Fran McLaughlin and Maria Quaranta-McLaughlin got their start selling sourdough bread and now have a bakery and coffee shop in Downingtown, Pa. "Local food always tastes better," McLaughlin said. "It's harder to work with because it's more finicky, but it's always worth it."

Creating online content with counter-narrative opinions is one way to get people talking about your business, although your stance doesn't necessarily need to be controversial, according to Andy Crestodina, co-founder of Orbit Media. Using AI tools and working with influencers may also aid your content strategies, writes Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner.

Many successful companies excel due to their exceptional customer service, which can lead to increased profitability, a positive company image and customer retention. To enhance customer service without excessive costs, businesses can implement simple techniques such as emphasizing positivity and friendliness, responding promptly to inquiries and listening empathetically, writes Corinne Zudonyi.

Leaders can make themselves unnecessarily anxious by focusing too much on negative thoughts that lead to all or nothing conclusions or over-generalization of situations that prevent them from seeing opportunities and solutions, writes LaRae Quy. "If we practice a more balanced way of analyzing outcomes daily, it helps to dial down our level of anxiety when confronted with a more threatening situation," Quy notes.

People ages 16 to 24 represent a large pool of untapped workforce talent, according to a new report, which recommends employers partner with community groups to create "opportunity youth" training programs and align the hiring of young people with strategic company goals. The report from the Society of Human Resource Management and the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity also suggests offering internships, attending job fairs and making job postings more appealing to young job seekers, many of whom are people of color.

Leaders and experts share advice on securing financing for your business when capital is scarce. Kameel Gaines of Rig On Wheels Broker & Recruitment Services recommends funding diversification, turning to sources such as business credit cards, grants and crowdfunding.

Out of 12 districts around the country, all but two showed "either slight or modest economic growth" from late February to early April, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book report. In addition, the report noted that "contacts expected that inflation would hold steady at a slow pace moving forward."

More jobs are the reason the US economy is growing faster, as people who find new, often better-paying jobs tend to spend more money. Fifty-seven percent of workers hired in the last six months increased spending after they got a new job, according to a ZipRecruiter poll.