How to Talk to Potential Investors: 10 Things You Shouldn’t Say | AllBusiness.com

January 6, 2026January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many startups seeking investment capital make common mistakes when pitching their business to potential investors. These easily avoidable errors can be statements made in their elevator pitch, in an email introduction, or even in the formal pitch deck they use to present. Here are 10 statements from startup entrepreneurs that are likely to turn off potential investors:

1. “We have no competition.”

Of course, your startup has competition, and to think otherwise shows an investor that you are naive. A simple Google search will often surface any number of potential competitors. Your job is to identify your top potential competitors and explain why your company is better.

2. “We want you to sign an NDA before we give you information about our business.”

Investors are busy and get inundated with business pitches. The great majority of investors will not sign a non-disclosure agreement, and you are just putting up a roadblock in even asking for one. If you have extremely confidential information, don’t include it in your pitch deck.

Starting a Mobile IV Therapy Business: Lessons From Top Providers Across the USA | AllBusiness.com

January 6, 2026January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

How to Start an IV Drip Business

A mobile IV therapy business requires a licensed physician to serve as a medical director, providing clinical leadership and administrative oversight over the healthcare organization. This senior leader develops protocols to ensure proper staffing, employee training, compliance, and risk management.

Moreover, you’ll need capital to obtain equipment, medical supplies, and software systems to handle booking, nurture customer relationships, and manage financials. Investing in marketing is also vital.

Below we describe the business models of three of the leading mobile IV therapy service providers across the U.S.

Lessons Gleaned From a Top-Rated Mobile IV Therapy Service Provider in Utah

Mobile IV Nurses Mobile IV Nurses offers IV treatments administered by licensed health care providers to alleviate different conditions and promote wellness. This highly rated provider of mobile IV therapy services in Utah offers custom packages, where patients select add-ins under the guidance of qualified medical professionals.

Lawmakers Demand Answers as SBA’s New Rules Slash Small Business Lending by 46% | Small Biz Trends

January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A recent shift in Small Business Administration (SBA) policies has sparked serious concerns among small business owners, particularly those with immigrant ties. According to a letter from Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and 18 other Democratic lawmakers, new citizenship verification requirements imposed by the Trump administration could be significantly stifling access to crucial SBA lending programs.

The changes, which rolled out in June, have led to a staggering 46% reduction in small business lending from June to August 2025. This drop comes on the heels of new eligibility criteria that have tightened the accessibility of SBA loans for businesses with even a single non-citizen owner, investor, or key employee. While many small companies depend on these loans to fuel growth and expansion, the recent standards bar those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, certain types of visa holders, and others from obtaining financing—even if the business is primarily owned by U.S. citizens.

Google’s Gemini 3 Flash Launches, Promises Major Cost Savings for Developers | Small Biz Trends

January 5, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google has unveiled its latest advancement in artificial intelligence, the Gemini 3 Flash, a tool that promises to revolutionize how small businesses approach coding and development. With a focus on affordability and efficiency, Gemini 3 Flash is set to provide vital resources for the fast-paced world of small business operations.

Small business owners are constantly seeking innovative solutions that streamline processes and bolster productivity. Gemini 3 Flash, integrated into Google’s Gemini API and Vertex AI, is priced competitively at $0.50 for every 1 million input tokens and $3 for every 1 million output tokens. The tool is tailored for both cost efficiency and effectiveness, with additional options for audio inputs priced at $1 per million tokens.

GSK boss says US is the best country to invest in | BBC News

December 11, 2025December 10, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US is the best place for a business to invest, the boss of one of the UK’s biggest pharmaceutical companies has said.

Dame Emma Walmsley, chief executive of vaccines and medicines giant GSK, said it will invest $30bn (£23bn) in the US by 2030.

It comes as other major drug makers have pulled UK projects worth billions after years of frustration on NHS drug budgets and pressure from President Donald Trump to set up production in the US.

However, Dame Emma, who will leave GSK in January after eight years in charge, welcomed a new deal which will see the NHS pay more to help secure zero tariffs on shipping UK pharmaceuticals to America.

