Small Business (SMB) stories

Xero expands its Canadian engineering footprint with a Vancouver hub focused on AI, the Accounting Engine and Anthropic integrations.

team.blue widens AI push with new tools for booking, compliance, website creation and data analysis across four brands.

Founders should treat lawyers less like transactional advisers and more like long-term partners who can shape confidence, reduce friction and support growth.

Stripe, PayPal, Adyen and Block are pushing into loyalty, lending and AI checkout tools as payment groups seek a bigger role in merchant commerce.

Markable opens free creator tier and adds AI shopping tools as it targets a fast-growing social commerce market.

Vodafone and Google Cloud widen their SMB push with new Gemini-based concierge and managed cyber defences, starting in Germany and Greece.

Temenos and Bain warn banks that cloud, AI and stablecoins will reshape competition, with core modernisation now key to growth.

Managed service providers can boost renewals and upsell revenue by turning hidden security work into clear, customer-ready reports that prove value.

World IP Day spotlights how sports brands' trademark wars, NFT disputes and licensing fights underpin billions in commercial value.

Temenos and Bain warn that banks must modernise core systems, governed data and cloud architecture as AI, stablecoins and personalisation gather pace.

Thrive widens post-Abacode push with managed compliance service for firms facing tougher rules and cyber risk.

Everywhen warns businesses and consumers to check web addresses, padlocks and browser alerts as fake sites fuel rising cyber fraud risk.

Acronis rolls out GenAI Protection for managed service providers to spot shadow AI, curb data leakage and block prompt injection.

Float rolls out AI-driven transaction coding for Canadian businesses, aiming to cut month-end admin with HST, GST and PST automation.

Xero rolls out AI-powered business health scorecards as 4.6 million subscribers gain deeper KPI tracking, cash flow forecasts and sharing tools.

Wagepoint hires Alexander Gonçalves to lead sales and marketing as the Canadian payroll software firm intensifies its growth push for small businesses.

Edmonton firms win CAD $8.4 million tariff aid as PrairiesCan backs automation, hiring and export expansion to shield jobs from trade shocks.

Intuit's QuickBooks is under pressure as AI start-ups push automated bookkeeping, forcing accounting software to prove it can do more than digitise ledgers.

Xero unveils AI-native finance platform and JAX assistant to cut admin for small firms, with accountants and bookkeepers also in line for gains.

ESET survey finds North American SMBs increasingly buying cyber cover, with insurers shaping controls and managed detection services after repeated breaches.