Over the past few years, complaining about inflation has replaced discussing the weather for most of us. (At least with rain or the cold, we could go inside to escape it.) This might finally be changing, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Survey of Consumer Expectations report.

The report includes a vibe-check of Americans’ inflation predictions. For the first time since 2020, this number has decreased to 3% in the short term and 2.5% in the long term. It could also explain why discretionary spending is up, as evidenced by our collective holiday shopping splurge. That’s good for business (and for our blood pressure). So, how about that weather, huh?

Hello Alice: CEO Carolyn Rodz on 2024’s big SMB challenges

Signify: Lighting giant helps brighten off-grid communities

Strange: Book an appointment at these nudist barbershops

(Source:  Cayce Clifford)

Nobody expected it, but the economy is looking up. The S&P 500 set an all-time high and the Fed seems to have tamed inflation without inducing a recession — the “soft landing” that once seemed too good to be true.

But small and medium businesses still have challenges ahead in the new year. According to a survey of SMB owners from fintech platform Hello Alice, the biggest is raising capital; half say they don’t have enough funding and a quarter lack access to credit. Hello Alice CEO Carolyn Rodz shared her takeaways with b., along with business advice for kicking off 2024.

b.: What can business owners do to address their financial challenges this year?

Rodz: Businesses that are financially healthy open up opportunities… opening doors to capital, to expanded networks, to new customers and contract opportunities. But the reality is that over 50% of small businesses are financially unhealthy…

As we look at this data, our focus has been on assisting businesses in establishing a solid foundation for financial health. This involves various elements, such as ensuring accurate financial statements, tracking and understanding cash flow, and enhancing operational efficiencies. Ultimately, these pieces set up companies for success and facilitate access to capital…

b.: What are some New Year’s resolutions that individuals and organizations can adopt to better support small businesses?

Rodz: The easiest solution is to shop small… Beyond that, I always tell people: everybody has expertise that can help a small business. Offering mentorship, guidance, and connecting businesses to resources can be immensely valuable. So is promoting companies by sharing recommendations online or through word of mouth. All of that helps push the ecosystem forward. 

I think people often don’t realize that supporting small businesses not only benefits the businesses, but also the community at large. The more that small businesses grow, the more jobs they create, the more the community thrives, and the more support from local government, which contributes to things like good schools, community resources, and infrastructure.

b.: Your data reflects an optimistic outlook — for example, small business annual revenues have increased since 2021. What other reasons do we have to be hopeful this year?

Rodz: More technology is available than before. Companies that traditionally catered to larger enterprises have extended their services downstream to small and micro-sized businesses. Tools like artificial intelligence, including chatbots, increase the output capabilities of small businesses owners. You essentially have a copywriter or graphic designer in your back pocket…

That also means it’s going to be more competitive — we’re seeing more businesses launch than before — but again, with that scale comes support. Banks are refocusing services on small businesses, and large corporations are viewing small businesses as an increasingly viable market due to that growth.

(Source:  Shutterstock)

In developed countries, we take the power of light for granted. However, there are still more than a billion people worldwide without reliable access to electricity. For them, engaging in modern work, education, or recreation is challenging.

Enter Signify, which owns brands including Phillips, Ledalite, Lightolier, WiZ, and many more. Its Signify Foundation focuses on regions that are fully or partly off-grid, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The foundation partners with local NGOs, aid agencies, and social enterprises across the spectrum of the light chain, helping communities to become more economically productive (and safer) once the sun goes down. It also supports lighting needs during natural disasters.

And before the cynics chime in, 90% of the Signify Foundation’s total expenditures must serve the public benefit, not Signify’s private interests. Empowerment can only come to those with a reliable grid.

(Source:  Shutterstock)

Need a little off the top? Without wearing any bottoms? At least four Brazilian barbershops currently offer haircuts in birthday suits, with both client and barber trimming down to flip-flops and nothing else, according to VICE (we’d link to the article, but it has NSFW imagery — Google it?). And because you’re curious, yes, they’ll trim more than just the hair on your scalp.

Nudism has been around since ancient Egypt, so naked haircuts are presumably nothing new in the grand historical sense. But there’s a wholesome side to modern full-frontal barbering: The idea is to offer a more relaxed, less macho alternative to the obnoxiously bro-y vibe that presides in many barbershops.

“I wanted to encourage men to take care of their bodies and souls by showing a form of internal beauty that few get to see,” salon founder Rodney Araujo told VICE. As one client raved, “There’s something intimate about it, even if it’s not sexual.”

Still, we’re not sure if you still have to wear the tarp. Do they just hose you down at the end? Let us know if you find out.

Written by Maya Afilalo, Jane Meggitt, and Dan Ketchum.