small.desk The newsroom of small.news, providing concise, fact-checked updates on the biggest developments impacting small businesses—locally and globally. Is something happening in your community that you think we should cover? Contact us at smallnews@silversmallbusiness.com. Main Street Under Siege: How Northern Ontario’s Independent Retailers Can Fight Back Small businesses in Thunder Bay, Dryden, Kenora, and across Northern Ontario now face a retail landscape transformed by COVID-19, online shopping, Amazon, big-box delivery, and ultra-low-price platforms like Temu, reports NetNewsLedger. Read more May 11, 2026May 10, 2026 Local Markets No Longer Enough: Small Businesses Urged to Test Foreign Demand More small businesses are expanding abroad—not just out of ambition, but due to pressures at home, reports DailyNewsHungary. Read more May 11, 2026May 10, 2026 Tax Overhaul Pushes Russian SMEs to the Brink as Revenue Collections Collapse Russia’s small business sector faces severe strain after sweeping tax changes took effect in early 2026, with survey data showing sharp declines in profitability, reports The Moscow Times. Read more May 4, 2026May 1, 2026 America’s Small Business Week Returns with Free Virtual Summit and Nationwide Celebrations For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, reports Traders Union. Read more May 4, 2026May 4, 2026 The World Cup Is Coming: Canadian Small Business Owners’ Window To Cash In Is Closing Fast With the world’s largest sporting event landing in North America in just seven weeks, your business faces a unique, time-sensitive opportunity: prepare now to capture the incoming crowds and revenue, reports BusinessWire. Read more April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 The World Bank Has a New Plan, And Your Business Is at the Center of It If you run a small business in a small country, you know the risks. A storm wipes out your stock. Fuel prices spike and margins collapse. Tourist bookings stop overnight. Read more April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 Black Women Lead Small Business Training Program With 400+ Graduates Over Five Years A small business training initiative graduated over 400 owners, mostly Black women starting new ventures, across 17 cohorts in five years. However, many participants still cannot assess whether their businesses are earning more, according to the program’s five-year impact report. Read more April 20, 2026April 20, 2026 Philippine SMEs Ride a Wave of Confidence Into 2026 Building on these positive indicators, Philippine small businesses are entering 2026 on a high note, according to CPA Australia’s latest Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey. Read more April 20, 2026April 16, 2026 Taiwan Small Businesses Hit Five-Year High in Confidence Record-high confidence is sweeping through Taiwan’s small businesses as they enter 2026, fueled by rapid AI adoption and better access to financing. Read more April 13, 2026March 31, 2026 Ontario Budget’s Small Business Tax Cut Draws Mixed Reactions Ontario’s 2026 budget puts small businesses at the center of its economic strategy by introducing tax cuts and new investment measures to boost growth, reports CTV News. Read more April 13, 2026March 31, 2026 Illinois Minimum Wage Proposal Sparks Concern Among Small Businesses 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 March 30, 2026March 26, 2026 Late Payments Threaten Australian SMBs as Payday Super Deadline Looms 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 March 30, 2026March 26, 2026 New York City Launches $80M Fund to Expand Small Business Lending New York City unveiled an $80 million loan fund to give small businesses new financing options amid difficult bank access, according to NYC.gov and SILive. Read more March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 Africa’s Small Businesses Drive Growth as South Africa Pushes Reform Small businesses across Africa generate jobs, drive economic growth, and fuel innovation, despite facing persistent obstacles. Read more March 23, 2026March 20, 2026 Program Expands Support to Help Mexican Small Businesses Go Green A major sustainability initiative is intensifying efforts to help Mexican micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) become more environmentally responsible while boosting business performance, reported by Mexico Business News. Read more March 16, 2026March 15, 2026 European Small Businesses Say Bureaucracy Is Holding Back Growth Small business owners across Europe say excessive bureaucracy and complex EU rules are stifling small business growth, according to Amazon news. Read more March 16, 2026March 15, 2026 Canada & US Trade Tensions Strain Small Business Relationships Canadian small businesses increasingly view the United States as an unreliable trading partner one year into the ongoing tariff dispute, according to a new study from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), reported by Bloomberg and Global News. Read more March 9, 2026March 7, 2026 Australia Considers Legal Right to Work From Home, Sparking Small Business Backlash Workers in the Australian state of Victoria could soon have a legal right to work from home two days a week, under legislation proposed by Premier Jacinta Allan, according to The Guardian. Read more March 9, 2026March 7, 2026 Tax Reforms Offering Needed Relief For Small Businesses in South Africa South Africa’s 2026 national budget delivers targeted tax relief for small businesses, as stronger-than-expected revenue collection allows the government to ease pressure on SMEs without introducing new broad-based tax increases, according to IOL. Read more March 2, 2026February 27, 2026 Small Businesses Still Dealing With Damage From Tariffs, Despite US Supreme Court Ruling Despite releasing a bit of pressure, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on tariffs still leaves