The tariffs are killing Pittsburgh’s small businesses

By Joel Burstein, CEO, BEAM Collaborative

If Pennsylvania’s small businesses are the canary in the coal mine in gauging the effects of Trump’s trade war on our state, we should worry, because the canary is now on life support.

The Trump administration’s immediate rejection of a request by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to exempt small businesses from devastating tariffs, leaves our local businesses in an exceptionally precarious position.

The tortuous tariffs come at a time when our local businesses are already coping with a crisis of survival.

Crisis of survival

Of the estimated 450,000 Pennsylvania small businesses owned by baby boomers, an estimated 81,000 are in the western part of the commonwealth. Many are approaching retirement. These owners have spent decades building something meaningful, hoping to one day sell and retire. But for most, that dream is slipping away.

Even before the tariffs became a reality, only 20–30% of Western Pennsylvania’s small business owners were expected to find buyers. That could mean the loss of nearly 61,000 businesses — a devastating blow to our economy and neighborhoods. Expect that number to grow because of the “tariff effect.”

Small businesses aren’t just the backbone of our economy — they’re the heartbeat of our communities. In Pennsylvania alone, they employ over 1.1 million people. But when they vanish, we lose more than jobs—we lose the soul of our neighborhoods. We lose the grit, the character, and the rich culture that makes our streets feel like home.

It is an extreme understatement to say that right now, small businesses are in survival mode. Global tariffs leading to fractured supply chains and a turbulent stock market are pushing entrepreneurs to the brink—forcing impossible choices with nowhere to turn. The retirement plans of small business owners are being dramatically upended.

Redemptive businesses

For many, starting a small business is a choice. For me, like so many others, it was the only choice. I built a business from the ground up, carrying the same fears, risks, and responsibilities that small business owners shoulder every day.

I know what it’s like to wonder how you’ll take care of your family and find a way forward when everything feels stacked against you. That experience shaped me.

I’ve sat with owners who are staring down closure. I’ve heard their fear, their frustration and their quiet hope.

In running a small business, setbacks don’t define you — what does, is how you choose to move forward. I poured my energy into building something new—something meaningful, grounded in purpose, and deeply connected to community.

I didn’t wait for a seat at someone else’s table. I built my own here in Pittsburgh.

I soon came to see small businesses as redemption — where purpose is reclaimed, second chances are real, and potential is no longer overlooked. They reward grit, not pedigree.

They offer dignity, purpose, and independence. They are run by veterans, mothers returning to work, and professionals whose talents have been overlooked. Small businesses don’t just power economies — they rebuild lives.

Entrepreneurship became my defiance. That’s why I’ve committed to putting people before profit, and community before commissions.

The environment now facing small business has never been worse and economists say more storms on the horizon. Without bold, coordinated support, many won’t make it through the next storm.

Our first stop

We must act with urgency and with heart. The survival of our local businesses — and the legacy of those who built them — depends on it.

Our elected leaders should be pressured to take whatever measures possible to protect and support our small businesses in the pending economic storm. They should be our first stop on weekend shopping outings, because in effect, they are us.

Joel Burstein is the CEO of BEAM Collaborative, a Pittsburgh non-profit corporation aiding small businesses and the communities in which they reside.

First Published: May 13, 2025, 4:30 a.m.