Supporting and empowering #SmallBusinesses with digital tools and advocating for a supportive policy environment. 🌐 Join us in driving growth and efficiency!
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What a week in Washington, DC 🇺🇸
35 small business leaders came to our nation’s capital and made their voices heard, bringing real stories and real stakes to conversations on tech policy with Members of Congress, staff, and administration officials.
From the Capitol to the White House to our AI Showcase, these entrepreneurs showed why small business perspectives cannot be an afterthought when decisions are made about the digital tools that power growth, hiring, and opportunity.
Thank you to every business leader who stepped away from running your business to stand up for Main Street. Your voice matters, and this week it was heard!
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Great food gets people talking. Digital ads help get them in the door.
Erik Forsberg, owner of Devil’s Advocate in the Twin Cities, knows that running a restaurant takes more than a strong menu. It takes smart, affordable ways to reach local diners and keep regulars coming back.
For Erik, digital ads help level the playing field. They let him reach nearby customers, track what’s working, and stretch every marketing dollar further than traditional TV or radio ever could.
That matters, especially when independent restaurants are already dealing with rising costs.
Earlier this year, Minnesota lawmakers considered proposals that would have taxed social media platforms and digital ads, making one of Erik’s most cost-effective tools more expensive. Thankfully, both proposals failed before the legislature adjourned.
As Erik put it: “At a time when almost everything is getting more expensive, lawmakers should be trying to help small businesses cut costs — not making our most affordable, effective tools more expensive, too.”
Pull up a chair and read Erik’s story: connectedcouncil.org/twin-ci…
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New from 3C: What would AICOA mean for small businesses?
Higher costs. More complexity. Greater uncertainty.
Our latest blog breaks down how the American Innovation and Choice Online Act could disrupt the integrated digital tools small businesses choose to use to reach customers, sell online, manage logistics, and stay competitive.
Read more: connectedcouncil.org/senator…
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Connected Commerce Council (3C) retweeted
As @ITIFdc, @actonline and a coalition of over 30 organizations and individuals explain in a letter to @ChuckGrassley and @SenatorDurbin, AICOA will not only harm innovation at home, but rubberstamp the spread of discriminatory policies like the DMA abroad.
It must be stopped.
Congress must reject the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA).
Read the letter here ⬇️
itif.org/publications/2026/0…
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🚨AICOA is back, and with even fewer sponsors than before.
The bill would bring the EU's failed tech regulation playbook to the U.S., raising costs and weakening digital tools for #smallbiz.
Read the coalition letter 3C joined urging Congress to reject AICOA.
connectedcouncil.org/coaliti…
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Wrong bill. Wrong time. Wrong priority
Congress just reintroduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA), a bill that would disrupt the integrated digital tools small businesses use every day to reach customers, manage costs, and grow their businesses.
At a time when small businesses are already navigating rising costs and uncertainty, Congress should not make it harder or more expensive to grow online.
AICOA has failed before, and with fewer cosponsors this time around, Congress should abandon it once and for all.
Read our statement for more. connectedcouncil.org/3c-expr…
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Connected Commerce Council (3C) retweeted
Jun 9
Small businesses can use their competitive advantages of proximity and authenticity to win during the 2026 World Cup.
During the tournament this year, they're adopting innovative approaches to attract customers and score 🥅⚽️
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Jerilynn Pintar, owner of Michigan-based Suburban Bolt & Supply, recently joined us in Washington, DC to meet with Senator Slotkin’s office and share how digital tools help her industrial-supply business reach customers, streamline operations, and compete.
As policymakers consider tech policy issues, it’s critical that they hear from small business leaders like Jerilynn.
Read more about her advocacy in the Macomb Daily.
macombdaily.com/2026/05/10/r…
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She started in her garage. He built it on lunch breaks. They reinvested every dollar back into their dream.
Now, they’re selling online, reaching customers across the country, and getting ready for one of the biggest shopping moments of the year. Prime Day (June 23-26).
Small and independent sellers make up 60% of what’s sold on Amazon. This Prime Day, shop intentionally:
🏅 Spot the small business badge
🛍️ Shop the dedicated Small Business storefront
🗣️ Ask Alexa to “shop small businesses”
amazon.com/b/?node=212020383…
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Connected Commerce Council (3C) retweeted
The New York State Legislature gave final passage to A.9349 / S.8623, the One Fair Price Act, today, sending the bill to Governor Kathy Hochul. The legislation would restrict how businesses use customer data to offer discounts, including personalized coupons and loyalty rewards. Recent statewide polling showed that 70 percent of New Yorkers oppose this sweeping ban, and that 70 percent expect requiring stores to offer every customer the same discount, as the bill requires, would mean fewer discounts or none at all.
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Queens, NY-based small business owner Dawn Kelly built The Nourish Spot with a simple goal: to provide fresh, nutritious food while creating jobs and serving her community.
Since 2017, her neighborhood restaurant has expanded beyond its original storefront to include locations at JFK Airport and major NYC events, and also offers corporate catering — growth she says wouldn’t have been possible without digital tools that help her reach customers and stay visible.
We recently spoke with Dawn about small business advocacy, digital ads and tools, and why policymakers need to better understand how small businesses use data and technology to save time and money.
“I’ve been involved in advocacy since I got out of college, so I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to be part of the conversation,” she said. “It’s not about being an expert — it’s about sharing your experience and helping people understand what it’s actually like to run a small business day to day.”
Read the full Q&A: connectedcouncil.org/if-you-…
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A major win for Colorado small businesses.
