Small Business (SMB) stories

Intuit launches its AI-native Accountant Suite in Australia, promising to ease capacity strain and turn automation into a growth driver.

Manchester’s GBP £1.7bn Sister hub and Galway’s Platform94 sign a 12-month pact to ease cross-Irish Sea expansion for start-ups.

UK scale-up founders warn staff lack AI skills, with most slowing hiring and a third expecting job cuts within a year, Helm survey finds.

ECI opens registration for its 2026 Connect conference in Las Vegas, promising hands-on, practical AI guidance for everyday business use.

Global tech firms say Singapore’s Budget 2026 marks a shift from pilot projects to large-scale AI rollout and workforce-wide skills upgrades.

Tailor Brands now lets founders open business bank accounts as they form US LLCs, promising faster launches and integrated money tools.

UK refurbished PC sales nearly double as price-conscious buyers spur fastest growth in Europe and push second-life tech into the mainstream.

AI-fuelled ransomware hit record levels in 2025, with BlackFog warning that around 86% of attacks worldwide are never publicly disclosed.

Most Britons have never heard of new AI and marketing roles, with many dismissing titles like Belonging Manager and Empathy Engineer as fake.

Manchester’s mid-sized firms are stalling investment and expansion, citing volatile costs, policy shifts and tougher access to finance.

SOUTHSTART 2026 will bring OpenAI, Canva, Derek Sivers and Peter Helliar to Adelaide for a three-day tech, climate and culture forum.

Stratus Consulting Group sweeps top honours at the 2025 MYOB Acumatica Partner Awards, leading a strong field of ANZ partners in Melbourne.

Newo raises USD $25m to grow AI voice agents that answer calls for small businesses, after revenue doubled late 2025 amid rising demand.

Stress is costing Canadian small business owners 31 workdays a year, with many losing sleep, missing events and weighing up closing shop.

Peru’s largest microfinance lender Mibanco selects Temenos SaaS on Microsoft Azure to overhaul its core banking and speed digital services.

Emburse launches AI-powered Assurance tool to spot expense errors and fraud earlier, easing audit workloads and speeding reimbursements.

AI dominates Scottish boardroom talk, yet most organisations still lack clear strategies or ownership to turn enthusiasm into action.

Asendia unveils SendNow, a plug-in shipping platform to help Australian SME online sellers export up to 500 parcels a month worldwide.

Tradesman Saver launches Professional Saver brand to target IT and digital workers as it refreshes its image and eyes growth into 2026.

Intuit launches AI-native Accountant Suite in the UK, unifying practice management and client work for accounting and bookkeeping firms.