America’s small businesses aren’t ready for a cyberattack

gahsoon Some of the highest profile cyberattacks on the U.S. in recent years are alleged to have originated in Russia, including the 2021 attack on the Colonial Pipeline — the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. — the SolarWinds attack in 2020, and the 2016 hacking into the Democratic National Committee.  Since Russia invaded Ukraine…

From baker to entrepreneur, how this high-school grad built up his $100,000 business

Justin Ellen found himself at a difficult crossroad when he was 17 — should he pursue his passion for baking full-time, or go to college to further his education? At that time, the youngest contestant of Netflix’s popular baking show was making custom cakes from home as a side-hustle, while also juggling with school. He…

In the fight against climate change, seaweed could be a surprising — but vital — weapon

Like many coastal communities around the world, people living by the sea in the United Kingdom have harvested and consumed seaweed for centuries. In Wales, Welsh laverbread — made from cooking a type of seaweed called laver — is a culinary delicacy so revered that it enjoys Protected Designation of Origin status. Seaweed’s uses do…

For President Biden’s approval rating to go up, it’s obvious what needs to go down

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on economic growth, jobs, and deficit reduction in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 4, 2022.  Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters Fewer small business owners now than a year ago approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as president. In fact, small business owners…

Meet a human trafficking survivor who built her own business with $400

It started with just a few hundred dollars. Entrepreneur Nakia Vestal escaped human trafficking as a teenager and began working at beauty salons and shops. After gaining experience and disliking her job opportunities, Vestal decided to go into business for herself. In 2017 and with $400, Vestal founded DollMaker Lashes, a beauty studio in Houston,…

How small businesses can avoid financial missteps in an inflationary environment

After a career in corporate America, IyaSokoya Karade turned her love of gymnastics and her retirement savings into a new enterprise: opening a youth fitness center in her local community. She soon learned that having a passion wasn’t enough to create a sustainable business. One of her earliest mistakes, she said, was not paying herself…

Main Street is convinced that a recession will hit the U.S. economy this year

Main Street and Wall Street are often at a distance when it comes to the state of the economy. The likelihood of a recession hitting in 2022 is the latest example. Both camps are bearish, but small business owners are leading the way in negative sentiment — by a notable margin. Wall Street has been…

‘We are being squeezed in every direction’ – As inflation grips small businesses, here’s how they are responding

Hopkinsville Brewing Company co-owner Kate Russell, pictured to the right of co-worker Joey Medeiros, said the business has had to raise prices due to inflation. Mary Katherine Russell Small business owners have had a few rough years. First, the Covid-19 pandemic caused many to lose revenue. Now, they’re dealing with higher costs as inflation rises….

Why the market is taking Powell’s ‘soft-ish’ economic language so hard: Former Fed official Roger Ferguson

Roger Ferguson Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Anyone who read a Fed chair coining the term “soft-ish” for an economic landing, as Jerome Powell did on Wednesday, as a bullish signal, has a transitory understanding of how much significance to give to any single day’s trading action. Stocks tanked on Thursday after the…

Stacey Abrams on why companies shouldn’t always speak out on political issues

Stacey Abrams, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, speaks during a ‘One Georgia Tour’ campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., on Monday, March 14, 2022. Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images Companies are under intense pressure to speak out on a variety of political issues at local, state and national levels. Whether it is police…

How to get a free pair of Nike sneakers and other life hacks

Reading the fine print or understanding available offers means you could be saving money or taking advantage of refunds or freebies that you might not have otherwise known about, like a brand-new pair of Nike sneakers. That’s the kind of attention to detail that can lead to some surprising upsides, according to Erika Kullberg, lawyer…

Major retailers boost Black female entrepreneurship as employment gap lingers

Ulta Beauty has doubled the number of Black-owned brands that it carries. Ulta Beauty Major beauty retailers are boosting small, minority-owned businesses as Black female entrepreneurship helps bridge an employment gap. As of last year, 17% of Black women in the U.S. were in the process of starting or running new businesses, according to the…