Netstock's Tariff Impact Report Provides Proactive Strategies for SMB Resilience
BOSTON, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Netstock , a leader in supply chain planning solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced the release of its Tariff Impact Report 2025: 5 Proactive Strategies for SMBs . Developed in collaboration with trusted supply chain expert Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain Insights , the report analyzes the challenges posed by the dynamic tariff landscape and offers five actionable strategies to help SMBs navigate these complexities.
'The Tariff Impact Report emphasizes the critical need for SMBs to embrace inventory management solutions—made smarter by AI and powered by real-time analytics,' said Ara Ohanian, CEO of Netstock. 'In today's unpredictable tariff environment, these tools are not just for optimization—they are fundamental for survival. Relying on excel-based quarterly planning isn't enough in this volatile landscape. SMBs need daily, AI-driven insights to effectively adapt.'
The current climate of new and unpredictable tariffs generates significant uncertainty for businesses. For SMBs, maintaining flexibility and preparedness amidst this volatility is particularly challenging. To gain a deeper understanding of how SMBs are responding, Netstock surveyed over 120 of its customers, representing American SMBs with revenues under $500 million.
'For small and medium manufacturers, historical data offers limited guidance,' said Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain Insights. 'Instead, companies should evolve to use market data using AI-powered advanced analytics.'
Drawing on the survey data and expert insights, the Tariff Impact Report 2025 identifies five key areas where businesses can take proactive steps to mitigate tariff-related challenges. Use analytics to be proactive in the management of cross-border trade in the environment of increased tariffs. Netstock's survey found that only 12% of SMBs are relying heavily on analytics during this dramatic shift in supply chain management. Traditional methods will struggle in the new supply chain environment. Aggressive analytics are essential for SMBs to manage costs and build resilience. Nearshoring as an option. Only 15% of SMB respondents claimed they could easily reshore operations. For SMBs where nearshoring isn't viable, the key to navigating tariff volatility lies in leveraging visual and descriptive analytics, coupled with supply chain planning decision support. Cross-functional analysis of trade-offs, informed by logistics and transportation data, becomes critical for making proactive and effective choices. The impact on inventory. With over half of SMBs anticipating tariff-driven cost increases for the majority of their inventory, inventory planning technologies are crucial. Enhancing demand forecasting with Forecast Value Add (FVA) and using actual lead times for safety stock calculations are vital for mitigating longer lead times and potential shortages.
Impacts will not just be on supply. Demand will change as well. Tariffs will significantly impact consumer demand and sentiment, leading to potential shifts in purchasing behavior. SMBs must prioritize channel data in demand planning and focus on FVA, recognizing that historical demand patterns will be less reliable.
Expect the unexpected. The unprecedented impact of tariffs means there's no existing playbook to follow and Netstock's survey reveals that only 22% of SMBs have successfully implemented strategies to manage tariffs. Organizations must become highly proactive, fostering internal cooperation and building adaptability to navigate continuously evolving market conditions.
The Netstock Tariff Impact Report 2025 is now available at [ Tariff Impact Report 2025: 5 Proactive Strategies for SMBs ].
About Netstock
Netstock is a global leader in inventory optimization and supply chain planning software for SMBs. With over 2,400 customers in 67 countries, Netstock's AI-driven solutions help businesses streamline operations, improve forecasting, and optimize inventory to meet market demands. From automated recommendations to actionable insights, Netstock enables companies to enhance decision-making, reduce costs, and improve overall supply chain efficiency. Visit www.netstock.com to learn more.
