Small Business (SMB) stories - Page 2

Xero unveils AI-native finance platform and JAX assistant to cut admin for small firms, with accountants and bookkeepers also in line for gains.

New Zealand businesses say stable power prices and supply would unlock investment, as Schneider Electric research flags energy uncertainty as a brake on growth.

Auckland event backs women to turn financial know-how into property, business and investment gains, with mentors tackling confidence and capital gaps.

Atomgate's Renee Lovell says education, testing and partnerships are helping the South African MSSP turn SonicWall upgrades into measurable business gains.

Apple rolls out unified business hub in 200 markets as signs mount that local ads in Maps will debut across North America this summer.

Emergent unveils Wingman, an always-on AI agent for email, scheduling and sales support as Australian firms seek to ease admin pressure.

Emergent's Wingman puts autonomous AI agents to work across email, calendars and chats, with human approval for higher-risk actions.

SMBs already own the tools, but cyber breaches keep breaking through because patchwork security, weak access controls and over-trust still leave gaps.

Rockwell's Plex wins Major Player status in six IDC MarketScape reports as AI-enabled ERP and finance tools gain ground among manufacturers.

Splashtop bets on AI-assisted patching and security alerts in a single console as it targets lean IT teams and MSPs with a new endpoint platform.

8x8 unveils AI Studio to let customer experience teams build agents with natural language, aiming to cut integration delays and costs.

Thryv has rolled out Thryv AI Lead Flow in Australia and New Zealand, aiming to help small businesses capture enquiries, score prospects and automate follow-up.

Actionstep and iManage team up to give midsize law firms a single workflow for matters, documents, governance and security.

SEO remains vital as AI reshapes search, with intent-led content, technical strength and clear strategy now key to online visibility.

Intuit appoints Xero veteran Matthew Miles as Head of Product for APAC as it steps up investment in Australia and wider Asia Pacific.

RMS adds direct bank payments through GoCardless as Australian hotels brace for Reserve Bank reforms that could ban card surcharges and lift merchant costs.

Moodi boosts Female Founder Fund with NZ and Australia grants, offering $15,000 to four women-led start-ups without equity or repayment.

Xero's Anthropic tie-up deepens finance software AI split as groups weigh integrated platforms against agent tools that work across multiple systems.

Zoom names Frank Skiffington as Head of Australia and New Zealand as the software group seeks deeper partner-led growth across ANZ.

Thryv says Australian and New Zealand small businesses need tidy websites, consistent listings and fresh reviews to win AI-driven recommendations.