top of page
%20II%20(1).png)
Our Stories
.png)
Featured Story
We Pay the Tariffs: Taking our Case Directly to Congress
In September 2025, small businesses did more than share their concerns about tariffs — they showed up in Washington to be heard . We Pay the Tariffs organized a two-day Capitol Hill lobby day that brought more than 100 small business owners to Washington, D.C . Over the course of two days, participants met with over 150 congressional offices across both the House and Senate , representing communities and industries from across the country. These meetings were not symboli
We Pay the Tariffs
1 day ago
Search
Small Business Stories
U.S. Manufacturers in Minnesota Are Paying the Price for Tariffs
In Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, a family-run manufacturer that supplies products to funeral homes across the country is facing a staggering financial strain. Despite manufacturing their products in the United States , tariffs on essential imported components have pushed their business into crisis. The company shared the following: “We use components from China in the products we make in Sleepy Eye. There is no source for these components in the U.S. The Trump tariff will add $38
We Pay the Tariffs
Dec 1, 2025
Tariffs Are Draining Millions From Small and Mid-Sized Importers — And Stalling Growth
Tariffs don’t just show up as line items on a spreadsheet. For many small and mid-sized businesses, they reshape entire business models — forcing layoffs, halted growth plans, and lost market share. A Maryland-based accessories company shared the staggering impact they’re facing: “These tariffs have added enormous amounts of expense to our operating costs, caused complete chaos in our supply chain, and ultimately have caused us to increase our pricing which threatens our
We Pay the Tariffs
Nov 25, 2025
Tariffs Are Forcing Small Businesses Into Predatory Debt — And Putting Jobs at Risk
For many small businesses, timing is everything. One North Carolina company with 10 employees shared how unpredictable tariff hikes didn’t just raise costs — they collapsed their cashflow, derailed their best sales year, and pushed them into dangerous financial territory. Here’s their story: “We have large orders from big box stores, and the timing of the tariffs killed our cashflow. This caused us to take out predatory MCA loans. The SBA has made it nearly impossible for
We Pay the Tariffs
Nov 25, 2025
Tariffs Are Pushing Small Furniture Businesses to the Brink
Small businesses don’t operate with the cushion that large corporations enjoy. One Philadelphia-based furniture wholesaler with 17 employees recently signed our letter and shared how the recent wave of tariff hikes has pushed their business to the edge: “We are a small furniture wholesale company that works on tight margins to compete with the larger companies. The initial tariff (10%) was not passed on to our retail customers in order to keep business flowing, which led to
We Pay the Tariffs
Nov 25, 2025
Family-Owned Jewelry Business: “Tariffs Are Punishing Small Businesses, Not Protecting U.S. Jobs”
A few months ago, one San Francisco–based, family-owned jewelry business was thriving — doubling sales year after year and proudly creating American jobs. Today, that same business is fighting to stay open. “Just a few months ago, we were a thriving small business, doubling our sales annually and proudly creating American jobs. Today, we are struggling to pay our bills and keep our doors open. The burden of these tariffs on small retailers like us is untenable and unnecessary
We Pay the Tariffs
Nov 13, 2025
When “Buy Local” Still Costs More: A Wisconsin Pizza Shop’s Tariff Reality 🍕
This Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the landmark V.O.S. Selections v. Trump case — a decision that could reshape how tariff powers are used under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). For Sarah Thomas of Sugar River Pizza Co. , a small family-owned restaurant with four locations around Wisconsin, the outcome couldn’t be more personal. “I thought we would be somewhat sheltered from tariffs since we buy local and our equipment is pr
We Pay the Tariffs
Nov 3, 2025
50% Tariffs Are Pushing a 22-Year-Old U.S. Company to the Brink
Babco Foods International, a 22-year-old U.S. company based in New Jersey, has spent decades building a business that supports American workers and communities. Now, a wave of new tariffs is threatening to undo all of it. Letter signer Olivia Vaz shared the stark reality: “Babco Foods is suffering huge cash-flow issues as a result of paying 50% in tariff on goods imported from India. We are a 22-year-old company. This is the first time we are in such dire situation. Most of o
We Pay the Tariffs
Oct 23, 2025
Tariffs Are Putting U.S. Manufacturing Jobs at Risk
Tariffs are often sold as a way to bring manufacturing back to the United States. But for many American manufacturers, they’re doing the opposite—making it harder to produce goods here at home. Letter signer Eric Fox , owner of Buchla , a company that builds electronic musical instruments, explains how tariffs are driving up costs for U.S. producers and threatening American jobs: “I make electronic musical instruments and most of our production is actually in the USA by hard
We Pay the Tariffs
Oct 16, 2025
Tariffs Are Squeezing Main Street Businesses
Tariffs aren’t just affecting supply chains—they’re hitting the heart of America’s small towns. As letter signer Kelli Winchester , owner of Margaret’s Boutique, Inc., explains, even thriving local stores are struggling to stay afloat under new tariff costs: “I cannot impress upon you enough how impactful these tariffs are on small businesses. My store is in vibrant Decorah, Iowa. We are one of the few main streets that are flourishing in our state. I know of other small busi
We Pay the Tariffs
Oct 14, 2025
Tariffs Are Threatening Fair-Trade Small Businesses