Contact: [email protected]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
19 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Fortress's Pack and Sloan on Real Estate, Private Credit
Josh Pack, Fortress Investment Group co-CEO and managing partner, and Tim Sloan, vice chair, discusses the outlook for the commercial and residential real estate markets and where they are finding opportunities. Speaking with Lisa Abramowicz on "Bloomberg The Close," Pack and Sloan also comment on recent trends in the private credit market. (Source: Bloomberg)
CBS News
19 minutes ago
- CBS News
IRS quiet on payment processing delays despite more reports of bills being sent for taxes paid
IRS quiet on payment processing delays despite more reports of bills sent for taxes paid IRS quiet on payment processing delays despite more reports of bills sent for taxes paid IRS quiet on payment processing delays despite more reports of bills sent for taxes paid Despite continuing reports of taxpayers receiving bills from the IRS for taxes they already paid on time, the agency has remained quiet about the problem and when it could be resolved. CBS News Chicago has been checking in daily with the IRS for the past week about the processing delays as more people say they are getting IRS notices. Jasmine Walton and her family had to pay $7,000 in taxes this year. It was a painful bill to deal with once, but twice? "I will tell you, initially it sent us into a little bit of a panic," she said. "We are counting every penny that leaves our household, so to tell us we owe additional thousands on top of thousands we've paid already? It almost sent us into a tizzy." Adding insult to injury, the bill the Waltons got from the IRS already had penalties and fines tacked onto it, even though they paid what they owed before the April 15 deadline and the money hasn't been in their account since. "Watching that news segment and finding out we were not alone did give us some resolve," Walton said. Like so many others we've heard from since first exposing this IRS issue last week, Walton learned she was part of a bigger problem through CBS News Chicago reporting. An IRS agent told our producer, who was also impacted by the mistake, their electronic payment system I experiencing delays processing money sent in by April 15. They said they should be caught up by June 29, and made assurances penalties and interest would be erased. But why is this happening, and for transparency's sake, why isn't the information being shared directly from the IRS online? "Update your website," Walton said. "It takes a marginal amount of time to put a nice banner up there saying we are behind you may receive communication in error." An Inspector General for Tax Inspection report released this spring detailed an 11% reduction of staff at the IRS, with about 7,000 of those workers being probationary and thus possibly have had their jobs restored. But despite asking the IRS about that, we have yet to receive any clarification. "My ask is for them to fix it," Walton said. We were originally told the IRS would "hopefully" have information to share last Wednesday, but nothing has been sent to us since. CBS News Chicago talked with an IRS spokesperson by phone Tuesday and they told us they're still working on a response to our questions and requests. They have not provided a timeline for when those responses would be ready. We asked U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois ) if she has heard from her constituents about this issue and she responded with a statement, writing, "My office has seen increased response times from federal agencies like the IRS for months now – and thanks to the effects of unnecessary and damaging DOGE cuts, it's likely to only get worse in the years to come. If Illinoisans are having issues with a federal agency like IRS, I urge them to contact my office so we can help them get the money they're owed or reverse any unfair penalties caused by these delays."
CNET
22 minutes ago
- CNET
Still Looking for Work? Here Are the New Rules of the Job Search in 2025
The emotional toll of job searching is real. Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNET Since getting laid off from a tech marketing role last November, Stephanie Wandell has applied to hundreds of jobs. She's heard back from only a handful of recruiters, without any offers. "I was a little bit naive going into it, thinking I could do what I always do and depend on applying to as many places as I can," said Wandell. "It became pretty clear that this time is different." Ask anyone who's unemployed and they'll tell you today's job market is more challenging than it used to be. In the past several months, my LinkedIn social feed has been a testament to that. Laid-off professionals share posts about their agonizing battles to find employment, with job searches stretching more than a year. Amid signs of an economic slowdown, companies are pulling back on hiring, leaving job seekers in the lurch. Facing fierce competition for a shrinking pool of open positions, candidates are trying to master new strategies to get past AI screeners into the hands of a human recruiter. Some wait months for a response, only to be ghosted by HR departments. Even if official unemployment figures appear relatively low, millions of Americans are wading through this emotional and financial roller coaster. The health of the job market is measured by people's ability to get a job, said Daniel Zhao, lead economist at the career and job search site Glassdoor. Hearing these experiences, I had a lot of questions. Is the job hunt miserable for everyone? Why are so many qualified and talented workers getting the silent treatment? How are folks using AI in their search? What is HR actually looking for? I spoke with several career specialists to gather the most straightforward advice for helping job seekers on their journey. I also compiled a list of free employment resources and upskilling platforms below. 