$500K Funding Opportunities + AI Is Your Next Employee

✨ Upcoming Events 

This week, we gathered in NYC with some inspiring female founders from our network. The energy? Electric. The conversations? The kind that make you feel inspired and supported. These moments are why we do what we do. Join us for the next one!

🏦 Finance Fix

Writing Off Meals as a Business Owner

One of the perks of being a business owner? Tax deductions! But to truly maximize your savings, you need to know how they work. Let’s take meals, for example because who doesn’t love a tax break with their lunch?

What’s Deductible?

50% Deductible: Meals with clients, travel meals, or office snacks.

100% Deductible: Office parties or team building events.

0% Deductible: Entertainment expenses like sporting events or concerts.

Pro Tips for Tracking Expenses: Save receipts and jot down the business purpose and attendees. The upcoming Investrio app will help you do this auto-magically 🤩

🎯 Grants for solopreneurs and small businesses

👩‍💼 $120,000 for Creators

The Dare To Dream Challenge offers $120,000 cash to cover living expenses, mentorship sessions with top creators, and more! Plus, (4) runner-up prizes of $10,000 cash.
📅 Apply here by January 31

💡 $400,000 for Early-Stage Founders

The Founder Fellowship supports pre-revenue and pre-idea founders with $400,000 funding for 7% equity, plus $600,000 in your next venture round.
📅 Apply here by February 2

💡 $20,000 for Young Leaders

The Access Ventures Fellowship supports young leaders (ages 22–30) creating meaningful change in their communities with a $20,000 stipend  Access to virtual and in-person gatherings with industry leaders.

 📅 Apply here by January 31

💡 Need funding tailored to your biz? Just ask our trusty chatbot Vestie!

🗞️ Making Headlines

AI can feel intimidating, but it’s actually one of the most exciting tools for solopreneurs. A new Goldman Sachs report reveals that 60% of small business owners believe AI will save them time, and 39% say it will save them money.

Boost your business with AI today:

 1️⃣ Streamline Admin Tasks: Use AI-powered tools like scheduling assistants or email automations to save hours each week.
 

2️⃣ Personalized Customer Engagement: Tools like chatbots can answer FAQs and provide a 24/7 experience for your customers.
 

3️⃣ Data-Driven Decisions: AI tools can analyze your spending habits, helping you make smarter financial decisions (Investrio’s future AI tools are designed to do just that!).

AI isn’t about replacing what you do, but it is freeing up your time to focus on growth. We’re excited about how AI can help small business owners like you access capital and scale with confidence.