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75% of Small Business Owners Tapped Personal Credit for Business Expenses, Bluevine Study Finds

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New national survey reveals lack of loan preparation puts personal financial health at risk, contributing to delays or denials for 1 in 4 applicants.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new national survey published today by Bluevine—the largest digital banking platform for small businesses in the U.S.*—reveals that small business financing challenges are often driven by a gap in preparation and financial literacy rather than a lack of available capital. According to the study of more than 800 U.S. small business owners, 25% of their recent business financing applications were delayed or denied due to avoidable application mistakes, driving many founders to compromise their personal financial health.

The findings highlight a critical disconnect: While roughly two-thirds (65%) of SMB owners applied for a business line of credit or term loan in the past 12 months, the vast majority skipped fundamental preparation steps. A striking 73% of respondents admitted they did not research lender approval requirements beforehand, 72% failed to update their financial statements, and 56% did not check their business credit score before hitting submit.

These preparation gaps frequently force owners to rely on personal financing to keep operations afloat, with 75% of small business owners self-reporting that they used personal credit cards or personal loans for business expenses over the last year. This marks a massive jump from Bluevine’s 2025 data, where 49% of owners reported using a personal card to cover business expenses.

“Using personal credit cards for business expenses can create risk beyond utilization,” said Aditya Narula, Senior VP & GM of Lending & Credit at Bluevine. “It can blur personal and business finances, limit the owner’s ability to build business credit, and make tax or cash-flow tracking harder. Over time, it may constrain personal borrowing capacity for a mortgage, car loan, or emergency needs. A stronger application starts before the application itself.”

Additional Key Findings

The Early-Stage Vulnerability: Business owners whose companies are five years old or younger struggle the most with the process. Over half (54%) experienced issues with their most recent application, compared to just 24% of established businesses (six years or older). Furthermore, 44% of newer owners rely on personal credit cards, and 20% utilize personal loans for business needs.The Personal Toll of Mixed Finances: Relying on personal credit is actively harming small business owners’ private lives. Of the 41% of owners who currently use personal credit cards for business expenses, more than 4 in 5 (42%) say it has negatively affected their personal finances, including increasing personal credit utilization (23%), creating household stress or conflict (16%), and lowering personal credit scores (12%).Application Surprises: Among the 37% of SMB owners who ran into roadblocks during their most recent application, 12% were caught off guard by how long processing took, 11% discovered their credit score was lower than expected, and 8% applied without understanding lender requirements.Financing Alleviates Stress: Access to proper business financing remains vital to operational health. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of small business owners state that having a dedicated business line of credit or term loan significantly reduces their stress about covering upcoming expenses or emergencies.

“A prepared application can materially speed up the process because it reduces back-and-forth,” Narula added. “Current P&Ls, recent bank statements, accurate business information, and a clean credit profile help lenders verify your business faster. The biggest unlock is consistency: when documents, revenue, ownership, and credit history tell the same story, decisions move faster.”

For a deeper dive into real-world credit behavior and advice on navigating the application process, read the full findings here.

Methodology

The survey was conducted online by Centiment for Bluevine between May 12, 2026, and May 13, 2026. The results are based on 864 completed surveys from U.S. adults aged 18 and older who were verified as small business owners. The data is unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately ±3% for the overall sample with a 97% confidence level.

* As compared to publicly available data on the number of lifetime customer accounts held by other U.S. banking platforms dedicated to small businesses that offer both checking and lending services, as of June 2026.

About Bluevine

Bluevine is the largest small business banking platform in the U.S., serving as the financial operating system for startups and small businesses. Through a single account, companies can earn more, save more, borrow, and manage their money whenever and wherever they do business – without ever stepping into a branch. Accessible through one dashboard, its product suite integrates high-yield business checking, accounts payable, debit and credit cards, loans, and lines of credit. Since 2013, Bluevine has served over 1 million customers, delivered over $17 billion in loans, and is currently trusted with over $2 billion in managed customer deposits. Bluevine has been named as the Best Online BusinessChecking Account by Nerdwallet for 2026 and recognized as one of CNBC’s World’s Top Fintech Companies in 2026.

Bluevine is backed by leading private and institutional investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, 83North, Citi Ventures, ION Crossover Partners, SVB Capital, Nationwide, and M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Arm). Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Lines of credit are issued by Celtic Bank. For more information, please visit bluevine.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

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SOURCE Bluevine

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Visier Debuts Talent Agents, Closing the Gap Between HR Programs and Business Impact

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October 21, 2026

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New AI agents turn Visier insights and plans into guided action for every manager, fixing the #1 reason HR programs fail: manager follow-through

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Visier today announced Talent Agents at HR Tech 2026. Built on the Visier Workforce Intelligence Platform, these new AI agents guides every manager to the next right action in their organization’s HR programs in real time, and give talent leaders evidence of what each program actually changed for the business.

