Silent churn is one of the biggest threats to small businesses , often going unnoticed until it significantly impacts revenue. Unlike active churn, where customers cancel their subscriptions or explicitly stop purchasing, silent churn happens gradually. Customers disengage, reduce usage, or stop buying without officially severing ties, leading to a slow decline in business performance. Identifying silent churn early allows owners and entrepreneurs to take proactive steps to re-engage customers before they are lost entirely. Recognizing The Early Signs Of Silent Churn Silent churn does not happen overnight. It begins with small shifts in customer behavior . If ignored, these shifts lead to long-term disengagement. One of the most common signs is a decline in customer interaction. Warning signals include: users logging in less frequently, reducing their purchases, or spending less time engaging with emails and content. A drop in feature usage or product engagement is another...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. This week, former wrestling promoter and current Education Secretary Linda McMahon published an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal announcing the Trump administration’s plans to begin collecting on defaulted student loans. However, as we’re on the brink of experiencing a recession thanks to President Donald Trump’s trade war, this act runs the risk of contributing to an economic slowdown, according to ABC News. Beginning on May 5, around 5 million borrowers who have defaulted on their student loans will be sent to collections. When they are sent to collections, the federal government will seize federal tax refunds, even garnish wages and other forms of income to pay off the debt. Many borrowers cannot afford a student loan payment, which is why they defaulted in the first place. Federal loans also have high interest rates, which this current administration has shown no interest in lowering to...

The Primary School, a tuition-free private institution co-founded in 2016 by Priscilla Chan, the wife of Mark Zuckerberg , to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values, is set to close at the end of the 2025–2026 school year. According to a statement on its website announcing the closure, Chan and late educator Meredith Liu established the school, which has campuses in East Palo Alto and East Bay, CA , “on the guiding principle that raising a child is a team effort” and the decision to close came “after much deliberation.” “Too often, our country’s systems of care are siloed and don’t adequately address a child’s varied needs,” the statement read. “The Primary School model breaks down those silos by bringing together the adults in a child’s life — including parents, educators, and health providers — starting from an early age.” The statement continued, “…This was a very difficult decision, and we are committed to ensuring a thoughtful and supportive transition for...

A resource for minority-owned businesses may be impacted due to a new round of federal job cuts. Inc. reports new changes are underway at the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which was first established in 1969 by former President Richard Nixon. Under former President Joe Biden’s administration alone, the MBDA helped provide 23,000 jobs and $3.2 billion in contracts to minority enterprises, the outlet notes. The Trump administration sent an email on April 17, 2025, stating that federal grants to the agency, which operated about 38 business centers, were being dismantled, as the administration believes the funding is “no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the MBDA program.” President Donald Trump’s orders will be a drastic hit to many Black and other entrepreneurs of color. Louisiana’s business center, which worked with hundreds of businesses, was told the MBDA is “repurposing its funding allocations...

Howard University is on a mission to reverse the decline of Black male enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the university hosted its third annual Kings of Campus Day, welcoming 150 young Black boys from the District of Columbia Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools for panel discussions emphasizing the importance of Black men attending college, according to a LinkedIn post from Dr. Calvin Hadley. Hadley, the assistant provost for Student Engagement and Academic Partnerships at Howard University, said he created the event to show young males why they deserve a place at the HBCU and college in general, while urgently conveying to them how valued and needed they are. “If we are serious about increasing the number of Black males at Howard [and in higher education in general], we have to go back and contribute to building up the pipeline,” Hadley said via LinkedIn. “We are committed to this work and look...

Bobby Brown’s mother had a hand in his publishing deal that is still sending him checks today. Brown is an R&B crooner whose music career began with the boy group New Edition. The group was formed in the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Boston, MA, and originally included Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Brown. Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe joined later, notes The Grio. Their claim to fame was participating in a talent show in 1983 where they finished in second place, catching the attention of musician and producer Maurice Starr. The group signed to Starr under a deal with a $500 bonus . “Our royalty check was like $168 but we got $500 to sign and a VCR… We didn’t know anything about it,” Brown acknowledged on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe . “All we wanted was to perform. All we wanted to do was make enough money to go to the movies, buy candy, date girls. That’s all we thought about. We wasn’t thinking about the longevity.” New Edition then released their debut...

If you’ve been plugged-in to the political side of the business world lately, you may have noticed a fundamental shift in how corporate culture is responding to DEI measures . DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, has been the industry standard blanket term for the last several years regarding certain hiring practices, employee training routines and more. Major companies such as Target, Costco and Apple have utilized specific language upholding DEI in their company guidelines at one point or another, amid a national push to support BIPOC employees , those with disabilities and members of all other marginalized communities. Of course, when Donald Trump regained control of the White House in January, he issued a day-one decree that all companies must remove DEI protections from their charters, sparking a wave of discussion about government overreach and the future of diversity in the workplace. Some, such as Target, Walmart and Harley Davidson, were quick to discard...

MYAVANA is making its haircare technology accessible to the next generation of cosmetologists. According to The Georgia Sun, MYAVANA Certified Education — a beauty technology virtual course — is making its way to the Atlanta Barber Institute with the help of Groove Global and the City of Atlanta. Students will gain insights into diverse hair types using data-driven science and technology along with tools like the MYAVANA HairScope, an artificial intelligence (AI) -powered device that analyzes clients’ hair strands and creates personalized hair care plans. The purpose of the course is to increase opportunities for careers in beauty technology — from high school students seeking an entry point to seasoned professionals looking to innovate their services. This will be accomplished through course materials, training, and a focus on teaching STEM concepts. “We are thrilled to partner with Atlanta Barber Institute to innovate and elevate the client experience by empowering barber and...