owner and want to strengthen your financial foundation, visit theaccelerationproject.org to learn more about our services. To request a free one-on-one consultation, please fill out this form.