I'm not sure to what degree — if any — all this tariff talk here in the USA is likely to affect my small creativity-based business.
What I do understand so far is that it is certainly not helping, in the sense that I am in the sales business, and uncertainty about the economy is making my customers feel nervous, and thus less likely to do any shopping.
On top of that, selling artistic black-and-white photos is sort of a "luxury good" at the best of times, and when the economy is tight, art is definitely not something people think of as a "necessity."
Meanwhile, the cost of doing business continues to rise. Service providers don't really care how the economy is doing, nor whether small business is struggling. They just want their payment on time, or you get cut off.
My insurance just went up from USD 188 to USD 231, with the insurance provider citing "difficult economic conditions" as part of the reason for the increase. Last time I checked, insurance carriers are actually making a lot of money!
My personal insurance going up relates to the topic of this post in the sense that it ties into the "people getting nervous" angle.
When you are no longer sure whether you'll be able to pay for everyday life's expenses, you are not really likely to go out spending your money on "non-necessities."
So while it's not directly related to tariffs, it is diffeitely indirectly connected, in terms of consumer sentiment.
So I am definitely concerned about the future of my small business; my livelihood.
Not the most cheerful note to return to posting on Steemit, but those are the facts.
I appreciate you coming to visit my blog!
20250503
X-029
(All images are my own)