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Small Business (SMB) stories

FedEx & Stripe join to boost small business finance
Fintech

FedEx & Stripe join to boost small business finance

Smaller businesses could gain fresh access to finance as shipping data from FedEx and Stripe's systems is used to assess lending risk.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
European business notebook buyers shift to lower memory
Small Business

European business notebook buyers shift to lower memory

Memory cost pressure is pushing buyers towards 8GB and 16GB business notebooks, even as 32GB models still drive a disproportionate share of revenue.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
Noah raises USD $38 million to scale stablecoin payments
Crypto

Noah raises USD $38 million to scale stablecoin payments

The seed round will fund a New York office and expansion across 150 markets as businesses shift to stablecoin-based cross-border payments.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
AI will cost some jobs. Poor change management will cost more
Digital Transformation

AI will cost some jobs. Poor change management will cost more

Avoidable job losses could rise if leaders delay role redesign, even as one in four workers globally face some exposure to generative AI.

By Glen Maguire • 7 min read • Last week
BrightHR links with Xero Payroll to cut SME errors
Risk & Compliance

BrightHR links with Xero Payroll to cut SME errors

Manual payroll checks are a growing liability for Australian SMEs, with the new link meant to reduce underpayments, audits and back-pay orders.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
CrowdStrike & CyberCert back SMB1001 for small firms
Cloud Security

CrowdStrike & CyberCert back SMB1001 for small firms

Small businesses could gain easier access to cyber protection and certification as the partnership bundles Falcon monitoring with SMB1001 support.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Last week

Stories from Other Regions

Small Business (SMB) stories

Scyne wraps summit tour on government cyber supply risks
Supply Chain

Scyne wraps summit tour on government cyber supply risks

Government agencies could face more cyber risk from suppliers after Scyne's summit tour urged verified security checks for smaller vendors.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Yesterday
Are Direct refreshes TheMarketHub ahead of Christmas
eCommerce

Are Direct refreshes TheMarketHub ahead of Christmas

Independent retailers can now buy 5,000-plus products without fees or minimum orders as Are Direct gears up for a busy Christmas period.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Yesterday
Paddock to Pantry plans 20 New Zealand supermarket openings
Supply Chain

Paddock to Pantry plans 20 New Zealand supermarket openings

The expansion could create up to 1,000 jobs as the independent grocer seeks finance for a wider rollout beyond its current two stores.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Yesterday
OakNorth taps Wise Platform for international payments
Fintech

OakNorth taps Wise Platform for international payments

The deal gives growing UK firms faster, clearer cross-border transfers as small business overseas payments are forecast to surge 22% by 2029.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
Italy to debut national pavilion at GovWare Singapore
Ransomware

Italy to debut national pavilion at GovWare Singapore

The move is aimed at helping Italian startups win customers across Singapore and Southeast Asia as cyber threats escalate in the region.

By Mara Sugue • 4 min read • Last week
TBC Uzbekistan launches secured SME lending in Uzbekistan
Fintech

TBC Uzbekistan launches secured SME lending in Uzbekistan

Small firms in Uzbekistan can now borrow up to 12 billion Uzbek Soum under a secured product, as TBC expands its digital business banking service.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Last week
Singapore SMEs embrace fintech, but banks still matter
Fintech

Singapore SMEs embrace fintech, but banks still matter

Traditional banks still underpin Singapore's smaller firms even as 80% now use fintech, with only 30% fully switched, a survey found.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week
Small firms risk trust loss from AI adverts, agency warns
Generative AI

Small firms risk trust loss from AI adverts, agency warns

Trust could suffer for small firms as 78% of Britons say they would trust a brand less if it used AI-generated actors in adverts.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
American Express unveils playbook for AI-led shopping
Artificial Intelligence

American Express unveils playbook for AI-led shopping

With 83% of US businesses seeing opportunity, the card group is helping merchants adapt as AI agents start shaping purchases and price checks.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
Xero wins Canstar small business award for eighth year
Data Analytics

Xero wins Canstar small business award for eighth year

Customer backing for Xero's software stayed strong as it secured Canstar's 2026 small business accounting award in New Zealand for an eighth year.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
Hitron & Airties target SMB broadband gap for ISPs
Digital Transformation

Hitron & Airties target SMB broadband gap for ISPs

SMBs could get better broadband options as ISPs gain a lower-cost way to package business-grade features and lift revenue per user.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last week
Dext launches payments in Canada for QuickBooks & Xero
Fintech

Dext launches payments in Canada for QuickBooks & Xero

Canadian QuickBooks Online and Xero users can now process supplier and expense payments in one workflow, after beta users handled more than USD $2 million.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last week