Learning basic AI skills such as prompt engineering, machine learning, or data literacy is the best insurance to shortcut your competitiveness against people who might have more experience with AI. It's not just programmers and engineers experimenting with these tools.

What were the hottest issues discussed by small business owners to lawmakers during the event? The Corporate Transparency Act. A big movement by small business owners to get that repealed and the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, would stop the massive tax hike on small businesses. To learn more NFIB.com

Favorable performance of podcast advertising: marketers are increasing their investments in podcast advertising, of course, and perhaps you should be too. For every dollar spent, marketers saw 4.2 times the lift in sales. Podcast advertising is 34% more effective in driving brand awareness compared to other media types.

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

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.

To learn more about the program and apply, go to incbestinbusiness.com

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.

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.

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 sites to find brands and products of interest.

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