Connected Commerce Council

06/03/2026

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.

The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee (established 1795) in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with ...

06/02/2026

Colorado small businesses could soon lose access to data-based marketing tools that help them offer discounts, promotions, and personalized deals to customers.

That means fewer coupons for repeat customers, fewer follow-up deals 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 Jared Polis 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:

By Angel Johnson Six years ago, while I was serving in the military, I launched an e-commerce business selling inclusive, motivational activewear that empowers people of every shape and size throughout their fitness journeys. We offer high-performance, confidence-boosting products in sizes up to 4XL...

06/01/2026

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:

Connected Commerce Council (3C) is a District of Columbia headquartered non-profit. Information collected here is for internal use only. Data will not be used for commercial purposes or shared with third-parties without notification and express consent.

05/29/2026

“I’m not a policy expert. I run a business, and that is powerful enough.”

That line from Adebukola Ajao of Destiny African Market & Variety Store 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:

Every business has political power!

05/28/2026

Small business owner Neil Abramson of Massachusetts-based Cutie Patutie's Consignment 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 in Sentinel & Enterprise:

LEOMINSTER — Small business owner Neil Abramson recently met with federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to advocate for business-friendly tech policies. The visit came ahead of National Small Business Week May 3–9, where the CFO of Leo…

05/27/2026

🌤️ 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:

Small businesses in Minnesota would be hurt by proposed new taxes on social media companies and digital advertising.

05/26/2026

Illinois small businesses are already navigating rising costs, tight margins, and economic uncertainty. A new tax on digital ads would make it even harder.

In a new op-ed, Dr. Tushar Shah, founder of VaSu Smiles in Bellwood, IL, explains how affordable digital ads help his orthodontic practice reach patients who may not have a regular dentist, build trust through patient stories, and keep care accessible to the community he serves.

HB 4894's backers say the tax would fall on large digital platforms. But in practice, added costs are often passed down to the businesses that purchase ads, leaving small businesses like Dr. Shah's to shoulder the burden.

Illinois lawmakers should listen to small business owners like Dr. Shah and reject this harmful digital ads tax.

Read more in the Illinois Business Journal:

[Op-Ed] Proposed digital ads tax would hurt small businesses, communities served By Managing Editor | May 22, 2026 | 0 By DR. TUSHAR SHAH Founder, VaSu Smiles In 2025, I opened a new orthodontic practice in Bellwood, Ill., dedicated to providing affordable care. My mom — who never forgot how hard ...

05/22/2026

🚨More than 200 small business leaders across Illinois are sounding the alarm about a new tax on digital advertising that would hurt small businesses working to reach customers, grow, and stay competitive.

In a letter to lawmakers, they made the stakes clear: “A digital ads tax is the wrong approach — one that would harm small businesses like ours across the state.”

Digital ads help small businesses survive and thrive — reaching the right customers without draining every last dollar. Tax that away, and you're not just hurting businesses. You're kicking the ladder out from under entrepreneurs still trying to climb.

Read the full letter:https://connectedcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IL-digital-ads-tax-sign-on-letter.pdf

05/21/2026

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a sweeping new data privacy bill that could seriously undermine the digital tools small businesses use every day to connect with customers and grow.

HB 4746 would place strict limits on how data can be collected and used — threatening tools like:
▶️ Digital ads
▶️ Marketing analytics
▶️ E-commerce automation tools

These affordable, data-powered tools help small businesses compete with larger companies. Restricting them would make it harder for Massachusetts small businesses to reach customers and stay competitive.

Read more in our blog:

Data-powered tools like digital ads, analytics, and abandoned-cart reminders give small businesses an easy, affordable way to reach the right customers, compete with larger companies, and succeed.  But a proposed Massachusetts data privacy bill, HB 4746, would seriously degrade the data-powered too...

05/20/2026

Small business voices belong at the center of tech policy.

Kate Nolan, co-founder of Brown County Bikes in Nashville, Indiana, recently traveled to Washington, DC to meet with Sen. Todd Young and staff from Rep. Erin Houchin’s office. Her message was clear: for small businesses like Brown County Bikes, digital tools help turn online visibility into more customers, rentals, repairs, rides, and long-term growth, while helping them manage the day-to-day work behind the scenes.

As lawmakers consider new laws around data privacy, AI, and digital tools, Kate’s story is a powerful reminder that balanced tech policy has real-world consequences. It affects real businesses, real communities, and the people working hard to keep them moving forward.

Read more in the Brown County Democrat: