small.news: March 16, 2026 A Founder’s Journey: Adam Slocum & the National Sports Museum small.storiesBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant Adam Slocum stands alone on the concrete floor of an empty New York warehouse, envisioning the space alive with interactive exhibits and the energy of future visitors. In his imagination, jerseys hang above, championship cheers echo from unseen speakers, and his decades-long journey across athletics, technology, and education finally takes shape—culminating in the vision to build the National Sports Museum. Building on these experiences, Slocum’s diverse roles—as an athlete, a sports technology business owner, a teacher, and a nonprofit leader—ultimately led him to pursue a single idea: creating a national institution that captures the cultural significance of sports in the United States. Read more → Top Stories When Discovery Becomes an Answer: What Small Businesses Need to Survive the AI Search Era small.worldBy Eden Gamliel, CEO of U&AI One morning, I watched a rodent control company lose leads even though nothing was wrong operationally. The owner searched for the exact phrases customers use—“rodent control near me,” “urgent rat solutions”—and noticed they weren’t appearing in AI-generated answers. For urgent services like rodent control, that kind of invisibility isn’t abstract. The phones that usually ring sit silent; trucks that should be out on jobs idle in the driveway. If you’re not in the answer, you’re often not in the call list. Read more → Program Expands Support to Help Mexican Small Businesses Go Green small.deskBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant A major sustainability initiative is intensifying efforts to help Mexican micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) become more environmentally responsible while boosting business performance. Read more → European Small Businesses Say Bureaucracy Is Holding Back Growth small.deskBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant Small business owners across Europe say excessive bureaucracy and complex EU rules are stifling small business growth, according to Amazon News. Read more → How Small Businesses Can Become Financeable small.adviceBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant Many small businesses struggle to access financing, not because they lack demand or potential, but because banks and investors see them as too risky. At a recent CEO Virtual Roundtable on SME finance, panelists highlighted that SMEs are often economically active but remain “not financeable” under traditional lending rules. Read more → small.laughs By Dave Zaboski Disclaimer: All resemblances to any persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental and in no way meant to intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings. Keep laughing → Why Small Business Owners Need Systems at Home to Lead Better at Work small.opinionsBy Takilla Combs, Founder of Xtreme Audacity LLC “High performers often miss how home chaos affects them. Mental energy spent managing disorder at home reduces your focus and leadership. Every misplaced item or forgotten appointment adds to your cognitive load, draining vision and growth.” – Takilla Combs Closing the Global SME Finance Gap: Qamar Saleem on Innovation, Collaboration, and Opportunity small.talkBy Kekeletso Nkele, small.news Assistant On Mar. 4, 2026, Qamar Saleem, Global Head of SME Finance Forum, joined our small.talk to discuss the global mission to close the $5.7 trillion SME finance gap. Qamar spoke with Silver Lining Founder and CEO Carissa Reiniger about how collaboration between banks, fintechs, governments, and investors can expand access to capital for small businesses. Read more → Thank You To Our Founding Sponsor!