3C Insider: Congress Is Giving Us an Opportunity—Let’s Use It
“America’s small businesses can’t catch a break.”
That’s how The New York Times recently put it. After two years of managing lockdowns, restrictions, and the hangover effects of COVID-19, small businesses still face serious challenges—from rising inflation to higher borrowing costs to seemingly never-ending supply chain and labor force issues. Thankfully, digital tools are helping keep them afloat. Perhaps this explains why 73% of small business owners are optimistic about the future despite the rough economic conditions.
In spite of this evidence, some policymakers are still trying to pass anti-tech legislation (American Innovation and Choice Online Act- AICOA/S.2992), which would make digital tools harder to use and more expensive. By advocating for your small business, you can help prevent this legislation from causing permanent damage to the digital tools that help you run your business.
If you haven’t told your story or written to Congress yet, now is the time. And, if you’re looking for inspiration on what to write, check out this recent op-ed from Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce President Phil Andrews. “Legislation that politicians claim will protect small businesses,” Andrews argues, “will end up depriving entrepreneurs of vital revenue streams and suppressing innovation.”
The point is: personal stories like these are powerful, and it’s important to share yours.
That’s the best way to get Congress focused on smart, bipartisan reforms that protect privacy and the needs of small businesses. The American Data Privacy and Protection Act is a good example. Privacy advocates like it. So do businesses. But if we want to see better legislation for small businesses, we’re going to have to fight. Congress may be on summer break but 3C will still be hard at work.
Rob Retzlaff
Executive Director
I am 3C Small Business Stories
Lawmakers need to see firsthand how digital tools make running a business easier. We would love for you to share an “I am 3C” that reminds policymakers how important digital technologies are to your success. If you are interested in sharing your own story, simply let us know here.
Sunrise Coffee
Coffee for the Community
Sunrise Coffee is the longest-running independent coffee shop in Los Vegas. Founder Juanny Romero used digital tools like Google Business Profile and Facebook Ads to kick-start her company, and those tools proved vital during the pandemic when so much business moved online. Not only did these tools help Juanny adapt, but they also helped her expand the business and give back to her community when it mattered most.
Now, Juanny is concerned that Congress may try to make it harder for small businesses to access digital tools, which could hurt Sunrise’s ability to continue expanding and find new customers. “I feel like I discovered a superpower when I found these digital tools,” says Romero—which is why she advocates against congressional efforts to take them away from small businesses like hers.
Roundtable Discussion: How To Be An Advocate For Small Businesses
Tuesday, September 13th
1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT
Don’t miss our upcoming session on how to become a small business advocate. This online roundtable, hosted by 3C and featuring several current small business advocates, will not only underline the importance of why advocacy matters, but also teach small business owners everything they need to know about telling elected leaders what their companies and communities need to thrive.
To sign up, please fill out your name, email address, and any questions you would like us to answer in this form. Even if you aren’t able to attend, please fill out the form anyway and we will make sure to send you a recording after the event.
Your Quick Digital Fix
With the help of Grammarly, it’s never been easier to compose writing that is bold, clear, and mistake-free. The secret is the platform’s AI-powered technology, which blends seamlessly with writing needs both on and off the web in order to help businesses turn out better emails, marketing copy, product descriptions, and more.
Here are 5 things you should know:
- Keep workflows moving while traveling with productivity tools
While it’s easy for work to encroach on home life or vacation time, thanks to new tools it’s also easy to keep a business running without interrupting those much-needed breaks. A DocuSign blog post discusses some of the productivity tools now available, including an email bot that sorts and triages mail and CRMs that help manage sales cycles and automate tasks. This is the perfect post to peruse before an August vacation.
2. Everything to know about… working with micro influencers
Micro influencers may fill specific niches and have only a few thousand followers each, but they can still pack a punch. These small-scale stars are very useful for businesses, as they can inspire real loyalty from followers and generate high levels of engagement. Mailchimp’s Courier has some tips for working with them: such as building collaborative relationships, getting a contract nailed down, and using third-party tools to manage everything.
3. YouTube Marketing 101: best practices and video ideas
YouTube is the second most visited website after Google, which highlights why it’s not only a great place for businesses to be seen but also key to fostering direct connections with their audiences. Canva has a quick guide on how to do so most effectively, with recommendations related to things like including authentic content, knowing user bases, and adding personality to a channel.
4. What to know about advertising for ecommerce in a privacy-first world
Data privacy laws are reshaping what small business owners can do online. Klaviyo walks through some of the changes, which include a reduction in the capacity to create personalized, targeted messages for consumers. It covers the current state of advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google and includes several real-life examples of the sort of social media narratives that can convince consumers to buy.
5. Five ways to increase external traffic to an Amazon listing
According to Helium10, it starts with optimizing Amazon stores for search on the platform itself as that can translate to good rankings on Google. Then, it’s about choosing the right platforms besides Amazon, such as Facebook or Pinterest. Check out the article for more
Do you have a small business story that you’d like to share with us or any questions or concerns you’d like us to address? Email us at membership@connectedcouncil.org