The proposed Colorado bill HB 1210 would have made it harder for small businesses to offer personalized discounts and promotions that help them attract customers, compete with bigger brands, and grow.
But small business owners spoke out, writing op-eds and letters that pointed out the bill's flaws — and this week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis vetoed it.
When small businesses speak out, it makes a difference!
Polis vetoes three progressive bills
buff.ly/fpssht0
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Today’s House Energy & Commerce (@HouseCommerce @EnergyCommerce) hearing made clear that Congress still has important work to do to establish a national data privacy standard that works for consumers and small businesses.
3C supports advancing the SECURE Data Act because small businesses need clear, consistent privacy rules that replace today’s confusing state-by-state patchwork and provide the certainty they need to innovate, compete, and grow.
Read our full statement: connectedcouncil.org/3c-endo…
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Small businesses need clear, consistent privacy rules that protect consumers without creating a costly patchwork of state-by-state compliance burdens.
The SECURE Data Act is an important step toward a national privacy standard that gives small businesses the clarity they need to advertise, reach customers, and grow.
WATCH: Chairman @RepGusBilirakis gavels in today's CMT hearing looking at legislation to establish a federal privacy and data security law.
The SECURE Data Act is modeled from Republican and Democrat states across the country, taking a balanced approach to protect consumers and businesses.
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Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee is holding its first hearing on the SECURE Data Act, an important step toward establishing a clear national data privacy standard.
Small businesses should not have to navigate a growing patchwork of costly and confusing state privacy laws just to reach customers, advertise online, and grow.
3C strongly supports the SECURE Data Act because small businesses need privacy rules that protect consumers, provide clarity, and preserve access to the digital tools they use daily.
Congress should advance this common-sense national framework.
youtube.com/live/apA8xkeQ_RI
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Colorado small businesses could soon lose access to data-driven marketing tools that help them offer discounts, promotions, and personalized deals to customers.
That means fewer coupons for repeat customers, fewer follow-up offers for shoppers who left items in their carts, and fewer affordable ways for small businesses to compete.
As Denver small business owner Angel Johnson explains in a recent op-ed, these are not harmful practices. They’re common marketing tools that help small businesses reach customers, keep prices accessible, and build loyalty.
Governor @jaredpolis has until June 12 to veto the bill (HB 1210) or let it become law.
He should support Colorado small businesses and veto HB 1210.
Read Angel’s op-ed for more:
coloradopolitics.com/2026/04…
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Other Colorado small business leaders are raising the same concern: this bill could restrict everyday discounts, promotions, and pricing tools that help them serve customers and compete.
Read their letter to Gov. Polis urging a veto of HB 1210:
connectedcouncil.org/wp-cont…
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Small Business Month was not just a celebration. It was a reminder of the power of small business advocacy.
Across the country, small business leaders stepped up, spoke out, and made an impact.
In Minnesota, small business leaders helped stop proposed new taxes on digital advertising and social media. In Illinois, more than 200 small business leaders sounded the alarm that a digital ads tax could drive up costs for businesses working hard to reach customers online. And in New York, California, Colorado, Virginia, and beyond, entrepreneurs shared their real-world experience with policymakers debating the future of technology.
Their message was clear: policy decisions about technology cannot be made without the small businesses that use these tools every day.
3C is proud to stand with the small business advocates who made their voices heard and continue to show why smart, balanced tech policy is essential to helping small businesses compete, grow, and thrive.
Stay informed. Stay engaged. Help ensure your voice is heard in the policy conversations shaping the future of small business: connectedcouncil.org/signup/
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“I’m not a policy expert. I run a business, and that is powerful enough.”
That line from Adebukola Ajao of Destiny African Market says it all.
In her new piece, Adebukola shares how she got involved in advocacy, what she learned from speaking with policymakers, and why more entrepreneurs should bring their voice into policy conversations.
At 3C, we believe small business leaders do exactly that – understand the issues, tell their stories, and show policymakers how decisions about the digital economy affect real people running real businesses.
Small business owners belong in the room.
Read her Substack for more: forallthingsdigital.substack…
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Small business owner Neil Abramson of Massachusetts-based ECi Stores recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with policymakers and share how digital tools help his business compete and grow.
Neil spoke with Congressman Jim McGovern’s office about the importance of balanced tech policies that support small businesses by ensuring they can continue to use digital advertising and AI-powered tools to connect with customers and operate efficiently.
“Digital tools like AI and online advertising help us reach customers, manage our business, and stay competitive,” Neil said.
We’re grateful to Neil for taking the time to advocate for Massachusetts small businesses!
Read more: sentinelandenterprise.com/20…
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🌤️ A needed bright spot for Minnesota small businesses
After over 100 Minnesota small business leaders spoke out against proposed new taxes on social media and digital advertising, both proposals failed to advance before the legislature adjourned.
For small businesses already navigating rising costs, uncertainty, and real disruptions in their communities, affordable digital tools matter. Social media and digital ads help businesses reach customers, bring people through their doors, and make limited marketing budgets go further.
As the business leaders warned in their letter, new taxes would force them to “either scale back advertising or raise prices on customers — both of which would hurt our businesses.”
Minnesota small businesses have been clear: lawmakers should not make it harder for them to reach customers, grow, and compete.
Read more from Minnesota small business owner Jeff Taxdahl in MinnPost: minnpost.com/community-voice…
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Read the letter from Minnesota small business leaders: connectedcouncil.org/wp-cont…
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