Tariffs aren’t just abstract policy decisions in Washington—they land hard on real businesses and the communities they support. As Kelly Weinberger of WorldFinds explains: “Our small fair-trade brand has been hit hard with tariffs. We've gone from 11% duties to 61% duties on our small batch jewelry & accessories from India . This is a lot to absorb and to share with our customers. We can't just switch to sourcing from another country, we purposely support specific, marginali
We Pay the Tariffs
Oct 3, 2025
Brewing Trouble: Tariffs Hit Your Morning Cup
Trump’s new 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee is already squeezing New York cafés. Brazil supplies one-third of U.S. coffee imports, so the costs land squarely on local businesses and their customers. “ These tariffs are not paid by the country. The costs are passed down to the business owner, and consumer ,” said Antony Garrigues , managing partner of Stone Street Café. “For now, we are going to try and absorb as much [of] the cost as we can. But at the end of the day, this is
We Pay the Tariffs
Aug 18, 2025
Smart Clock Prices Up 9%—Tariffs Are Just Starting to Bite
Small businesses that stocked up ahead of tariff hikes have been coasting—until now. At Loftie, maker of a popular $170 smart clock, CEO Matt Hassett is facing hard choices. Hassett explains : “At the current 30% tariff rate… I’ll likely raise the price of my popular $170 smart clock to $185, an increase of 9%.” That price bump isn’t random—it’s a direct response to added costs from imported components. He warns that: “A lot of people think this [tariff] situation is not as b
We Pay the Tariffs
Aug 13, 2025
Tariffs Are Sinking Us: A California Business Owner’s Story
A California-based outdoor sports and travel goods retailer is facing a dire situation this summer. The small business, once a thriving and highly seasonal, now finds itself on the verge of collapse—unable to import its key summer products due to skyrocketing tariffs. We sat down with the founder & CEO, who shared the immense pressure these trade actions are placing on his business. The shop’s top-selling item, a travel backpack, is now subject to an 80% tariff. A popular $40
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 23, 2025
Tariffs Stall Growth for Rising North Carolina Business
In North Carolina, one small business on the rise is now hitting pause because of high tariffs. Erik Fabian, founder of a startup behind a new sourdough-bread-making appliance called DoughBed, shared just how disruptive the rising trade costs have been: "We are currently estimating about $150k in additional tariffs this year,” he wrote. “We are putting off hiring our first full-time employee because of these increased expenses.” - Erik Fabian, Inc. Tariffs aren’t just hurtin
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 22, 2025
Last Call for Pre-Tariff Pricing: The Real Impact Is Still to Come
Across Kansas and beyond, small businesses are bracing for the next wave of impact as pre-tariff inventory runs dry—and prices begin to rise. Michael Hephner, owner and CEO of Hephner TVs and Electronics, is already feeling the shift: “The one thing we’ve learned since April is that sometimes this is a moving target,” Hephner said. “I actually had two emails today saying, ‘last call for pre-tariff pricing.’”— KSN News While many companies have been selling through inventory p
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 17, 2025
No Room Left: How Tariffs Took Down a Furniture Business
Small business owner Henrik Svendsen is closing his furniture store in Merriam, Kansas, because the trade war has made the products he sells nearly impossible to import and unaffordable for his customers. Since the president launched his trade war, Svendsen has paid over $160,000 in tariffs —a cost his business simply couldn’t absorb. “It’s [the tariffs] affected it to the fact that we decided to liquidate everything.”— Henrik Svendsen, CBS News The store’s closure means layo
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 10, 2025
Tariffs in Full Bloom: Columbus Florist Scrambles to Keep Up
For small business owners in Ohio, the rise and fall of sudden, steep tariffs is doing more than raising costs—it’s creating constant uncertainty. Kristen Serpico, executive director of Columbus-based Fiori Florals Design Studio, explained how the unpredictability of on-again, off-again tariffs is disrupting her ability to plan: " Tariffs didn’t exist six months ago within this industry, so to watch that change happen and to not know — how long are they going to stick around?
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 7, 2025
Oklahoma Business Trades Credit Card Points to Pay Tariffs
High tariffs are forcing some small businesses to dig beyond their bank accounts. In Oklahoma City, Keeley Electronics, a guitar pedal manufacturer with 33 employees, faced crushing import duties on parts sourced only from China. Owner Robert Keeley did something creative: “I decided to use my [American Express] points because I wasn't redeeming them for other things… It sounds like a lot of points, and that gives you a sense of how much I am paying in tariffs.” Robert Keeley
We Pay the Tariffs
Jul 2, 2025
Here Comes the Bridal Gown Tariff
Tariffs have officially entered the bridal fitting room. Urban Set Bride, a boutique bridal shop in Richmond, Virginia, is now adding a 10% to 15% tariff surcharge to all gowns—a direct result of rising import costs tied to shifting trade policy. The exact surcharge depends on each designer’s supply chain and country of origin. Co-owner Christine Greenberg emphasized that it’s not just the dresses being impacted: "Veils, hairpieces, garment bags, hangers and even paper for th
We Pay the Tariffs
Jun 30, 2025
Built on a Dream, Broken by Tariffs
In Texas and across the country, entrepreneurs who launched their businesses in pursuit of the American dream are now watching it unravel—due to steep, unpredictable tariffs imposed during Trump’s administration. Amy Leinbach, inventor and founder of Big Bee, Little Bee , started her business alongside her daughter. Now, she’s facing the harsh reality of trade policy volatility: " The uncertainty created by these rapid policy changes is as devastating as the tariffs themselve
We Pay the Tariffs
Jun 27, 2025
bottom of page