The economy is still growing. Consumers are still spending. Businesses are still investing. But AI, energy prices, inflation and interest rates are now playing a very big game of economic tug-of-war. AI May Be Doing More Than Writing Your Emails One of the biggest bright spots in Deloitte’s forecast is business investment, especially spending connected to artificial intelligence. Deloitte now expects fixed business investment to grow 6.1% in 2026, substantially higher than the 4% it previously forecast. The firm believes AI-related investment could continue supporting economic growth and eventually lead to stronger productivity gains across the economy. Translation: All those data centers, chips, software platforms, automation systems and AI projects aren't just tech headlines. They are becoming a meaningful piece of the American economy. And that could be especially important for communities positioning themselves for new investment, infrastructure and technology-related development. But Then There's Oil... Here's the economic party crasher. Deloitte says the direction of oil prices could determine just how strong the economy remains. Higher energy prices don't just hurt when you fill up your vehicle. They ripple through trucking, manufacturing, agriculture, food production, construction and eventually just about everything sitting on a store shelf. That inflation pressure is already showing up. The Federal Reserve reported in July that inflation remained above its 2% goal, partly because of supply shocks and higher energy costs. The latest government numbers reinforce that point: July's PCE inflation rate was 3.7% compared with a year earlier, while core inflation was 3.3%. Consumers Are Still Spending, But Their Wallets Aren't Bottomless Perhaps the biggest thing businesses should watch is the consumer. Deloitte expects consumer spending to slow as inflation and higher interest rates continue eating into purchasing power. And there's evidence of that squeeze. The U.S. personal saving rate was just 3% in July, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. People are still buying. They're just becoming much more selective about what deserves their money. That's an important distinction for small businesses. When consumers tighten up, being merely "nice to have" gets dangerous. Businesses that clearly communicate their value, convenience, experience or uniqueness have a much better chance of staying in the shopping cart. So...Are We Headed for a Recession? Not according to Deloitte's baseline forecast. Deloitte expects real GDP to grow about 2% in 2026 and 1.8% in 2027. Recent government data shows the economy growing more slowly but still growing. U.S. GDP increased at a 1.5% annual rate during the second quarter of 2026, after growing 2.1% in the first quarter. The labor market is softer, too. July payroll employment declined by 23,000 while unemployment remained relatively low at 4.1%. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) In other words: This doesn't look like an economy falling off a cliff. It looks more like one driving through construction. There are orange barrels everywhere, the speed limit keeps changing and Google Maps isn't entirely sure which lane we're supposed to be in. What Should Small Towns & Small Businesses Take Away? Don't obsess over predicting exactly what the economy will do next. Prepare for several possibilities. Watch your costs. Protect cash flow. Keep investing in productivity. Pay attention to AI. Make sure customers understand why you're worth their increasingly hard-earned dollar. And for communities and economic developers, watch where capital is flowing. If Deloitte is right, AI investment, infrastructure, energy availability and productivity-enhancing technologies could shape economic development opportunities for years to come. The economy may be complicated right now. But boring? Not anymore.

For the past few years, the internet has been playing a giant game of “Was this made by AI?” A photo looks almost real. A song sounds suspiciously polished. A blog post feels a little too perfectly structured. Now, the companies building AI are starting to answer the question for us. Anthropic, Suno and Substack have all recently announced new ways to identify, mark or detect AI-generated content, and it could signal a pretty big change in how we use AI online.

