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GAP OF THE WEEK: Tech Costs Are Still Blocking SMB Growth

Why it matters:

• 96% of SMBs say tech is essential for growth, but 44% cite costs and 30% cite ROI risk as barriers to adoption. Small teams can’t afford trial and error like big companies can.

• While AI is seen as the most impactful tool (43%), only a third in the UK are even experimenting; leaving opportunity on the table.
  (techradar.com)

Core insight: Tech isn’t optional anymore; it’s a growth engine, but only if it’s affordable, measurable, and flexible.

Exit Vision (30-day plan):

1. Do a “cost vs. timeline” audit on the tech stack—list recurring charges, ROI, and cut anything not used weekly.

2. Slice pilot programs into micro-tests: Soft-launch tools for one customer segment or campaign before full rollout.

3. Prioritize dual-purpose tools—like marketing platforms with built-in automation or analytics.

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VIRAL STORIES OF THE DAY

“Let Elon Explore Mars. Our Mission Is Uranus.”

A Chennai colorectal clinic used a bold pun on a billboard to promote gut health, riffing on Elon Musk’s Mars mission. The copy struck a viral chord: over 1 million views, endless social shares, and a masterclass in taboo‑breaking advertising.

It’s the perfect reminder: even the most awkward topic can be approachable if your message has wit, timing, and whole‑brand audacity.
(instagram.com, indiatimes.com)

Key Takeaways:

• Wrong doesn’t mean ineffective. In a world oversaturated with polished ads, disruption wins.

• Tap into cultural moments (hello, Elon) to pause thumbs and fuel shares.

• No script needed; sometimes it just takes one fearless line, not a focus group, to launch awareness.

How One AI-Tailored Tamale Ad Landed 22M Views in 10 Minutes

What happened:
Christian Ortega, head of marketing at The Original Tamale Company in Pacoima, LA, took a meme-inspired idea—what happens if you fall out of a plane, where should you land?—and turned it into a hilarious 46-second video.

Using ChatGPT to write the script and voice the narration, he posted the clip, and it caught fire:

• 22 million views, 1.2 million likes in three short weeks

• Celebrities like Emmanuel Acho and Emiliano Vargas praised it

• Foot traffic surged, with fans saying “I came because of the video, not the tamales”
  (instagram.com, businessinsider.com)

Why it works:

• Speed > polish: “I made it in 10 minutes,” Ortega says—no production team needed.

• AI as co-pilot, not crutch: He leans on AI for speed and bounce, but keeps the humor and authenticity entirely human.

• Shared humor, local roots: It plays meme culture through a locally grounded lens, and that combo sparks empathy, shares, and sales.

Playbook takeaway for readers:

• Don’t wait on budgets. Use AI to mockup your launch or offer in meme form, then post fast.

• Keep it local, irreverent, and weird enough to stick.

• Watch: a fresh, goofy reel often trumps polished (but bland) creative.

TWO-MINUTE GAPS

AI is pricier than promised
Costs are skyrocketing; not because token prices rose, but because real-world AI tasks gobble far more tokens. Startups like Notion and Replit are feeling the heat and shifting to “dumbed-down” models just to stay afloat.
(wsj.com)

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SMBs caught racing costs and cautious with AI
A Shopify survey found 96% of small businesses see tech as essential, but 44% say cost and 30% say ROI concerns are holding them back; despite AI being viewed as most impactful (43%).
(floridarealtors.org, techradar.com)

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In UK, SME productivity jumps with AI, but not everywhere
Intuit’s report shows 36% of UK SMEs are growing (vs. 21% in 2024), with 77% of AI users boosting productivity; some in under three months. But a third still haven’t adopted AI, with infrastructure gaps blamed.
(techradar.com)

STAT OF THE DAY

55% of small businesses now use AI daily; up from 39% last year. These adopters say AI saves them 20+ hours per month, boosts productivity, and frees up time for growth.
(businesswire.com)

TURBO HEADLINES

Wi-Fi 7 just dropped; with a catch
Chipmakers are launching devices supporting Wi-Fi 7, promising double the speed; but expect enterprise prices and limited device support. Smart businesses are holding off until common clients catch up.
(theverge.com)

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China unveils its AI tax strategy
Beijing is rolling out policies taxing data-heavy AI compute centers, aiming to slow unchecked growth. The new cloud tax adds 10% to processing bills, chilling some compute-hungry startups.
(reuters.com)

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Meta bets big on email marketing resurgence
Byte-seeking Gen Zers are opening inboxes more often. Meta just launched email tools in Ads Manager to tap that shift, and to siphon spend away from Gmail.
(marketingland.com)

⏭ CLOSING LOOP

We publish Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Forward this to the founder still storyboarding “the perfect ad” while a tamale shop just ate their lunch with a 10-minute AI meme.

Aryo

SPOTLIGHT: Partnering With Founders Who Hate Wasting Ad Spend

Most of our readers are SaaS founders and agency operators trying to grow smarter, not just louder. That’s exactly where Aryo Consulting Group comes in.

Aryo helps $1M–$25M businesses slash CAC in half by replacing broken funnels and bloated ad budgets with scrappy, organic growth systems that actually convert. Think Reddit campaigns, local SEO wins, newsletters, and funnel fixes: built for founders tired of burning cash on Meta and Google.

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