Talent management devotes a great deal of money and effort into HR programs every year, and many still can’t show the ROI or outcomes. New Visier research* found:

62% of HR leaders name manager follow-through as the single biggest reason programs fail77% of enterprises run HR programs on spreadsheets or a patchwork of tools, and are three times less likely to measure results while a program is underway.

Visier Talent Agents are built to close these gaps, helping talent management tackle its most critical challenges as organizations plan, grow and retain their talent. They leverage the latest in AI developments to pair best-in-class program frameworks with personalized, in-workflow guidance delivered to whoever needs to act next, and a closed-loop system for continuous learning and improvement based on every program’s goals.

“Good program design has never been enough. What HR has lacked is a GPS for every manager, so the moment someone drifts off track, they’re guided back before the program goes sideways,” said Dave Weisbeck, Chief Strategy Officer at Visier. “That’s what Talent Agents deliver, along with proof of what the program actually changed for the business.” 

“The space between HR program design and the actual business result is exactly where most HR investment gets lost,” said Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research. “Guidance that activates the manager at the moment they need to act, with proof of what changed afterward, is the piece of talent management that’s been missing and what Visier is solving for.”

Unlike HCM suites that teams would spend a year customizing, or point solutions that only see one piece of the picture, or even an internal-built tool that puts employee data at risk, Visier’s Talent Agents are built to run programs end-to-end and prove impact, not just track activity.

The agents reach every stakeholder in a program at the moment they need to act, not just when someone remembers to ask. They’re built to match how an organization actually operates, and the outcome of every action it recommends feeds back into the AI learning engine, so guidance gets sharper with each cycle. Because guidance runs on Visier’s proprietary Workforce AI rather than routing every follow-up through a person, organizations can scale their programs without being constrained by HRBP headcount.

The agents are built on Visier’s Workforce Intelligence Platform, so every program comes with the context, governance, and security an enterprise expects, backed by over 16 years of experience solving HR’s toughest problems.

Talent Agents are Visier’s answer to what the company calls the “activate” layer of Workforce AI, building on the platform’s existing strength in helping organizations understand their workforce data and plan around it. The offering pairs Visier’s technology with a dedicated implementation team that customizes each program to a customer’s specific processes and goals.

Attending HRTech 2026 in Las Vegas this week? Head over to Visier Booth #5209 to explore Talent Agents, or visit visier.com to learn more. The Visier team will also be at UNLEASH World in Paris (booth #106) and Total Talent Asia (booth #3).

About Visier
Visier Workforce AI is the context foundation for talent management. The Visier Workforce Intelligence Platform turns scattered, sensitive people data into one governed understanding of the entire workforce, so organizations can understand, plan, and activate all of their talent priorities in one place. More than 85,000 of the world’s most complex organizations, including Ford Motor Company, eBay, Experian, and Domino’s Pizza, rely on Visier’s over 16 years of workforce domain expertise, ranked #1 in vendor satisfaction and user experience for three consecutive years by the Sapient Insights HR Systems Survey. Learn more at Visier.com.

*Research from fall 2026, conducted by the Visier, Inc. Research Team surveyed verified senior HR and Talent leaders from 80 organizations with more than 10,000 employees across North America.  

visierpr@walkersands.com

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SOURCE Visier

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HSG Laser Unveils New Flagship Machine at EuroBLECH 2026, Powering Productivity for European Manufacturers

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October 21, 2026

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HANNOVER, Germany, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HSG Laser is showcasing its latest laser cutting and intelligent manufacturing solutions at EuroBLECH 2026, held from October 20–23 at the Hannover Exhibition Centre. Under the theme “Powering Productivity with HSG,” HSG is presenting its latest innovations at Booth 15-F42, including the European debut of its new flagship GV, alongside the launch of GFA PRO and AI CutPilot, as well as the European debut of its high-speed laser solutions G3015T and R2 PRO.

Expanding High-Performance Laser Solutions

The new GFA PRO is engineered for large-format metal processing, addressing challenges such as large footprints, low speed, unstable thick-plate performance, and high operating costs. Making their European debut, the G3015T and R2 PRO expand HSG’s high-speed laser lineup for sheet and tube processing, helping manufacturers improve throughput, flexibility, and production efficiency.

“HSG Laser’s European footprint has grown steadily, with more than 2,000 units delivered and a new showroom opening soon this year,” said Shawn Wang, Vice President of HSG Laser. “Our latest launches at EuroBLECH mark another step forward, combining high-performance equipment with intelligent technologies and localized support to deliver greater productivity for European customers.”

Recognized by MM MaschinenMarkt Germany

Built for the European market, HSG Laser earned the “International Spotlight” award from MM MaschinenMarkt Germany’s Chief Editor for its GV and AI CutPilot. The GV combines cutting, beveling, countersinking, and chamfering in one machine to streamline pre-welding workflows and boost efficiency. AI CutPilot is HSG’s industry-first, self-developed AI system that turns laser-cutting expertise into a reusable, scalable machine capability, helping reduce trial work and improve first-pass yield. The award further highlights HSG Laser’s technological strength and growing presence in the European market.

