Small Business Financing Trends: When Optimism Meets Profit Pressure

by Admin | Sep 25, 2025 | Becoming Bankable, Economic Insight, SMB Leadership, Strategy Planning

In a recent post, we highlighted a paradox in the small business landscape: optimism was climbing, but investment lagged. The latest NFIB Small Business Economic Trends report (August 2025) shows the same pattern playing out in financing. Borrowing Is at Its Lowest in...

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 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...

When Business Optimism Doesn’t Equal Investment: Another Small Business Paradox

by Admin | Jul 24, 2025 | Economic Insight, Profitability, Strategy Planning

Small businesses are caught in an unprecedented puzzle. From October 2024 to June 2025, NFIB data reveals how small businesses moved from pre-election caution to post-election optimism, only to return to hesitancy as evolving tariff-related policies created new...