MAE ANDERSON

AP Business Writer

The price is displayed on the edge of an empty shelf used to display eggs at a grocery store, Feb. 12, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, file)

From farms to bakeries, egg shortages and price hikes are challenging small businesses

Small business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock as the avian flu sparks shortages and high prices for the usually reliable staple.

In this May 9, 2019, file photo, steel rods produced at the Gerdau Ameristeel mill in St. Paul, Minn., await shipment. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

Trump tariffs rattle small business owners already dealing with tight margins

President Donald Trump’s continued roll out of a wide array of tariffs is rattling small business owners already dealing with tight profit margins. Trump on Monday announced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum and promised more import duties to come.

This image provided by Coors Light shows the Coors Light 2025 Super Bowl NFL football spot. (Coors Light via AP)

Super Bowl commercials rely on comedy and nostalgia to avoid potential missteps

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs on the field in this year’s Super Bowl, while laughter dominated the commercials.

This image provided by Pringles shows the Pringles 2025 Super Bowl NFL football spot. (Pringles via AP)

Aliens, sloths and silliness: Super Bowl ads offer laughs, celebs and surprises to win over viewers

Eugene Levy’s trademark eyebrows fly off for Little Caesars. A tongue dances to Shania Twain to promote Nestle’s Coffee Mate Cold Foam. And Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal reunite at Katz’s in an ad for Hellmann’s.

This photo provided by Hellmann’s shows Hellmann’s Super Bowl NFL football spot. (Hellmann’s via AP)

This year’s hottest Super Bowl ticket? Advertising space, Fox says

Get ready for an onslaught of ads full of celebrities, cute animals and snack brands during breaks in the action at Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fire-ravaged businesses and vehicles are left behind after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia, File)

As small businesses face fire devastation and try to get back on their feet, a variety of aid exists

The fires in California have been devastating for many small business owners and others who saw their homes, businesses or livelihoods go up in smoke.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen receives a briefing during a visit to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in Vienna, Virginia, Jan. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Corporate Transparency Act still on hold after Supreme Court lifts injunction

Small businesses are still not required to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN — for now. The registration is part of the Corporate Transparency Act, an anti-money laundering statue passed in 2021.

Shoppers walk on the Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Rosy December for small business sales, but restaurants are left out

Small businesses had a merry December, as shoppers wrapped up their holiday shopping. That’s according to the Fiserv Small Business Index. In the U.S., the seasonally adjusted index for December was 146, up 3 points from November.

Callie Goodwin, of Columbia, S.C., holds a sign in support of TikTok outside the Supreme Court, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Washington. Goodwin, a small business owner who sells personalized greeting cards, says 80% of her sales come from people who found her on TikTok. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

For TikTok users, mourning, frustration and clinging to hope as TikTok ban looms

The U.S. is inching closer and closer to a potential TikTok ban — with the nation’s highest court upholding a law that’s set to officially cut the cord and halt new downloads off the app starting Sunday.

A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen, May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The tax deadline for some small businesses affected by disasters in 2024 is drawing near

The tax deadline for some small businesses affected by severe weather in 2024 is drawing near, the IRS is reminding owners.

A TikTok sign is displayed on top of their building in Culver City, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban

A looming TikTok ban could affect the millions of small businesses that use the short-video social media app to grow their business.

Jenna Brashear shops at Julep Home & Gift while taking advantage of Shop Small Saturday in Wesleyan Park Plaza, on Nov. 30, 2024, in Owensboro, Ky. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP, File)

Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election

A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election.

Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., speaks before Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at a campaign event on Nov. 4, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

What changes should small businesses be aware of for 2025?

For small businesses, the biggest change for the new year will be the arrival of a presumably more business-friendly administration in Washington. But there are other shifts owners should keep on their radar.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a visit to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in Vienna, Va., on Jan. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Business owners should not forget anti-money laundering rule currently in legal limbo

Small business owners should not forget about a rule that requires them to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1. The registration is part of the Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021.

