Stacker-Small Business

  It’s easier than ever to start a business: Often all you need is a laptop and a business plan. But today’s business environment tests owners’ resilience in new ways. The familiar challenges of securing financing, managing expenses and building a loyal customer base now exist alongside emerging cyber and legal risks. With sustained economic

  The car care industry is reaping the benefits of long-term planning focused on automation, efficient capital usage, and migrating its business to subscription models. Americans are keeping their cars longer. According to Mobility Global, the average age of a passenger car in the U.S. is 14.5 years old. This should come as no surprise,

  Imagine walking into an independent grocery store at 7 a.m. Employees are stocking shelves, receiving deliveries, rotating produce, checking dates, and making final preparations for the morning’s customers. Doing all of this while juggling an early rush can make those morning hours a particularly hectic time for store operators. While other types of retail

  Getting your first customers is one of the hardest parts of building a business. Since your business is new and you’re still figuring things out, there’s no momentum yet — no word of mouth, no testimonials. So where do you even start? In this guide, Mercury, a fintech platform that offers business and personal

  AI agents have moved beyond simply researching products for your business to buying them for you. Whether it’s cloud storage, renewing a SaaS license, paying a vendor, or ordering coffee for the office, autonomous software increasingly needs a way to pay. Virtual cards for AI agents make that possible. These programmable payment credentials give

  Summer weather can mean more time outdoors, more events, hot weather and holidays. And for many small business owners, it can also mean more customers ready to spend. If you’re a contractor, food truck owner, event vendor or mobile service provider, May through September might be your busiest season. And also a time of

  Small business owners may be experts in their field, but they’re not always experts on bookkeeping. A new survey from Bluevine of 864 small and medium-sized business owners reveals that many have gaps in their business financial knowledge, making it more difficult for them to be approved for loans. More than 1 in 3

  The World Economic Forum predicts that 59% of the global workforce will need to upskill by 2030 due to the accelerating technological advancements. Sales training programs give your company a competitive advantage, attracting top talent while improving your current team’s skill set. However, you need an effective training program to see results. To find

  In-house PPC versus agency PPC is a decision about expertise, cost structure, and how fast you can scale. An in-house PPC team gives you direct control and deep brand knowledge, while a PPC agency delivers specialized expertise, advanced tools, and cross-account experience. For many businesses managing $10,000 or more in monthly ad spend or

  Founders, CEOs, and early finance leads looking for startup funding usually aren’t comparing a long list of equally realistic loan options. They’re trying to preserve runway, choose financing that fits their stage, and avoid wasting time on applications built for businesses with years of revenue and assets to pledge. Understanding your startup costs and

  Summer 2026 has already been one for the books. During the week of June 29, wholesale power through PJM Interconnection went from under $40 a megawatt-hour to spike past $1,600 as air conditioners roared to life, topping $2,500 in some areas. Through July 4, U.S. utilities pushed out more than 100,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity

  Small business credit access varies wildly by state, leaving entrepreneurs in some regions facing significantly higher rejection rates and limited financing options compared to others. Nationally, small businesses using credit report operational benefits. But state-by-state data tells a different story, reports Plains State Bank, a personal and business banking service provider based in Texas.

  For many entrepreneurs, owning a business isn’t the end goal: It’s the path to something bigger. It’s the start of what many call the American Dream. And for many business owners, that dream means having more control over their future. A recent Rocket Lawyer-commissioned survey of small business owners reflects this shift. More than

  Thirty percent of consumers now use AI for product research. A year ago, that figure was 12%. At the same time, roughly 40% of Google results include an AI Overview, according to a Brainlabs analysis of internal SEOClarity data, meaning people are reading AI-generated answers without actively choosing to. Add those two things together

  There’s an endless stream of data coming into your CRM. But the true value lies in how your company chooses to utilize that data. The last thing you want is for your team to spend their time deciphering and digging through that data. That’s why a CRM dashboard customized to your business objectives is

  The environment for restaurant operators continues to shift quickly. Inflation has moderated from its peak, but remains structurally higher than pre‑pandemic levels, keeping pressure on food, labor, insurance, occupancy and other operating costs. In this environment, focusing on restaurant revenue growth and long-term restaurant value has become increasingly important as operators look for ways

  While inclusion and policies are important all year round, Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities and reflect on how workplaces can become more inclusive. Accessibility goes beyond ramps and elevators; in fact, for many small businesses, it’s just the beginning. Inclusivity requires more than just good

  Startups compete on speed. But the immigration system runs on fiscal years. For founders, delays cost more than filing fees. They can lead to stalled roadmaps, unfilled roles, and even work moved overseas. The immigration system can be a tax on velocity. But as Manifest Law explains below, there’s a way for founders to

  ChatGPT advertising for home services lets plumbers, HVAC pros, roofers, remodelers, and other local contractors appear in sponsored placements inside ChatGPT conversations while homeowners are actively researching a project. As of May 5, 2026, OpenAI’s self-serve Ads Manager is in open beta for U.S. businesses with no minimum spend requirement, putting ChatGPT ads for

  The math behind late payment charges is simple. On a $5,000 invoice at 1.5% per month, the fee is $75. The harder part is applying the calculation consistently and building the policy around it so the fee holds up when a customer pushes back. Most companies have late fee terms buried somewhere in their