STATEMENT: One year after Liberation Day, small businesses are worse off
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
704-290-6869
STATEMENT: One year after Liberation Day, small businesses are worse off
Statement by Small Business for America's Future Network Member Daniel Hernandez, owner, Colonial Market and Fusion Pancake House following a press conference hosted by Congresswoman Kelly Morrison (D-MN), a member of the House Committee for Small Business.
April 2, 2026 – "Being a small business owner means finding ways to juggle pressures most people never see, but at this point, I am one more bad economic policy decision from losing everything.
“My business, Colonial Market, serves three Minneapolis communities, two of them food deserts where grocery access is limited. I'm carrying $1.5 million in business debt and have borrowed another $1.5 million of my personal funds to keep afloat. Over the past year, tariffs have driven up the cost of nearly everything I sell. Shipping costs rose by more than a thousand dollars. After Liberation Day, the price of a pallet of wheat swung wildly from week to week. My revenue dropped 60% and as a result, I had to cut more than half of my staff.
"But as devastating as tariffs have been, they are just one of the hits small business owners are absorbing right now. Immigration enforcement drove tens of thousands of people in my community to stay home for months. When customers are afraid to walk through the door, sales plummet. On top of that, healthcare premiums keep climbing, and now most of my employees can't afford their share of coverage, so they go without. And the war in Iran is driving fuel prices through the roof, with gas up a dollar a gallon in just the last month. Oil touches every part of my business’ supply chain, from the farmers growing the food to the trucks hauling it to my stores. Goods that were already more expensive because of tariffs now cost even more as transportation costs climb.
"A Small Business for America's Future survey found that 74% of small business owners are worried about whether their business will survive the year. When small businesses in underserved communities go under, jobs disappear, fresh food disappears, and the gathering places that hold neighborhoods together disappear.
"Small businesses need stability, predictable trade policy, and leaders who stop treating Main Street like collateral damage."
To request an interview with Small Business for America's Future network member Daniel Hernandez or other small business owners, contact Nazirah Ahmad at nazirah@emccommunications.com or 704-290-6869.
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About Small Business for America's Future
Small Business for America's Future is a coalition of small business owners and leaders nationwide working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We're committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize Main Street by advancing a just and equitable economic framework that works for small business owners, their employees and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
