MainStreet Media

Main Street Briefing

News EN ↓ 55 episodes

Daily small business news in five minutes. Three stories every weekday morning, no filler — what happened, why it matters to your business, and what to watch. Covering tariffs, SBA loans, IRS rules, Federal Reserve moves, labor, and regulation through the lens of small business owners, independent operators, and main street operators who need to stay informed but don't have time to read everything. Monday through Friday. Part of Main Street Media.

Author

MainStreet Media

Episodes

AI stack ROI, Fed proposes lower debit fees, and National Small Business Week kicks off 01.05.2026 3:29

Small business AI adoption between 68-98%; a 10-tool stack runs ~$317/mo and saves 20+ hours and $500-2000/mo. The Fed proposed cutting the debit interchange cap from 21¢+5bps to 14¢+4bps, ~$3B/yr in merchant savings if finalized. National Small Business Week starts Sunday with the SBA Virtual Summit May 5-6.

Small biz carries hiring, wage growth cools, and BizScout raises a Series A 30.04.2026 3:32

ADP and Gusto show small businesses driving net job growth in March while medium and large businesses shed positions. Wage plans hit lowest level since July 2025. BizScout raised $5M to scale a marketplace for buying laundromats, HVAC shops, and other "boring" businesses.

Fed decision day, SBA tightens citizenship rules, and NIH SBIR is back 29.04.2026 3:25

The FOMC announces at 2 PM ET — what to listen for in the statement language. The SBA expanded its US-citizens-only restriction to backed loans in April, affecting any business with a non-citizen 20%+ owner. NIH SBIR/STTR reauthorized for five years, restoring $1.3B in non-dilutive funding.

Fed week begins, NFIB optimism craters, and tariffs reshape inventory 28.04.2026 3:20

The FOMC kicks off a two-day meeting today with a hold expected at 3.5-3.75%. The NFIB optimism index dropped to 95.8 in March, below the 52-year average for the first time in a year. SMBs are extending inventory horizons to four months as tariffs become structural.

Tariff refunds, Visa fees, and the FDA traceability rule 27.04.2026 3:19

The CAPE refund portal opens but small businesses face structural disadvantage. Visa quietly hiked Level 2 small business credit fees and sunset the legacy program April 18. FSMA 204 enforcement is now landing on independents who thought paper records would suffice.