Speaking to the BBC from the firm’s central London headquarters, Dame Emma said she would not “shy away” from GSK’s investment plans for the US, where it makes more than half of its turnover.

The Swiss city that lets you pay for most things with Bitcoin | BBC News

December 10, 2025December 10, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a McDonald’s by a lake surrounded by mountains, in the centre of the Swiss city of Lugano, a customer orders coffee.

“Can I pay with bitcoin?” he asks, and the person behind the counter holds out what looks like a credit card payment terminal.

It is, in fact, a machine for paying with cryptocurrency. The equipment has been distributed free to local retail businesses by the city council.

The buyer pays by contactless, from the Bitcoin wallet on his mobile phone. The bill comes to 0.00008629, which is roughly $8.80 (£6.60).

Few people who have bought Bitcoin would probably think about using it to purchase actual things in shops. It is instead generally seen as an investment, a bet on its value going up.

But in Lugano, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, it’s a different story.

SpaceX reportedly planning 2026 IPO with $1.5T valuation target | TechCrunch

December 10, 2025December 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

SpaceX reportedly planning 2026 IPO with $1.5T valuation target SpaceX is planning to go public in mid-to-late 2026 and is looking to raise $30 billion at a valuation of around $1.5 trillion, according to a new report from Bloomberg News citing multiple unidentified sources.

That would make it the largest IPO of all time, edging out Saudi Aramco’s public listing in 2019, which brought in $29 billion. It would also be a bit of a reversal for SpaceX, which previously considered spinning off its Starlink division for an IPO, while keeping the main company private.

Bloomberg’s report comes just a few days after The Information was first to report that Elon Musk’s space company was targeting a late 2026 IPO.

Three in 10 US teens use AI chatbots every day, but safety concerns are growing | TechCrunch

December 10, 2025December 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Pew Research Center released a study on Tuesday that shows how young people are using both social media and AI chatbots.

Teen internet safety has remained a global hot topic, with Australia planning to enforce a social media ban for under-16s starting on Wednesday. The impact of social media on teen mental health has been extensively debated — some studies show how online communities can improve mental health, while other research shows the adverse effects of doomscrolling or spending too much time online. The U.S. surgeon general even called for social media platforms to put warning labels on their products last year.

Pew found that 97% of teens use the internet daily, with about 40% of respondents saying they are “almost constantly online.” While this marks a decrease from last year’s survey (46%), it’s significantly higher than the results from a decade ago, when 24% of teens said they were online almost constantly.

He Spent $3K to Start a Side Hustle That’s Eyeing $1M Revenue | Entrepreneur

December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?

In May 2022, I launched Confusion Snacks to bring global flavors to everyday snacking using clean, guilt-free ingredients.

It didn’t begin with the intention of starting a business. It began as a way for me to stay connected to my Indian-American identity.

Growing up, I lived at the intersection of two cultures, constantly learning how to carry forward my immigrant roots while adapting to American life. Many times, those identities felt like opposites. One side of me was devouring my mom’s homemade meals and dancing to Bollywood hits; the other side was crushing a bag of Hot Cheetos while singing Justin Bieber in the shower.

I loved both sides, but never fully felt “at home.” Eventually, I embraced the truth: I’m both Indian and American. And I wanted to create something that celebrated that duality instead of forcing a choice between them.

Dads Started a Business for Kids Making $100M+ This Year | Entrepreneur

December 9, 2025 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When Darren Litt’s daughters were little, he asked their pediatrician for tips to keep them healthy. The doctor recommended a daily multivitamin, but when Litt ordered the brand on Amazon, the product that arrived gave him pause: The gummy vitamins were stuck together in their plastic tub with a layer of sugar on the bottom.

“ I thought, If I won’t give this to my own kids, why would anybody?” Litt recalls. “So I asked friends, ‘Is this what you give your kids?’ And almost everyone said the same thing: ‘Yeah, kids like the taste, but we’re not sure it’s good for them.’”

One of those friends was Litt’s former co-worker Adam Gillman; he had the same impression, and a light bulb went off: What if they built a “smarter version” of the type of multivitamin they wanted for their own children? “ No sugar, no gummy junk, just what kids actually need,” Litt says.