Key Point: “For some small businesses, the last week brought even more twists and turns to the past two months of President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs. … The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index fell by 1.6 points in April, dipping below the 51-year average for the second consecutive month. The organization’s chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, cited uncertainty as a ‘major impediment’ for small business owners in a press release.”

CNN: Small businesses struggle under Trump’s tariff whiplash: ‘I’m so angry that my own government has done this to me’

By Lisa Eadicicco

• For some small businesses, the last week brought even more twists and turns to the past two months of President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs.

• The confusion has made it challenging for some small companies to plan, business owners told CNN. In certain cases, they have had to consider changing their product strategy, looking into shifting their supply chains, reducing staff hours or delaying products.

• “My fear is, if this continues, there’s going to be like the mass extinction of small businesses,” Julie Robbins, CEO of Ohio-based guitar pedal maker EarthQuaker Devices, told CNN.

• Trump announced blanket tariffs across the globe on April 2, and since then, his plans have changed on a regular basis.

• The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index fell by 1.6 points in April, dipping below the 51-year average for the second consecutive month. The organization’s chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, cited uncertainty as a “major impediment” for small business owners in a press release.

• Some small business owners have had to make difficult decisions as they’ve grappled with the impact of tariffs. EveAnna Manley, whose company Manley Labs makes high-end electronics for recording studios, has had to cut her employees’ hours by 25%.