Main Street

The three million businesses that line the main streets and side streets of the local economies. These businesses are diverse and include retail shops, small grocery stores, personal services such as hair and nail salons and spas, hardware stores, local contractors, restaurants, trade services such as plumbers and electricians, and small manufacturers and wholesalers. The health of these businesses is directly related to the health of the local economies in which they operate, which is why their success is vital to the communities they serve.

Main Street Retailers Rethink Their Inflation-Fighting Strategies 
Main Street Retailers Rethink Their Inflation-Fighting Strategies 
April 12, 2023  |  SMBs

Change is hard, especially when it comes to making money. However, the main method small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have so far been using to fight off...

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76% of Main Street Businesses Would Run Out of Cash In 60 Days, Study Finds
76% of Main Street Businesses Would Run Out of Cash In 60 Days, Study Finds
April 12, 2023  |  SMBs

Even as the economic outlook of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) has improved somewhat, 59% still believe we will go through a recession in the...

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Banks’ Lending Squeeze May Hit Small Businesses Hardest
Banks’ Lending Squeeze May Hit Small Businesses Hardest
April 12, 2023  |  Loans

Driven by interest rates that, at least for the near future, the Fed hints will continue to rise, banks have reported the market value of issued...

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Wage Growth Signals Pain Ahead for Main Street’s Small Businesses
Wage Growth Signals Pain Ahead for Main Street’s Small Businesses
April 07, 2023  |  Economy

For Main Street small businesses, the margin pressure will continue. Government data on the labor market released Friday (April 7) show that U.S. hiring backed...

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Small Businesses Slow Hiring Amid Uncertain Consumer Demand
Small Businesses Slow Hiring Amid Uncertain Consumer Demand
April 05, 2023  |  Economy

Main Street businesses are pulling back on hiring. Preparing, perhaps, for the impact of a pullback in consumer spending that’s already in motion. The logic...

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As Suppliers Hike Costs, Small Businesses Set Sights on BNPL to Pay
As Suppliers Hike Costs, Small Businesses Set Sights on BNPL to Pay
February 16, 2023  |  B2B Payments

As wholesale prices continue to rise, BNPL could prove a lifeline for small businesses. That is especially true for Main Street small businesses, the backbone...

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Consumer Spending Rebound May Spark Main Street Retailers’ Digital Makeover
Consumer Spending Rebound May Spark Main Street Retailers’ Digital Makeover
February 15, 2023  |  SMBs

January’s retail figures caused a collective sigh of relief, hinting we may be turning an economic corner.  The 3% consumer spending surge felt especially sharp after November...

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Inflation Forces Consumers to Rethink Smartphone, Subscription, Grocery Purchases
Inflation Forces Consumers to Rethink Smartphone, Subscription, Grocery Purchases
February 02, 2023  |  Economy

Maybe the customer was right all along in reacting cautiously to the news of easing inflation. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday (Jan. 30) that...

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PYMNTS Data Pegs Two-Year Bite of Inflation at 13.5%
PYMNTS Data Pegs Two-Year Bite of Inflation at 13.5%
January 25, 2023  |  Economy

The worst is over for inflation, and the impact of rising prices will recede. Not by a long shot. The long-term perspective tells us otherwise....

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