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Small Business (SMB) stories

Bluevine opens digital onboarding for overseas US owners
Fintech

Bluevine opens digital onboarding for overseas US owners

International founders can now open US business accounts remotely, as Bluevine removes a major barrier for overseas owners in eight markets.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Today
Australian workers embrace AI, but hide it at work
Generative AI

Australian workers embrace AI, but hide it at work

Most Australian employees using AI say it lifts productivity, but many still hide that use from bosses as workplace rules lag behind adoption.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 5 min read • Yesterday
Finance leaders lose AI gains to verification work
Software-as-a-Service

Finance leaders lose AI gains to verification work

Many finance teams are spending the equivalent of days a week checking AI outputs, wiping out hoped-for productivity gains and slowing adoption.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Yesterday
EOFY pressures drive cyber risk for Australian firms
Data Protection

EOFY pressures drive cyber risk for Australian firms

Rising deadline pressure is leaving finance and payroll teams more exposed to sophisticated scams that can disrupt payments and damage trust.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 6 min read • Last week
Hostinger launches eCommerce tool for small sellers
Software-as-a-Service

Hostinger launches eCommerce tool for small sellers

Small merchants can now sell across websites, social media and messaging apps from one dashboard as online discovery shifts to AI and social channels.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Last week

Stories from Other Regions

Small Business (SMB) stories

Bank of India joins PSB Xchange as lending partner
Fintech

Bank of India joins PSB Xchange as lending partner

MSMEs and dealer networks could gain quicker access to formal working capital as Bank of India plugs into a shared lending platform.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Today
NZ workers slow to adopt AI, but many hide how much they use it - report
Digital Transformation

NZ workers slow to adopt AI, but many hide how much they use it - report

More than a third of New Zealand workers feel guilty about using AI, as businesses lag peers in adopting it, a report says.

By RNZ • 4 min read • Today
Xero launches Ultra plan for medium-sized businesses
Digital Transformation

Xero launches Ultra plan for medium-sized businesses

The AUD $500-a-month package is designed to keep growing firms off costlier ERP systems as finance needs become more complex.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Yesterday
Square launches ChatGPT app & Claude plugin for sellers
Digital Transformation

Square launches ChatGPT app & Claude plugin for sellers

Eligible US food and beverage merchants can now be found, viewed and ordered from in AI chats, with no extra marketplace commission.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Yesterday
AI firms take record 44% of UK small business funding
Artificial Intelligence

AI firms take record 44% of UK small business funding

Smaller UK firms faced tighter funding in 2025 as AI deals drew 44% of equity investment, the British Business Bank said.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • 2 days ago
The Fable 5 ban lesson is to diversify
Data Protection

The Fable 5 ban lesson is to diversify

Australian firms learned the hard way that relying on one AI model can halt operations, as cheaper open alternatives now make diversification practical.

By Andrew Lai • 5 min read • 2 days ago
Amazon says USD $27 billion Florida spend creates jobs
Manufacturing

Amazon says USD $27 billion Florida spend creates jobs

Jobs and local suppliers in Florida have benefited from Amazon's USD $27 billion spending spree since 2010, the company says.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last week
Amazon boosts Ohio with USD $23 billion investment
Data centers

Amazon boosts Ohio with USD $23 billion investment

The spending now supports more than 41,000 jobs in Ohio, while Amazon's local sellers and suppliers add further economic lift across the state.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last week
Amazon says Louisiana investment tops USD $35 billion
Data centers

Amazon says Louisiana investment tops USD $35 billion

Louisiana's economy has gained more than USD $33 billion in GDP from the company's spending and pay since 2010, Amazon said.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last week
Cyber risk is no longer an IT issue, it's a leadership issue
Data Protection

Cyber risk is no longer an IT issue, it's a leadership issue

Almost half of Irish businesses faced at least one cyber attack last year, exposing hidden costs that can hit operations, cash flow and trust.

By Richard O ‘Dwyer • 4 min read • Last week
PFU launches Ricoh scanners for shared office scanning
Digital Transformation

PFU launches Ricoh scanners for shared office scanning

Shared offices can now scan without a PC as PFU's new Ricoh models aim to speed up digitisation and cut setup time.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week
AI grabs 44% of UK smaller-business equity funding
Artificial Intelligence

AI grabs 44% of UK smaller-business equity funding

Smaller UK businesses saw funding weaken as AI deals soaked up a record share of equity investment, despite overall market value slipping 4%.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week
Five AI firms feature in UK's fastest-growing businesses
Digital Transformation

Five AI firms feature in UK's fastest-growing businesses

AI specialists are still a minority, but their rapid sales growth signals Britain's scale-up market is broadening beyond traditional sectors.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last week