Amanda Cole discusses role at Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce
Did you know there’s a regional chamber of commerce focused on LGBT-owned businesses? Plexus Executive Director Amanda Cole provides an overview.
- President Donald Trump’s tariff policies are contributing to an uncertain economy for all, business networks say.
- Three local Northeast Ohio chambers of commerce offered advice to both businesses and consumers for how to survive current economic hardships.
- Their advice includes patience and understanding on behalf of consumers, and a clear explanation from businesses on how the tariffs are impacting their operations.
Several business networks serving the Akron area say President Donald Trump’s tariff policies are causing some companies to consider closing, pause hiring and make other major decisions — leading to consumers’ uneasiness about paying more for goods.
Businesses, however, can use a range of strategies to weather the economic uncertainty and boost consumer confidence, local chambers of commerce suggested. It starts, they said, with businesses clearly explaining to customers how tariffs work, being straightforward about how their enterprise is affected and urging consumers to support small businesses.
Amanda Cole, executive director of the Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce, said it’s become more difficult for consumers to choose small businesses because of high costs.
“We’re already spending more on traditional goods and services,” she said, “let alone making the choice to go across the street to buy jewelry instead of Target — it’s going to be harder.”
Robert DeJournett and Misty Beasley, heads of the newly launched Black Chamber of Commerce, Summit County (BCCSC) — sees the looming austerity as an opportunity to showcase a resilient, collaborative public.
“One thing about this community,” said DeJournett, “when the chips are down we come together.”
President and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber Steve Millard said buyers’ reluctance to spend is affecting everyone.
“As people begin to get uneasy, as consumers sort of have concerns about what’s going to happen for them, that tends to sort of create an economic slowdown for everybody,” Millard said.
What are local chambers of commerce hearing from their members?
Black Chamber of Commerce, Summit County on helping area businesses
Robert DeJournett and Misty Beasley of the Black Chamber of Commerce, Summit County talk about the importance of supporting local businesses
Businesses with import-export operations are seeing higher costs, Beasley said, and some businesses are considering closing.
Universally rising prices, she explained, makes buying supplies and inventories more expensive “so that may trickle down, most likely to the consumer.”
She said business owners are concerned about their sustainability, growth and job creation.
“Everybody is feeling, I would say, a little uneasy, if that’s a good word to use” Beasley said.
Cole said businesses haven’t recovered from COVID-era supply chain disruptions. Continued inflation, too, is causing problems.
Businesses operating on narrow margins — restaurants, for example — are affected by by Trump’s tariff decisions. And the push to dissolve federal and state diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Cole said, deepens the difficulties for businesses owned and operated by historically marginalized people.
“It’s really hard to go to scale when you have such disruptions in supply chain, when you have disruptions in basic workplace practices, like inclusive hiring and talent acquisition and inclusive benefits and those things, when you’re afraid of how to navigate DEI, and then especially if you’re already a minority-owned business,” she said. “Just being a Black, woman-owned business makes you feel like there’s a crosshair on you because you’re being spoken about deliberately and specifically.”
The broad swath of businesses represented by the Greater Akron Chamber means the impact on its members varies widely, Millard said. Generally, he said, the rapidly shifting policy landscape forced businesses to halt long-term planning decisions — delaying hiring, conserving cash and waiting on “big decisions they might make just to see if the environment will stabilize a little bit.”
“For some of our members who are utilizing offshore resources for either raw materials, or even finished goods, they are not sure how much they should be adjusting pricing and reacting to this because they don’t know how long it’s going to stick,” said Millard.
Conversely, domestic manufacturers with “primarily overseas competitors are feeling good about some of this, it’s helping their business a little bit,” he said.
How can businesses help consumers weather the storm?
“I think it’s really important for small businesses to talk about the impact in plain language, be really up front about that,” said Cole. “If they’re using social media they can find ways to speak about that,” stressing the importance for all companies to clearly explain complex operational aspects.
Millard echoed Cole’s sentiment, saying businesses should communicate clearly with customers about what’s happening and how it will affect buyers. Beyond that, there are few options.
“There’s not a whole lot individual businesses can do to deal with these economic headwinds they’re not creating,” he said.
Beasley suggested surveying customers to see what unfulfilled needs businesses could meet “and so that way we continue to grow our businesses, not just staying in the same channels.”
DeJournett recommended utilizing promotions and sales to help.
“The cost of everything is going up,” DeJournett said, “so you can’t take too much of a hit to where it’s going to hurt you from profiting.”
How can consumers help businesses?
“We really are trying to encourage folks to have more patience with small businesses, understand that their delivery timelines might be longer, understand that they’re going to have to offset (tariff costs onto consumers),” said Cole.
Small businesses, she said, don’t have the same ability to lobby for tariff exemptions the same way that Apple can.
“I think shopping small, shopping local,” Beasley said. “Pouring into your local economy is always a great thing.”
“If we don’t support our Black businesses, and don’t support our small businesses, we’re not supporting our community,” said DeJournett. “Our community is going to grow and thrive by that support.”
It’s important, said Millard, for customers to be aware of the pressures on businesses. Soon, he said, consumers will begin seeing price increases driven by Trump’s tariffs.
“As I talk to companies, they’re doing as much as they can to minimize that impact on consumers,” he said, “but I think consumers need to understand that this is costing businesses more money, and so they’re gonna have to find a way to pass that along.
“So, if you’ve had a long-term relationship with a supplier or a long-term relationship with a brand or product that you buy regularly, I think consumers need to understand they’re going to see some impact on that pricing from these things,” said Millard. “It’s not the fault of the individual businesses.”
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413.
