WJR Business Beat

June is National Safety Month and the National Safety Council offers many valuable programs ranging from roadway safety information and courses to how to prevent simple slips, trips, and falls at work. Sign up to source critical information on how to make your place of work safer, go to nsc.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

Data from the National Restaurant Association shows America's restaurant's, fine dining to fast food, are doing fine, despite all the belt-tightening in other sectors of the economy. Revenues from dining out this year are expected to total over $1.1 trillion, setting a new record. Paying for quality experiences is something that American consumers are not slowing they're spending on. Hosted by Sim...

To learn more about the program and apply, go to incbestinbusiness.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why is Michigan doing so well in this business sector? Legal cannabis is comparatively cheap in MI, in contrast to how expensive it is in California. Michigan has taken a strong stand against illegal sales, and states surrounding MI do not currently have legal, recreational cannabis sales environments. Lastly, MI has one of the lowest cannabis tax rates in the country. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ads...

As consumers curb their spending, what do retailers need to know? For a positive bottom line bring back the sales, promotions, coupons, and all the rest as we get prepared to fight harder for every sale and give up more of that sale as consumers tighten their belts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

GWI Consumer Insights Platform says 36% of consumers still use search engines to find brands and products. However, Gen Zers (ages 16 to 26) are less likely than the average consumer to rely on manual search engines. 31% of Gen Zs say they rely most on AI platforms and chatbots to find information on the internet. 52% of US internet users ages 16 plus last year said they use retail e-commerce site...

US Small Business Administration plans to unveil new government backed credit lines of up to $5 million for small businesses. This new lending product is aimed to increase access to simpler working capital lines to increase sales, support operations, and grow their businesses. Business owners interested in learning more and/or applying for the program should go to the SBA website at sba.gov Hosted...

Cox Business commissioned a blind survey of 502 US based small business owners and asked them, how do you feel about AI in the workplace? The data clearly shows small and medium sized businesses are actually embracing AI, leveraging AI to boost productivity and enhance the customer experience. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...

US online retail spending posted a strong year in 2023 up nearly 20%. One of the fastest rising with $266 billion in total spend is online grocery purchases making up 20% of all online spending. Next biggest online spending, apparel and accessories at $204B in total spend. Together groceries and apparel account for roughly 36% of all digital commerce spending. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp...

National Retail Federation report: In 2024, people plan to spend around $6.1 That means people are buying graduation gifts this year at a pace of $117 each. 52% plan to gift in cash, 33% on prepaid gift cards, 15% on apparel items, and 13% on electronics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...

SBAM's entrepreneurship scorecard is a comprehensive assessment of how Michigan's entrepreneurial economy is performing: Michigan continues to rank in the top 10 for R and D and high-tech work. Jobs and sole proprietors have become more prevalent and job growth in the smaller employee categories has increased faster than the category of larger businesses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....

The Small Business Association of Michigan annual meeting is scheduled for June 13th at the Lansing Center in Lansing. Be there if you're a small business owner in the state of MI. The event designed to help small business owners maximize their time, obtain valuable resources, and new information they can put to work to help them make their businesses successful. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz c...

Women are the fastest growing segments of new small business owners, but they often lack access to funding and resources, a new grant program by H & R Block, known as the Fund Her Future Grant program is available. Deadline is May 26th. Learn more at blockadvisors.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

If you're looking for that extra edge in attracting and retaining customers and engaging them into action to buy from you, understand that brand alignment is centrally important to consumers. Survey from Ipsos shows 7 in 10 US adults, either strongly or somewhat agree, that they tend to buy from brands that reflect their personal values. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.ad...

The financial site Wealth of Geeks using data from Airbnb in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics compared average weekly salary data to the average cost per night of a short-term Airbnb rental and found the top 10 cities where renting out an Airbnb could earn a host the most, and in some cases, more than even half the salary they would make in a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ht...

Study from Pod Chaser, CEO's and senior executives are dedicated to the content of business, tech, and news that they consume on podcasts, which makes them beneficial to advertisers looking to connect w/ this audience. If you're looking for a way to reach CEOs, podcast advertising might be one of the better ways. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information...

Establish clear expectations and key performance metrics and tightly control the brand messaging you want the micro-influencer to extend when pitching your company or product. If you're a small business owner looking for a fresh way to generate interest and engagement in whatever it is that you sell, give micro-influencer campaigns a try. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.a...

Shalina Taka, Executive Director of PMG says, concerning the study's findings, it's 2024, but there is still a sense of lost time. People are making up for adventures that they postponed & people they haven't seen. The study makes clear, loyalty programs remain very important, especially when it comes to younger travelers w/ 58% of Gen Z consumers reporting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...

The initiative is part of Amazon's commitment to help small business owners during its annual small business month. As part of the grant program, Amazon will award one grand prize and 10 semi-finalist prizes, totaling more than $250,000. Small businesses that currently use Amazon Business and make a million or less in annual sales are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is May 24th. G...

Cast your vote to determine this year's winner. The final four: Amara Beauty Products, a certified woman & minority-owned business, specializing in natural or organic body scrubs. Harry Rich Clothier creates custom garments for individuals using fashion as a tool to inspire, liberate, & educate people to think beyond the status quo. Kana is a Pakistani-inspired food popup. Roller Skate Detroit pro...

Brian Calley, President and CEO of the Small Business Association of MI, "I think it has the potential to be more significant than any of the recent advancements. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to affect nearly everything but in much more profound ways. It's the idea of handling very complex decision-making, considering huge data sets, and that really does have the potential to impact e...

If you're a retailer and you rely heavily on sales for Mother's Day, switch, your focus from marketing to dads to actually marketing to moms. What's the overarching lesson here? As a retailer, you must know your buyer if you're going to be in business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising...

The social entrepreneurship competition in tourism is the first of its kind worldwide competition, application period is open until June 30th. To apply, go to social tourism competition.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant Program. Awards will be made to 5 young entrepreneurs who receive $2,000 plus free mentorship and business coaching advice from Merchant Maverick's CEO applications are open now through May 31st. To learn more and apply on behalf of your young entrepreneur, go to merchantmaverick.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Research from Acoustic conducted by Forrester highlights marketer's focus when it comes to data. They're focused on channel engagement data, web and mobile data, customer data, and real-time experience data. If you want to be in business today, you must put data to work in your strategy development. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col...