Latest news with #smallBusiness
The Review Geek
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Review Geek
Has Tires been renewed for Season 3? Here's what we know:
Renewed or Cancelled? Tires is a new workplace comedy series set at an auto repair shop. It's very easy to binge-watch, and if you vibed with the humour in season 1, you'll feel the same way about this extended follow-up. If you've watched all the episodes in both seasons, you may be wondering if this has been renewed or cancelled. Here's what we know: What is Tires about? Tires revolves around the employees of an auto repair shop which is in danger of going out of business. The shop's manager, Will, does his best to revive its flagging fortunes but his best efforts are often undone by his employee (and cousin) Shane who prefers larking around to doing any actual real work. Season 2 though, includes more small-business, small-town shenanigans, with a mandatory HR meeting going to hell, the hunt for a new manager and a relaunch party includes some pretty surprising We have extensive coverage of Tires across the site, including reviews for both seasons, which you can find HERE! Will there be a Tires Season 3? At the time of writing, Tires has not been renewed for season 3. Generally Netflix would gauge numerous metrics before renewing a show, including how many people initially watch it and then looking at the drop-off rate. With some shows, cancellations or renewals happen quickly. Other times, it can take months before a decision over a show's future is made. So far, Tires has had a decent reaction from critics and audiences alike, with many commenting that the show is an easy binge-watch, has some good characters and the story is simple enough to slip into. Given the way this show is set up, we're predicting that this will be renewed for a third season. The series has plenty of potential and we do know its been a big hit with the streamers. Netflix are generally more lenient on their comedy offerings, and we'd imagine that Tires will follow suit. However, we could be completely wrong, given Netflix do tend to cancel a lot of their series, so take our prediction with a pinch of salt! What we know about Season 3 so far: Barely anything is known about season 3 at this point as Netflix haven't officially renewed this one. Should it be renewed, we'd imagine the antics over at the shop to continue, with plenty more character drama and crass humour to boot. If this series is renewed, we'd expect it to be green-lit with another 12 episode order, with a lot of the old cast returning too. Do you want to see Tires return for a third season? What did you think of the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Start A Business While Having Personal Debt In 2025
How To Start A Business While Having Personal Debt In 2025 Americans are still betting on themselves in 2025, starting thousands of new businesses even as personal debt remains a heavy burden. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 28,000 new business applications filed in April 2025 are expected to evolve into employer businesses (those with payroll tax obligations) within the following year. However, for many, this leap into entrepreneurship occurs while juggling credit card balances, student loans, or mortgage payments. In fact, a growing share is funding their ventures with personal debt. According to the 2024 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report, 28% of small business owners plan to fund their businesses using personal credit cards. This may be an alternative funding method, but one that carries a high financial risk. For instance, in the excitement of a promising idea, a new entrepreneur could launch an online shop (buying a domain, paying for web design, and hiring a photographer) all on her personal credit card. She might hope to hit the ground running and generate her first sales within a month. However, if delays arise and early revenue falls short, she may struggle to make minimum payments, potentially damaging her credit just as she begins seeking business financing. While entrepreneurial spirit remains strong, many are taking financial risks without a safety net. Can you realistically start a business while still carrying personal debt? The answer is yes, but it requires financial awareness, strategic planning, and intentional execution. Here are five expert-backed steps to help you build a business even if you're still paying off personal debt. Before you can map a path forward, you need to understand exactly where you stand. 'The first financial step is to perform a comprehensive review of personal finances and the business idea,' says Chris Heerlein, CEO of REAP Financial. 'You should review all current debt obligations, monthly income, and your monthly living costs.' This involves identifying your debt-to-income ratio, understanding and eliminating unnecessary spending, and determining whether you can safely allocate funds toward your business idea without jeopardizing essential financial obligations. Starting a business often requires a lifestyle shift and a reorganization of your financial priorities. When you are already managing personal debt (especially if it is high-interest or weighing down your cash flow), launching a business without a financial plan can quickly backfire. A business built without financial clarity risks becomes another liability instead of a source of freedom. Understanding the personal systems that support your entrepreneurial goals is just as critical as setting up business systems. This is where financial strategy becomes your foundation and not just another task in your business. Blending personal and business money may be the reality for new entrepreneurs. Still, while it can seem harmless in the early days, it is one of the fastest ways to create confusion, tax challenges, and long-term credit damage. 