Getting Started

Small business owners know that their success doesn’t just happen by chance. It takes years of hard work, dedication, and the know-how to make it prosper. Growing a business takes a strategic approach. In an ideal world, business owners would throw money at every possible idea and see what sticks. But the reality is they don’t have unlimited resources. Instead, they should determine where and how to invest in their business to see the reap the greatest reward. I’ve been a business owner for more than three decades. During that time, I’ve tried different approaches to scaling my business. What’s emerged are some clear patterns of what does and doesn’t drive long-term gro…

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the launch of the Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, an effort aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing by cutting regulations, expanding access to capital, and strengthening supply chains. The initiative, unveiled by SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, aligns with the administration’s broader agenda to restore American economic dominance and bolster national security. Supporting Small Manufacturers According to the SBA, approximately 99% of American manufacturers are small businesses, and the initiative aims to further support their resurgence. The agency highlighted recent job growth in the sector, cit…

Stripe announced a new partnership with CLEAR, the identity verification platform trusted by over 30 million customers, to power its billing and payment infrastructure. As of March 24, 2025, CLEAR has officially migrated its online and in-person payments to Stripe, adopting the platform’s suite of tools including Stripe Billing, Stripe Terminal, and Stripe Radar. CLEAR, widely recognized for its CLEAR Plus membership that uses biometrics to streamline airport identity verification, has expanded its reach into industries such as healthcare and financial services. Now, with Stripe handling its payment processing, the company aims to provide the same seamless experience for…

The private sector added 77,000 jobs in February while annual pay increased by 4.7% year-over-year, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report released in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. The report, based on payroll data from over 25 million U.S. employees, offers a high-frequency measure of employment trends in the private sector. The February report indicates a slowdown in hiring, marking the smallest job gain since July. “Policy uncertainty and a slowdown in consumer spending might have led to layoffs or a slowdown in hiring last month,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. “Our data, combined with other recent indicators, sug…

ASUS has announced the availability of the ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD, a portable monitor featuring dual 14-inch OLED screens, offering users expanded screen real estate in a compact design. With 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio, the device provides an onscreen area equivalent to a 20-inch monitor. The OLED panels deliver vibrant colors, deep blacks, and exceptional clarity, ensuring an optimal visual experience. Compact, Innovative Design The ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD weighs 1.07 kg and folds into a 14-inch form factor, making it highly portable. When unfolded, its dual-screen design supports various display modes, including Split, Extended, Independent,…

If you are handling cash in your business, a money counter machine can introduce a new level of efficiency in your operation. From saving time to accurate counts and counterfeit detection, the technology in today’s bill-counting machines is fantastic. By expediting and simplifying the counting of your bills with machines, you can have your employees spend more time on other tasks. But you must first find the best bill-counting machine your budget will allow. And with so many different options available today, it can take a lot of time to find the right one for your business. Here are some of the better money counter machines across different price points to help you make…

Key Takeaways Diverse Opportunities: Stay-at-home businesses offer a range of options, including freelancing, e-commerce, and consulting, allowing individuals to leverage their skills and passions for financial gain.Flexibility and Balance: Entrepreneurs enjoy the freedom to design their schedules, facilitating a healthier work-life balance that enhances productivity and mental well-being.Cost Efficiency: Eliminating commuting and other overhead costs contributes to improved profit margins, enabling better budget management and investment in key business areas.Market Research Importance: Understanding market demand and competitor analysis is crucial in choosing the righ…

What is a virtual assistant? Who is hiring them? Why does a business owner need one? Becoming a Virtual Assistant is a great fit for an entrepreneur with excellent organizational skills and tech-savvy. In this article, we’ll detail the key skills necessary for a virtual assistant job, the types of businesses that need virtual assistants, and the pathways you can take to become a virtual assistant. What is a Virtual Assistant? A virtual assistant is a professional who assists businesses with a wide range of tasks while communicating and handling their work remotely. They can serve a huge range of businesses and organizations, including the following: Entrepreneurs and …

Key Takeaways Understanding Man Made Millions: “Man made millions” refers to substantial profits earned by entrepreneurs through innovative business strategies and identifying customer needs. Importance of Sales Strategies: Successful entrepreneurs focus on developing compelling value propositions and robust sales funnels to enhance customer acquisition and conversion rates. Identifying Market Opportunities: Recognizing gaps in the market and understanding customer pain points are crucial steps for entrepreneurs to build profitable business models. Learning from Challenges: Entrepreneurs face obstacles such as financial constraints and market misjudgments. Learning …

