For the first time, more craft beer breweries are shutting down than opening up.Breweries and taprooms are dealing with rising supply costs while demand for beer is slipping, according to the Brewers Association.Bart Watson is the president and chief executive officer of the Brewers Association. Watson said things got worse for many craft breweries during the COVID-19 pandemic.”The pandemic obviously also had secondary ripples for the economy, for supply chains and it changed consumer patterns overall. We are seeing people certainly spend as much at bars and restaurants as they did before, but they are doing so in different ways – more to go and delivery.”BUD LIGHT TO SPEND ‘HEAVILY’ ON MARKETING AFTER DYLAN MULVANEY CONTROVERSYLast year, beer sales dropped 2% nationwide, and in Colorado, beer sales fell by over 3%, according to the Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division.AMID CANCER CONCERNS, COULD MORE DRINKERS TURN TO NO- AND LOW-ALCOHOL DRINKS?Even though Colorado has the fourth most breweries of any state, right behind Pennsylvania, New York, and California, it saw some of the highest number of closures last year, according to the National Brewer Association.FOR TAP BEER, THIS ANHEUSER-BUSCH BRAND IS NOW TOPS”Some of the most challenged regions are some of the
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A majority of small businesses are using artificial intelligence
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Many small companies have started to find new and creative ways to save time and money using artificial intelligence. A survey from 2024 found 69% of small businesses are using AI, up from 56% in 2023, according to Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. The Goldman Sachs program helps “small business owners grow their businesses, create jobs and offers business education, financial support, and networking opportunities,” according to their website.OPENAI’S CHATGPT BRIEFLY GOES DOWN FOR USERS ACROSS THE GLOBEAsahi Pompey is the Global Head of Corporate Engagement and Chair of the Urban Investment Group at the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs. Pompey said AI offers two main benefits. “Category 1 is saving small business owners time. You and I know that time is everything to a small business owner. And the second category is saving them money. Our small business owners pay themselves last and so saving money is critical,” Pompey said. AMERICAN FARMERS TURNING TO AI TO AID UNCERTAIN FUTUREPompey said more examples are IT technology companies that use AI to code for their customers, or marketing agencies that use AI to write content for their blogs or websites, and HR small businesses who use AI to screen applications for positions to
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Trump praises Treasury Department's move to suspend enforcement of BOI requirements
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President Donald Trump praised the Treasury Department on Truth Social on Sunday for announcing it was suspending enforcement of the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement for U.S. citizens and domestic companies.The Biden-era initiative says you may be required to report certain information on your beneficial owners to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), according to the IRS.Trump called the requirement “outrageous and invasive.”TREASURY DEPARTMENT SAYS DOGE WILL HAVE ‘READ ONLY’ ACCESS TO PAYMENT SYSTEMS IN LETTER TO CONGRESS”Exciting news! The Treasury Department has announced that they are suspending all enforcement of the outrageous and invasive Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement for U.S. Citizens,” Trump wrote. “This Biden rule has been an absolute disaster for Small Businesses Nationwide. Furthermore, Treasury is now finalizing an Emergency Regulation to formally suspend this rule for American businesses. The economic menace of BOI reporting will soon be no more.”The Treasury Department announced in a series of posts on X that penalties or fines associated with BOI will not be enforced, and neither will penalties against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners.TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT OFFERS ZELENSKYY AN ECONOMIC INVESTMENT DEALInstead, the focus will turn to foreign
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Veteran-owned Flags of Valor believes in American-made products: 'The foundation of everything we stand for'
