Generative AI Could Boost Creativity, But Only For Some

©iStock/Volodymyr Kryshtal

The new data, in “How and For Whom Using Generative AI Affects Creativity: A Field Experiment,” was recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. For the study, the researchers conducted an experiment to find out exactly who is getting a creative boost from the technology and why. 

Some are getting it but there's a catch.

90% of U.S. Tariffs Are Paid For by Importers or Consumers

©iStock/Yau Ming Low

Robert Krol is an emeritus professor of economics at California State University, Northridge/InsideSources.

He writes, "Despite the president’s claim that foreign exporters are paying the tariffs, research shows that at least 90% of U.S. tariffs are paid for by importers or consumers. The tariff bill has tripled over the last year for these smaller businesses. This results in a tariff bill that is $25,000 higher per month for the average small- and medium-size business."

Here he talks more about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the president's decision to not extend it, and the impact on small- and medium-size businesses. 

Success On Her Terms (SoHT) with Laura Neiman (8/11/26)

©2026 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

"Success On Her Terms" (SoHT) is a dynamic four-part series presented by Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® and in collaboration with Merrill Lynch's Baldwin Marcovici Group.  This is the 4th installment of a four-part series.

Loving this series? Even better news – Season 2, a brand-new 4-part series, launches this November. Want first access when registration opens?  Drop a note to me (main blog page to the right) and I'll make sure you're first to know.

SoHT is designed to spotlight high-potential, growth-stage women entrepreneurs who share their personal journeys and offer actionable insights on how to align purpose, people, and profit while building and scaling a business.

Join us for the virtual *4th session* – Ensuring Your Legacy Evolves With You – on Tuesday, August 11th at 11 AM CT with Laura Neiman, President and CEO of Neiman Brothers Company, Inc., a manufacturer, importer and distributor of food products.

Laura Neiman represents the third generation of her family who is dedicated to growing and continuing the 100+ year old business that manufactures, processes and distributes a full line of ingredients. She has been instrumental in driving the development and expansion into complementary categories as she has cultivated new opportunities in the ever-changing food industry.

What's in it for you?

📌 Walk away with one concrete takeaway: how to build a business – and a legacy – that keeps evolving instead of standing still.

To learn more and to register (free of charge) for Program 4 in this exciting series, visit:

https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/programs/success-on-her-terms/ 

It's a LIVE event and moderated by Alexandra Didac, CPWA®, CRPC™, CEPA®, whose wealth planning expertise will shape a conversation on what "legacy" really means for a growing business.

See you there!

It's Never Too Late to Change the Playbook For Your Image

©iStock/tupungato

Bernard Arnault has spent decades carefully cultivating the image of some of the world’s most sought after brands, from Louis Vuitton to Dior. Now the LVMH chief is changing tactics when it comes to his own. 

The billionaire published an acerbic open letter attacking one of France’s top newspapers on Sunday, taking aim at a six-part examination of his political connections, media ownership and the question of who will eventually succeed him at the top of his luxury empire. On Monday, the 77-year-old took to social-media platform X for the first time to amplify his uncharacteristic missive.

The new approach comes as Arnault has grown increasingly frustrated with how he and his family are being portrayed.  

Admirers credit Arnault with turning brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior into global powerhouses and helping establish France as the dominant force in the luxury industry. As such, he has the right to exercise control over the use of his image and how he is portrayed.

Today in Global Small Business: Trump's Obsession With More and More Tariffs

©iStock/gguy44

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

• Tariffs are an obsession for President Trump, much as climate was for the Biden Administration. How else to explain his imposition of yet another round of border taxes three months before the November election despite their political unpopularity and economic harm?
• ChatGPT for small businesses.
• Latest tariff update(s) from Global-e.
• Quote of the week:  “The European Union questioned the new tariff, with its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling it a “negative surprise” and rejecting the forced labor claims as unfounded."
• How people are really using AI in 2026 (HBR).
• What's going to happen with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement?

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!  

The Advent of Motorola and the Car Radio

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Intrigued by the idea of portable radios, Paul and Joseph [Galvin] soon gravitated toward finding a solution for an affordable radio mounted in the car itself. In June 1930, the brothers enlisted the help of inventors Elmer Wavering and William Lear to retrofit Paul’s Studebaker with a radio. 

During the project, Paul and Joseph decided to rename their business to Motorola: “motor” for motor vehicle, and “ola,” which was derived from the company Victrola, the preeminent phonograph manufacturer, to evoke the idea of music.

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

©iStock/Tzido

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!

©iStock/proksima

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!

The Dismal Reality Is That Trump's Border Taxes are Raising Costs and ...

©iStock/AndreyPopov

The dismal reality is that Trump's border taxes are raising costs and have failed to usher in a manufacturing renaissance.

There’s no question his tariffs are raising costs for U.S. manufacturers. At the same time, foreign retaliation has hurt America’s farmers and depressed purchases of agriculture equipment. A slowdown in trade has also dented demand for semi-trucks.

Plus, the uncertainty hanging over the extension of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is delaying some investments since businesses don’t know what the trade rules or tariffs will be in a few years – or even tomorrow with Trump. 

Americans are unhappy. 

When 65 Days Isn't Enough: The Shelf-Life Squeeze on Shipping

©iStock/knowlesgallery

Some problems J.M. Smucker is facing when it bit (read that as buying Hostess) into the golden, creamy Hostess Twinkie are bedeviling other food makers. Snacking slowed as people cut discretionary spending, and weight-loss drugs and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement gained traction. U.S. snack sales by units are down 4% in the past four years, according to data from market-research firm NIQ. Sales of sweet snacks, generally, have dropped 17%, the data showed. 

Why did Smucker's $5 billion bet on the Twinkie flop?

Was it because of the 65-day shelf life? A blink of an eye compared to the shelf life of many core Smucker products – fruit spreads, canned coffee and dog food – which can last for at least a year. Was it changing consumer habits?  Could execution have played into the problems?  

Find out here.