AGP Executive Report

Small-Business Finance: The EU Investment Fund and ING unlocked €128.5 million to help Dutch SMEs invest and grow. In Canada, a proposed tax incentive would exempt up to $15 million in capital gains and expand the small-business reinvestment rollover, a move angel investors say could encourage early-stage funding. Women Entrepreneurs: Cambodia’s annual entrepreneurs day put access to finance, technology and markets at the center of efforts to help women-led firms grow; women run about one in five of the country’s registered SMEs and handicraft businesses. Local Tax Pressure: A Cebu advocacy group says proposed tax hikes could squeeze low-margin firms, delay expansion and cost jobs; a public hearing is set for Nov. 10. AI and Banking: Banks are exploring AI to help staff analyze business clients’ needs and improve service, while keeping customer contact in human hands. Formalizing Creative Work: Nigeria’s revenue service urged creators to register their businesses and keep proper records so they can qualify for tax incentives and investment opportunities.

Small-Business Finance: Maryland is putting $4.5 million into a Baltimore lending fund, matched by private capital to create $9 million for loans to businesses buying or renovating their properties. Pakistan’s finance minister also urged lenders to widen SME credit access, including through a new online loan portal. Founder Tax Relief: Canada’s 2026 budget proposes exempting up to $15 million in qualifying business-sale proceeds from tax, while expanding research-and-development incentives. New Lending Option: Fintech LoanBud is seeking bank and credit-union partners for a marketplace financing small-business purchases priced at $100,000 to $350,000, a segment traditional lenders often overlook. Rules to Prepare For: New York employers must provide personnel records within five business days of a request and notify workers within 10 days when negative information is added; the law takes effect Nov. 8. Business Disruptions: Flooding devastated shops in Georgia and Tennessee, while David Jones’ collapse left some small Australian brands unpaid for stock.

SME Growth: Malaysia’s government is considering more structured support for businesses beyond their early growth stage, when new contracts can bring pressure to hire, invest and secure financing. Officials also point to Budget 2027 programs for productivity and automation. Working Capital: India’s faster GST-refund process could ease cash-flow strain for small exporters: eligible low-risk firms may receive 90% of acknowledged claims provisionally, while application checks are due within 10 days instead of 15. Microfinance: Malaysia reports 2,248 micro-entrepreneurs scaled up to SMEs this year. Government-backed lenders recorded 272,927 financing facilities worth RM3.14 billion by September. Food Innovation: Burlington Bio founder Rachael Floreani is turning discarded agricultural materials into nutritious, affordable food, aiming to tackle food insecurity through upcycled ingredients. Tools for Local Firms: Revfer is offering selected small service businesses free access to its social media and review-response software in exchange for feedback, while opening a lifetime-commission affiliate program.

Small-Business Relief: Busan expanded its energy-voucher program, allowing eligible owners to use 200,000 won in support for water bills, taxi fares and EV charging. The city also extended the application deadline to Dec. 15 and the spending period to June 2027. Founder Innovation: Burlington Bio founder Rachael Floreani is turning agricultural byproducts into nutritious, affordable food, aiming to reduce waste and help address food insecurity. Finance and Digital Payments: Pakistan’s finance minister discussed access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses with textile exporters, and separately met Mastercard to explore digital payments and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity: Mastercard launched free cybersecurity training for small businesses, while South Korea’s KOSME helped 25 Daegu-area SMEs enter the public procurement market.

MSME Digitalization: The digital economy contributed 9.8% of the Philippines’ economy in 2025, creating new ways for small businesses to sell and manage operations. But limited financing, fragmented supply chains and digital-adoption gaps remain hurdles. Business Mobility: India’s Altigreen launched MINSARA, an electric utility two-wheeler aimed at farmers, delivery workers, small traders and fleet operators. Cross-Border Trade: Malaysia urged Commonwealth countries to cut trade barriers and red tape, improve connectivity and build more trade opportunities for MSMEs. SMB Marketing: BizCloud Experts opened an AI-assisted studio for Dallas–Fort Worth businesses, turning a podcast recording into branded video and short clips, with a first version promised within 24 hours.