'You will want to have a plan of action to reduce your higher interest rate debt first,' says Heerlein, CEO of REAP Financial. 'It will also be important to have allocated your emergency fund for personal use and calendar in seed money for the business.' And I agree. Most of the entrepreneurs I work with have a mix of personal and business accounts and expenses that prevent them from separating, analyzing, and strategizing around their financial priorities. This kind of separation can begin by identifying the purpose of each purchase. If an expense benefits personal life (like groceries, streaming services, or household items), it should be logged and paid from a personal budget. Business-related expenses such as marketing, software, or inventory belong in a separate business budget. For example, a founder using the same credit card for both business supplies and weekend shopping might believe it is efficient, but over time, it creates confusion. Even when the payment method is shared, the budgets must remain distinct. That means maintaining two separate spending plans, each with its own starting balance, cash flow tracking, expense categories, and short-term financial goals. When personal living costs and debt obligations are prioritized first, whatever remains can be allocated for business growth. This separation helps clarify how much the business can truly afford to spend, and what needs to wait. Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is one of the most viable ways to balance launching a business with managing personal debt. While the MVP concept is often associated with tech startups or venture-backed companies, it is just as critical, if not more so, for founders who are self-funded or seeking to minimize financial risk. Launching lean is often a smarter path when personal debt is already part of your financial picture. It helps you validate your idea without making a big investment upfront. 'You may also experiment and pursue a strategy to set reasonable goals for the business and start very small with no major expense commitments,' says Heerlein. 'Thus, you will not burn too much cash and can shift your mindset and business approach as your financial position gets better.' This is the mindset behind an MVP: the simplest and most cost-effective version of your offering for a specific problem is the one you should go with to find your first funding, sales, or proof of concept. Before spending thousands on branding or infrastructure, you may ask: Can I offer a service version of my product? Can I sell through an existing marketplace? Can I build demand locally through referrals or small events? Some of the people who now have six-figure side hustles have achieved this with great results to show for it. Many entrepreneurs start by wanting to grow quickly, and so they allocate their expenses with that goal in mind. But when you are managing personal debt, that mindset must be balanced with intentional prioritization, covering your financial essentials while giving your business room to grow. 'In any case, you should maintain personal living expenses first before paying down debts,' says Heerlein. 'This ensures you don't adversely impact your credit status and incur penalty fees.' That means making sure your basics, like housing, food, transportation, and ideally more than just the minimum payments on your debt, are covered before directing funds into your business. Once those essentials are accounted for, you can begin to allocate cash toward startup costs. However, your focus should remain on preserving short-term solvency, ensuring you have enough liquidity to meet near-term obligations without relying on credit cards or triggering new financial stress. Whether you are paying yourself a small founder's draw or bootstrapping operations, the goal is to maintain access to working capital while avoiding premature cash depletion even if this may mean temporarily scaling back on discretionary spending in both your personal life and inside your business. When capital is limited, it can be tempting to rely on personal credit cards or take out high-interest personal loans to fund your business. But doing so often compounds your debt burden, making it harder to gain financial traction. 'At all costs, avoid high-interest personal loans and do not pay personal credit card debts with business expenses,' warns Heerlein. 'It creates more personal financial burden and will not give you further leverage in your business.' If additional funding is necessary, the goal is not just to access capital, but to access it strategically. Look for low-interest, flexible financing options like SBA microloans, community lenders, or CDFIs that support early-stage entrepreneurs, particularly those from underserved communities. Other funding alternatives may also be viable. For example, grants can serve as a strong source of non-dilutive capital, particularly for mission-aligned businesses or founders from underrepresented groups. Additionally, crowdfunding could be a feasible path if you offer a tangible product with clear value. For founders in high-growth industries, equity-based funding should be considered; however, proceed with caution. Giving up ownership too early or under pressure may limit your control in the future. The bottom line is that personal debt remains a significant aspect of the financial equation for many. To succeed and avoid harming your personal financial health, a clear structure and commitment to intentional financial actions are essential. From assessing your financial situation to choosing funding wisely, these five steps provide a roadmap for those looking to start a new business while managing personal debt.
