The SMB Center

ANOTHER monolith has been found in the Las Vegas desert. Since 2020 monoliths have popped up in Utah, California, Romania, Spain, and more. Authorities have no idea where they’re coming from.

The internet hated this @Google AI ad. We'll let you be the judge.

The SBA is expanding its loan programs to support green startups. The max loan amount for the Community Advantage program will jump to $500k from $350k They will also allow lenders to expand their loan size up to $2 million for climate-focused projects.

Here’s how much athletes at the Paris Olympics earn for winning medals 👇🏼 Hong Kong and Singapore lead the pack with gold medal payouts near $750,000. US ranks 10th.

Small business sentiment via NWYC: 67% of owners fear the economy is heading in the wrong direction. 51% reported no change in Q2 performance. 31% saw a decline. 9% experienced growth. Key 2024 election issues: immigration, inflation, taxes, debt ceiling, regulations. Read more about it in The SMB Center Newsletter. https://lnkd.in/gz6qvuFe

Small business bankruptcy is on pace for its worst year since 2010. In the first half of the year, 346 companies filed for bankruptcy. June alone saw 75 filings. Many of these bankruptcies are in the "consumer discretionary" sector, including restaurants & clothing stores.

Today's Trivia from @thesmbcenter Newsletter: Which famous entrepreneur famously stated, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."? Find the answer here 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/gz6qvuFe

Executives are adopting AI, yet workloads are rising. Why? There's a gap between AI deployment and actual work processes. Per @Upwork, 84% of companies are using AI, but 77% of employees saw more work as a result. 47% have "no idea" how to use AI for productivity gains. Align AI with real needs, not just trends. Read more about it in The SMB Center Newsletter. https://lnkd.in/gz6qvuFe

🤓 AI and Gambler's Ruin Tomorrow's newsletter topics: - AI-induced employee burnout - Gambler's Ruin Theory x Small Business - Gold medal payouts for Olympians, by country - and more Subscribe via the link in bio to get a copy in your inbox 👉🏼

ICYMI: The US labor market slowed in July. - Nonfarm payrolls rose by only 114,000, missing the expected 185,000. - The unemployment rate increased to 4.3% - Highest unemployment rate since October 2021 Read more about July's jobs data. https://lnkd.in/g_j2f77k