Digital Payment Adoption for Small Businesses: From Cash Decline to Digital Growth

by Admin | Sep 18, 2025 | Becoming Bankable, Business Strategy, Profitability, SMB Leadership

For small businesses, how customers pay is just as important as what they buy. Customers Are Choosing Digital According to the Empowering Small Business 2025 report recently published by the US Chamber of Commerce, between one-third and two-fifths of small business...

How Small Businesses Are Adopting AI: Lessons from Early Adopters and What to Do Next

by Admin | Sep 11, 2025 | Business Strategy, SMB Leadership, Strategy Planning

Generative AI is quickly becoming an essential element of the small business toolbox. In just two years, adoption among U.S. small businesses has jumped from less than one in four to a clear majority. So how are early adopters using it? Nearly two-thirds (63%) of SMBs...

Small Business Labor Shortage: The 5-Year Crisis That Refuses to End

by Admin | Sep 4, 2025 | Business Strategy, SMB Leadership, Strategy Planning

The small business labor shortage has evolved from a pandemic disruption into a structural challenge that shows no signs of resolution. NFIB data from 2020 through 2025 reveals a persistent dual crisis affecting small business hiring nationwide. The Dual Nature of the...

Small Business Tariff Impact 2025: Early Warning Signs Every Owner Must Know

by Admin | Aug 28, 2025 | Business Strategy, Economic Insight, Profitability, SMB Leadership

The small businesses that pay tariffs directly to US Customs saw their costs jump 170% since January 2025, serving as an early warning system for the broader economy. These direct importers are essentially economic canaries in the coal mine. They feel policy changes...

Small Business Pricing Strategy: What 5.5 Years of Data Reveals About Profitability

by Admin | Aug 21, 2025 | Business Strategy, Economic Insight, Strategy Planning

NFIB data from 2020 through July 2025 reveals a pattern that challenges expectations that pricing increases lead to improved profitability. The Pricing-Profit Disconnect During this period, the net percentage of businesses raising prices and their reported net profit...

The Cautious Recovery: When Relief Doesn’t Equal Growth Confidence

by Admin | Aug 14, 2025 | Business Strategy, Economic Insight, SMB Leadership, Strategy Planning

When two major organizations independently report the same business trend, smart leaders pay attention. The latest US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index (Q2 2025) confirms what I analyzed last month in my post based on June 2025 NFIB data: small businesses are...