Choosing the right inventory management software is essential for small businesses looking to streamline operations and improve efficiency. With numerous options available, it’s important to find a program that offers real-time tracking, automation, and scalability. For instance, Zoho Inventory is an excellent choice for beginners, whereas Katana caters particularly to manufacturing needs. Comprehending these differences can help you select the best solution for your business needs. Let’s explore the top seven inventory management programs available. Key Takeaways Zoho Inventory offers a free plan for small businesses, with integration capabilities and essential featu…

PayPal Holdings, Inc. announced Wednesday that it has surpassed $30 billion in global loan originations, providing more than 1.4 million loans and cash advances to over 420,000 business accounts worldwide since 2013. The milestone underscores the company’s ongoing role in addressing the persistent challenge of capital access for small businesses. Small businesses account for more than 43% of the U.S. GDP and nearly 40% of private sector payroll, yet more than three-quarters of them remain concerned about securing the capital needed to sustain or grow their operations. In response to this concern, PayPal continues to expand its suite of financing solutions tailored to the…

This week, our Small Biz Breakdown crew is flying without a net, per se. There’s no agenda – not as if they’re always following the one they sometimes have – and the conversation could go anywhere. Like most weeks, however, the discussion always seems to focus on the latest in AI. And this week is no different. Zeroing in on news this week from Verizon, the Small Biz Breakdown crew discusses at length agentic AI. Is this just the next Metaverse, as one panelist suggests it could be? Or is there more to this emerging trend? Check out what everyone’s got to say on this hot topic in the latest episode of Small Biz Breakdown. Check out the latest small business news headli…

Fiverr has introduced a new Freelancer Equity Program aimed at providing top-performing U.S.-based freelancers on its platform with a financial stake in the company. The initiative offers eligible freelancers up to $10,000 in Fiverr shares, with equity grants distributed over four years based on annual eligibility requirements. The program arrives as the freelance economy continues its rapid growth, with projections indicating that freelancers could make up half of the U.S. workforce by 2027. Fiverr describes the program as a way to deliver additional financial value to freelancers beyond their regular earnings. “Freelancers are the backbone of today’s economy and the h…

Key Takeaways Company Innovation is Essential: In a competitive business environment, fostering innovation is crucial for growth and sustainability, not just a trendy concept. Types of Innovation: Key innovation types include product, process, business model, marketing, and organizational innovation, each contributing uniquely to enhancing business performance. Driving Factors: Technological advancements and market demands play pivotal roles in shaping innovation, helping businesses meet customer needs and enhance operational efficiency. Cultural Influence: Creating an organizational culture that nurtures creativity and collaboration empowers employees to contribute…

Key Takeaways Engage Customers with Events: Hosting events, such as seasonal promotions and holiday-themed activities, creates memorable experiences that attract foot traffic and foster customer loyalty. Leverage Local Collaborations: Partnering with local businesses for joint events can amplify visibility, enhance community ties, and drive traffic to your store through shared audiences. Support Community Causes: Organizing charity events around local nonprofits can enhance your store’s reputation while demonstrating commitment to community welfare, helping customers connect with your brand on a deeper level. Offer Educational Experiences: Workshops and demonstratio…

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has issued an advisory urging consumers to be cautious of a growing cyber scam involving fraudulent invoices sent through PayPal. The scam targets email users by sending repeated payment requests that appear urgent, often including a toll-free number directing victims to a scammer posing as customer support. Scammers exploit PayPal’s invoicing system by sending deceptive payment requests to users’ email inboxes. The messages often contain a phone number and a directive to call, leading victims to fraudulent operators attempting to extract personal and financial information. “Scammers are well aware that many Pennsylvanians rely …

Key Takeaways Understanding your worth and industry standards is crucial for setting competitive prices that reflect your expertise.Utilize different pricing strategies, such as cost-based and value-based pricing, to determine the best approach for your business.Evaluate your skills, experience, and specializations to establish a solid foundation for your pricing strategy.Factor in market research, client expectations, and geographic influences when calculating your rates to ensure they align with your target audience.Communicate your prices effectively, highlighting the unique benefits and quality of your offerings to justify your rates and build client trust.Be prepar…