Holiday Sales: With Small Business Saturday set for Nov. 28, a new guide offers 15 ways independent businesses can attract shoppers and build loyalty. Fiserv’s Small Business Index also points to sales momentum heading into the holiday season. AI Tools: Banks are starting to put AI within reach of small firms: Huntington’s new 1866 Studio offers business-focused AI agents, with more tools planned, while Goldman Sachs has launched an AI education initiative. Funding: Nigeria says it has disbursed ₦75 billion to 104 manufacturers and released ₦65.8 billion to MSMEs. In Kogi, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan awarded grants of ₦1 million to ₦5 million to small-scale entrepreneurs. Disaster Relief: The SBA is offering low-interest loans to businesses and nonprofits affected by Washington’s Chelan Hills Fire, with business loans of up to $2 million for damage and losses. Export Growth: Pakistan’s TDAP, NAVTTC and BRSP agreed to coordinate export promotion, skills training and market access to help local enterprises reach wider markets.

Local Supplier Growth: Malaysia’s TERAJU agency is being urged to help Bumiputera firms join Johor-Singapore supply chains and grow beyond financing toward stock-market listings. AI Skills: Google launched free digital and AI courses that learners can download and study offline, with a goal of reaching 3 million Africans by 2030. SME Technology: Emirates NBD is shifting its incubator toward hands-on AI adoption for established Emirati small businesses, helping them test and deploy solutions in areas such as sales, customer service and finance. Business Finance: The U.S. SBA reported record $100 billion in small-business support, while Nigeria says it has disbursed ₦65.8 billion to MSMEs and ₦75 billion to manufacturers. Logistics Investment: Capital Q Ventures is backing Latin American delivery firm Carryt with investment and growth support as it expands services for businesses. Fraud Prevention: Small businesses are warned to investigate unexplained payments before acting; scammers can exploit urgent messages and cash-flow pressures to trigger costly mistakes.

SME Lending: Pakistan’s prime minister has ordered regulators to act against banks missing lending targets for small businesses, farmers and home buyers. SME financing has reached Rs1.148 trillion, benefiting 342,458 businesses, but the government wants credit to flow faster. AI Marketing: New tools are making data-driven, full-lifecycle marketing more accessible to small teams; practical steps include organizing customer data, protecting privacy and building an AI-enabled marketing stack. Business Pressures: New Zealand company liquidations rose 18% in the year to September, prompting a campaign urging shoppers to support local businesses. Red Tape: Canada’s new federal directive requires regulators to cut $2 in compliance costs for every $1 of new regulatory burden, a move small-business advocates say could ease paperwork and operating costs.

Small-Business Finance: Liberis and Qred have completed a merger combining digital banking and embedded finance for more than 60,000 small businesses across 17 countries. In Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered banks to speed up SME lending and directed officials to tackle tax barriers and improve loan guarantees. AI Adoption: Most small firms recognize AI’s potential, but fewer than two in 10 plan to adopt it—an ambition gap that risks leaving smaller businesses behind. Entrepreneurship: South Africa’s 2026 News24 x Lula SME Awards named Zaio Institute of Technology Small Business of the Year, alongside winners in four other categories, sharing R300,000 in prize money.

SME Finance: Pakistan’s central bank has made SMEConnect the required route for financing applications from November 1. The digital system lets businesses track applications, but its success will depend on banks approving and disbursing loans faster. Storm Pressures: Guam businesses say typhoon damage, power and water outages, delayed inventory and slower customer traffic can keep them from recovering for months. Credit Guarantees: Indian banks are seeking an extension of a collateral-free microloan guarantee scheme that ended in March, warning that uncertainty could raise lending costs and restrict credit to microenterprises. Local Industry: Nepal’s homegrown businesses have the skills and products to grow, but high input costs, limited distribution and a lack of government support make it difficult to compete.

Small-Business Growth: Malaysian entrepreneur Zai Suhana turned a home-based soursop drink venture into a business producing about 3,000 bottles a month, with financing and guidance from a bank programme helping her expand. SME Finance: Sri Lanka’s Alliance Finance plans to raise up to Rs. 1 billion through the country’s first Orange Bond, directing funds to small-business value chains, climate financing and women-led enterprises. Access to Credit: Ondo State plans to launch a micro-credit scheme for small businesses on Nov. 2, while Nigeria’s government has approved ₦200 billion in support for small businesses and manufacturers. E-commerce Rules: India’s new GST reforms promise simpler registration and faster refunds for small online sellers. Business Succession: A new report warns that rising retirements could leave small businesses facing an ownership crunch by 2035.