1. Focus on quality over quantity Sending out hundreds of applications with the same resume might feel like the right approach but it's not the best use of your time. "We find many job seekers in the market haphazardly applying to any and/or all jobs instead of targeting relevant ones," said Chad Sowash of the Chad and Cheese Podcast, which covers recruitment technology, talent management and workforce economics. Instead of spending several hours applying to multiple jobs, use that time to tailor each resume toward the role you really want. Companies are becoming increasingly selective in their hiring practices so job seekers also need to be choosier about where they apply. "Not all positions and hiring companies will be a fit so don't try to be all things to all people," Sowash said. To narrow down your search, think about what you're looking for in terms of work environment and responsibilities, said Sam DeMase, career expert at ZipRecruiter. "Don't just throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks." Identify the value that makes you an exceptional candidate. "If your resume is very generic and doesn't speak to your specific superpowers, you're not going to get as many hits as you would with a hyper-tailored resume," DeMase said. 2. Optimize your resume for automated software When you apply to a job online, your resume likely won't go straight to a recruiter or hiring manager. Nearly all Fortune 500 companies use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to process applications and dismiss candidates automatically. As my CNET colleague pointed out in a 2023 story on resume robots, the ATS software scans applications for a specific percentage of matching keywords, typically 70% to 80%. If there's not a high match with the posting, your application probably won't make it to the next stage, regardless of your qualifications. To create an ATS-friendly resume, read the job description thoroughly and note particular keywords, phrases or skills. If the requirements accurately align with your qualifications, add them to your resume using the same language. That said, don't go overboard. While keywords are important, stuffing your resume with too many can read as unnatural. Jobscan, Skillsyncer and multiple other online platforms provide free resume scanning tools geared toward optimizing your application for ATS. Zhao said resume keyword optimization isn't about "beating" the computer. It's about making sure recruiters and hiring managers see your skills and experience. Once you have the right balance of keywords, simplify your formatting to make it clean and concise, which helps the ATS and recruiters review your resume. Avoid using fancy headers and footers, graphics or tables, which often get garbled by the computer software. 3. Timing is everything Set up multiple job alerts and be ready to act immediately on the ones that you like the most. DeMase recommends being one of the first people to apply to the job posting so that your resume doesn't get pushed to a later round. "Unfortunately, these jobs are getting posted and have more than 100 applicants within 48 hours or sooner," said Demase. If you have multiple versions of your resume ready, you can adapt quickly. Just because a posting is still up after several weeks doesn't mean the company is still reviewing applications or looking for new candidates. 4. Leverage AI, but don't rely on it In 2024, more than 50% of job seekers used AI to draft resumes and cover letters. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT can speed up the writing process, they tend to produce generic, impersonal content. "One of the issues I see with job seekers who overly rely on AI is that their application ends up looking like everybody else's who is using AI as well," said Zhao. To avoid the same formulaic responses, provide detailed prompts that emphasize the parts of your application that align with the job description and make your background and experience unique. For example, you can ask the chatbot to review your cover letter and suggest ways to make it more compelling based on your abilities and interests. "It's important for people to think about how their resume distinguishes them, how their skill set, even if it's nontraditional, might give them a different perspective than other people in the candidate pool," Zhao said. 5. Network strategically Even in today's digital age, networking remains incredibly powerful for landing a job, especially considering that many roles aren't advertised online but filled through referrals. If you're new to networking, start reaching out to the people around you: family and friends, alumni and former co-workers. Ask them if they know anyone in a career field that interests you or works at a company you're curious about. "Folks can go quiet after a layoff, because there's a deep sense of shame, particularly in our society, where so much of our identity is associated with our work and our productivity," said Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, CEO of JVS Bay Area, a workforce development nonprofit. "It's important to fight through that, tap into your network and let people know you're looking." Instead of just requesting a job or connection, actively engage in conversations, ask thoughtful questions, share your own insights and look for ways to offer value, said DeMase. Sending out a handful of personalized emails will get you farther than dozens of generic copy-and-paste notes. 6. Build additional skills Showcasing competitive skills like data analysis, digital collaboration and AI tool expertise is crucial in today's job market. Instead of prioritizing traditional credentials like education, 76% of employers put greater value on actual work experience and demonstrated abilities, even if you're self-taught. "You can make yourself stand out by indicating the different things you've learned on your own and how that could apply to that employer," said Countryman-Quiroz. Free online courses, such as LinkedIn Learning or IBM SkillsBuild, can help you learn valuable skills or even obtain official certification. Local colleges and community centers frequently provide low-cost courses on anything from digital marketing to insurance licensing. If you've been unemployed for a long time, you can use courses and training to fill in the gaps on your resume, which shows that you're proactive and self-directed. 