Small Biz Breakdown: Team Trump or Team Musk?

The Small Biz Breakdown couldn’t let the very public feud between allies Donald Trump and Elon Musk go by the wayside this week.

The panelists pick sides in this debate and decide whether they’re on Team Trump or Team Musk … or whether they’re on any team at all in this fight.

They’re also taking on some other big topics that are affecting small business owners this week.

Check out the always lively discussion on this latest edition of Small Biz Breakdown …

Here are more headlines affecting small business owners from the past week …

Apple is expanding its Self Service Repair program to include select iPad models starting June 5, 2025. The move allows iPad owners to access repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics, tools, and rental toolkits for supported devices.

Wizehire has launched a new AI-powered recruiting assistant, Wizehire Scout, aimed at helping small business owners and hiring managers speed up and simplify their recruitment process. The Houston-based hiring platform announced Tuesday that Wizehire Scout is now available to all current and future customers at no additional cost.

The City of Bloomington has launched its 2025 Small Business Safety & Cleanliness Grant, offering financial support to local businesses looking to enhance their properties’ safety, hygiene, and appearance. The grant program, administered by the Department of Economic & Sustainable Development, allocates a total of $85,000 in funding for the current fiscal year.

Private sector hiring slowed sharply in May, with just 37,000 jobs added, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report released Wednesday. The monthly data, produced by ADP Research Institute in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, also shows annual pay rose 4.5% compared to the same time last year.

Futuri, a leader in AI-powered content and sales intelligence tools for media, has unveiled a major expansion to its SpotOn platform with the launch of SpotOn Video, a new tool that enables radio, advertising, and television professionals to generate short-form branded video ads in minutes.

Despite rising concerns over tariffs, a majority of business owners expect the U.S. economy to grow in the second half of 2025, according to the latest Mid-Year Business Outlook Survey released Tuesday by Provident Bank. The survey, conducted by Pollfish for the New Jersey-based financial institution, polled 1,000 business owners and senior executives at U.S.

Xero, the global small business platform, has launched Tap to Pay on iPhone for small businesses in the United States, allowing users with a Stripe account to accept contactless, in-person payments through the Xero Accounting app — without the need for additional hardware or payment terminals.

A Spokane, Washington dermatologist and his affiliated businesses have agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle allegations they misused federal COVID-19 relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. William Philip Werschler, 66, and his companies—Spokane Dermatology Clinic, Premier Clinical Research L.L.C., and 3rd and Sherman Plaza L.L.C.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), in partnership with VentureFuel, has launched the first-ever Blueberry Boost Accelerator to support startups creating innovative consumer products that feature blueberries. Applications for the program are now open and will be accepted through July 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

On the Small Biz Breakdown this week, our full panel is back and they’re talking about the biggest stories affecting small business owners right now. One of the big topics this week is the news that the CEO of Anthropic says 20% of jobs will be gone in 5 years.

Drivers across the U.S. are seeing relief at the pump as summer kicks off, with the national average for gas dropping to $3.16 per gallon—about 3 cents less than a week ago, according to AAA. Fuel prices are now back to where they were a month ago and well below last year’s average of $3.57 per gallon. The dip comes as crude oil prices hover around $61.

D-Link has unveiled its new DBR Series, a lineup of networking products tailored for small businesses seeking high-performance, secure, and easy-to-manage connectivity. The launch includes two new routers — the DBR-600-P and DBR-700 — and the DBR-X3000-AP smart access point.

LG Electronics has officially launched the LG Smart Monitor Swing (model 32U889SA), a new 32-inch 4K UHD smart monitor designed to maximize productivity and entertainment with its flexible stand and full touchscreen capabilities. The product, which recently earned a CES 2025 Innovation Award, is LG’s most versatile smart monitor to date.