It's all about location, location, location — whether you're in need of a place to live or a place to work. If you're launching a new business or expanding an existing one, you may want to consider packing your bags for Cheyenne, Wyoming; Missoula, Montana; or Ames, Iowa. While these locales probably aren't top of mind, they are the top three cities to start a small business, according to a new report.

VerizonSpecials.com sought to identify "small cities where small businesses can succeed" and evaluated more than 300 locations based on their populations, access to broadband internet and commute times. Other factors included income per capita, loans per business, tax rates and more. VerizonSpecials.com whittled its list down to 50 cities across 42 states — and one of them might be right for your next enterprise. (Sorry, Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia.)

Wherever you set up shop, make sure you don't go broke before your company even gets off the ground. Our tips for saving money when starting a business can help.

Today’s Edition...

AI’s new legal frontier: Copyright law enters the Twilight Zone.

Spoiler alert: Startup OneThird aims to reduce food waste.

Strange: Hold private Zoom meetings in public with this device.

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AI’s New Legal Frontier: Copyright Law Enters the Twilight Zone

(Source: Shutterstock)

A year ago, users with beta access to DALL-E and Midjourney generated zany images like “Sam Jackson rollerskating on a pair of chili dogs” for laughs. Now, though, nobody’s laughing; businesses rely on ChatGPT and other AI apps to write code and website copy, design logos, and just about everything else. The phrase “rapid adoption” is woefully inadequate.

There’s just one problem: Who owns this stuff?

The U.S. Copyright Office has argued in court that “copyright protection does not extend to non-human authors.” Artists have filed a class-action lawsuit against generative AI companies for using their work in training models without permission, and so has Getty Images. The Authors Guild recommends a “No Generative AI Training Use” clause in book contracts, and in April, Universal Music Group demanded that streaming services remove a song that featured Drake and The Weeknd’s AI-cloned voices.

🤿 DIVE DEEPER:

If your business’s logo can’t be copyrighted — and might itself be a copyright violation — you’re going to have problems. What if Nike didn’t own the swoosh, McDonald’s didn’t own the golden arches, Playboy didn’t own the bunny, and Apple didn’t own the, uh, apple?

Beyond branding, what if Disney didn’t own its screenplays or Meta didn’t own its code? (The counterargument is that human artists and writers learn from examining published works, so why shouldn’t machine artists?)

This new frontier is a Wild West, and while “AI prompt engineer” might be a six-figure job, caution is warranted for any entrepreneur who is uncomfortable with being a legal guinea pig. For some businesses, “augmenting” is the safeword of the moment, which means finding utility in AI without depending on it. Use AI as your mood board, jumping-off point, or digital sketchpad — a tool in the development process or creative workflow — while your final, public-facing, and purchasable output remains strictly original.

But if you have any questions, hey, you can just ask your AI lawyer.

Accurate and Fast Payroll Is a Must-Have for Employee Retention

You can be sloppy at work if the BBQ food truck is parked outside your office for lunchtime, or if it rains during a company hiking trip — but you can never be sloppy when it comes to payroll.

That’s because 1 in 6 employees say they would quit their job after a single inaccurate paycheck, and nearly 25% have received one, according to an Intuit survey. What’s more, employees at small businesses report they’re 14% less likely to always be paid on time. Payroll mistakes destroy morale and retention, and that’s before the potential tax penalties.

With QuickBooks Payroll , business owners can confidently make fast unlimited payroll runs and get automatic tax calculations on every paycheck in all 50 states. Employees can even access pay stubs and W-2s, and safely view PTO balances and withholding allowances online.

QuickBooks Payroll delivers big business benefits on a small business budget, and 24/7 callback support means you’ll get answers anytime — even if you’re standing in line for that BBQ food truck. Save 50% for three months when you buy now.

Spoiler Alert: OneThird’s Produce Scanner Will Prevent Industrial Food Waste

(Source: OneThird)

A third of all food grown annually in the U.S. is lost to spoilage, totaling $1 trillion in wasted produce. That’s a humanitarian, environmental, and business issue, but what if we could help solve it with our smartphones?

Netherlands-based tech startup OneThird is raising millions of dollars to do just that. With cutting-edge optical scanners and AI-powered insights, OneThird aims to give accurate shelf-life estimates throughout the supply chain, pinpointing expiry dates down to the day.

The company says its system can analyze “tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and avocados, with plans to extend into 10 total produce types later this year.” If it takes off, that could mean greater efficiency, lower prices, fewer carbon emissions, and ideally some fuller stomachs.

Make your company sustainable: Learn how to reduce your business's carbon footprint and check out our guide to environmental issues in the workplace.

Mutalk Lets You Hold Private Zoom Meetings in Public

(Source: Mutalk)

In the age of remote work, sometimes we commute from our local coffee shop, but that’s no place to discuss sensitive corporate secrets … or is it?

Thanks to a forthcoming device called Mutalk, you can hold a sensitive teleconference anywhere. According to the manufacturer, it’s a “soundproof Bluetooth microphone that makes it difficult for others to hear your voice…” In other words, it’s a Cone of Silence for your face.

The muzzle-like enclosure, complete with “hygiene-conscious removable mouth pad,” is rechargeable via an USB-C, and lets you muffle (but not completely silence) your voice by 30 decibels. It may sound like a torture device from A Clockwork Orange, but don’t worry, it also looks like one.

Find out why Zoom made our list of the best business phone systems.