💵 Small businesses are feeling better about their own businesses

The latest U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index has some encouraging news heading into Q4. 71% of small businesses say their business is in good health, and 72% say they’re comfortable with their cash flow. The overall index climbed four points in Q3 to 70.5. Inflation remains a concern, but owners appear increasingly confident about what’s happening inside their own businesses. 

For me, that makes our 90-day challenge especially timely. If your business is on solid footing, what could you do differently over the next three months to make it even stronger going into 2027?

🛍️ Customers are spending, but there’s a catch

Consumer spending increased 0.9% in August, with spending picking up on vehicles, restaurants, and clothing. That's encouraging heading toward the holiday season, but consumers are also dealing with higher prices for necessities, and the personal savings rate fell from 4.6% to 4.1%.

For small business owners, the mixed picture is worth watching: customers are still spending, but they may be increasingly selective about where those dollars go.

💰 October brings new small business grant opportunities

A new roundup highlights several grant opportunities available to small businesses this month, including a $5,000 grant opportunity from Shophand and other programs accepting applications on a rolling basis. 

With costs continuing to pressure small businesses, October might be a good time to see whether there's funding available for something you've been planning to tackle anyway.

🤖 AI Prompt: Find your 90-Day move

Copy and paste this prompt into your favorite AI tool:

🌱 Prosper: Make the Decision

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Instead of making a big commitment to doing something differently forever, treat the next three months like an experiment.

Pick one idea you’ve been considering and give yourself until Dec. 31 to test it.

Maybe you try a new way to follow up with leads. Change your pricing. Introduce a referral program. Stop offering a service that takes more than it gives back. Block off one morning a week for sales. Or hand off something you’ve always done yourself.

Before you start, write down two things:

What am I going to do differently?
How will I know if it worked?

Then test it for 90 days.

You’re not deciding what your business has to do forever. 

You’re giving yourself three months to find out whether doing something differently makes a difference.

What’s one thing you’ve been saying you’ll do “when you have time”?

Take 10 minutes today and do the first step.

Don’t build the whole referral program. Write down what the offer could be.
Don’t overhaul your pricing. Pull up your current price list.
Don’t create an entire marketing campaign. Draft the first message.
Don’t fix the whole process. Write down where it keeps getting stuck.

You don’t need to finish it today. You just need to stop putting off the start.

Three months from now, you might be glad you spent those 10 minutes.

Three months doesn’t feel like much time until you look backward.

Think about where your business was 90 days ago. How many customers have you talked to since then? 

How many orders have you filled, problems have you solved, decisions have you made, or hours have you worked?

A lot happens in three months. We just don’t always notice it because we’re living it one day at a time.

That’s why 90 days can be enough time to make a meaningful difference. Small decisions add up over time.

The trick isn’t changing everything.

It’s deciding which change deserves the next 90 days.

Rayanne Harmon

Senior Small Business Writer and Entrepreneur

Rayanne Harmon is an entrepreneur and finance professional with decades of experience building businesses while working in banking, accounting, and business finance. Inspired by a family of entrepreneurs, she successfully owned and operated a photography studio for 20 years before launching a social media marketing agency dedicated to helping small businesses grow. Through Small Business Insider, Rayanne shares practical advice, real-world insights, and actionable strategies to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting, managing, and growing a successful business.

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