THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast

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 ...

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&rs...

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 plannin...

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...

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 ra...

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 d...

Americans seem undeterred by inflation hovering at 3.4%, as the personal consumption expenditures index rose 0.7% in May and is up 4.1% year over year. This could trigger raising interest rates, although host Gene Marks says a rate increase would be manageable. Gene also looks at Walmart Business uncovering the hidden costs of procurement, and what 60% of people dealing with AI-powered customer service bots say they do when faced w...

At 24, Nate Berkus launched an interior design firm with no business plan and a whole lot of nerve. Thirty years later? Offices in three cities, 50 employees, and a spot among the most recognizable names in design. The celebrity designer joins host Gene Marks on Paychex THRIVE to get real about hiring, handling difficult clients, and why admitting what you're bad at is where real business growth starts. Plus, the advice from his fa...

Entrepreneurs continue to make a go of it despite current economic uncertainty, with business applications increasing 3.7% in May. Host Gene Marks says with access to new markets and inexpensive technology, there’s never been a better time to own a business. The news isn’t all rosy, as rising healthcare costs point to a potential trickle down to employees in 2027, but Gene shares a few strategies to offset. In AI news, ...

Businesses that got in on the front end of requesting refunds for illegal tariffs are better off than those applying now. Why? As host Gene Marks explains, the federal government filed an appeal that could make it more difficult. Additionally, certain contractors, including women- and veteran-owned ones, are finding opportunities to land government contracts reduced, according to a report that shows a reduction of $47 billion in in...

Every town has its big moment. A global tournament, a hometown festival, a parade that fills the streets. The question is whether your business is ready to grab it. Meg Kane, the host city executive behind Philadelphia's World Cup effort, joins Gene Marks with a practical playbook any business can run, anywhere. She shares how to lean into the energy, connect with the crowd, and land on vendor lists that organizers call again and a...

How’s the labor market? Depends on who you ask. Host Gene Marks highlights that in this week’s episode, pointing to the steady increase in job growth the past three months reported by the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch and the massive job gains released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Same? Gene says Paychex uses real-time data and the government’s report will be revised because it is based on surveys. T...

The construction sector takes the least of a hit on the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Optimism Index, while retail suffers worst decline. Add that to a Glassdoor survey reporting that employee confidence is at record lows and burnout is on the rise, and it’s no wonder that owners rate the financial health of their small businesses at good to excellent. Wait, what? Host Gene Marks explains why this might...

Jesse Cole built the Savannah Bananas into a 35-million-follower brand without spending a single dollar on marketing. His secret? Stop marketing. Start creating experiences people can't stop talking about. In this episode, the founder of Fans First Entertainment joins host Gene Marks to share the business philosophy behind one of the most unconventional success stories in sports. From how he hires to how he thinks about growth, Jes...

Small businesses always have challenges, but these days none is more damaging than the costs of doing business jacked up by inflation. Gene Marks, a small business owner himself, shares a few tips on how to manage the situation against the year-over-year profitability plunge of 1.3%. Financial pressures are hitting many, and a report found that 90% of employees would leave and seek out a company offering financial wellness resource...

A sharp spike up to 6% for the Producer Price Index has podcast host Gene Marks expressing concern over the pending price hikes for goods for the remainder of 2026. He offers some suggestions to help employers and their employees. As the World Cup soccer tournament nears its start in North America, one U.S. host city’s restaurant group is proposing a mandatory tip percentage so staff don’t get stiffed by visitors from n...

Big events bring big opportunities, but the businesses that win are the ones who prepare. Host Gene Marks sits down with Connie Kinnard of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau to talk World Cup prep, small business strategy, and what it takes to turn a surge in visitors into lasting revenue. From optimizing your online presence to building the right relationships, the tips she shares here apply to any major event, anywh...

Businesses that paid illegal tariffs under the Emergency Economic Powers Act could get a windfall if they follow the process to request a refund. Host Gene Marks shares some tips to facilitate getting your money back. He also says the latest Paychex Small Business Employment Watch reveals that employers are being cautious about hiring but aren’t cutting back on the practice amid economic uncertainty. Optimism abounds in the a...

A new Executive Order from the White House aims to expand participation in retirement savings for lower-income workers, which brings supporters and critics. It also looks to connect these IRAs to the Saver’s Match for eligible recipients. Gene Marks highlights this in this episode of the Week in Review, along with a possible new course for the Federal Reserve to map out rate hikes that could impact funding options. Plus, nati...