7. Mentally prepare for ghosting For many, the toughest part of job hunting is never hearing back. Getting ghosted by an employer or recruiter can feel incredibly personal but it's not a reflection of your skills or qualifications. Research from LinkedIn found that almost 40% of candidates say they're applying to more jobs than ever but hearing back less. There are countless reasons why HR doesn't follow up: budget cuts, hiring freezes, internal shifts or too many applicants. You might never know the real reason. You can send a polite follow-up email to the hiring manager to demonstrate your continued interest, which may prompt them to respond. But try not to blame yourself or spend too much time dissecting why you didn't hear back. After being ghosted following multiple interviews, Wandell started The Job Ghosting Project, a list of anonymous stories from job seekers who've been ignored by companies. Within a week of posting the survey, Wandell received more than 500 submissions, with responses ranging from recent grads to high-level executives. "The goal is really just to document these patterns, validate the job seekers and push for accountability in the hiring process," said Wandell. 8. Set up thoughtfully for interviews Interview prep goes beyond knowing your resume and the role. You'll need to show why you want this specific job with this specific employer. Start with research. Look at the company's recent news, press releases, social media and reviews. Understand their latest projects, challenges and competition. Use the STAR method. Break down each requirement in the job description and connect it to a specific example from your experience. Practice structuring your answers using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to demonstrate your impact in a clear and concise way. Practice, practice, practice. Say your interview answers out loud, not just in your head. If possible, do a practice interview with someone you trust and get honest feedback. That can help identify awkward phrasing and make you more confident during the real thing. Prepare questions for the interviewer. Asking thoughtful questions of the hiring team shows your engagement and understanding of the role/company. 9. Make the search sustainable It's common to feel discouraged, stressed and embarrassed when faced with rejection. "The job search is a slog and you have to make sure that you're doing it in a sustainable manner," said Zhao. "You can't just apply to 100 jobs every day because you'll burn yourself out." Set clear boundaries for your job-hunting hours, schedule regular breaks and set up informal meetings to network. Focus on having a support system in place, especially with other people looking for work. Being in a group with people in the same situation can really "diminish the shame that so many feel around not being employed," said Countryman-Quiroz. After joining a job-seeker support group during a previous layoff, Wandell started her own group this past year. It started with five people and it's now grown to 50 to 100 participants. "It's a space for people to vent but also to ask questions, network and brainstorm," said Wandell. Read more: Layoffs Are Happening. How to Prepare if You Think You Might Lose Your Job Free job search platforms and upskilling resources We compiled a list of resources available to help you sharpen your skills and streamline your search. General job boards Industry-specific/niche job boards InHerSight: Organization providing career advice and job matching specifically for women. Jobs in Logistics: Job search site for employment in logistics, supply chain, transportation, inventory management and more. The Mom Project: Resource community geared toward working mothers seeking out family-friendly companies. Recruit Military: A military-to-civilian recruiting company connecting military veterans, transitioning military service members and their spouses with employment opportunities. Remote Jobs: Site curated by remote work specialist Rowena Hennigan, providing resources for remote work openings. SchoolSpring: National job board for teachers and others in education. Superpath: Job board for content strategists, writers and freelance bloggers. Working Nomads: Job search site for global remote work tailored specifically toward digital working nomads. VC Job Boards: Curated list of job boards featuring venture capital positions. Workplace development nonprofits STRIVE: Offers tuition-free skills training, job readiness support and personal coaching for those seeking to improve their career prospects. NPower: Provides part-time tech skills training, including IT, cloud computing and cybersecurity, with opportunities for paid internships. Goodwill: Offers job training and employment services, career development and financial literacy programs, as well as job placement assistance. Year Up: Focuses on helping low-income young adults gain IT and business skills through paid internships and job placement. Upskilling Coursera: Offers courses, certificates, and degrees from top universities and companies, covering subjects like computer science, business and data science. Udemy: A vast online marketplace for courses, with options ranging from health and fitness to IT and software, and more. LinkedIn Learning: Provides courses on business, creative, and technology skills, taught by industry experts. Skillshare: A community-based platform for creative and curious people, with classes in illustration, design, photography and more. edX: Offers university-level courses from various institutions, including MIT and Harvard, covering a range of topics. IBM SkillsBuild: Provides free access to learning materials and certifications in areas like cloud computing and AI. HubSpot Academy: Offers free courses and resources on marketing, sales and customer service. Google Skillshop: Provides free digital skills training through online learning platforms. Microsoft Learn: Offers free online training and certifications on Microsoft products. freeCodeCamp: A platform for learning web development through online courses. MIT OpenCourseWare: Provides access to free MIT course materials.
