THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast

30:10

Laundromats, Private Equity, and Seller Financing:...

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2026/10/06

Buying or selling a business takes more than finding the right match. It takes good timing, realistic expectations, and a clear read on the market. Host Gene Marks talks with Bob House, president of BizBuySell.com, about where things stand today. You'll hear which businesses buyers want most, how private equity and search funds are reshaping the buyer pool, and why the seller financing gap can make or break a sale. Bob also shares what catches owners off guard at sale time and why preparation is the

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12:48

Rates Reshape Housing Market, the Retirement Gap, AI...

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2026/10/01

With mortgage rates surpassing 7%, it’s created a ripple effect within the housing market for buyers, sellers, and even the industries that are directly tied to housing such as bankers, builders, and insurance professionals. Host Gene Marks says it’s not time to panic but it’s time to plan and budget and be strategic. Switching to retirement, there should be a little panic, especially after a report came out that shows 76.2 million U.S. workers lack access to an employer-sponsored workplace

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11:28

Unemployment Is Down, Proposed Bills to Help SMBs, AI...

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2026/09/24

Unemployment claims have dropped to their lowest level since mid-July, which is a good indicator that layoffs aren’t imminent. Host Gene Marks talks about employers holding on to their employees in a strong labor market. Plus, the House of Representatives passes nine bills with bipartisan support aimed at strengthening programs in the Small Business Administration, including ones dealing with funding access and disaster assistance. In AI news, Bank of America puts millions toward AI implementation

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33:31

How Data, Adoption, and Agentic Tools Deliver...

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2026/09/22

Gene Marks talks with Angie O’Dowd, Global VP of Partner Ecosystem at HubSpot, about how HubSpot has evolved into a full CRM and “agentic customer platform,” how its partner ecosystem works, and how AI and agents are changing CRM setup, adoption, data quality, and reporting. They cover when you should work with a partner vs self‑implement, what makes a strong partner, how AI assistants like Breeze and external tools like Claude or ChatGPT plug into HubSpot, the difference between workflows and

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12:49

Managing Annual Compensation, Your Retiring...

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2026/09/17

A Korn Ferry survey found that at least half of employers expect to provide raises at least equal to the rate of inflation (3%). Host Gene Marks advises small businesses to take advantage of the flexibility of offering more PTO as a bonus. Another hurdle is handling the soon-to-be silver tsunami of retirees, potentially leaving businesses short on institutional knowledge. Gene recommends mentoring and phased arrangements that include financial wellness resources to help maintain productivity. In AI

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11:22

Labor Market Tightens, Gen Z Avoids Managing, Open AI...

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2026/09/10

Data from the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and the federal government show weekly hours worked increasing and job openings maintaining. Host Gene Marks offers insights on what employers can do in a tight labor market. He also points to internal issues leaders are having with elevating Gen Z employees, as a survey shows that 60% don’t want managerial jobs. What’s holding them back? Some of the reasons might surprise you. In AI news, the launch of Astra by OpenAI promises advances in

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27:46

Can Small Businesses Win at Search in 2026? Moz's Tom...

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2026/09/08

Search engine optimization, or SEO, has changed more in the last two years than the previous ten, and small businesses are feeling it. Gene Marks sits down with Tom Capper of Moz to explain what actually works now, and what's no longer worth your time when it comes to organic search. Tom breaks down why your competitors' websites, local reviews, and even Wikipedia are suddenly part of your search strategy, how to show up when customers ask ChatGPT instead of Google, and what it takes to build a

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11:52

SBA Redefining ‘Small’, U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute...

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2026/09/03

As if small businesses didn’t have enough daily challenges, now the federal agency that’s supposed to have their back is redefining what it is to be small. The SBA proposes granting large conglomerates eligibility to compete for the same small business funding pot and resources. Host Gene Marks says such a move will create additional barriers. From barriers to borders, the Canada-U.S. trade standoff has the two lobbing massive percentage spikes on top of imported goods, so Gene offers a few

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12:19

Impact of $40T in U.S. Debt, Tips to Avoid Scammers,...

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2026/08/27

The amount of U.S. debt has reached the unfathomable, and at $40-trillion-plus, federal government is left with little choice but to print money. Host Gene Marks says this isn’t unusual, but the inflationary pressures will affect businesses trying to get loans. He offers some suggestions in this episode, as well as tips on how owners can combat intricate and technically adept phone scams. In AI news, Claude has become more intertwined in our workplace communications, so Gene says training all the

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33:46

Google's Mike Clark on What AI Agents Can Do for...

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2026/08/25

AI has moved beyond chatbots. The next wave is agents, and they're already reshaping how small businesses operate. In this episode, Gene Marks talks with Google's Mike Clark, Director of Product Management, Agent Platform at Google Cloud, about what AI agents actually are and how to put them to work. They cover the shift from generative AI to agents, why your website needs to be ready for the agentic web, real use cases from deep research to inventory reordering, and how to build trust with AI as

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11:04

What’s Behind Optimism? Age Limits or Discrimination?...