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For Flags of Valor — a veteran-owned and operated business that has shipped more than 96,000 flags to doorsteps nationwide — the phrase “made in America” lies at the foundation of everything it stands for.”For over 10 years, we’ve been saying the same thing — we build American products, on American wood, with American tools, made by American hands,” Flags of Valor founder and military veteran Brian Steorts told FOX Business. “And we do it while giving back to the causes that matter — supporting veterans, educating youth, and honoring service and sacrifice at every step.”VETERANS SHARE PATRIOTISM, PRIDE AND PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ALSO PROMOTING ‘MILITARY WORK ETHIC’Founded in Virginia in 2015, Flags of Valor is known for its handcrafted, wooden U.S. flags, as well as military and first responder flags. The business currently has 10 employees, the majority of whom are veterans and military spouses.Each material used by the Flags of Valor team — from the woodworking tools to the tape for the shipping boxes — is sourced from American companies, according to Steorts.FROM BOMB SQUAD TO BAKER AND COFFEE MAKER: FORMER DEPUTY CRUSHES A NEW BUSINESS”We believe that’s the only way it should be done,” Steorts said.Steorts, a combat
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Father-daughter duo sells American-grown coffee using 'innovative' technique
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When 6-year-old Charli Johnson suggested starting a coffee business to her dad, T. Shane Johnson, he thought it would be a valuable teaching opportunity and a “great way” for them to spend time together.”It was just one of those kind of ‘aha moments’ as a dad,” T. Shane Johnson, a Marine Corps veteran, told FOX Business. “A lot of kids come up to you and say, ‘I want to do dance or football or baseball.’ We jumped right into it together.”The father-daughter duo launched Big Guns Coffee in 2021, which today sells 38 coffee blends, as well as soaps and candles, both online and at a brick-and-mortar store in Tryon, North Carolina. Its products are available in stores across the country, according to T. Shane Johnson.”At the same time, we are franchising our farms to Montana, Kentucky, California and other different places,” Charli Johnson added.SMALL FAMILY FARMS MAKE AMERICAN-GROWN ROASTED COFFEE THE WORLD’S BEST BREWBig Guns Coffee’s most popular products are its Charli’s Blend, a bold dark roast, and The Motivator, a medium roast.BOY SWEETLY PRETENDS TO SERVE COFFEE TO HIS OLDER SISTERSAmerican-grown coffee is not common in areas outside California, Hawaii, Florida and Puerto Rico, according to T. Shane Johnson.
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Fruit tree gifting company has humble roots: 'Grit of the American Dream'
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Prior to launching PlantOGram – an American-made fruit tree gifting company – nearly two decades ago, gardening was solely a backyard hobby for husband-and-wife duo Mickey and Vicky Popat.The newlyweds at the time had purchased their first home, and developed a passion for growing fruit trees in their garden, according to Mickey Popat.”Being able to walk into your own yard and pick something and say, ‘I grew this, and I ate it’ – I think that’s amazing,” Vicky Popat told FOX Business.AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS YOU CAN SHOP FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON FOR LOVED ONESThe Popats, upon sharing their harvest with friends and family, realized fruit tree gifting could be a successful business model. They quit their jobs in finance and education to pursue their passion full-time.In 2007, the couple used their savings to launch PlantOGram. They purchased a used, $1,500 work van and began selling fruit trees door-to-door across the Sunshine State.SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHOWCASE AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS”I want to say the entire state of Florida has probably seen us [door-knocking],” Vicky Popat said. “I feel that is the grit of the American dream… When we first started, we actually budgeted a $5 bill for lunch because we were so lean.”Based out
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Business owner facing steep tariffs tests whether people will pay for 'Made in USA'
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An entrepreneur facing skyrocketing costs due to tariffs conducted an experiment to see whether customers would voluntarily pay more for a product made in America.”The result was, unfortunately, disappointing,” Ramon van Meer told Fox News Digital. “We sold zero ‘Made in the USA’ shower heads.”Van Meer, a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” is the founder of Afina, which sells a shower head that filters chemicals and heavy metals out of tap water. The shower head, manufactured in China and Vietnam, currently sells for $129.But van Meer said as the cost of tariffs jumped to 170%, he wanted to test whether the company could successfully reshore manufacturing to the U.S.US ECONOMY SLOWS SHARPLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER AS TRUMP’S TARIFFS WEIGH HEAVILYHe found a U.S.-based company that could produce the shower heads — but at nearly triple the cost. To maintain Afina’s current profit margins, he listed the U.S. version side-by-side with the original with a brief explanation of the price difference, and gave customers the choice.”I wanted to really test what [customers will] do if it comes down to it. How would they vote with their wallets?” he said, adding that he anticipated customers would gravitate toward the cheaper option, but not
