REITs Deliver Strong 10.5% Return in First Two Months of 2026

Confession: Q1 has not gone the way I planned. We expected a slow January into February with business picking up as we headed into March. But, it was literally the opposite. January, of all months, was bonkers! It wasn’t until the last week of February that I felt I could take a breath. March has felt slower than the 2 preceding months. And as a business owner, slow is more anxiety-inducing than chaos. Busy means you're in demand. Slow makes you wonder if the pipeline is drying up. And I'm guessing I am not alone in that feeling. Are you closing Q1 in the chaos or the anxiety-inducing slow space?

Q2 planning starts soon. Many founders set bigger targets without adjusting structure. This creates pressure without support. Growth goals need operational backing. Otherwise performance becomes inconsistent. March is the time to prepare. Structure protects expansion. STC works with founders to align systems with upcoming goals. This includes processes, reporting, and role clarity. Adjustments now prevent friction later. Stability allows confident growth. If Q2 targets are higher, your systems must evolve. Evaluate what needs reinforcement before scaling further.

Q2 planning starts soon. Many founders set bigger targets without adjusting structure. This creates pressure without support. Growth goals need operational backing. Otherwise performance becomes inconsistent. March is the time to prepare. Structure protects expansion. STC works with founders to align systems with upcoming goals. This includes processes, reporting, and role clarity. Adjustments now prevent friction later. Stability allows confident growth. If Q2 targets are higher, your systems must evolve. Evaluate what needs reinforcement before scaling further.

March always feels like a sprint. Suddenly, everything is urgent. Budgets need to be closed, last-minute campaigns are being pushed out, invoices are being chased like never before, and everyone is trying to tick off that one pending task before the financial year wraps up. It’s that time when “let’s do it next week” quietly turns into “can we close this today?” But beyond the chaos, there’s a certain energy to it. Teams are sharper, conversations are faster, and decisions get made quicker. Yes, there’s pressure, but there is also momentum. And just as quickly as it builds, it flips. From closing numbers to opening new possibilities. From wrapping up to starting fresh. Because right after the frenzy comes April, and it brings with it new budgets, new plans, and a clean slate. If March is the sprint, April is the starting line. And honestly, that’s what makes this time of the year exciting. How is the March madness going for you? #FinancialYearEnd #MarchMadness #WorkLife #NewBeginnings

Most business owners hear about QSBS and think, "This is the golden ticket." Spoiler: For most, it's not. But there are some wild exceptions. QSBS (Qualified Small Business Stock) actually has teeth when you check every box – no skipping the fine print. Here’s where QSBS isn’t just hype: → The business is all about high growth, not heavy assets. Think SaaS, not manufacturing. → Real profits or a strong exit potential, but you’re not pulling out cash left and right. → You’ve got a plan to keep reinvesting – so you still hit the 80% active asset mark. No stashing piles of cash in the corner. → There’s a real shot at a big stock sale. High multiple, happy ending. Get all of that right, and here’s what happens: You could wipe away seven figures of capital gains tax – legally. But even then, there’s a catch (there’s always a catch): - If you just let profits pile up, the IRS might hand you an Accumulated Earnings Tax surprise. - If you let too much cash sit idle, you could blow QSBS status for the whole company. QSBS isn’t fake. It’s just not a one-size-fits-all magic trick. It’s laser-targeted. When it hits, it hits hard. But for most businesses? The unicorn scenario is rare. Ever looked into QSBS for your business and walked away shaking your head? Or maybe you pulled it off and want to brag? Drop your story – I want to hear what happened.

I saved Stay22 a 6-digit figure that turned out to be critical down the line by taking 6 months to become an expert on something I knew nothing about. This happened back when I was still acting as CFO, and I noticed currency conversion was eating into our margins. Our revenue model is straightforward: we earn commissions from purchases made through partners across the globe, convert them to Canadian dollars, and that's how we pay for most of our operations. Something I learned quickly enough is that when you're doing small volume, a few basis points on conversion rates don't matter. But when you're processing millions, those same basis points turn into actual money you’re never seeing again. The problem was that I had zero experience in FX conversion or hedging. I barely knew the basics. But, as I’ve said before, humble curiosity will get you to powerful places. So I called Benoit Desgroseillers, MBA, CRHA, PCC, a coach I’ve known since 2010, and I laid out the situation for him. He didn't have the answer himself, but he knew exactly who did: Alex Létourneau. Alex coached me for 6 months on currency hedging and FX strategy. By the end of it, I could run Stay22’s operations like nothing. This wasn't the first time I've had to do this. And certainly it won't be the last. Because no matter how smart or experienced you are, you can’t know everything upfront. The key is seeking out those who do know and learn from them as much as you can. Gotta be comfortable being a beginner over and over again 🙂