Strengthening Local Operations in Europe

As part of its continued commitment to supporting manufacturers worldwide, HSG Laser is further strengthening its localized operations in Europe. On 10th November, HSG will open its new showroom in Düsseldorf, Germany under the theme “Go Global, Link Local.” The new showroom will bring HSG’s latest machines, technologies, and expertise closer to European customers, creating more opportunities for direct engagement and local support. This expansion further strengthens HSG’s presence in Europe and its ability to provide responsive, customer-focused solutions tailored to local manufacturing needs.

About HSG Laser

Founded in 2006, HSG Laser is a leading global manufacturer of intelligent metal processing equipment, specializing in laser cutting, tube processing, bending, and welding automation systems. With a presence in over 100 countries and regional centers across Europe, North America, Japan, India, and Asia-Pacific, HSG Laser is committed to driving the transformation of manufacturing through innovation, reliability, and artificial intelligence.

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Mérieux NutriSciences Completes Acquisition of Certified Group, Becoming North America’s Leading Food Testing Provider

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October 21, 2026

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CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mérieux NutriSciences, a global leader in food safety, quality, and sustainability, today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Certified Group.

First announced in August 2026, this strategic transaction unites two complementary leaders in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) sector. With approximately $300 million in revenue, Certified Group brings 31 laboratories and over 1,600 talented employees into Mérieux NutriSciences’ global network. The integration also adds a robust roster of more than 170 independent regulatory consultants across the United States and Canada.

With this expanded coast-to-coast footprint, Mérieux NutriSciences is positioned to provide customers with broader service offerings and enhanced regulatory support. The integration deepens the company’s capabilities in key Food & Beverage segments, most notably in animal protein through its Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) network, where Certified Group has built a strong reputation as a bellwether for safety and quality, alongside leading positions in dairy, packaged foods, nuts, and spices.

Customers will also benefit from high-value expertise in cosmetics, OTC products, and dietary supplements through the Certified Laboratories vertical, and reduced-harm nicotine product testing via Labstat International. These core verticals are further bolstered by specialized expert services, including contract research (Lab Plus), regulatory consulting (EAS Consulting Group), and comprehensive certification and audit programs (FSNS Certification and Audit).

“We are thrilled to officially welcome the talented teams from Certified Group to the Mérieux NutriSciences global network,” said Nicolas Cartier, CEO of Mérieux NutriSciences. “By combining our respective strengths, we are vastly expanding the depth and breadth of our capabilities. This milestone allows us to be closer to our customers, meeting their localized, time-sensitive needs with unmatched speed and reliability, while furthering our shared purpose: Better Food. Better Health. Better World.”

“Our priority is to ensure a seamless transition for all customers while delivering immediate, enhanced value,” added Sébastien Moulard, President North America at Mérieux NutriSciences. “Through this nationwide analytical network, customers now have access to a truly comprehensive portfolio of routine testing, specialized analysis, expert regulatory support, and more. We are excited to leverage the best of both worlds to drive innovation and provide practical solutions right where production happens.”

“Certified Group has built a differentiated platform with a strong reputation for quality, scientific excellence and exceptional customer service,” said Deborah Kerr, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus & Executive Chair, Certified Group. “We are proud to have supported Certified Group’s evolution and look forward to seeing the company continue to thrive as part of Mérieux NutriSciences.”

The financing of the acquisition brings new minority shareholders Peugeot Invest and Continental Grain Company (Conti) alongside Mérieux NutriSciences’ long standing shareholders: Institut Mérieux, Sofina, and Dassault Group. This collective support underscores strong market confidence in the company’s strategic vision. Ultimately, the successful integration of Certified Group solidifies Mérieux NutriSciences as the leading provider in North America and a top player in the global food TIC market, further cementing its role as the trusted partner for customers navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.

About Mérieux NutriSciences:

At Mérieux NutriSciences, we leverage 60 years of scientific and entrepreneurial expertise to answer food industry needs. Today’s global challenges transform the way food is produced, marketed and consumed, which is why we know our clients need more than reliable analytical results; they need practical and innovative solutions that will contribute to make food systems safer, healthier and more sustainable. Present worldwide, we are more than 160 accredited laboratories and a team of over 11,600 committed employees. We strongly believe that together, we can create solutions to offer our planet: BETTER FOOD. BETTER HEALTH. BETTER WORLD. na.mxns.com

MERIEUX NUTRISCIENCES
Stephen Nichols (North America)
stephen.nichols@mxns.com 

Marion Bertrand (Global)
media@mxns.com 

Ashton van den Bergh (Global)
media@mxns.com

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SOURCE Mérieux NutriSciences

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