You could waste hours browsing the Web for local business news, and we know you don’t have the time. But, we do. We tracked down the top news from this month, so you don’t have to.

The Latest and Greatest Local Business News

U.S. small businesses profitable but facing challenges, Federal Reserve Banks say (Cleveland.com)

For businesses with $1 million or less in yearly revenue, how you manage your finances has a significant impact on your business’s longevity, when compared to businesses of a larger size. According to Cleveland.com, smaller businesses were much more likely than larger ones to: face financial challenges; rely more on personal finances and personal credit scores; encounter shortfalls in financing; and struggle to obtain financing from large banks. Outlook not so good. Or is it?

Shopify launches a free, in-house-designed card reader (Tech Crunch)
Many local business owners such as retailers, fitness coaches and on-the-move service providers (any mobile pet groomers out there?) rely heavily on card reader technology to get paid on the spot. Now, popular online e-commerce platform Shopify has designed its own hardware, applying a unique approach to the credit card reader. Unlike most mobile credit card readers, this one integrates with new credit card chips and provides you the opportunity to insert the card chip-first or swipe the stripe as you’ve done historically. If you are dying to try one out, you can get your hands on one in June 2017.

Snapchat Adds New Advertising Options (Small Business Trends)
Snapchat recently launched two new advertising tools that enable businesses to retarget users who have previously engaged with their ads and target app-install ads to their desired audience based on machine-learning. First, advertisers can now use the image messaging app to target users who have previously interacted with one of your ads. Then, you can target users to install your app. Put as simply as possible, a special algorithm will help you ensure you’re targeting the users who are most likely to install your apps.

New Twitter Location Sharing Feature Aimed at Businesses Talking to Customers in DMs (Small Business Trends)
Location, location, location. Knowing exactly where your customers are when you reach out can give you a huge advantage in tailoring your messaging specifically to them. Now, Twitter can help business owners and advertisers personalize your responses to prospects and customers with a new location-sharing feature. Using the Direct Messages (DMs) feature, you can learn more about customers asking questions, particularly where they are geographically.

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