USA

Maria Roat is Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Small Business Administration explains how small businesses are at risk for cyber attacks and explains how her agency and others are working to help owners protect themselves. 

"Small businesses are targets, and many are unprepared for cybersecurity challenges including ever-changing and increasing threats from malware, viruses and ransomware against intellectual property and company data. Nor are they adequately prepared to recognize or respond to an internal or external incident," she says.

Majority women-owned firms, where 51 percent or more of the business is owned by women, are an important segment of U.S. businesses. Since 2007, women-owned firms in the United States, both the self-employed and firms with employees (“employer firms”), have been growing—in number and as a share of all U.S. firms. As of 2015, women-owned firms totaled over one million and accounted for one-fifth of U.S. firms. Among women-owned employer firms, jobs and annual receipts have grown since 2012.

This British Council report examines the role that social enterprise is playing in addressing gender inequality and women’s empowerment in the US, where women earn 65 cents for every dollar earned by a man and are chronically under-represented in positions of leadership. It is one of a series of reports on social enterprise and women’s empowerment which also focus on Brazil, India, Pakistan and the UK.

PayPal conducted research in hopes give more small businesses to digital finance and inspire both owners and policymakers in supporting growth for SMEs in the U.S. This research found that SMEs PayPal users grew from 2015-2016 by 22.9 percent. Of these, less than five percent export. Women-owned small businesses grew and export at about 72 percent.

Personal financial advisors have a 58 percent chance of computerization in the future, according to recent data on the probability of computerization. According to Carl Frey and Michael Osborne, financial advisors should be able to escape the rise of automation and artificial intelligence with jobs intact.

The data also shows that insurance underwriters have 99 percent chance of future automation in the position. Loan officers and credit analysts, meanwhile, have a 98 percent chance of computerization.

Former Head of Global Small Business at Visa, Janet Zablock has a new role as an Independent Board member at Nav Inc. Nav gives small businesses access to personal and business credit reports, cash flow analysis and lender-neutral marketplace that uses this data to connect them to the right financing for their situation.