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Walmart supports small businesses, American-made products through new 'Grow With US' initiative
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Walmart is showing increased support for American-made products through its “Grow With US” initiative, a new program aimed at providing U.S. small business owners with the training, mentorship and resources they need to succeed.”Walmart is making it easier for U.S.-based entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of retail and bring their products to a national stage,” the world’s largest retailer said in an announcement.WALMART LEANING INTO TARIFF UNCERTAINTY: ‘POSITIONED TO PLAY OFFENSE’Grow With US consists of a four-step program that offers American small business owners access to financial assistance, e-learning modules with several different learning paths, opportunities to showcase their products and the ability to connect with an experienced mentor. The initiative is part of the company’s “expanding commitment to small business development,” according to the announcement.Grow With Us aligns with similar Walmart programs around the world, including Vriddhi in India and Crece con Walmart in Mexico.WALMART, TARGET CEOS DISCUSS ‘PATH FORWARD’ WITH TRUMP AS TARIFF CONCERNS WEIGH ON CONSUMERSIn fiscal year 2024, more than two-thirds of Walmart’s total product spend was on items grown, made or assembled in America. Small businesses, which account for more than 60% of Walmart’s U.S. suppliers, play a “powerful role in bringing unique products to
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Coffee brand by veteran fire captain launches contribution initiative with profound mission
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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).In celebration of the heroic and gallant actions of firefighters across the U.S. on International Firefighters’ Day, a former Los Angeles County fire captain is launching a coffee brand with a meaningful mission.Rick Brandelli, founder of Firemans Brew Coffee, will debut three roasts online — dark roast, or “The Bold Hero,” made in small batches from South America and Indonesia; medium roast, or “The Balanced Warrior,” made with beans sourced from Central America and Southeast Asia; and light roast, or “The Gentle Guardian,” crafted with beans from Central America, South America and Africa.Brandelli selected the Fire Family Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing support and financial assistance to firefighters and their families, as the recipient of endowments.DRINKING CERTAIN TYPES OF COFFEE CAN BRING SOME HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT THE ADD-INS MATTER”It’s a perfect fit,” Brandelli told FOX Business.Years ago, Brandelli and a firefighter friend were determined to establish an organization with a mission to support the mental health struggles of firefighters, including PTSD, after a good friend and well-respected fire captain died by suicide
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1-800-Flowers to deliver millions of roses, tulips and more for Mother's Day: 'Highly complex' process
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Mother’s Day is one of the busiest holidays of the year for 1-800-Flowers.com. The company, headquartered in New York, expects to deliver 17.8 million stems for the occasion, including 6.9 million roses and 2.8 million tulips.”Delivering so many flowers in such a tight timeframe, as with the Mother’s Day holiday, is a highly complex operational process,” Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., told FOX Business. “But we have conducted nearly 50 Mother’s Day campaigns, and we know this holiday very well.”THE BEST ONLINE FLOWER DELIVERY SERVICESPlanning for Mother’s Day, which this year falls on May 11, begins a year in advance for the retailer. To ensure deliveries go smoothly, 1-800-Flowers.com has been analyzing and reviewing every aspect of the business – from the product design to the supply chain, according to McCann.The business has 125 retail locations in 23 states around the country. It also works with around 5,000 local florists across the U.S., giving shoppers the opportunity to buy locally from a “trusted florist,” McCann said. “A consumer can trust that we have vetted and found the best florist in their communities,” McCann said.After a customer places an order on the 1-800-Flowers.com website, the business sources to one of the