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Business owners were forced to spend an additional 356 hours every year dealing with paperwork instead of serving customers, growing operations, or hiring workers. Many simply could not keep up.
State and local governments controlled by Democrats added even more pressure. Minimum wage increases, expanded overtime rules, and new compliance requirements drove labor costs sharply higher. Expenses rose from every direction while revenue struggled to keep pace.
The Labor Department’s independent contractor rule threatened the foundation of the gig economy, placing millions of freelance jobs at risk. At the same time, the joint employer rule exposed franchise owners to union agreements they never negotiated or approved.
Every regulation tightened the vise. Costs rose for supplies, insurance, rent, and wages while profit margins disappeared.
For 13 straight quarters, inflation topped the list of concerns for small business owners. Those employing fewer than 10 people cut 43,100 jobs during Biden’s final year in office alone.
Democrats continued claiming they were helping workers even as the very businesses that employ most Americans were pushed to the brink.
Small Businesses Shift Toward Trump’s Economic Vision
Now the landscape is changing.
New data shows small business owners responding decisively to Donald Trump’s return to leadership and his America First economic agenda.
According to Comerica Bank’s Small Business Pulse Index, 79 percent of small business owners expect revenue growth in 2026. Those projecting growth anticipate an average increase of 7.9 percent.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that small business confidence reached its highest level since 2017 shortly after Trump took office. Optimism quickly turned into action.
During President Trump’s first 100 days back in office, the Small Business Administration approved roughly 26,000 loans totaling $12.6 billion. That represented an 80 percent surge in approvals.
Business owners do not take on loans unless they believe expansion is possible. That confidence had been missing for years.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler launched a Deregulation Strike Force aimed at identifying and eliminating Biden era rules that had stalled growth and innovation.
Under Trump’s leadership, the administration eliminated 48 outdated regulations for every new one enacted, delivering nearly $200 billion in regulatory savings.
Roughly 80 percent of small business owners now say they feel confident about their outlook heading into 2026.
Democrats Face a Harsh Reality on Main Street
Small business owners watched Democrats blame “corporate greed” for inflation while federal spending and monetary policy fueled rising prices. They listened as Democrats claimed regulations protected workers even as jobs vanished and opportunity dried up.
The contrast is impossible to miss.
Biden buried businesses under trillions in regulatory costs and then expressed surprise when they struggled to survive. Trump reduced regulations and lending surged almost immediately.
Democrats talk about helping working families, but their policies repeatedly punish the small businesses that provide most private sector jobs. Trump offers tax relief, deregulation, and a climate of confidence that encourages hiring and investment.
His proposal to cut the corporate tax rate to 15 percent for companies producing goods in America gives business owners a clear incentive to grow and bring jobs home.
Small businesses are not guessing. They are betting on nearly 8 percent revenue growth in 2026 because they have seen this movie before.
Under Trump’s first term, unemployment fell to record lows and wages climbed. Entrepreneurs remember what worked and what did not.
After four years of mandates, inflation, and bureaucratic suffocation, Main Street is no longer buying what Democrats are selling.
Small business owners have already made their choice. They are backing the president who understands that prosperity does not come from Washington control, but from letting Americans build, hire, and succeed.
