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No winners, only losers as shutdown ends: Small businesses face make-or-break holiday season as Congress fails to deliver economic relief

Statement by Small Business for America’s Future Co-Chair Shaundell Newsome, owner of SumNu Marketing in Las Vegas, on the end the government shutdown and a new survey showing 3 in 4 small businesses are worried about survival through next year

Washington D.C., Nov. 12, 2025 – “The government shutdown is ending, but small businesses are still facing the same mounting economic pressures that were squeezing them before this crisis began. The shutdown didn’t solve the healthcare cost spike looming Jan. 1. It didn’t address tariffs driving up costs. It didn’t make operating expenses any less expensive. And it added weeks of disruption and uncertainty on top of an already challenging economic environment.

“Here’s the reality for small businesses right now: the stakes couldn’t be higher this holiday season. Nearly 8 in 10 small businesses say the upcoming season is important for their overall profit this year, up from 70% last year, and the majority rely on holiday shopping for at least one-quarter of their annual revenue. With 98% of retailers being small businesses, what happens this year will reverberate across Main Street America. A soon-to-be-released Small Business for America’s Future survey of 1,048 small business owners nationwide  reveals the depth of the challenge. Six in 10 say the business climate is unfavorable for small businesses this holiday season. Fifty-nine percent expect worse holiday sales compared to last year. And nearly three in four (74%) are concerned about their business surviving through the next 12 months.

“These numbers point to a crisis on Main Street driven by Washington’s policy failures. Erratic and misguided economic decisions are either making matters worse or failing to address the real economic problems facing small businesses and their customers. Tariffs are forcing impossible choices between raising prices and losing customers or absorbing costs and shrinking margins. Inflation means every input cost is higher. Healthcare premiums are set to spike in January without congressional action to extend the ACA tax credits that millions of small business owners depend on for affordable coverage. And as prices rise, customers are stretched thin, struggling to afford basic necessities, let alone holiday shopping.

“This is bad news for everyone because small businesses are the backbone of the economy. We employ half of America’s private sector workforce. We power local communities. When small businesses succeed, everyone benefits. But we cannot keep shouldering the burden of misguided economic policies and congressional inaction.

“For too many small businesses, Christmas may be cancelled this year.” 

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About Small Business for America’s Future
Small Business for America’s Future is a national coalition of small business owners and leaders working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize the nation’s 30 million small businesses to create an economy that works for them, their workers and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF.