WASHINGTON (March 13, 2025) — The Connected Commerce Council (3C), a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of digitally empowered small businesses, today voiced its support for the Small Business Technological Advancement Act. The bipartisan legislation would clarify that small businesses can use the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 7(a) loan program to purchase digital tools,…
WASHINGTON (March 13, 2025) — A new study from the Connected Commerce Council (3C) found that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are using digital tools to manage economic uncertainty and compete with larger companies. The report also showed that SMBs’ continued success depends on access to digital tools — including those powered by data and…
Many policymakers fail to understand the complex realities of today’s digital retail ecosystem. Perhaps most notably, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims Amazon forces sellers to use its in-house products and services at the expense of third-party services. But this is far from the truth. Our new report, Super Selling: How Retail Choices and Competition…
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (March 7, 2025) — Today, the Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) and Connected Commerce Council (3C) voiced support for a proposed bill fixing overbroad data regulation in the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act. The legislation would keep important consumer data privacy protections in place, but change current provisions that make it harder for small…
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2025) — The Connected Commerce Council (3C) and Data Catalyst Institute (DCI) today released a new report, Super Selling: How Retail Choices and Competition Fuel American Small Sellers’ Success, revealing a dynamic retail ecosystem with robust competition at every level. The report, based on a survey of 1,500 U.S. small and medium-sized…
Brandon and Julie Fuhrmann loved cooking in their Manhattan apartment’s kitchen — despite its extremely modest proportions. To maximize the kitchen’s utility, they started designing creative, space-efficient kitchenware and tools. Their innovations worked so well, they decided to share them with other design-conscious home chefs, launching online kitchenware shop Cooler Kitchen in 2014. Now in…
When Jessica Davidoff realized her son was severely allergic to corn — present in some 75% of America’s processed foods — she started experimenting with alternative grains to provide him with healthy, delicious snacks. Her breakthrough came with sorghum, an ancient “super grain” packed with nutrients and antioxidants. “It pops just like corn, but it’s…
After two decades working in corporate marketing — including a stint running a beauty-products brand — Sherrel Sampson wanted to use her product-innovation expertise to start her own hair-care company. Interested in providing ultra-gentle hair-care products to people with itchy, irritated scalps, in 2015 Sherrel started conducting research at farmer’s markets, speaking with potential customers…