small businesses feeling uncertain. Read more March 2, 2026February 28, 2026 Mexican Microfinance Boosted with EUR 4 Million Loan to SOFIPA Triodos Investment Management has provided a EUR 4 million senior debt facility to SOFIPA, further strengthening financial inclusion efforts for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico, reports TMI. Read more February 23, 2026February 20, 2026 United Kingdom Interest Rates Discourage Small Businesses From Lending: Report Stephen Dial, co-founder of Charles Grey Menswear, recently expanded his business to supply 90 retailers across the UK and Ireland in just over two years, according to The Times. But fueling that growth came at a cost. Read more February 23, 2026February 20, 2026 Proposed Tax Credit Could Extend Pension Coverage To Many Small Business Employees in Canada A proposed tax credit for small employers could help extend pension coverage to millions of Canadians currently saving for retirement on their own, according to a new paper from the CD Howe Institute. Read more February 16, 2026February 13, 2026 India-Based Company Tally Modernizes SME Platform India-based software firm Tally Solutions has reduced IT infrastructure costs while improving performance, scalability, and security for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a report by IT News Asia. Read more February 16, 2026February 13, 2026 Australian Small Businesses Must Be Careful With Customer Data Amid More Strict Privacy Laws: Report Australian small business owners are being urged to take more responsibility for how they collect and handle customer data, even during face-to-face conversations, said Bitdefender. Read more February 9, 2026February 8, 2026 United States Green Card Holders Set To Lose Access To SBA Loans The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will end access to SBA-backed loans for green card holders starting March 1, 2026, The Economist Times stated. Read more February 9, 2026February 8, 2026 Canadian Small Businesses Concerned as Coffee Prices Continue to Rise Due to Inflation The cost of coffee in Canada is continuing to increase as inflation remains a problem, according to CTV News. Read more February 2, 2026January 31, 2026 South African Economy Could Be Experiencing Steady Recovery: Report New data reported by New data in Cape Business News suggests the country may be entering a slow but steady recovery Read more February 2, 2026January 31, 2026 Southern California Small Businesses struggling under ICE raids, tariffs: Survey Small businesses in Orange County, California, are feeling “overwhelming economic pain” from President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the ongoing ICE raids, according to a survey from UC Irvine. Read more January 26, 2026January 23, 2026 Lending to UK Small Businesses Needs to Expand: Labour Backbenchers Senior Labour backbenchers are asking the United Kingdom government to create legislation that will force banks in the country to expand affordable lending to small business owners and those in low-income neighborhoods. Read more January 26, 2026January 23, 2026
Main Street Under Siege: How Northern Ontario’s Independent Retailers Can Fight Back Small businesses in Thunder Bay, Dryden, Kenora, and across Northern Ontario now face a retail landscape transformed by COVID-19, online shopping, Amazon, big-box delivery, and ultra-low-price platforms like Temu, reports NetNewsLedger. Read more May 11, 2026May 10, 2026
Local Markets No Longer Enough: Small Businesses Urged to Test Foreign Demand More small businesses are expanding abroad—not just out of ambition, but due to pressures at home, reports DailyNewsHungary. Read more May 11, 2026May 10, 2026
Tax Overhaul Pushes Russian SMEs to the Brink as Revenue Collections Collapse Russia’s small business sector faces severe strain after sweeping tax changes took effect in early 2026, with survey data showing sharp declines in profitability, reports The Moscow Times. Read more May 4, 2026May 1, 2026
America’s Small Business Week Returns with Free Virtual Summit and Nationwide Celebrations For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has celebrated National Small Business Week, reports Traders Union. Read more May 4, 2026May 4, 2026
The World Cup Is Coming: Canadian Small Business Owners’ Window To Cash In Is Closing Fast With the world’s largest sporting event landing in North America in just seven weeks, your business faces a unique, time-sensitive opportunity: prepare now to capture the incoming crowds and revenue, reports BusinessWire. Read more April 27, 2026April 27, 2026
The World Bank Has a New Plan, And Your Business Is at the Center of It If you run a small business in a small country, you know the risks. A storm wipes out your stock. Fuel prices spike and margins collapse. Tourist bookings stop overnight. Read more April 27, 2026April 27, 2026
Black Women Lead Small Business Training Program With 400+ Graduates Over Five Years A small business training initiative graduated over 400 owners, mostly Black women starting new ventures, across 17 cohorts in five years. However, many participants still cannot assess whether their businesses are earning more, according to the program’s five-year impact report. Read more April 20, 2026April 20, 2026
Philippine SMEs Ride a Wave of Confidence Into 2026 Building on these positive indicators, Philippine small businesses are entering 2026 on a high note, according to CPA Australia’s latest Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey. Read more April 20, 2026April 16, 2026
Taiwan Small Businesses Hit Five-Year High in Confidence Record-high confidence is sweeping through Taiwan’s small businesses as they enter 2026, fueled by rapid AI adoption and better access to financing. Read more April 13, 2026March 31, 2026
