Small Business (SMB) stories - Page 13

Security, privacy and data protection will command the biggest tech spend for Australian retail SMBs in 2026, ahead of AI and global growth.

OpenAI unveils an Australia-wide AI push, pairing a Sydney supercomputer campus with skills training and new startup support schemes.

OpenAI will levy a 4% fee on Shopify merchants for sales made via ChatGPT's integrated instant checkout from late January 2026.

CEFC commits up to AUD $60m so Hyundai Capital can cut loan rates on cheaper Hyundai and Kia EVs, targeting households and small firms.

Event planners in Australia and New Zealand face tighter budgets, faster turnarounds and lingering doubts over AI's place in their work.

20i unveils Twentie, an AI assistant embedded in its hosting platform, offering account-aware support, reports and analytics with unlimited use.

Asia-Pacific startup founders are growing older but no less ambitious, with most over 45 and four in ten still chasing unicorn valuations.

FOMO.ai has launched Hello Gordon, a voice-led AI interview tool that turns expert conversations into multi-format, search-ready content.

Xero rolls out a redesigned, widget-led homepage that surfaces real-time profit, cash flow and tasks in a custom view for each user.

AiDeliv's reverse-auction marketplace is slashing ocean freight for small importers to an average of USD $0.65 per kilo, data shows.

Avalara inks multi-year AWS deal to push its AI-driven tax tools via AWS Marketplace, promising simpler cloud procurement and billing.

Fingular taps Kilde for SGD $10m credit line to fund Southeast Asia expansion, ramping up Malaysia consumer lending under Tambadana.

Adyen partners with Raptor to embed payments into POS tools, promising smoother reconciliation and cross-channel reporting for APAC SMBs.

Xero broadens its App Store with new global integrations spanning finance, automation, CRM and sector-specific tools for key markets.

Australian employers are turning to market data to price new roles, while leaning on profit and internal pay bands for familiar positions.

Amazon Business has rolled out Spend Visibility in Australia, giving Business Prime members real-time dashboards to track corporate purchasing.

Xero begins phased rollout of rebuilt credit notes, offering a switchable new interface, stricter audit controls and manual save behaviour.

Online creators turn from volatile ad deals to subscriptions, affiliates and paid events, bringing bigger paydays but trickier tax demands.

AI platform Emergent raises USD $70m Series B from Khosla Ventures and SoftBank to speed global software creation for non-coders.

Accountants double down on everyday AI tools, as optimism stays high but scepticism, job fears and data security worries all intensify.