In the News: Small Businesses Prep for Holiday Shopping Season

This week, the panel of experts on Small Business Breakdown discuss an array of topics important to entrepreneurs everywhere.

What impact will the partnership between Zoho and NVIDIA have on your company? The experts discuss.

Also, with the calendar turning to November, the pressure builds to have a successful holiday shopping season. In addition to discussing this, the experts also talk about what role AI will have for small business owners and Black Friday and beyond.

Check out what our experts have to say on these topics and so much more during the latest episode of Small Business Breakdown:

Small Business News Roundup

Here are the headlines from this past week that matter most to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and solopreneuers …

Apple Unveils New MacBook Pro with M4 Chip Family and Apple Intelligence

Apple today announced the new MacBook Pro, now powered by the M4 family of chips — including the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. The upgraded models, available in 14-inch and 16-inch versions, feature enhanced performance capabilities tailored for professional use, including Thunderbolt 5 ports, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, and an optional nano-texture display.

FedEx Report Shows Free Shipping is Key to Boosting Online Cart Conversion

FedEx recently released a new white paper in partnership with Morning Consult, titled Bridging the e-Commerce Divide: Meeting Consumer Demands with Merchant Offerings. The report highlights a crucial trend in online shopping: consumers now prioritize free shipping over fast delivery, a preference that significantly influences cart conversion rates and average order value.

ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Adds 233,000 Jobs in October, Annual Pay Up 4.6%

Private sector employment in the U.S. increased by 233,000 jobs in October, while annual pay for job-stayers grew by 4.6% year-over-year, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report.

Slack Launches New Templates to Simplify and Accelerate Project Kickoff for Teams

Slack today introduced Slack Templates, a new feature aimed at helping businesses streamline project kickoffs and enhance team productivity. With one-click templates, Slack users can now initiate projects, programs, and processes across various business functions like marketing, sales, and IT support, reducing the time spent on setup and allowing teams to focus on high-value work.

Apple Launches Apple Intelligence on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Advanced AI Features

Apple today announced the release of Apple Intelligence, a new AI-powered personal intelligence system, available through a free software update on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The update, which includes iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.

Shopify Introduces Shopify Finance

Shopify has announced Shopify Finance, a comprehensive financial platform integrated directly into the Shopify admin. Designed to support entrepreneurs by simplifying access to essential financial tools, Shopify Finance offers a streamlined approach to managing business finances, eliminating the need for multiple financial vendors.

Amazon Introduces Fuel Savings for Prime Members at bp, Amoco, and ampm Stations Nationwide

Amazon recently announced a new benefit for Prime members: savings of $0.10 per gallon at approximately 7,000 bp, Amoco, and ampm gas stations across the U.S. Prime members could save nearly $70 per year on fuel by purchasing at participating locations. In addition to fuel discounts, Amazon has announced plans to expand transportation-related savings further.

Zoho Partners with NVIDIA to Build Customized Large Language Models for Business Applications

Zoho Corporation has announced it will leverage NVIDIA’s AI accelerated computing platform, including NVIDIA NeMo, as part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, to build and deploy large language models (LLMs) tailored for business use.

Everee Introduces Flex Suite to Simplify Payroll for Staffing Companies and Gig Workers

Everee, a payroll software provider for staffing and gig work, has announced the launch of its new Flex Suite. This comprehensive set of tools is designed to simplify payroll processes for businesses with flexible workforces, such as staffing agencies and gig platforms.

Okta Study Finds U.S. SMBs Face Financial and Reputational Risks from Cyberattacks

New research from Okta, Inc., a leading independent identity provider, highlights the severe impact of cyberattacks on U.S. small and medium-sized businesses. Okta’s study reveals that while SMBs are increasingly concerned about cyber threats, many still rely on basic security measures that leave them vulnerable to evolving and sophisticated cyber risks.

Small Business Breakdown: The Benefits of Video Podcasting for Small Business

On Small Business Breakdown last week, our panel of experts discusses some hot and thought-provoking topics important for small business owners. This week, our panel talks about how younger generations are consuming content and how that differs from older generations. In particular, the rise of video podcasts are proving to resonate with younger audiences.

Gen Z Prefers Influencer Recommendations Over Word-of-Mouth

New research from GoDaddy suggests that the influence of word-of-mouth recommendations is waning among younger consumers, with influencers gaining greater trust from Gen Z shoppers. According to a recent GoDaddy survey of 1,000 U.S.

Tennessee Business Owner Convicted in $35M Health Care Fraud Scheme

A Tennessee business owner, Michael Kestner, 72, of Nashville, was convicted by a federal jury on charges of defrauding federal health care programs of approximately $35 million. Over nearly eight years, Kestner directed medically unnecessary injections at his network of pain clinics, Pain MD, targeting opioid-dependent patients.

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