Chick-fil-A's CEO told CNBC the chain won't use AI to take drive-thru orders, and the debate over bots that block access to a person kept trending this week. What was said, what Verint's and Alchemer's surveys show, what California's AB 1609 asks of big companies, and seven customer service steps for small businesses.
Meta and Sierra announced the Personal Agent Protocol on Oct. 6, an open standard for how personal AI agents like Muse sign in and get tasks done with businesses, backed by Shopify, Stripe and Walmart. What it does, what's still missing, how agents already call businesses, and seven steps for small businesses.
Bluevine's Lean Team Economy Report (Oct. 7) finds 75% of small business owners plan to hand a function to software or AI instead of hiring, and 53% say AI already covers one employee's workload. It lands after a September jobs report with just 29,000 new jobs. What the data says, what it doesn't, and 7 steps for running lean without burning out.
TD Bank's Oct. 5 survey: 85% of small business owners expect stronger revenue, but 97% feel unprepared somewhere, led by technology and operations (43%) and AI adoption (40%), and 73% delayed an investment. How it lines up with the U.S. Chamber's Q3 index, and a six-step plan before the holiday rush.
UPS plans 100,000 seasonal hires for the 2026 holidays, about 9% fewer than 2025, while Target relies on extra hours and a 43,000-person On Demand pool and Challenger forecasts 450,000 Q4 retail jobs. What it means for small sellers and a six-step plan for staffing, shipping and customer messages.
On 17 Sep 2026 the FTC announced a proposed consent with Corpay, Inc. (formerly FleetCor Technologies) and CEO Ronald Clarke for $100 million over alleged unauthorized fuel-card fees and deceptive savings/fee claims aimed at small businesses. Docket 9403 / Matter 182 3000; accepted subject to final approval after 30-day comment; federal N.D. Ga. liability already affirmed in part by the 11th Cir. Case status Pending; no public claim form yet; no affiliate.