Washington, D.C.— Small business owners are feeling more pessimistic than they were in the previous quarter amid concerns about health insurance premium costs and tariffs as well as the impact of immigration enforcement, according to a new survey.
Press Releases
Press Release Date:
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Voice of Main Street, a quarterly survey of Small Business Majority’s network, finds small businesses also impacted by immigration enforcement, higher costs, reduced consumer spending
Topic(s):
Healthcare, Immigration, Tariffs
Reopening the Government Without Extending ACA Tax Credits is a Devastating Blow to Small Businesses
Press Release Date:
Monday, November 10, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer on why ending the shutdown without renewing enhanced premium tax credits harms small firms
“An agreement that would reopen the federal government without renewing the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) deals a huge blow to the fortunes of small businesses in America.
Topic(s):
Healthcare
Press Release Date:
Thursday, November 6, 2025
The governor’s budget would cut critical health and lending programs amid a shortfall
Denver—With Colorado once again facing a significant budget shortfall – estimated at about $800 million – tough budget decisions have to be made ahead of next year. But despite an overall increase of more than 5%, the FY 2026-2027 budget proposed by Gov. Jared Polis contains a number of cuts that would negatively impact small businesses including reductions in Medicaid spending and small business lending programs. The cuts include:
Topic(s):
Access to Capital, Healthcare
Press Release Date:
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer urging the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the needs of small businesses in Learning Resources v. Trump
“It is essential that the U.S. Supreme Court takes advantage of the opportunity to bring an end to tariffs that are harming small businesses. Doing so is necessary because small businesses can do very little to avoid the rapidly rising costs of goods that result from these levies. Due to the thin margins on which many small firms already operate, sweeping tariffs will force many small businesses to pass higher costs on to customers.
Topic(s):
Tariffs
Press Release Date:
Monday, October 27, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer urging U.S. Senators to adopt bipartisan resolutions that would protect small businesses from tariffs
“The U.S. Senate should take advantage of an opportunity to deliver urgently needed relief for small businesses by passing three bipartisan resolutions that would eliminate tariffs. Sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), S.J. Res. 77 would overturn tariffs on Canadian imports, S.J. Res. 81 would overturn tariffs on Brazilian imports and S.J. Res. 88 would overturn global tariffs.
Topic(s):
Entrepreneurship, Tariffs
Press Release Date:
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer about the impact dismantling the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund will have on entrepreneurs
“Laying off the entire staff of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury is a devastating – if not fatal – blow to a critical apparatus that supports small businesses. This move is particularly baffling given that there is no evidence to suggest eliminating the CDFI Fund will offer any benefit to America’s small businesses or to our economy as a whole.
Topic(s):
Access to Capital
Press Release Date:
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Statement by John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, on the impact of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s decision to delay implementation of Section 1071 for one year
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to delay implementation of the Section 1071 rule harms small business lending markets. With less data available to show which businesses receive financing and which do not, policymakers cannot address any gaps or shortfalls in the small business lending ecosystem.
Topic(s):
Access to Capital
Press Release Date:
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer on what the federal government shutdown means for small firms
“Historically, government shutdowns harm small businesses. Most notably, shutdowns cause small business owners to lose access to lending, technical assistance and other critical support services. For small businesses that work directly with the federal government as contractors, it means they do not get paid for the duration of the shutdown. These are all serious problems that can do irreparable harm to small firms.
Topic(s):
Access to Capital, Entrepreneurship, Government Accountability
Press Release Date:
Friday, September 26, 2025
Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer on the impact taxing imported drugs will have on America’s entrepreneurs
“The new pharmaceutical tariff announced yesterday is not the Rx needed to reduce the high cost of healthcare for small businesses. After payroll, health insurance is the highest expense for most small firms. There’s no doubt that the ever-rising cost of prescription drugs is already a big driver of the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, and very high tariffs on pharmaceuticals will only exacerbate an already bad situation for small businesses.
Topic(s):
Entrepreneurship, Healthcare
Press Release Date:
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Voice of Main Street, a quarterly survey of Small Business Majority’s network, finds small businesses pessimism grew as expenses increased
Washington, D.C.— Small businesses’ confidence is down as concerns about tariffs increase, while Latino-owned businesses experienced a disproportionate decrease in both revenue and headcount in recent months, according to a new survey.
Topic(s):
Entrepreneurship, Healthcare, Immigration, Minority entrepreneurship