Trade, Tax, and Small Business Challenges Under the Trump Administration
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/04/23
Windy Pierre, an expert in digital marketing and eCommerce, discusses how the Trump administration’s trade and tax policies impact small businesses. Rising manufacturing costs and tariffs strain SMBs, offsetting tax cuts and reducing financial stability. Consumer confidence has declined, leading to lower sales. Pierre advises SMBs to maintain financial reserves, plan long-term, and adapt to market shifts. Immigration policies affect blue-collar labor, while tariffs create limited domestic manufacturing opportunities. Overall, small business owners remain uncertain about the future.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: From your experience in digital marketing and eCommerce, how has the Trump administration’s trade policy impacted small business?
Windy Pierre: America’s economy is built on the backs of small businesses (SMBs), and trade policy will most affect them. SMBs will need to spend more on manufacturing, especially if your products are manufactured outside the US. You will have to raise prices to make up for the cost. Most SMBs do not have financial reserves to run a year of economic hardship. We had three suppliers that had to increase their prices.
Jacobsen: How has tax policy with the second iteration of the Trump administration affected small business growth?
Pierre: The 2017 tax cuts will not benefit SMBs. The new tariffs will offset the benefits.
Jacobsen: Are there shifts in consumer confidence or behavior among small business customers?
Pierre: Yes, I have started seeing decreased consumer confidence and spending in Q1 of 2025. Consumer spending drops by 0.2% in January, according to Reuters. Even in our commerce businesses, I’ve seen a 10% drop in sales compared to 2024 & 2023.
Jacobsen: How can small businesses adapt under the uncertainties of the current administration? What strategies can small businesses adopt to remain competitive?
Pierre: Economic volatility creates challenges. Have a long-term plan. Start working with a great tax professional. Your business should have 6 – 12 months of reserves. Please be on the lookout for growth opportunities. You must earn your customers’ business, excellent services, and products.
Jacobsen: How has the Trump administration’s immigration and visa restriction stance altered the talent pool available to American industries?
Pierre: I don’t believe the Trump administration’s immigration and visa restrictions will affect the talent pool for white-collar workers. However, blue-collar workers will face a different issue.
Jacobsen: What policies from this administration created new marketing opportunities or obstacles for small businesses?
Pierre: The tariffs will allow a small percentage of SMBs to manufacture state-side products.
Jacobsen: Are small business owners more or less optimistic about their future under the current set of economic policies? (And why?)
Pierre: I don’t believe SMB owners are more confident about the future. SMBs hire more blue-collar workers than midsize or large companies. That’s a significant portion of industries like construction, manufacturing, and retail, where hands-on, physical labor is common.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Windy.
Pierre: Thank you.
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