America’s small businesses are the overlooked backbone of the U.S. economy. They employ nearly half the workforce, generate 44% of gross domestic product, and are responsible for two-thirds of new private-sector jobs. They are our country’s innovators, job creators and often the first to show signs of recovery.
Or distress.
Small businesses operate at a structural disadvantage. While the Big Beautiful Bill and the massive regulatory unravelling are making excellent and promising inroads, it could all be undone in a future administration.
Most parts of the U.S. economy share the same challenges: the rising cost of doing business, workforce shortages, regulatory complexity and unpredictable tax policy. These are persistent structural problems, and they threaten the long-term vitality that