NetSuite has introduced a range of AI-driven innovations, new product offerings, and integrations designed to enhance business efficiency, streamline processes, and support diverse revenue models. These updates, announced at SuiteConnect New York, aim to automate operations, reduce manual workload, and improve financial and procurement functions for organizations of all sizes. AI and Automation Updates NetSuite has expanded its AI capabilities to accelerate data management, optimize product configurations, and improve issue resolution. New features include: NetSuite Text Enhance for automating data entry in custom text fields. Prompt Management API for centralized AI m…

Project managers, rejoice! Zoho just introduced an application to usher in a bright new future for what you do. On March 11, 2025, Zoho revealed its new unified AI-driven project management platform Projects Plus. “Zoho Projects Plus is basically a collaboration of hybrid project management,” explained Zoho senior evangelist Aarthi Elizabeth. “One is your traditional projects and the other is your agile methodologies.” “It then brings in data analytics as well,” Elizabeth added. For many businesses, this constitutes a game changer. Think about the possibilities. Zoho’s current Projects software sees greatest use amongst businesses in construction, manufacturing, bank…

OpenAI has launched its most advanced image generation technology to date, integrating the capability directly into GPT-4o, its natively multimodal model. The new feature is now rolling out to Plus, Pro, Team, and Free users in ChatGPT, with Enterprise and Edu access coming soon. Developers will also gain access via the API in the coming weeks. OpenAI stated, “At OpenAI, we have long believed image generation should be a primary capability of our language models. That’s why we’ve built our most advanced image generator yet into GPT-4o. The result—image generation that is not only beautiful, but useful.” Multimodal, Context-Aware Image Creation The image generation tool …

The Palisades and Eaton fires that swept through Los Angeles in January caused significant disruptions to the local labor market, with payroll data from ADP showing a sharp decline in paychecks issued and hours worked. Although the fires directly affected a small portion of Los Angeles County’s total employment, their economic impact extended well beyond the burn zones. According to ADP payroll data, paycheck issuance in fire-affected ZIP codes dropped 10% in the first week of the fires compared to the same period in 2024. The decline continued in the following weeks, falling 6% from January 12-18 and again by 10% from January 19-25. By January 26, payroll activity had r…

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a reminder to farmers and fishers who opted out of making estimated tax payments in January that they must file their 2024 federal income tax return and pay any taxes due by March 3, 2025. The usual March 1 deadline has been extended to the next business day since it falls on a Saturday this year. Avoiding Estimated Tax Penalties Farmers and fishers who meet the two-thirds gross income requirement from farming or fishing during 2023 or 2024 are eligible for the March 3 deadline, provided they did not make an estimated tax payment by January 15, 2025. Those who did make a payment by January 15 can wait until the regular April …

Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing how U.S. consumers search and shop online, according to a new survey released by adMarketplace. The company surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults using a census-balanced sample by age and gender to gauge perceptions and adoption of AI-driven search experiences. The results highlight significant trends for advertisers and publishers as AI becomes more integrated into native search environments. The findings show that 45% of Americans have used AI-powered search tools, including chat-based engines and AI-driven results. That figure nearly doubles the 27% who report not having tried these tools. Meanwhile, 17% of respondents said the…

Access to capital remains one of the biggest hurdles for small businesses—but the right grant can make all the difference. From covering startup costs to helping you expand operations, grant funding offers a rare chance to grow without adding debt. Each week, we bring you the newest small business grant programs from trusted sources. Whether the funding comes from government agencies, private organizations, or community initiatives, our Roundup highlights opportunities you can actually use. Here are the latest small business grants worth checking out: New Grant Program Offers Brown County (Ill.) Businesses Up to $5,000 for Innovations and Improvements Existing for-prof…

A new report from Oxford Economics reveals that TikTok has become a key driver of employment in the United States, with 7.5 million businesses on the platform supporting more than 28 million workers. The study, published today, highlights TikTok’s role in job creation and economic opportunity, particularly for small and mid-sized businesses. 4.7 Million Jobs Directly Benefit from TikTok The Oxford Economics report estimates that 4.7 million jobs in the U.S. benefit directly from using TikTok. This includes: Over 3.1 million workers who use TikTok in their jobs by creating content for the platform or managing accounts. More than 1.6 million workers who benefit indirectl…