Small businesses are contending with soaring import expenses, increasing payroll and health care costs, and a dearth of affordable loans, owners say. Workforce stress is also mounting, as employees' living expenses rise, "but no one is throwing in the towel," says Bryan Pate, whose San Diego company sells exercise equipment.

Marketing, financial management and sales are the three engines that power businesses that build wealth for owners, writes Melissa Houston, a certified public accountant. Each plays a critical role: marketing drives visibility and builds trust, sales converts attention into predictable revenue, and financial management ensures that profits are intentional and sustainable.

Pinterest Rich Pins offer a powerful but often overlooked way to boost organic traffic through content repurposing. Marketers can enhance their Pinterest Pins with Rich Pins that automatically pull metadata from their websites, adding titles and prices. Utilizing tools like Tailwind for automation can maintain the circulation of these Pins across multiple boards, resulting in sustained traffic over time. This approach is quick, cost-effective and has enabled businesses to elevate Pinterest as a leading organic channel, surpassing traditional platforms.

Holiday party budgets are seeing a notable boost this year, with 51% of workplace decision-makers increasing their spending compared to last year and 41% holding expenses steady, according to a report from ezCater. Eighty-two percent of employees say they're planning to attend corporate holiday festivities, a year after nearly two-thirds said they had stopped attending after-work events. Budgets for holiday parties have also increased by 13% as companies view the events as crucial to fostering stronger workplace relationships and improving employee morale.

The Small Business Administration has resumed processing loans after the end of the federal government shutdown, but a backlog remains because about 10,000 businesses were unable to access $5.3 billion in loans. In addition, the SBA has launched the Manufacturers' Access to Revolving Credit program, but concerns remain about lender participation and the overall pace of recovery, experts say.

Creative benefit management and continual employee education can help small-business owners control health care costs, which are expected to increase by 9.5% and exceed $17,000 per employee in 2026, writes Gene Marks, a small-business owner and financial consultant. Level-funded plans, Health Reimbursement Arrangements and the Small Business Health