Small Business 11 February 2026 - 6 March 2026

Mastercard Incorporated launches AI ‘Virtual CFO’ for small businesses in new push beyond payments
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Mastercard Incorporated launches AI ‘Virtual CFO’ for small businesses in new push beyond payments

PURCHASE, N.Y., March 10, 2026, 15:00 UTC-04:00 Mastercard Incorporated rolled out Virtual C-Suite on Tuesday, an AI-powered offering aimed at small businesses that debuts with a Virtual CFO. The product is set to reach users later this year via banks, accounting platforms, and software firms. With this launch, the payments giant is taking a bigger step into layering software solutions on its own rails.
March 10, 2026
Intuit QuickBooks Index flags small-business job losses as U.S. payrolls report nears
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Intuit QuickBooks Index flags small-business job losses as U.S. payrolls report nears

Small businesses in the U.S. shed 45,300 jobs in February, according to Intuit Inc’s QuickBooks Small Business Index, released Wednesday. The data show employment declined 0.36% to 12,626,500 workers. Leisure and hospitality posted the largest loss, down 11,300 jobs. Average monthly “real” revenue per business slipped by 1.03% to $53,580, with utilities tumbling 5.88%. Markets are watching for new signals on the pace of hiring just ahead of the government’s February jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics plans to publish the data March 6 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
March 6, 2026
NFIB survey: US small-business optimism slips in January 2026 as uncertainty jumps, sales hopes rise
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NFIB survey: US small-business optimism slips in January 2026 as uncertainty jumps, sales hopes rise

U.S. small-business optimism edged down in January, while uncertainty jumped as more owners questioned whether it is a good time to expand, a closely watched survey showed this week. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index slipped 0.2 point to 99.3, while its uncertainty gauge rose seven points to 91. Small firms account for nearly half of private-sector jobs, and the shift in mood matters because it can show up quickly in hiring and spending. The reading came in below economists’ expectations for no change, with owners again pointing to inflation, labour quality and the cost or availability of insurance as sticking points.
February 11, 2026