This week, the crew on Small Business Breakdown discusses the future of small businesses as we look to 2025.
Small business confidence is up right now, but are owners confident about the overall economy?
See what our panel of experts has to say about the near future of small business in this week’s episode of Small Business Breakdown.
Small Business News Collection
Also, be sure to check out all the big headlines from last week in our Small Business News Roundup…
A TD Bank survey highlights optimism in the tech-driven restaurant industry
Despite ongoing challenges, the restaurant franchise industry is showing renewed optimism heading into 2025, driven by advances in technology, a brighter economic outlook, and a strategic focus on customer and employee experiences.
Trump Nominates Löffler for Second Term as SBA Head
The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has nominated Kelly Loeffler, a former senator from the state of Georgia, to be the next administrator of the Small Business Administration. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account earlier this month. “I am thrilled to nominate a business leader and former U.S
Zoho Introduces Comprehensive Payroll Solution and Upgrades Finance Suite
Zoho Corporation today introduced Zoho Payroll, an end-to-end solution designed to simplify payroll processing, ensure compliance and break down operational silos for US businesses.
Grok Expands Imaging Capabilities with Aurora Model Release
xAI has introduced an update to Grok’s imaging capabilities with the release of a new autoregressive model codenamed Aurora. Available on the 𝕏 platform, the Aurora model is designed to provide photorealistic rendering, accurate text-to-image synthesis, and advanced multimodal input capabilities.
OpenAI launches Sora Turbo, which extends video creation capabilities for ChatGPT Plus and Pro users
OpenAI has announced the launch of Sora Turbo, the latest iteration of its video generation model. Originally introduced in February 2024, Sora has now become a standalone product available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers on Sora.com. The upgraded model offers faster performance, higher resolution and improved tools for creative video production.
Wix Launches AI Site Chat to Increase Customer Engagement and Support
Wix has just introduced an AI Site-Chat feature designed to improve businesses’ online interactions with their customers. Acting as a virtual agent, the tool supports website visitors 24/7 by answering questions, making personalized recommendations and delivering real-time information, even when business owners are unavailable.
Omnisend has released a Beta for its improved reporting functionality to simplify e-commerce insights
Omnisend, an e-commerce marketing platform, has launched a beta version of an enhanced reporting feature aimed at simplifying the way merchants analyze the performance of email, SMS and push notification campaigns.
Google VP Shows Transformative Power of Art in Business
Can we improve our working brains by participating in the arts? My next guest did the research to confirm this. On the Small Business Radio Show, I discussed this with Ivy Ross, Vice President of Hardware Design at Google.
Leisure and Hospitality Workers See Post-Pandemic Salary Gains Amid Industry Shifts
According to ADP’s report, the leisure and hospitality sector, one of the hardest hit sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, has rebounded in terms of both employment and wages. Despite losing 8.2 million jobs in March and April 2020, the industry has not only recovered its workforce, but has also emerged as the leader in wage growth since the start of the pandemic.
Metro Introduces Fresh Forward 2.0 Design to Modernize Restaurants
Metro has announced the launch of Fresh Forward 2.0 restaurant design, a refreshed global image to be introduced in 2025. The new design builds on the original Fresh Forward concept introduced in 2017 to enhance the dining experience, improve operational efficiency and support franchisee profitability. Fresh Forward 2.
T-Mobile Introduces New 5G Internet Plans for Homes and Small Businesses
T-Mobile has introduced three new 5G internet plans designed to offer more value, improved features and fixed prices for home and small business customers. Starting December 11, customers can choose between Rely, Amplified and All-In plans, which include benefits such as Hulu, Paramount+ and advanced cyber security tools.
Small Business Collapse: Is It Time To Get Serious About Crypto?
This week, our Small Business Share crew ponders a question that some have pondered for years: Is it time to get serious about crypto? With Bitcoin breaking the $100,000 plateau, many are starting to take cryptocurrency more seriously.
Alibaba has launched Pic Copilot, an AI-powered e-commerce design tool in the US
Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group has officially launched Pic Copilot, an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) e-commerce design tool for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the US.
Shopify merchants hit $11.5 billion in Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales
Shopify merchants achieved record-breaking success with $11.5 billion in sales during the 2024 Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend. This represents a 24% increase over last year and highlights the growing influence of small and medium businesses in the global holiday shopping landscape.
Cyber Monday online sales hit a record $13.3 billion driven by mobile shopping
Cyber Monday 2024 saw US consumers spend $13.3 billion online, a 7.3% year-over-year increase, according to data released by Adobe Analytics. The increase was the largest Cyber Monday to date and underscores the growing dominance of mobile shopping, which accounts for 57% of online sales.
Photo: Envato