News

Op-Ed by Melissa Horvath of Sweet Water Decor: Why is Pennsylvania’s Attorney General suing one of small businesses’ best partners?
[Note: This opinion piece was initially published by the Butler Eagle on May 2, 2024.] I’m a small-business owner who employs 40 people in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, policymakers in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., are considering new regulations that would seriously disrupt my business. Here’s the back story. In 2014, I started a home decor business, Sweet…

Just the Facts: Debunking the FTC’s Case Against Amazon
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan loves to talk about how the federal government is taking on big bad retailer Amazon, which she says is engaging in anticompetitive trickery to maintain monopoly power. The tale of Amazon’s badness is one Khan has been peddling for nearly a decade. It’s also the basis for the…

Maine Small Business Owners Express Frustration Over Data Privacy and Protection Act
Augusta, ME (April 10, 2024): Maine small business leaders expressed concern and disappointment at the consideration of Legislative Document 1977 and House Paper 1270, legislation that would regulate how businesses collect and use data to find customers, grow, and succeed. Recognizing the bill’s good intentions, the business leaders said data collection and usage restrictions would…

Data Privacy Laws Threaten Small Businesses’ Digital Advertising Efforts
The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024, a proposed bill set to impact data collection and online privacy, successfully passed both the Senate and House of Delegates and now awaits approval by Gov. Wes Moore.

Proposed digital ads tax would devastate small businesses like mine
Eighteen years ago, my friend and I started a business selling handmade, custom-churned ice cream. Our one-of-a-kind flavors – like red velvet cake and maple blonde brownie – have made our old-fashioned parlor a longtime favorite in Omaha.

Maryland Small Business Owners Express Frustration Over Online Data Privacy Act
Annapolis, MD (April 4, 2024): Maryland small business leaders expressed concern and disappointment at the consideration of Senate Bill 541 and House Bill 567, legislation that would regulate how businesses collect and use data to find customers, grow, and succeed. Recognizing the bill’s good intentions, the business leaders said data collection and usage restrictions would…

Data Privacy Bill Worries Chamber Of Commerce, Small Business Owners
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Online Data Privacy Act of 2024, a proposed bill that would affect data collection and online privacy, has already passed the Senate and is being considered in the House of Delegates. The Maryland Chamber of Commerce and several small businesses testified against this legislation with their concerns.

Shubham Issar Sells Soap-Filled Pens that Make Handwashing Fun for Children
Shubham Issar is an industrial designer and co-founder of SoaPen Inc. SoaPen was designed to address the fact that hand-washing with soap can prevent one out of three children from contracting infectious illnesses. Essentially, SoaPen is a long-lasting soap crayon on a mission.

Maine privacy proposal could snuff out our candle business
Thirteen years ago, my wife and I started making candles in an old boathouse on our property in Edgecomb. We started selling hand-poured soy wax candles that we scented and packaged to evoke our favorite place in the world: the Maine coast. Today, we supply L.L. Bean, Holy Donut, Bixby Bars and Whole Foods, and…