Welcome to sunflower season in Kansas. Every late summer and early fall, farms across the Sunflower State open their fields to visitors. Some are free. Some turn the experience into full-blown festivals. Others add flower picking, markets, pumpkin patches and even races through the sunflowers. And suddenly, a field becomes a destination. Kansas Tourism has assembled an impressive collection of public sunflower fields across the state, with cultivated sunflower season generally running from mid-August into early October. The catch? A particular field may only look spectacular for around two weeks, which makes timing part of the adventure. 🌻 Start Your Sunflower Trail A & H Farm | Manhattan If you're itching to go now, this is one to watch. A & H Farm reported its sunflowers blooming in July and expects to have multiple fields available into September. Translation: charge your phone. Shively Farms | Berryton Another early-season contender is Shively Farms, which reported on August 7 that its sunflower field was officially blooming. This could make a great stop if you're planning an August Kansas road trip. Kansas Maze | Buhler Now we're entering sunflower-overachiever territory. Kansas Maze plans to open its annual Sunflower Festival around August 25, 2026, with more than 16 acres and roughly 600,000 sunflowers creating a giant golden playground. And they didn't stop at "come look at the flowers." There's a Sunflower Trail Run on August 29 and a Sunflower Market on September 5. Running a 5K through hundreds of thousands of sunflowers? That's the kind of wonderfully quirky tourism experience small towns should be stealing immediately. Grinter Farms | Lawrence This may be the granddaddy of Kansas sunflower stops. Grinter Farms is expecting its 2026 field to bloom around Labor Day weekend. Kansas Tourism describes the farm's late-summer fields as a popular spot for photos and simply wandering among the flowers. This is the place for the classic Kansas shot: endless yellow blooms, giant sky and a sunset that makes your phone camera look considerably more talented than it actually is. Hunsinger Farms | Lawrence While you're near Lawrence, add another stop. Hunsinger Farms planted its sunflowers in late June and expects full bloom in late August or early September. The farm grows about six acres of black-oil sunflowers and typically opens daylight to dark during its limited bloom period. Lawrence could easily become its own mini sunflower getaway. Britt's Garden Acres | Manhattan Britt's was targeting Labor Day weekend or early September for its 2026 sunflower crop. Combine Britt's with A & H Farm and the other Manhattan-area farms, and suddenly you've got yourself a sunflower weekend. A to Z Farm and Flower | Rose Hill Save room on the calendar for September. A to Z Farm and Flower expects its sunflower field to open September 1. AuntB's Blossoms | Pomona This one sounds especially charming. AuntB's plans to open its sunflower field September 10-21 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, photographers are welcome, and visitors who want to cut sunflowers can make a donation, with stems priced at $1 each. Sunflowers for a buck? My car mysteriously seems to be heading toward Pomona. P and M Pumpkin Ranch | Moundridge Beginning around September 19, P and M plans to mix classic sunflowers with Mexican sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos. That's not a flower field. That's Mother Nature showing off. Klausmeyer Farms | Clearwater And just when you think sunflower season is over, Klausmeyer Farms keeps the yellow party going. Its flowers are expected to bloom in late September or early October, overlapping with pumpkin-patch season. Sunflowers AND pumpkins? Fall has entered the chat. Make It a Kansas Sunflower Road Trip One Important Rule: Check Before You Go Sunflowers operate on Mother Nature's schedule, and she does not appear to use Google Calendar. Weather, planting dates and flower varieties all affect peak bloom. Kansas Tourism recommends checking individual farms' websites or social media before traveling because a sunflower field may only remain at its best for about two weeks. And remember: not every sunflower field you see along the highway is open to visitors. Stay out of private fields unless the farm specifically welcomes guests, and don't cut flowers unless the farmer allows it. And Here's the Small-Town WOW Part... This is exactly what rural tourism can look like. You don't necessarily need a $20 million attraction. Sometimes you need: a field, a fantastic photo opportunity, a food truck, a few local vendors, some music, a wonderfully unexpected event, and a reason for someone to turn down your road. Kansas isn't simply growing sunflowers. These farms are turning something authentically rural into an experience people will drive hours to see. And that might be the biggest lesson hiding among all those yellow petals. Never underestimate the tourism potential of something your community considers ordinary. Somewhere else, somebody might think it's extraordinary.

Small Town Wow provides practical marketing tools, templates, latest small business news, and resources that help small towns and rural businesses grow, shine, and stand out. This is the website for rural & small town revitalization. Follow the Yellow Bloom Road The Kansas Sunflower Trail You Need to Road Trip Learn More What We Do We Celebrate & Offer Resources to Small Towns and Small Businesses. Especially, All Those Hustling to Make Their Businesses & Towns Standout! We Also Promote Small Business Products SHOP NOW! Small Town Wow AI Hub Powered by AI-WOW - Simple AI help for Small Towns and Small Businesses. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Small Business News Small Town Wow Blog Quick Resources For the Busy Business Owner! 1 2 3 4 5 Funding Ideas... 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Business Tactics ... Practical, no‑fluff tactics every small‑town business owner can use today. 1 2 3 4 5 Training Opportunities No travel, no overwhelm — just the tools your small‑town business needs, all in one place. 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This is a list of other websites in the USA that provide resources for small businesses. Wow Resources US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Association SCORE Main Street America SBDC Minority Business Development Agency