Where Does the Industry Get Its Talent?

dusanpetkovic 

Using data from 40,000 job boards and networking sites, Cole and colleagues from the Project on Impact Investing at HBS tracked the professional trajectories of almost 350,000 MBAs. They focused on graduates from the top 25 US business schools ranked by US News and World Report in 2024, narrowing the pool to 832 working in impact investing.

Find out who's hiring and where.

Top 9 Global Small Business Trends To Watch in 2026

©iStock/Phimprapha Kitalamphalsan

According to Upwork, the top 9 global small business trends in 2026 involve AI adoption and automation, e-commerce and omnichannel growth, hyperpersonalization, cybersecurity, social media marketing, sustainability, remote and hybrid work, subscription-based revenue models, and building flexible teams with freelancers.

Discover the highlights (details) of global small business trends in 2026.

SMBs Are Trapped in a Pressure Gap

©iStock/Giuseppe Ramos

Bookipi study finds that SMBs are feeling the squeeze from rising supplier costs, late payments, reduced demand, and fear of climbing prices.

Small businesses worldwide are facing a widening financial "pressure gap" due to global instability, according to a new global survey from Bookipi, a global platform offering a comprehensive suite of AI-powered business management tools tailored for small businesses (SMBs) and solopreneurs. 

Tariffs, inflation, geopolitical instability, and trade tensions are driving costs higher, making customers more cautious, delaying payments, and prompting small business owners to hesitate before raising prices to protect profits.

A New 50% Tariff On Canadian Imports Set to Begin In 30 Days

©iStock/Marc Bruxelle

Is this tariff really about the wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada? Your guess is as good as mine. We'll have to wait and see – punishment seems to be the modus operandi of the current US administration.

Trump cited Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a law that allows a president to tariff goods up to 50% without congressional approval when a country is believed to be discriminating against American goods.

Here's the key:  The law has never been applied this way.

The new import levies are a response to alleged discrimination against American motor vehicles, alcohol and dairy, an official said.

Today in Global Small Business: When AI Builds Itself

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• When AI builds itself.
• AI for small business – by SBA.
• 10 ways small businesses can use AI to grow.
• Quote of the week:  “AI is a mirror, reflecting our intellect and our values." – Ravi Narayanan
• Small business and AI adoption.
• America’s enterprising spirit is booming after decades-long slump.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement! 

Happiness Is ...

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands." – Japanese Proverb

Every Household Needs This: The Original Honey Hat™

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Love this product and the people behind it – Sarah Purdy and Laurie Aquilina – who are even more amazing.  The Original Honey Hat™ is a joy-inducing new kitchen gadget that catches honey bear and syrup bottle drips to help eliminate sticky messes for good. 

Check it out!

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement!

Inflation Remains a Danger to the U.S. Economy

©iStock/Khanchit Khirisutchalual

Inflation remains a danger to the U.S. economy, so enjoy the good news when you can. That includes data released this week showing that both consumer and producer prices are flattening a bit.

Also encouraging is that the producer-price index released Wednesday (7/15/26) pointed in the right direction. Wholesale prices fell 0.3% month-on-month in June, firmly on a downward trend after a recent peak in April and again led by energy-price declines. Producer prices are often a harbinger of changes that eventually feed through to CPI. 

Read more here.

Tariffs and the Impact on Small Business, Manufacturing, and Supply Chains

©iStock/Andranik Hakobyan

What's the likelihood that small businesses will see tariff relief any time soon?  

Given the Trump Administration’s aggressive response to the Supreme Court’s decision, in which he promised to maintain or increase tariffs on importers of foreign goods using other sections of the Trade Act of 1974, it seems unlikely that material tariff relief for small businesses is coming soon.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement! 

Tariffs Have Been Particularly Costly for Global Small Businesses

©iStock/PapaBear

Summary:  The Federal Reserve reports that small businesses were less likely to be able to avoid tariff costs during 2025 and are more pessimistic about employment and revenue in 2026. 

Small businesses were "particularly challenged by higher tariffs in 2025," reports the Federal Reserve of New York, drawing on last year's annual Small Business Credit Survey.

Most small businesses in the Federal Reserve survey said they responded to higher costs by increasing prices for consumers. Looking ahead, small business owners expressed "greater pessimism about generating employment and revenues in 2026" due to the tariffs.

Tariffs aren't saving American manufacturing or helping Main Street businesses. They are a burden, and the evidence shows that small employers are particularly vulnerable.

Today in Global Small Business: $4 Almond Butter In the U.S. Matters

©iStock/LindasPhotography

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• How Aldi is taking on U.S. supermarkets with its $4 almond butter (requires subscription).
• Foreign policy hawk South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, dies at 71.
• Trump's verbal flubs are piling up.
• Quote of the week:  “Almond butter is an affordable and easy nutritional powerhouse,” explains Lee Cotton, R.D., author of A Nourishing Perspective.
• Driving global growth through the power of small business.
• AI presents a major opportunity for small businesses but support is needed.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement! 

From the Journal of Gospel Music to The New York Times: Congrats to Bob Marovich!

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Congratulations to Bob M. Marovich, founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Gospel Music for writing such a magnificent article for the global edition of the New York Times, "CeCe Winans Revisits the Simple Power of Worship Music."

Best known for contemporary stylings of praise music that topped charts across genres, CeCe Winans put her new album of pared-down sacred music, 'The Hymns,' back atop the gospel charts.

Magnificent article and well worth a read.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement!