Small Businesses Say Cautious Shoppers are Seeking ‘Cozy’ and ‘Festive’ This Holiday Season
With a late Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is five days shorter than last year, and owners of small retail shops say people have been quick to snap up holiday décor early, along with gifts for others and themselves. read more >
by Associated Press -
Small Businesses Plan Events, Start Marketing Earlier to Deal With Shorter Holiday Shopping Season
Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter season. read more >
by Associated Press -
Small Business Owners Brace for Trump’s Proposed Tariffs
Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. read more >
by Associated Press -
US Job Openings Rose Last Month, Though Hiring Slowed, In Mixed Picture for Labor Market
The pickup in job openings suggests that the job market could be stabilizing at a modest level. The unemployment rate is at a low 4.1%, even though job gains slowed sharply in October. read more >
by Associated Press -
Bentonville Farmers Market Reports Record Sales for Third Straight Season
Sales over the 29-week season reached $2.9 million. read more >
Pettaway Coffee in Little Rock Sold to Local Pastry Shop
Mike Orndorff, the developer behind Little Rock’s Pettaway Square, said talks with Daisy Pastry Shoppe began a few months ago. read more >
by Chloe McGehee -
Veterans Face Challenges Starting Small Businesses But There Are Plenty of Resources to Help
Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part. read more >
by Associated Press -
Strengthen Your Business by Working Less (Sabrina Starling on Small Business)
It’s not counterintuitive; working less can make our businesses stronger by focusing priorities. read more >
Martin Dingman on Connecting with Customers Through Craft
Dingman is the founder & creative director at luxury leather goods company Martin Dingman of Lead Hill. read more >
BioVentures, The Venture Center Begin Second Annual Health Care Entrepreneurship Accelerator
BioVentures is accepting applications for the second annual Arkansas Collaborative for Technological and Innovative Venture Equality program, an accelerator dedicated to supporting socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with health care and health technology startups. read more >
Small Business Disaster Loan Program Said to Be In Danger of Running Out of Funds By End of Month
In a statement, the SBA said that it will continue sharing information about its disaster loan programs and assisting borrowers with initial processing and servicing loans. But if funding lapses, all new offers would be held back and delayed until program funding is replenished. read more >
by Associated Press -
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Hits Milestone With 1 Million Connected
More than 40,000 miles of fiber have been installed collectively by 17 cooperative broadband providers, including 15 local broadband providers, one wholesale broadband provider and one middle-mile fiber company. read more >
by Chloe McGehee -
2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Winners Announced
The winners for the 2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame were announced Monday. read more >
The Venture Center Picks 10 Startups for New Banking Solutions Accelerator
The 12-week accelerator will provide the startups and growth-stage companies with hands-on training to address the latest technology challenges facing Arkansas banks and their customers. read more >
Marketing Plans Are Key for Small Businesses Ahead of a Tough Holiday Shopping Season
Although inflation has retreated, small businesses are still dealing with high costs and consumers have been tightening the purse strings, too. read more >
by Associated Press -
‘No’ to Basel Endgame Capital Requirements (French Hill Commentary)
The Federal Reserve ought to withdraw and rethink its Basel III changes. read more >
by French Hill -
The Benefits of a Four-Day Workweek According to a Champion of the Trend
Companies exploring the option of letting employees work four days a week hope to reduce job burnout and retain talent seeking a better work-life balance, according to the chief executive of an organization that promotes the idea. read more >
by Associated Press -
How Small Businesses Can Recover From Break-Ins and Theft
In the retail sector alone, more than half of small businesses said they had been victims of shoplifting in the prior year, and break-ins and thefts occur across all sectors. read more >
by Associated Press -
The Federal Reserve is Finally Lowering Rates. Here’s What Consumers Should Know
The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate from its 23-year high, with consequences for debt, savings, auto loans, mortgages and other forms of borrowing by consumers and businesses. read more >
by Associated Press -
Will The Federal Reserve Cut Interest Rates Fast Enough to Deliver a ‘Soft Landing’?
Many economists would like to see the Fed announce a half-point rate cut this week, in part because they think the officials should have begun cutting rates at their previous meeting in July. read more >
by Associated Press -
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