SBA Lending Boost: The SBA doubled the combined 7(a) and 504 lending cap to $10 million, a big deal for buyers who need financing for both the business and the building. AI Skills Push: The Dominican Republic’s RD Inteligente program aims to train 1 million people to use AI in their jobs—explicitly including small business owners—starting from basic training to data, automation and programming. Small Business Credit Access: India’s SBI is developing a UPI-based approach to assess creditworthiness for small firms without GST, aiming to speed digital lending. E-Commerce Compliance Risk: New Indian e-commerce rules starting Jan. 1, 2027 add ranking disclosures and “prior price” requirements that industry warns could hit small sellers and MSMEs hardest. Local Growth & Community Hubs: Malaysia’s Budget 2027 push stresses that economic gains must reach small business owners, while the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in South Carolina expands real-time support for 130+ companies via mentorship and affordable workspace. Cost Pressure on Main Street: A UK survey finds 3 in 10 small high street businesses considered closing, with VAT and staffing costs among top struggles. Workforce Sentiment: U.S. consumer sentiment fell in September, with year-ahead expectations for finances and business conditions dropping amid fuel-price and trade-tension worries. Entrepreneurship in Action: A Kansas farm-and-lumber store shows how rural succession and rebranding can double sales, while a South Florida family grows a tea business into a multi-generation side-hustle success.