As Trump's tariffs and trade war against other nations continue to rage, economists fear far-reaching effects on low-income people in the United States. They predict that the poor and working-class people who already struggle to make ends meet because of higher prices will be hurt the most. What are the prospects for the economy in these communities? Also, should retirees be concerned about their retirement funds at a time when markets are going through tariff turbulence?
Small Business News
As the owner of a brokerage firm, I see firsthand how my small business clients have scaled back their health plan offerings due to high costs. I support House Bill 1174 because it would lower health care costs for Colorado small businesses by establishing reimbursement limits for prices paid to certain hospitals through the small group market.
With the federal government signaling that it is no longer interested in helping level the playing field for under-resourced small businesses in Chicago, local small businesses are counting on our city to help them grow and thrive. It’s certainly no easy task, but it is one we are capable of accomplishing. I’ve seen the signs.
A recent poll from Small Business Majority indicates that 53% of small business owners are concerned with the current tariff strategy’s impact on their business.
John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a nonprofit that represents 85,000 companies, says his group worries about the impact of government-wide cuts to the workforce. He hopes the SBA under Loeffler can sidestep politics and fulfill its mission. “We want it to continue to support businesses that need support the most—if those are defined a certain way by demographics, that’s just the reality,” he says. “We’re not interested in turning this into a DEI fight.”
In a battle for survival, small businesses are at a disadvantage, said John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of the Small Business Majority, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization for small businesses. "Every business is affected by this but small businesses don't have the flexibility to come up with extra cash to purchase inventory ahead of time or to quickly find other sources," Arensmeyer said.
“When they make a decision, they change their mind, and when they change their mind, they change it again,” said Clifton Broumand, whose company, Man & Machine, assembles waterproof keyboards and mice in Maryland, from Asian and domestic components. He is considering moving that assembly to Malaysia to escape some of the tariff burden, but the uncertainty makes it hard to plan.
HB 1011 would’ve offered protection for small business owners and their employees from the rising costs that may result if a private equity firm acquires their local child care center. I urge our legislators to reintroduce this legislation next year so that child care entrepreneurs can continue to serve their communities, including small businesses.
A spokesperson for Small Business Majority, a business advocacy organization based in Washington D.C., tells Inc. that they “heard from multiple sources that MBDA in DC has only one staffer remaining.” At its full capacity, the agency operated with about 100 employees.
“The Trump administration is sending every signal that it does not care about the future of America’s small businesses,” said John Arensmeyer, CEO and founder of Small Business Majority, an advocacy organization. “We sincerely hope that is not true and that the administration’s approach to small businesses shifts dramatically and quickly. If not, the Trump administration will not need a small business policy because there will be few businesses left to support.”