small.news: March 30, 2026 Marley Nonami Is Helping Teams Turn AI Into Real Impact small.storiesBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant As AI transforms industries, many professionals remain unsure how to harness its full potential. Marley Nonami was born to bridge that divide. Founded by Bethanie Nonami, the company empowers organizations to lay a strong strategic foundation and build the skills needed to weave AI into their daily work and flourish. Bethanie Nonami recognized a huge disconnect in how organizations prepared their teams for AI. The real challenge was not the technology, but the people: fostering new perspectives, encouraging strategic thinking, and nurturing essential skills. Read more → Top Stories The Geography of Opportunity: Why the Next Member of Your Team is in Africa small.worldBy Aaron Murphy, UK Country Manager of Talent Match Africa For generations, small businesses have thrived on invisible networks: the right handshake, the right alma mater, the right family connection to open doors. Gerard Holland, founder of Talent Match Africa, spent years in Australia helping international students break into this world. Then, in January 2020, one conversation turned his path—and his company’s purpose—upside down. He met Zondwa Mandela, who posed a challenging question. Read more → Illinois Minimum Wage Proposal Sparks Concern Among SMBs small.deskBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant A proposed minimum wage hike in Illinois is prompting alarm among small business owners, who say the plan could sharply increase costs and threaten the viability of smaller firms, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and NewsChannel20. Read more → Late Payments Threaten Australian SMBs as Payday Super Deadline Looms small.deskBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant Small businesses in Australia are on the brink of disaster as a sweeping payroll change collides with a dangerous surge in late payments, threatening their survival just as the Payday Super deadline draws near, according to eCommerceNews Australia. Read more → Why Many Small Business Owners Wait Too Long to Prepare for the Future small.adviceBy Becky Saroukos, Founder of Rockwood Falls Ventures Many small business owners become the center of everything in their companies. Decisions flow through them, customers rely on them, and critical knowledge often lives only in their heads. That level of involvement helps build a business. Read more → small.laughs By Dave Zaboski Disclaimer: All resemblances to any persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental and in no way meant to intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings. Keep laughing → The “Interesting” Box: The Invisible Barriers for MENA Female Founders small.opinionsBy Nourhan Sondok, Artist “When a Middle Eastern woman takes her entrepreneurial dreams abroad, the barriers do not vanish; they simply change shape. What once were local cultural limits become global biases and fresh stereotypes she must now navigate.” – Nourhan Sondok Chic Thompson on Creativity, AI, and the Future of Small Business Innovation small.talkBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant On Mar. 18, 2026, Chic Thompson, Founder of WagiLabs, joined our small.talk to explore how creativity—especially when inspired by children—can fuel small business innovation. Chic spoke with Silver Lining Founder and CEO Carissa Reiniger. Drawing from his journey through health challenges and innovation, he highlights the importance of brainstorming, adaptability, and embracing tools like AI. Read more → Thank You To Our Founding Sponsor!