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Many small business owners are ready to expand their teams. But a NEXT research study found that most expect hiring new employees to be a challenge. And many are successfully attracting new talent with new strategies that work. In April 2025, we asked 1,500 small business owners looking to hire in the next six months for their thoughts about finding and bringing on more workers. The data reveals a difficult hiring landscape, including tough competition and a shortage of skilled applicants.

Look at how Small Business Hiring Gets a Remix

For decades, hip-hop artists have turned pain into poetry, struggle into style, and now, lyrics into liquidity. A new generation of rap moguls and artists is flipping the wealth script by investing in technology, transforming their cultural capital into venture capital. This isn’t just a business trend for music icons like Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Nas, among others; it’s a power shift, where ownership and innovation are becoming the bars that really matter.

See how Hip-Hop’s Game Plan Evolved Into the Modern VC Pitch

In the age of AI, diverse entrepreneurs are being filtered out, sometimes before they even have a chance to be seen. Algorithms, often perceived as neutral, are shaping everything from who gets hired to who gets funded. When those systems reflect the biases of the society that built them, inclusive businesses and startups can be left at a systemic disadvantage.

Learn how tech bias is costing entrepreneurs

As economic uncertainty and wage stagnation loom large, Gen Z is rewriting the employment playbook. In place of the traditional corporate ladder, they’re building their own rungs through side hustles, startups, and freelance careers. This shift is not just anecdotal—it’s backed by data. With 77% of Gen Z confident in their ability to run a successful business and 72% already juggling side hustles, entrepreneurship is emerging as the new default. What was once a fallback plan is now the first choice for a generation that values creative freedom over cubicles.

Learn how Gen Z are going higher in Entrepreneurship

Start your week humming on a brighter note, and maybe a brighter mindset, with “Pipe Down” by Young Thug ft. Travis Scout is carrying the vibe.
It’s mellow, it’s rich, and it lands exactly where your energy could use a little push.

Jump in, turn it up, and let this week’s CBX Vibe work its magic.