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Temu and Shein come at cost of local businesses
business about 1 hour ago Empty shop fronts and for lease signs are a call to action for consumers to buy local. That is the message from the Parnell Business Association, nestled in one of Auckland's oldest shopping precincts, with a mix of eateries and boutique shops. In a recent opinion piece, the general manager of the Parnell Business Association said that online platforms like Temu and Shein come at a cost to working local businesses. Cheryl Adamson spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Concerns Rise About Proposed Changes To GDPR Reporting Rules
Photo byWith the EU proposing to simplify the General Data Protection Regulation, industry bodies and campaign groups are wary. The changes come as part of a broader drive to simplify EU regulation to make it easier for the bloc to compete with the U.S. and China. And their main aim is to ease reporting requirements for small businesses, but there's also talk about broader reforms at a later stage. Currently, only businesses with fewer than 250 employees are exempt from a requirement to keep detailed records of their data processing activities, including the purposes of the processing, the categories of data held and its third-party recipients, along with, where possible, a description of their technical and organizational security measures. Now, though, this exemption has been extended to companies with fewer than 750 employees and either less than €150 million in turnover or less than €129 million in total assets. The exemption applies unless their data processing is likely to result in a "high risk" to data subjects' rights and freedoms, or where special category data is processed. According to the European Commission, there are around 38,000 of these small mid-cap companies across all EU member states. "Cutting red tape and simplifying rules means giving businesses the freedom to innovate, grow, and create jobs," said Stéphane Séjourné, executive vice-president for prosperity and industrial strategy. "Today's Omnibus is another stepping stone in this regard, extending new benefits to small and mid-cap companies and ensuring that legislation is aligned with on-the-ground reality." However, the changes are receiving a wary response. In an open letter, civil rights collective European Digital Rights said it was concerned that the changes might not represent a genuine simplification, but could instead roll back key accountability safeguards. "In practice, they could allow some companies to avoid keeping records of data processing (even when handling special categories of data) purely based on staff headcount or turnover". the letter reads. "While competitiveness is important, using it to justify exemptions from core protections sends a worrying message: that people's rights are expendable when economic interests are at stake". Meanwhile, industry body the Computer and Communications Industry Association said the changes don't go far enough. "Easing GDPR requirements for small and mid-sized companies may offer limited relief, but this minor change falls far short of addressing the deeper structural issues that plague the EU's data protection framework. Without further adjustments, enforcement and implementation will remain weak", said CCIA Europe's privacy and safety lead Claudia Canelles Quaroni. "At best, today's proposal will ease GDPR burdens for just 0.2% of EU companies. While well-intentioned, its limited scope means it won't meaningfully strengthen Europe's dwindling digital competitiveness. These are cosmetic fixes, not systemic solutions." The CCIA is calling on the EU to align GDPR implementation across all EU legislation for greater coherence, reinforce the one-stop-shop mechanism and work to prevent fragmentation in the way member states implement the rules. These are the first proposed changes to the GDPR since its introduction in 2018, and there are fears that the Commission is opening up a can of worms - especially given persistent rumors that there may be more proposed changes to come later this year or next.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No Second Chances: 20% of UK Customers Won't Call Back After a Missed Call
New data reveals just how costly missed calls can be—and how mobile-first solutions like Rinkel help small businesses stay one step ahead. LONDON, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's hyper-connected world, UK customers expect to be answered—immediately. A missed call is no longer just a delay—it's a lost opportunity. Recent studies show that 1 in 5 UK customers will not try again if a business fails to answer the first time. That's not all, 74% of consumers say one poor support experience will make them switch brands, and 75% now expect brands to offer support 24/7. This is a growing problem for microbusinesses and freelancers—many still take work calls on personal mobiles or use outdated VoIP systems that don't fit their needs. Calls are easily missed when the owner is busy, on a job, or away from the office. One company helping microbusinesses stay connected is Rinkel, a mobile-first telephony platform recently expanding in the UK. By letting calls ring through to multiple mobiles simultaneously, Rinkel reduces missed calls without the complexity of traditional systems. Among its UK users, 63% of customers using call diverting missed fewer calls and said they felt more in control of their communication. Rinkel is now available across the UK. Explore features or start your first month for free: "As a solo kitchen fitter, I couldn't always answer the phone while working on a project." says David Morgan, who runs a small kitchen fitting business in Leeds. "With Rinkel, calls go to both me and my assistant, which means no more lost business." Small teams, big expectations From sole traders to small agencies, UK microbusinesses are expected to deliver fast, reliable service just like big firms. But when 93% of small business owners say they've missed important calls due to being too busy, it's clear that current systems aren't enough. With £30 billion lost annually in missed calls, responsiveness is no longer optional—it's essential. Tools that help small teams act big To meet this "always-on" pressure without burning out, many microbusinesses are turning to smart communication platforms like Rinkel. Instead of juggling personal mobiles, Rinkel lets teams: Ring multiple phones at once Set business hours and custom business voicemail Call back from a business number, not a private mobile "We built Rinkel for small teams who want to stay professional and never miss a call," says Jeroen van Vierzen, CEO of Rinkel. "You don't need a big office or fancy setup—just the right tools to make sure your customers always feel heard." Photo - - View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
