Economy / 1 min read
June Job Openings Put the ‘Slow Hire, Slow Fire’ Labor Market in Focus
Hiring has cooled, but qualified-worker shortages remain a practical problem for many small employers.
Published articles
Economy / 1 min read
The Labor Market Is Cooling Without Making Skilled Hiring Easy
Headline labor data can soften while local employers still struggle to recruit technicians and experienced front-line workers.
Government / 2 min read
The Dubai and Uganda Wedding: What Could It Have Cost?
A cautious estimate-based analysis of reported Dubai and Uganda wedding celebrations and the transparency questions they create.
AI / 2 min read
AI Automation Is on the Menu: Will Local Business Reinvent? Part 11: Compliance Guardrails Before the Bot Talks to Customers
Customer-facing AI can create risk when it handles medical, legal, financial, employment, refund, or regulated-product questions. AMS Editorial explains the practical SMB automation play, where the upside is real, and where owners need guardrails.
Industry Trends / 2 min read
Retail Automation Watch Part 7: Payments Inside Automated Retail Need More Control
Robotic booths and kiosks create unattended or semi-attended payment environments with card, wallet, refund, chargeback, tip, receipt, and PCI implications. AMS Editorial examines how automation changes retail, restaurants, payments, labor, and customer experience for...
Payments / 1 min read
The Revised $38 Billion Visa/Mastercard Settlement: What Changed
A practical breakdown of the 2025–2026 revised agreement and its estimated merchant savings.
Marketing / 1 min read
Use Customer Questions to Plan the Next Useful Article
A small-business website does not need another general article simply to appear active. It needs information that helps a real customer make a decision. The questions staff answer repeatedly are a practical starting point.
Industry Trends / 2 min read
Retail Automation Watch Part 4: Self-Order Kiosks Move the Menu, the Upsell, and the Payment Screen
Kiosks change how customers see choices, modifiers, tips, fees, loyalty, and wait times. The screen becomes part of the store's sales team. AMS Editorial examines how automation changes retail, restaurants, payments, labor, and customer...
Industry Trends / 2 min read
Vanishing Main Street Part 1: What Happened to the Old Neighborhood Store?
A hard look at what happened to the old neighborhood store: butcher shops, fish stores, bakeries, fruit stores, candy counters, gumball machines, and the coin-operated horse ride economy.
Marketing / 1 min read
Photograph the Product a Customer Will Actually Receive
A polished product image can disappoint if it hides scale, included accessories or the actual packaging. The photograph should help the customer decide whether the item fits their need, rather than leave essential questions...
Merchant Services / 1 min read
Chargeback evidence, friendly fraud, and the economics of dispute operations: January 2026 Payments Update
Dispute rules increasingly reward merchants that keep clean records across checkout, delivery, authorization, refund, and customer-service workflows. AMS Editorial examines the payments and fintech implications for SMBs and SMEs in January 2026.
Smoke Shop Compliance / 2 min read
Smoke Shops Need Stronger Product, Age-Gate, and Payment Underwriting Files: Week of October 31, 2025
Smoke shops, vape stores, CBD sellers, and hemp-adjacent retailers often face processor scrutiny even when they do not sell state-licensed marijuana. Weekly AMS coverage for cannabis, smoke shop, THC, and other high-risk merchant operators.