While many small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) nationwide are charting a course toward long-term growth, a new financial analysis reveals a geographic divide in their optimism. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Urban-Rural Economic Divide: How Location Affects SMBs’ Outlook” uncovered a nuanced landscape for SMBs...
In an era of acute business uncertainty, America’s small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are deploying a complex mix of financial strategies to stay afloat, revealing both their resilience and vulnerability, according to new research. A recent data book from PYMNTS Intelligence, titled “How Small Businesses...
Artificial intelligence is reportedly one of the factors driving small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to reduce their number of middle managers. SMBs have joined enterprises like Amazon and Meta in reducing their number of middle managers, Bloomberg reported Monday (June 30). Among SMBs, the average...
Half of financial institutions reject micro-business loan applications due to unverifiable legitimacy. Among those with access to third-party data, confidence in credit decisions — and lender profitability — rises sharply. So why do many lenders still rely on incomplete, outdated records that stall approvals and...
A solo dental practice in a small town. A mom-and-pop Italian restaurant in a large city. Or a one-of-a-kind hair salon somewhere in between. Tiny, independently owned businesses with fewer than 10 employees and, typically, brick-and-mortar storefronts are a bulwark of private-sector entrepreneurship that contributes significantly...
Paris-based digital insurer Orus raised 25 million euros (about $29 million) in a Series B funding round to fuel the planned pan-European expansion of its digital platform offering tailored insurance for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Initially operating in France, Orus has begun its international...
Autobooks has added access to flexible funding for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to its platform by partnering with Fundbox. This collaboration brings together Fundbox’s embedded capital infrastructure for small businesses and Autobooks’ platform that provides receivables, payables, accounting and cash flow management tools integrated within...
Small business owners grew more optimistic in May as they reported improvements in their expected business conditions and sales expectations, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose to 98.8 in May, three points higher than it...
Home-buying and financing company Habito said its mortgage advisers now offer support at no cost to U.K. small business owners who are members of Mastercard’s Business Bonus program. This support is available to small business owners who are buying a home, refinancing or investing in...