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Have a Black Friday or Cyber Monday offer worth sharing? Get your brand in front of The Neuron's 700,000 subscribers with a sponsored spot in its special Black Friday edition. Let's talk!

🍋 Grab a sparkling limeade. Let's talk about standing out when your marketing budget is running on fumes.  

Have you ever watched an influencer promote a business and thought, That would be great, but who's got the budget for that?

Here's a thought. What if you don't need to hire an influencer? What if the best person to promote your business is already on the payroll?

YOU!

Nobody knows your business, your customers, or what makes your products special better than you do. And sometimes, the things that make your business unique are exactly what people want to see. You don't need a professional camera crew or a big advertising budget. A smartphone, a little creativity, a social media strategy, and a willingness to put yourself out there can go a long way.

And if you're wondering whether an ordinary business owner can really become their own influencer, wait until you meet the taco shop owner in this week's Small Business Spotlight.

Of course, coming up with fresh content isn't always easy when you're juggling everything else that comes with running a business. That's where AI can help you brainstorm video ideas, write scripts, and plan social media posts. If you want to put AI to work on your marketing, The Neuron Academy offers practical, self-paced courses covering prompting, research, content creation, and building useful workflows.

What do tacos, skincare, and social media influencers have in common? Apparently, quite a lot if you ask the owner of Lahaina Tacos.

When the taco shop couldn't afford to hire an influencer, the owner decided to become one himself. And let's just say his approach to marketing is anything but traditional.

Instead of the usual close-ups of delicious food, he started creating hilarious influencer-style skits featuring tacos. Think beauty tutorials where tacos double as skincare products and exfoliating treatments. Because who needs a fancy facial scrub when you've got a perfectly good taco?

The joke caught on. His account grew to more than 37,000 followers, proving that sometimes the best marketing strategy is simply being willing to make people laugh.

And here's what I love about this story. He didn't need an expensive production team, a celebrity endorsement, or a complicated marketing campaign. He took something he already had, added a healthy dose of humor, and gave people a reason to pay attention.

The takeaway? You don't have to take yourself too seriously to take your business seriously. Sometimes a little personality is exactly what your marketing needs.

86% of businesses hit a financial turning point. 14% think about quitting; 67% come out stronger.

Join live as two entrepreneurs talk about the month that tested them, how it changed them as owners, and the practices they think every business should be using. Hosted by Mike Michalowicz.

🤖 AI is finding small businesses, but recommending the big guys

Here's an interesting twist in the world of AI shopping. New research found that small retailers appear in AI shopping citations nearly as often as large chains, with each accounting for roughly 38% of sources. But when AI assistants recommend where to buy, big retailers get about 2.5 times as many top recommendations.

For small businesses trying to get noticed online, that distinction matters. Being found by AI is one thing. Getting AI to recommend your business is another.

🎁 Holiday shoppers are spending more, but hunting for deals

This holiday shopping season is shaping up to be an interesting one. According to Deloitte's 2026 Holiday Retail Survey, shoppers expect to spend an average of $1,654 this holiday season, up 4% from last year. But 38% are considered value seekers, actively looking for promotions, rewards, and other ways to stretch their budgets.

For small businesses, that could mean finding creative ways to offer value without cutting prices across the board. Bundles, loyalty rewards, and thoughtful gift options might be worth exploring as holiday shopping picks up.

📉 Small business owners are feeling a little less optimistic

Small business owners aren't exactly rushing to expand right now. The latest National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey shows its Small Business Optimism Index slipped to 97.9 in September, just below its 52-year average. Only 7% of owners said it was a good time to expand, while finding qualified workers remained their biggest concern.

That doesn't mean owners are giving up on growth. But it does suggest they're being more cautious about where they spend money and when they take the next big step.

🤖 AI prompt: Find your business’s funny side

🌱 Prosper: Find your funny

What if your accounting software could do more than organize the numbers?

QuickBooks Online uses AI to help turn your financial data into useful answers and actions by automating routine accounting tasks, spotting trends, and asking questions about things like cash flow and profitability in everyday language.

Technology is only part of the equation, and QuickBooks gives you access to trusted human experts when you need additional guidance. It’s a smarter way to stay on top of your finances, cut down on manual work, and spend more time moving your business forward.

How to Collect Unpaid Invoices: 10 Steps to Get Paid

Stop losing cash: 59% of businesses have invoices 30+ days late. This 10-step playbook shows how to confirm balances, use payment plans, send demand letters, and decide between collections or court—plus email and phone scripts to get paid faster.

Construction Work-in-Progress Schedule Template & Guide (2026)

Stop losing money on projects—use a Work‑in‑Progress schedule to spot cost overruns, underbilling, and profit fade early. This guide includes 7 steps and a free Excel template to calculate percent complete, earned revenue, and billing gaps.

Cash Flow Statement Template for Small Businesses (Excel + Step-by-Step Guide)

Is your profitable business running out of cash? Use our free Excel cash‑flow template to track operating, investing, and financing movements, reconcile balances, and spot cash shortfalls before they hurt—step‑by‑step guidance and a 12‑month tracker inside.

You've probably heard of SEO, but what about GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? It's the practice of making your business easier to discover in AI-generated search results, and it's becoming another way for customers to find you.

Here's something that might surprise you. A recent BrightLocal study analyzed more than 200,000 local AI searches and found that 93% of the unique websites cited as sources were business websites.

In other words, your website still matters, even when customers are asking AI where to shop, eat, or find services.

Here's an idea worth stealing: Look at your website through the eyes of someone who's never heard of your business. Does it clearly explain what you sell, who you serve, and where you're located? Can someone easily find your services, hours, and contact information?

If those details are missing or buried, give your website a little attention this week. Clear, accurate information makes it easier for customers and AI search tools to understand your business.

Because getting recommended starts with making sure people can figure out what you actually do.

Here's a shipping change you might have missed. As of July 2026, USPS requires commercial shippers to report accurate package dimensions, including smaller boxes. And starting in early 2027, businesses could face additional fees for missing or incorrect measurements on those smaller packages.

Larger packages can already trigger penalties, and holiday shipping rates increased Oct. 4.

Here's your five-minute win: Grab your three most-used shipping boxes and measure their length, width, and height. Compare those numbers with what's saved in your shipping software. If something doesn't match, update it before your holiday orders start piling up.

Because the last thing your business needs this holiday season is a surprise shipping charge.

Here's something nobody tells you when you start a business: just because someone never cashes a check doesn't mean you get to keep the money.

Old vendor payments, forgotten customer refunds, and unused credits can fall under state unclaimed property laws. And depending on where your business operates, you may eventually be required to turn that money over to the state.

Here's the timely part: Oct. 31 is an unclaimed property reporting deadline in many states. The rules and deadlines vary, but some businesses may have reporting obligations even if they've never filed before.

It's one of those behind-the-scenes financial responsibilities that's easy to overlook until it becomes a problem.

If you've got old checks or customer credits gathering dust in your accounting records, this is worth a closer look.

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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