Digital Sellers: India’s GST changes taking effect Nov. 1 promise simpler registration and faster refunds for small online sellers. Small-Business Finance: Ondo State plans to begin low-interest MSME lending on Nov. 2, while Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is urging banks to offer more accessible credit. Financing Tools: FedEx and Stripe plan a 2027 service that could help logistics-heavy small businesses qualify for funding using shipment and fulfillment data. Succession: About six million U.S. small businesses could change hands by 2035 as owners retire, raising the stakes for succession planning. Tourism: Brazil welcomed seven million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2026, bringing more spending to small businesses in hospitality and tourism.

Small-Business Funding: Nigeria says it has approved ₦200 billion in grants and financing for small businesses and manufacturers, targeting needs from equipment to payroll. Restaurant Tech: The FTC, seven states and Los Angeles County are suing Toast, alleging hidden fees, unauthorized charges and subscription traps that hurt business customers; Toast denies the claims. AI and SMEs: India has proposed a framework for startups and businesses to train AI on data held by banks, hospitals and public agencies, using privacy safeguards, with finance and healthcare pilots planned. UK Budget: Independent hospitality operators say new business-rates relief is welcome but won’t offset mounting costs; some say the Budget offered too little room to invest and hire. Export Growth: Pakistan’s SMEDA and Alibaba plan to train 10,000 SMEs for global trade, while a new Ugandan academy aims to help agricultural exporters meet international quality and certification standards.

Export Growth: Pakistan’s SMEDA and Alibaba plan to train 10,000 SMEs and help up to 2,000 businesses join Alibaba.com, with eligible firms able to claim up to Rs150,000 in support. Credit Access: Pakistan’s central bank says the collateral-free SME loan limit has risen from Rs10 million to Rs50 million, while higher turnover thresholds open financing to more businesses. Digital Operations: Kenya’s LOOP BIZ+ brings payments, stock management, marketing and credit together in one platform for small merchants. AI Support: Rhode Island small businesses will receive free AI training and consulting through a $1.6 million federal grant to Bryant University. Seller Protections: Etsy has tightened rules for AI-generated listings, requiring most sellers to include an unedited photo of the item and barring misleading images. Disaster Recovery: The UN is urging donors and lenders to provide grants, credit and guarantees to small businesses still struggling after Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

MSME Policy: Malaysia plans to give local firms greater consideration in government, state-linked and multinational procurement. Its SCALE reform agenda also targets SME cash flow, AI adoption and access to finance. Digital Growth: Forty-four Sarawak entrepreneurs completed Maxis’s AI and digital-marketing programme, reporting an average 20% revenue increase. Small Restaurants: A bipartisan US bill would require delivery apps to get restaurants’ permission before listing them and remove unauthorized listings within 10 days; it could take effect in 2027 if passed. Women-Owned Businesses: Sri Lanka has joined the Orange Bond initiative, with its first issuances targeted for December. Alliance Finance plans to raise 1 billion rupees, while organizers aim to reach 1.2 million women and their families by 2030. Hiring Incentives: India’s 99,446-crore-rupee employment scheme offers eligible first-time workers up to 15,000 rupees and employers up to 3,000 rupees monthly for qualifying new hires. Business Banking: LuLu Financial and Purpleplum are combining digital accounts, payments, remittances and payroll services for UAE SMEs in one platform.

SME Finance: Pakistan’s central bank launched SMEConnect, a single portal for business loan applications; from Nov. 1, applicants can track progress and see why a request was rejected. Lagos State says its fund has disbursed more than N15 billion to over 20,000 small businesses, contributing to 320,000 jobs. Local Lending: Seattle is cutting small-business loan interest rates to 4% as it overhauls access to capital. In Topeka, a new platform aims to help entrepreneurs assess their finances and prepare for funding. Business Risks: New Zealand businesses say Meta account suspensions can be costly and difficult to appeal; one wedding photographer reported ongoing ad charges and lost bookings after losing account access. Disaster Aid: The SBA is offering low-interest loans to businesses and nonprofits hit by Eastern Washington wildfires, with business loans of up to $2 million.