In the weeks since tr*mp’s inauguration we’ve been inundated with bad news, and I don’t know an empathetic person who isn’t overwhelmed. (I’d recommend reading Emily Amick’s “Feeling Helpless? That’s Exactly What They Want.”) Seeing today’s headlines about the effects of tr*mp’s planned tariffs (spoiler: they don’t work like he says), I felt a recurring anxiety pop up: how is my business going to survive this administration?*
As I shared to some fellow solopreneurs recently, I’m struggling with raising prices on my products. I haven’t done so since 2019 and… I don’t know if anyone else has noticed (sarcasm)… but… literally everything is more expensive than it was then. It really sucks, and I’m afraid that things are going to get drastically worse under this administration. I don’t want to have to put that burden on my customers, who I know will feel the effects of these tariffs, “shrinkflation,” and so forth, just like the rest of us. But I have to honor my time, labor, and resources if I want this business to be sustainable. So…
New pricing will go into effect on March 1, 2025. I’m sharing this now so that customers may shop at the current prices, and hopefully won’t experience any unpleasant surprises in the future. I’m also sharing so that folks have a better understanding of the reasoning behind this change— I think it’s important to recognize the real impact that policy changes can have on small businesses, as well as to call out the negative consequences of capitalism. As a queer woman small business owner, I want to keep sharing my work with my communities, and it is one of my dearest hopes that HWB outlives the tr*mp administration.
Thank you to all who have supported and who continue to support this witchy dream, I appreciate you all!
*No, this is not my primary fear. I’m horrified to think that so many actual human beings won’t survive / will be harmed by this tyrannical administration. But yeah, I’m worried about my business too— I’m an excellent multitasker.