Claudia Averette, left, and her daughter, Atiya Smith pose for a photograph at their shop, Between Friends Boutique, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Small businesses say cautious shoppers are seeking ‘cozy’ and ‘festive’ this holiday season

With a late Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is five days shorter than last year, and owners of small retail shops say that people have been quick to snap up holiday décor early, along with gifts for others and themselves.

FILE - People wait in line for hot donuts at Bryant Park's Winter Village, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season

The holiday shopping season is underway, and this year small businesses have less time to capitalize on the busy shopping period. Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year.

Workers sort avocados at a packing plant in Uruapan, Mexico Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)

Small business owners brace for Trump’s proposed tariffs

Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office.

FILE - A hiring sign is displayed in the window of a Krispy Kreme donut shop on Nov. 19, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls again and hovers near 7-month lows

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining near seven-month lows. Jobless claim applications fell by 2,000 to 213,000 for the week of Nov. 23.

FILE - A worker lays a cable at a home building site in Flowood, Miss. on Sept. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Small business owners breathe easier over labor costs after decision to strike down overtime rule

Small business owners have had a mostly positive reaction to a judge’s decision to strike down an overtime rule that would have qualified more workers for overtime pay.

FILE - A customer sits for a shoe shine at a shoe repair shop on Feb. 3, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Starting a small business is hard. Exiting can be even harder, but planning early is the key

Figuring out what to do with a small business when an owner is ready to retire can be difficult, but it’s best to have a plan well in advance of making a big change.

FILE - Ashley Crafton looks at tennis shoes at at Shoe Stop while shopping during Small Business Saturday in Wesleyan Park Plaza on Nov. 25, 2023, in Owensboro, Ky. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP, File)

Small businesses can capitalize on Small Business Saturday with some planning

Small Business Saturday — the Saturday after Thanksgiving — is coming up. But it doesn’t always translate to big sales for small businesses.

Veteran and business owner Jackson Dalton arranges protective gear at the Black Box Safety offices, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in El Cajon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help

Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part.

Small Business Administration-backed financing rose 7% to $56B in fiscal 2024

The Small Business Administration said it backed $56 billion in financing to small businesses and disaster-affected areas during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up 7% from a year prior.

FILE - Google logos are displayed when searched for Google in New York, Sept. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Google ad change could affect millions of small businesses

Google is changing the way its Google Local Services ads work, which could affect millions of small businesses. Google Local Services ads run locally and are a big way that small businesses market their goods and services.

FILE - A boarded up business stands beside a deserted street in an evacuation zone, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Anna Maria, Fla., on Anna Maria Island, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Business owners in disaster areas should be wary of possible scams

The devastation of Hurricanes Milton and Helene have opened the floodgates for people seeking disaster relief. Along with that comes the danger of fraud.

Businesses are seen in a debris field in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Chimney Rock Village, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Small business disaster loan program is out of money until Congress approves new funds

The Small Business Administration has run out of money for its disaster assistance loans, delaying much needed relief for people applying for aid in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Property owners who preferred not to be named assess damage to their home and business, which bears orange notices calling for demolition, after the passage of Hurricane Milton, on Manasota Key in Englewood, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

After hurricanes, the business of rebuilding lives means navigating the insurance claims process

Now that the threat of Hurricanes Helene and Milton has receded, millions of homeowners and business-owners across Florida and the Southeastern U.S. are faced with traversing the often long and laborious process of using insurance to rebuild their lives.

FILE - People walk along Main Street in Deadwood, S.D., Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Ahead of the presidential election, small biz owners are growing more uncertain about the economy

Small business owners are growing more uncertain about the economy ahead of the presidential election and are reining in spending, according to a new survey.

FILE - Jill Rice looks over the damage to her store caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene, Sept. 27, 2024, in Gulfport, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)

Small business disaster loan program said to be in danger of running out of funds by end of month

The Small Business Administration could run out of money to fund disaster loans in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. As is typical after a disaster, the government is offering aid to small businesses that were in Helene’s path.

Cranes remain shut down at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal during the first day of a dockworkers strike on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

The US could have seen shortages and higher retail prices if a dockworkers strike had dragged on

The union representing striking U.S. dockworkers has reached a deal to suspend the strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.