Obamacare Repeal Could Impact Self-Employed, Buying and Selling of Small Businesses Up

As the U.S. prepares for a change in leadership, a few major economic changes are taking place. The potential repeal of Obamacare could impact small business owners and self-employed individuals more than others. The marijuana industry has some concerns about Jeff Sessions’ appointment as Attorney General. And the number of businesses being bought and sold has reached an all time high.

You can read about those changes and more below in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.

Economy

28  Percent of Obamacare Customers are Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

If Obamacare is repealed without a replacement, two groups are likely to be upset, small business owners and more specifically the self-employed or those in the gig economy. Coincidentally, those people may be among voters who helped elect Donald Trump — an outspoken advocate of repeal — into office.

Number  of Small Businesses Bought and Sold Hits All Time High, BizBuySell Reports

If you have ever thought of buying or selling a small business or franchise, now is a good time to do so. The number of small businesses bought and sold has continued to rise steadily. According BizBuySell.com’s Q4 2016 Insight Report, small business transactions reached record highs in 2016, exceeding 2015’s annual totals by 8.6 percent and 2014’s previous high by 4.

Marijuana Industry Reacts to Trump Attorney General Appointment

President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint U.S, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as attorney general has kicked up a storm in the cannabis industry. Many fear Sessions, a vocal opponent of marijuana, will come down hard on the business, even if they complied with their state laws.

Yelp Report: Is This the Year of Millennial and Minority-owned Businesses?

Millennials and minority-owned businesses are most optimistic about 2017, according to a new survey by Yelp (NYSE: YELP). Millennial and Minority Owned Business Statistics Yelp’s second Small Business Pulse survey reveals millennials expect 69 percent more revenue growth than their older counterparts for 2017. Minority-owned businesses are also feeling positive about their growth.

Employment

Could Businesses Eventually Face Overtime, Flexibility Backlash?

Advancements in technology and connectivity have undeniably swept in a new golden era for remote working. Last year, 38 percent of Americans were permitted to work from home at least one day a week (PDF) — and almost half of all professionals considered leaving their jobs due to a lack of flexibility.

Management

Food Pantries Are Getting Smaller to Better Serve Communities (Watch)

Today’s food pantries are getting a makeover. In past years, communities would rely on local charity organizations and churches to collect food and other needed goods and then wait for families in need to ask for help. But there are some issues with that process. For one, even those who have genuine needs aren’t always willing to go out of their way to ask for help.

Retail Trends

Coffee Prices Rise: Will Your Business Be Affected?

Consumers are bracing for impact after the company behind some of America’s most popular coffee brands announced plans to increase prices by an average of 6 percent. Folgers, Café Bustelo and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee will all be affected by global roaster and distributor J.M. Smucker, which blamed the imminent price hikes on “sustained increases in green coffee costs”.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: #getfried Fry Cafe Makes French Fries a Main Course

When you think of French fries, you probably picture them next to a hamburger or other dish. But now, fries can actually stand on their own as a main course thanks to #getfried Fry Cafe. Read more about this new spin on fries and the business behind it in this week’s Small Business Spotlight. What the Business Does Offers french fries with a twist.

Small Business Operations

Discord Offers Potential Business Collaboration Features — at No Cost!

Even though Discord was created to give gamers a highly-secure all-in-one voice and text chat app for free, it can easily be applied for business use to enable collaboration. Setting up Discord, the Free Collaboration Tool In as little as 10 seconds, you can set up Discord if you choose to run it on your browser.

Boxed Offers Bulk Shopping Online for Businesses

Cutting out the time it takes to actually go and buy your business supplies hasn’t been a reality until recently. But ordering your supplies from your PC or smartphone through a service called Boxed, can give you back hours you can devote to making your company better.

Technology Trends

High Tech Entrepreneurs, Take Note of This New Heart Device (Watch)

How do you treat a failing heart? That’s a complicated question, and one that doctors and scientists have worked tirelessly to answer for years. But a new innovation takes a unique approach that actually makes a lot of sense — mimicking an actual working human heart.

More Consumers Can Soon Try Grocery Delivery From Amazon (Watch)

Grocery delivery is a growing trend in markets around the U.S. But some of those who could most benefit from getting their groceries delivered, like those living in food deserts, can’t afford it. That’s about to change in a few select communities though.

Paris Wants to Mix Old and New With Eiffel Tower Upgrades (Watch)

The most recognizable landmark in Paris may be getting a makeover. The Eiffel Tower has been around since the late 1800’s. And while it’s still an iconic building, city officials in Paris feel that it could use a few updates. The proposed changes would include adding security measures, improving the flow of tourists, upgrading elevators, paint, lights and more.

SimpliSafe Home Security Service May Also Provide Small Business Solution

Securing the place we live and work in used to be a task best left for professional, but like almost every other industry, digital technology is also democratizing security. SimpliSafe Home Security lets you install a wireless security system with all the bells and whistles, without needing an expert and paying an arm and a leg for it.

Navigating the Storm: 100 Days to Cloud with Microsoft Partner Network

There was heavy snowfall in and around Seattle for the first time in years, but the weather-watch didn’t stop 50-plus attendees and 10-plus speakers from engaging in Microsoft Partner Network’s 100 Days to Cloud workshop.

Why This Private Business is Heading to the Moon (Watch)

For the first time ever, a private company is heading to the moon. Moon Express got the approval from the U.S. government last year. And it recently raised enough money to make the trip. The company’s goal is ultimately to mine the moon for resources. But that could be more easily said than done.

WordPress  4.7 Reaches 10 Million Downloads, Releases New Security and Maintenance Update

Just a little over a month after its release, WordPress version 4.7 has been downloaded over 10 million times, according to the official WordPress.org blog. WordPress Version 4.7 was released to the public on December 6, 2016.

Trump Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Obamacare Repeal Could Impact Self-Employed, Buying and Selling of Small Businesses Up" was first published on Small Business Trends