Small Business Is Hurting," Says America's Leading Media Expert Michael Levine and Best-selling Author: Inflation Lingers, Leaving a Bitter Taste Amidst President-Elect Trump's Return to Power

Despite inflation cooling significantly from the 40-year highs seen in 2022, Americans remain unsettled, a sentiment that played a vital role in the decisive election of President-elect Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. In his campaign to return to the White House, Trump underscored rising costs, and voters took note. However, while consumer prices have stabilized somewhat, small businesses are still reeling from the economic fallout, according to Michael Levine, one of the nation's foremost media experts.

"Small business owners are feeling the pinch far more acutely than the mega-corporations like Walmart and Amazon," Levine (www.BrokenWindowsBook.com ) said. "With slimmer profit margins, these businesses don't have the luxury of absorbing rising costs—they're forced to pass them on to customers. And the timing couldn't be worse."

With the holiday season fast approaching—a crucial period for many small enterprises—business owners are under immense pressure. According to the Small Business Index, 8 in 10 small retail businesses rely heavily on holiday sales to hit their annual profit targets. Yet, a recent survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) revealed that a seasonally adjusted 26% of small businesses still plan to hike prices in response to sustained cost pressures, even as consumer resistance to higher prices grows.

"Small businesses are in a precarious position," Levine added. "The aftermath of inflation is still very much with us, and it has left many Americans wary of spending. Trump may have won the election by tapping into voter frustration over rising costs, but the reality for small businesses is that relief isn't likely to come anytime soon."

The holiday season, traditionally a time of robust sales, now poses a daunting challenge for small businesses struggling to balance their books while facing heightened consumer pushback against price increases. Levine warns that the economic aftershocks of inflation could continue to disrupt the small business landscape for years.