Fighting for Representation

Small businesses wear many hats. They hold communities together, they power economies, they represent the true meaning of determination and most importantly: they represent the American dream. 

From San Francisco to Hartford, small businesses across the country faced immense challenges and immeasurable blows to their livelihoods when cities were forced to lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The nationwide shutdown highlighted the disconnect between elected officials and local business owners. 

“It’s getting harder and harder to hold on. (I’m) cautiously optimistic, I would say,” Karie Bennett, Atelier Studio and Salon owner and founder based in San Francisco, said in an interview with CBSN Bay Area. “We’ve had quite a lot of back and forth; that whiplash we’ve all been feeling (as) business owners.”

When state officials reconvened to launch a reopening plan, there was a voice left out of the conversation: small business owners. In Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont announced a Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group in March that invited local health, business, workforce and education experts to consult with the Lamont administration. Those very conversations were used to inform his decisions on the reopening of the state. Everyday people were isolated as the decisions that impacted the future of their businesses were made. It is time that these individuals have the opportunity to join together as Americans and lead their communities once again, united in their shared enterprise. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and local economies. They have worked hard to reopen in a way that can keep their customers and staff safe. It would be nice to see that hard work reciprocated from Gov. Whitmer’s office,” Matt Hall, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, said in an interview with mlive.com. 

In May, Facebook released a report following a survey that interviewed 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers and employees for the World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s data initiative. The report found that 45% of owners of business owners would rehire the same workers that were let go, while a third of closed businesses shared that they do not expect to reopen. 

There is no doubt that small businesses make some of the toughest decisions to adapt. They strategize and step up to each challenge that arrives at their door. Join us, as we work to recognize the rising stakes. We are eager to have your voice heard. 

The Alliance to Save the American Dream is a non-profit organization dedicated to three core goals.

1. Develop an Ideas Factory to give small businesses and industries a centralized place to share innovative ideas that must be considered.

2. Build a unique Resources portal for small businesses to go to for answers or resources that address a wide range of issues or challenges.

3. Offer a new networking opportunity for small business owners to connect while also giving them a platform to share their own personal stories.

For more information, visit savetheamericandream.com.