Small Business Rising is a coalition of independent business organizations standing up for a level playing field. We’re urging elected leaders to break the power of monopolies and safeguard our right to compete and serve the needs of our communities.

Independent businesses embody the dreams and livelihoods of millions of Americans. But today it’s harder than ever to grow a business. That’s because monopolistic corporations, backed by Wall Street, have seized control of many industries and are blocking small businesses from competing. Their outsized power threatens to corrupt not only our markets, but also our government.

It’s time for entrepreneurs from every corner of the country, every background and industry, to stand up for a level playing field. We’re building a united voice of businesses to speak directly to lawmakers. 

How has your business or businesses in your community been impacted by the outsized power and anti-competitive tactics of dominant corporations? Take action today!

We’re calling for policymakers to:

  1. Stop tech monopolies, like Amazon, from cornering the online market by breaking them up and regulating them.

  2. Block dominant corporations from engaging in abusive tactics by making our antitrust laws stronger and easier to enforce.

  3. Adopt clear or “bright-line” rules outlawing mega-mergers and setting a higher bar for allowing other mergers, including vertical acquisitions.

  4. Establish rules to create a level playing field, promote competition, and spur innovation.

We can win the fight for fair markets and thriving communities.

"Amazon, Google, and Facebook wield an especially dangerous form of market power. These companies control the infrastructure that other businesses must rely on to communicate with their customers and to market and sell their products. They have been systematically exploiting that position to favor their own products and thwart those of competitors."
— Gina Schaefer, A Few Cool Hardware Stores

"Small Business Rising... has blossomed into a large umbrella of local business groups... They’ve assembled a broad array of store owners to deliver the campaign’s message to lawmakers directly."
— The American Prospect, 2023

Small Business Rising is a joint campaign of local and national independent business organizations representing over 300,000 independent businesses across the country. Contact Us to learn about becoming a partner.

Our partners include:

 

“Our members have felt the harmful impact of Amazon through undercutting them on the price of goods, controlling supply chains to make it hard for smaller businesses to get essential supplies, and with its dominance over cloud computing and tentacles in logistics and delivery, Amazon has the power to undermine our nation's entire small business economy."
— Chanda Causer, Executive Director, Main Street Alliance

“(Amazon’s) behavior has harmed communities, destroyed jobs — and far from lowering prices, Amazon used its algorithm to increase prices on consumers. And it uses its power to bully suppliers and the expense of competition. We’ve long believed that the equitable and reasonable solution is to break Amazon up.”
— David Grogan, Director, ABFE, Advocacy & Public Policy, American Booksellers Association

Read more testimonials here.

Interested in becoming a coalition partner? We’re looking for organizations that represent independent businesses in local communities, states, and nationwide.

Are you a part of a small business organization not listed here that may be interested in fighting corporate power? Reach out to us!

EMAIL: info [at] SmallBusinessRising.net

 

Small Business Rising is a coalition of small business organizations who are standing up for a level playing field. We’re urging elected leaders and regulators to break the power of monopolies and safeguard our right to compete and serve the needs of our communities.

Opportunities to Make Your Voice Heard
Use the form on the right to stay in touch. We’ll send you periodic updates on our progress, simple actions you can take, and opportunities to meet with lawmakers and media. Businesses, Individuals, and Advocates are all invited to join the campaign using the form on this page. You can also share your story.

Media Inquiries
Please contact media[at]smallbusinessrising.net

Partner Inquiries or General Questions
Please contact info[at]smallbusinessrising.net

Transparency
The coalition was founded and is coordinated by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

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"Amazon and other big-tech monopolies' anti-competitive tactics disrupt nearly every part of my industry, and that's unfair. It makes it harder for a bookstore like The Raven to compete. At times, it's impossible. We need policymakers to strengthen and vigorously enforce antitrust laws so small businesses like mine can compete, thrive, and enrich the lives of their workers and their communities."

— Danny Caine, The Raven, Lawrence, KS