As Q1 of 2026 comes to a close, it’s a natural time to pause and take inventory. Have you handled what you said you would at the start of the year? Are there opportunities you’ve been putting off? Are your financial and personal affairs truly in order? Finishing strong isn’t just about checking boxes, it’s about building momentum. The discipline, focus, and decisions you make in these final weeks of Q1 can set the tone for the rest of your year. Small actions now can create powerful outcomes later: ✔ Revisiting your goals ✔ Tightening up your financial strategy ✔ Following through on commitments ✔ Having the conversations you’ve been delaying Momentum is real and it compounds. Don’t wait for Q2 to “reset.” Use this moment to elevate. Finish Q1 with intention, and let that energy carry you forward into the months ahead. The year is still young, but the pace you set now matters. #Q1 #Momentum #GoalSetting #FinancialPlanning #FinishStrong

Financial Pit Stop All lined up at the start line. Engines roaring. The chequered flag already playing in your mind. But before the lights even go green, something important happens. You build your crew. The people who help you think long-term — who help you play chess, not checkers. They don’t just react. They position you. Because who you choose answers a serious question: Who do you trust with your money — family, friends, or strangers? Choose carefully. They help set your board before the game even begins. Lights out — and you’re off. First job. First pay cheque. Youthful exuberance in full throttle. You spend a little. You live a little. No real weight yet — just speed. A few laps in, you find your lane. You lock in your budget. Pension ticking. Investments running in the background. Cruise control. Lap after lap. Momentum builds. Confidence grows. You’re flying. Then it happens. “Box. Box. Box.” Your crew chief calls you into the pits. You’re furious. Why stop now? You’re ahead. You’re in rhythm. Everything is working. Instinct says: keep going. But instinct isn’t strategy. Because what you don’t see: • Tyres are wearing thin • Grip is fading • Small inefficiencies are creeping in Your crew does. The pit stop isn’t just maintenance. It’s where drift turns back into direction. It’s how you prevent financial fatigue — or at least delay it long enough to stay in the race. You pause to: • Reassess your finances • Adjust your strategy • Fix what’s about to cost you later • Ask: Is my job still the right fit for where I want to go, or am I staying out of comfort? • Ask: Am I putting enough into my growth to justify the results I expect? Because your career and your finances? They move together. If one stalls, the other feels it. Ride together. Die together. And sometimes the hardest question of all: Are you still on track to win the race you set out to win… or is this now about putting yourself — or the next generation — in a position to qualify for the next one? Because not every race is about the trophy. Some are about the setup. All of this feeds into one thing: Your blueprint. Not just to start strong — but to sustain, adapt, and finish. Because staying out too long? That’s how you lose a race you were winning. A financial pit stop isn’t slowing down. It’s how you make sure you finish. 🏁💰 #FinancialPitStop #Formula1Thinking #EngineeredForSuccess #WealthBuilding

Your Q1 results are done. Your Q2 plan is what actually matters now. Here is what most founders get backwards. They spend hours pulling apart January, February and March. Revenue figures. Expense breakdowns. Why things were up. Why things were down. But they spend almost no time building a proper plan for April, May and June with the same level of detail. What already happened is fixed. What happens next is in your control. Before you close out March, sit down and build a proper Q2 plan. Not a rough idea in your head. An actual written plan with: Revenue targets broken down by month. What you expect to spend each month. When cash is coming in. Any big one-off costs you know are coming. Then ask yourself one question. Given what I now know from the first three months of the year, what do I need to do differently? The best founders I work with do not dwell in the past quarter. They take the lesson, update the plan and move forward. My April to June planning framework is dropping next week. Follow me so you do not miss it. #Q2Planning #FounderFinance #StartupGrowth #CashFlow #FinancialClarity #VirtualCFO #SagayAccounting #FounderGrowthSeries

Feast feels like success. But feast without runway is just a countdown. I read a post recently about the feast and famine cycle, and it's been sitting with me. Most founders know the pattern: → Big deal closes. Cash jumps. Relief washes over. → Then the spending creeps up. New hires. New tools. New "investments." → A few months later, you're staring at the bank balance wondering where it all went. → Repeat. Here's what I've learned watching clients navigate this: Revenue is not runway. That big inflow feels like permission to exhale. But if you're not mapping it against burn rate, future commitments, and the inevitable slow months—you're not building stability. You're just delaying the next famine. The founders who break the cycle aren't the ones who make the most money. They're the ones who know, down to the week, how long their cash will last at current spend. They model scenarios. They ask "what if" before "what now." Feast is exciting. Runway is survival. Do you track your runway weekly, monthly, or only when cash feels tight? #FeastAndFamine #CashFlow #Runway #FounderLife #FinancialClarity #TheAlchemyInc