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2026/08/20

The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ monthly survey results show good news on the optimism front: the index reached its highest level in more than a year, the percentage of those expecting to create jobs is the highest since 2022, and worries about inflation are down seven points. Host Gene Marks also talks about the unique age-limit approach a restaurant has taken while noting that discrimination could become an issue, while in AI news, employers keep saying less work is coming for

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10:06

Resilient Labor Market, Tax Penalty Relief, Surge in...

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2026/08/13

Despite economic uncertainty, the U.S. labor market stays stable, which includes a 3.14% growth – the highest increase in five years – in weekly hours worked. Host Gene Marks shares more real-time data from the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and says employers can find labor but it won’t be inexpensive. Eligible small businesses get a boost if they’ve been compliant in their tax payment history with automatic exemption from penalty program from the IRS. In AI news, a 200% increase in

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34:43

Kevin Hassett on AI, Tariffs, and Small Business Growth

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2026/08/11

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council and top economic advisor in the White House, joins host Gene Marks to break down what today's economy means for small businesses. They explore why companies using AI saw dramatic revenue growth over the past year, how economists read government data alongside private-sector indicators (like the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch), and why jobs and GDP numbers get revised so often. Kevin also shares practical ways owners can use AI to

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11:01

Experts Eye Increased Hiring in 2026, Expect More I-9...

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2026/08/06

Hiring managers forecast that more permanent jobs will be added in the second half of 2026. Gene Marks shares a report that 63% surveyed said that too many projects are being delayed because of staffing shortages. A legal firm is signaling that I-9 enforcement could increase and recommends that employers prepare by conducting an audit. In AI news, Yelp Host is expanding its phone assistant to include food ordering. The call volume has grown 38% month-over-month, which is helping small restaurants

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11:11

More Taxes on Imports, Job Lock for Health Insurance,...

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2026/07/30

Just when you thought it was safe to expand your budget and return to importing more products and goods from other countries, a change in policy will leave many businesses paying higher taxes to do so. Host Gene Marks says, unfortunately, the cost of this policy change will fall to customers already battling higher prices because of inflation. He offers a few tips for businesses that might help. Employers also are facing employees stuck in job lock – those staying for health insurance coverage

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33:27

Entrepreneur’s Jason Feifer: Practical AI Strategies...

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2026/07/28

AI is reshaping how small businesses work, but knowing where to begin is the hard part. Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief Jason Feifer joins Gene Marks for a practical conversation about where AI delivers real value. Learn why AI is “normal technology,” the real reason small businesses haven’t adopted it yet, and how to find the simple, high-value wins that deliver real ROI. Plus, why the smartest place to start isn’t the tech at all, it’s fixing what’s already broken in your business.Want more from

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11:19

Boomerang Employees, Retirement Advice, AI...

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2026/07/23

More than one-third of new hires in March were boomerang employees. Host Gene Marks explains why people are returning to their former places of work, and the value employers gain from the experience. Gene also points out the benefit of educating and guiding employees on their retirement options, which a survey found is an expectation from the current workforce. Options include offering planning sessions and hiring financial planning consultants. In AI news, Upwork’s Future Workforce Index shows that

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10:56

Top States for Business, a Social Security Surprise,...

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2026/07/16

A recent survey using 138 metrics – access to a skilled workforce, the cost of doing business, infrastructure, and cost of living, to name a few – found one state rose above all as the best for where to run a business. Host Gene Marks talks about the top five. See if your state is highlighted. Gene also shares a few tips on how to structure paying oneself in an S Corporation to avoid a surprise when it's time to receive social security payments. In AI news, Microsoft listens to users’ concerns over

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32:17

AI Expert Dan Chuparkoff: Try It Before You Fear It

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2026/07/14

What if the best thing you did with AI this week wasn’t a big strategy overhaul, just one small experiment? Dan Chuparkoff spent three decades building software, from the early PC era through a stint at Google, before going all in on AI. Now he travels the country helping business leaders make sense of the hype. In this episode, Dan joins Gene Marks to explain why trying AI beats fearing it, why it’s about doing more rather than working faster, and how your AI assistant can double as your new

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11:19

Positive Jobs Data, Blue-Collar Millennials, AI...

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2026/07/09

Multiple sources show job growth trending upward, including the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch that showed a fourth consecutive month of improvement. This bodes well for businesses that had been feeling pressured by the labor market, says host Gene Marks. He also discusses the trend of Millennials snapping up skilled-trades businesses, and for many good reasons, including recurring cash flow and currently resistant to AI disruption. In AI news, Microsoft put $2.5 billion into a firm that

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