Ontario Budget’s Small Business Tax Cut Draws Mixed Reactions Ontario’s 2026 budget puts small businesses at the center of its economic strategy by introducing tax cuts and new investment measures to boost growth, reports CTV News. Read more April 13, 2026March 31, 2026
Illinois Minimum Wage Proposal Sparks Concern Among Small Businesses 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 March 30, 2026March 26, 2026
Late Payments Threaten Australian SMBs as Payday Super Deadline Looms 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 March 30, 2026March 26, 2026
New York City Launches $80M Fund to Expand Small Business Lending New York City unveiled an $80 million loan fund to give small businesses new financing options amid difficult bank access, according to NYC.gov and SILive. Read more March 23, 2026March 23, 2026
Africa’s Small Businesses Drive Growth as South Africa Pushes Reform Small businesses across Africa generate jobs, drive economic growth, and fuel innovation, despite facing persistent obstacles. Read more March 23, 2026March 20, 2026
Program Expands Support to Help Mexican Small Businesses Go Green A major sustainability initiative is intensifying efforts to help Mexican micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) become more environmentally responsible while boosting business performance, reported by Mexico Business News. Read more March 16, 2026March 15, 2026
European Small Businesses Say Bureaucracy Is Holding Back Growth Small business owners across Europe say excessive bureaucracy and complex EU rules are stifling small business growth, according to Amazon news. Read more March 16, 2026March 15, 2026
Canada & US Trade Tensions Strain Small Business Relationships Canadian small businesses increasingly view the United States as an unreliable trading partner one year into the ongoing tariff dispute, according to a new study from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), reported by Bloomberg and Global News. Read more March 9, 2026March 7, 2026
Australia Considers Legal Right to Work From Home, Sparking Small Business Backlash Workers in the Australian state of Victoria could soon have a legal right to work from home two days a week, under legislation proposed by Premier Jacinta Allan, according to The Guardian. Read more March 9, 2026March 7, 2026
Tax Reforms Offering Needed Relief For Small Businesses in South Africa South Africa’s 2026 national budget delivers targeted tax relief for small businesses, as stronger-than-expected revenue collection allows the government to ease pressure on SMEs without introducing new broad-based tax increases, according to IOL. Read more March 2, 2026February 27, 2026
Small Businesses Still Dealing With Damage From Tariffs, Despite US Supreme Court Ruling Despite releasing a bit of pressure, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on tariffs still leaves small businesses feeling uncertain. Read more March 2, 2026February 28, 2026
Mexican Microfinance Boosted with EUR 4 Million Loan to SOFIPA Triodos Investment Management has provided a EUR 4 million senior debt facility to SOFIPA, further strengthening financial inclusion efforts for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico, reports TMI. Read more February 23, 2026February 20, 2026
United Kingdom Interest Rates Discourage Small Businesses From Lending: Report Stephen Dial, co-founder of Charles Grey Menswear, recently expanded his business to supply 90 retailers across the UK and Ireland in just over two years, according to The Times. But fueling that growth came at a cost. Read more February 23, 2026February 20, 2026
Proposed Tax Credit Could Extend Pension Coverage To Many Small Business Employees in Canada A proposed tax credit for small employers could help extend pension coverage to millions of Canadians currently saving for retirement on their own, according to a new paper from the CD Howe Institute. Read more February 16, 2026February 13, 2026
India-Based Company Tally Modernizes SME Platform India-based software firm Tally Solutions has reduced IT infrastructure costs while improving performance, scalability, and security for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a report by IT News Asia. Read more February 16, 2026February 13, 2026
Australian Small Businesses Must Be Careful With Customer Data Amid More Strict Privacy Laws: Report Australian small business owners are being urged to take more responsibility for how they collect and handle customer data, even during face-to-face conversations, said Bitdefender. Read more February 9, 2026February 8, 2026
United States Green Card Holders Set To Lose Access To SBA Loans The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will end access to SBA-backed loans for green card holders starting March 1, 2026, The Economist Times stated. Read more February 9, 2026February 8, 2026
Canadian Small Businesses Concerned as Coffee Prices Continue to Rise Due to Inflation The cost of coffee in Canada is continuing to increase as inflation remains a problem, according to CTV News. Read more February 2, 2026January 31, 2026
South African Economy Could Be Experiencing Steady Recovery: Report New data reported by New data in Cape Business News suggests the country may be entering a slow but steady recovery Read more February 2, 2026January 31, 2026
Southern California Small Businesses struggling under ICE raids, tariffs: Survey Small businesses in Orange County, California, are feeling “overwhelming economic pain” from President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the ongoing ICE raids, according to a survey from UC Irvine. Read more January 26, 2026January 23, 2026
Lending to UK Small Businesses Needs to Expand: Labour Backbenchers Senior Labour backbenchers are asking the United Kingdom government to create legislation that will force banks in the country to expand affordable lending to small business owners and those in low-income neighborhoods. Read more January 26, 2026January 23, 2026