Proponents say it's an initiative with a proven track record of success, and that allowing funding to lapse permanently or enact reforms too aggressively will do irreparable damage to the small defense business ecosystem. But critics say it is not fulfilling its mandate, and that changes are needed to bring in new entrants and ensure repeat awardees eventually "graduate" from the program.
For small businesses, the holiday season is both a blessing and a balancing act. From November through December, many companies earn up to 30% of their annual revenue but also experience the most intense stress on inventory, logistics, staffing, and marketing systems. The pressure to meet demand while keeping margins healthy is challenging. According to Adobe, consumer spending is forecasted to reach $253.4 billion for the 2025 holiday season.
The incentive offers a financial boost that is designed to offset the cost of a membership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The offer comes at a time when small business owners across the UK are facing increasing uncertainty over HR compliance - an area where FSB membership offers vital support - as the Employment Rights Bill travels through parliament.
said there is an enormous gap in the market for "AI integrators" - people who can adapt AI tools for practical use inside corporations. "There are 33 million companies in this country," Cuban noted, "and only a select few have dedicated AI budgets or keep AI experts on payroll. But these companies will still need to adapt for the AI era.
Back then, I was a marketing representative for an asset management firm in Penang, Malaysia. It was a steady job, and I had supportive managers who allowed me to take ownership of my work. It was a client-facing role, and over time, I realized it wasn't the best fit for my personality, even though I learned and grew a lot from the job. After the pandemic, I started feeling burned out. Deep down, I always knew a 9-to-5 wasn't meant to be my long-term path.
During the months after the Aug. 8, 2023 fire, support poured in from neighbors. A GoFundMe raised over $63,000 to rebuild the store. Progress Hardware also received a $10,000 grant for fire disaster relief from San Francisco's Office of Small Businesses, and $9,750 from District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar's office. Locals watched in anticipation as construction workers fixed up the storefront at 724 Irving St. In the past few months, the plywood was removed. The store looks ready.
Wave positions itself as the go-to solution for freelancers and bootstrapped businesses. Its core accounting features come at no cost, making it incredibly attractive for startups watching every penny. However, you'll pay transaction fees when processing payments through its system. And if you want advanced features and lower transaction fees, prepare to upgrade to Wave Pro for $19 per month.
Sunset After Dark is a new community market in San Francisco's Sunset District. It's a celebration of local food, culture, and small businesses. The inaugural event will turn three blocks of Irving Street into a lively, family-friendly street festival with food vendors, performances, music, a rib eating contest, raffle prizes, and one night only food collaborations from local businesses. Sunset After Dark is being organized by Dear Community and Smokin' D's with the support of local merchants, parent teacher associations, and individuals from the community.
If you own a small business, you'll probably relate to Tracy Klopfenstein. "The first two years were the worst," says Klopfenstein, who bought a homemade ice cream shop in Goshen, Indiana, called The Chief with her husband, Chad. "We worked all the time, and I suffered burnout. My mind would spiral at night, and I'd worry about everything. I had what I would call an absence of hope."
The General Services Administration has added 53 small businesses to its list of apparent awardees for OASIS+, the massive government-wide contract vehicle for professional services not tech-centric in nature. GSA made these selections for the 8(a) track of OASIS+ and this move now opens the window for size challenges, or protests that question whether or not these companies are in fact small businesses.
Here's a stat that should make every small business owner sit up: 76% of people who perform a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those visits result in a purchase. That means when a customer searches for "best coffee near me" or "emergency plumber downtown," the decision is often made in minutes - not days.
I spent 10 years working for Chase Bank, building a career in corporate banking. It was steady, professional, and came with a clear path forward. But when a prime lot went up for sale in my small hometown of Damascus, Oregon, I saw an opportunity that banking couldn't give me. The property sat right along a major highway that had no drive-thru coffee stands nearby.
Nearly 40% of Americans have a side hustle right now - and for many, it's not just a way to earn a little extra cash. According to a recent LendingTree survey, 61% of people with a side hustle say they couldn't afford to live without it. While the number of side hustlers has decreased slightly since the pandemic's peak, many still feel the everyday financial pressure.
Allison Shimamoto is the owner of Haiama Beauty, a clean hair product company. All of her products utilize organic ingredients with a focus on serving black, brown, multiracial, and multi-ethnic moms and their children. Her most popular item is called 'The Everything Cream,' which can be used on your hair, face, and skin. Her soothing scalp serum helps with dandruff and mosquito bites.
Running a business or side hustle comes with enough costs. Your supplies, snacks, tools, and tech shouldn't be one of them. With a Sam's Club Membership, you get direct access to bulk pricing and high-quality inventory across nearly every category, from office breakroom staples to laptops, smart appliances, and furniture. And right now, new members pay just $50 and get $35 in Sam's Cash to spend on whatever your business needs for the year.
Small business owners are all saying the same thing: "My website traffic is tanking, and the stuff that used to work just doesn't anymore." And they're right. A 2024 study by SparkToro CEO Rand Fishkin found that nearly 60% of searches in the U.S. don't end in a click - people are getting answers from AI and never visiting your site.
If you're running a business-or even just trying to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital world-you probably already know that your tech stack matters. Operating systems are often overlooked, but they're foundational to everything you do. And if you're still working with an older version of Windows, now might be the smartest (and least expensive) time to upgrade to Microsoft's latest and most innovative operating system.
I know how damaging it can be when new regulations target one industry while leaving others untouched. It's especially disheartening because the majority of owners are immigrants who already live with the daily fear of raids and growing hostility toward our communities. As someone who's lived the journey from dishwasher to business owner, I'm urging the board to recognize that further targeting local restaurants is unjustified, and to reject this proposal.
At first, for the four days a week that their store, Public Land, is open, the pair and their young daughter crashed at their friends' places in the city. On other days, they stayed at their Sacramento home and drove two hours to the store at 201 Clement St. and 3rd Ave. in the Inner Richmond. Now, they switch off, with Eligon or McManus operating the store while the other stays in Sacramento with their five-year-old.
The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day.
Silly Nice's Diamond Powder has earned a position as one of the Top 5 best-selling concentrates in New York State, fueling demand for its other standout offerings.
In July, Nguyen, Tran, and a Beaverton coffee shop that hosted a Whisk & Bloom event all received letters in the mail threatening legal action if they didn't stop selling Marukyu Koyamaen, a brand of high-end matcha often considered the gold standard of Japanese tea makers.
