2 hours ago
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBANY, NY (March 17, 2026) – Small business owners and leaders from across New York convened in Albany today to advocate on a broad range of issues affecting the state’s business climate and affordability. Key topics included opposition to tax increases, support for small business tax relief, lowering auto insurance costs, challenges related to New York’s energy and climate policies, and SEQRA and regulatory reform.
The event was hosted by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy association with 11,000 members throughout the Empire State. More than 60 participants gathered at Empire State Plaza to hear from legislative leaders, business experts, and policy specialists about the main challenges facing Main Street businesses and the latest NFIB research. Speakers included Senator George Borrello, a small business owner, NFIB member, and member of the Senate Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, and Finance Committees, as well as Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon, Chair of the Assembly Small Business Committee.
The program concluded with small business owners meeting lawmakers in their Capitol offices by region to advocate NFIB’s legislative priorities and share their experiences running businesses in New York. NFIB member activists urged legislators to seriously consider Main Street issues as they work on this year’s budget and legislative session.
“Small Business Day recognizes the vital importance of small business owners to our state, and it serves as a crucial reminder to lawmakers that legislative actions directly impact small businesses’ challenges,” said Ashley Ranslow, NFIB’s New York State Director. “Our agenda is essential to sustaining New York’s small businesses, Main Street jobs, and community affordability. As Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s report released today — Challenges Facing Small Businesses in New York — declares, small business owners are the backbone of New York’s economy. Our members empower Main Streets and job creation, and we are proud of their advocacy today. We appreciate the Senators, Assembly Members, and staff who engaged with our activists.”
While small business owners met with lawmakers, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli unveiled a new report detailing the critical role of small businesses in New York’s economy. In 2023, small businesses generated nearly $1 trillion in sales and revenues, employed over 3.7 million people across more than 422,000 establishments, ranking New York fourth among states in the number of small businesses and third behind California and Florida in share of small businesses. The report noted that 80% of all New York businesses had fewer than ten employees. Small businesses accounted for nearly 45% of the state’s jobs, with an average annual pay of $60,579 in 2023. Despite their importance, Main Street businesses face significant challenges, as New York trails the rest of the country in key metrics such as business creation and employment.
Comptroller DiNapoli’s report also cited NFIB’s new state-specific New York Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) report, produced by the NFIB Research Center and released earlier this month. This report highlights responses from New York small business owners on various issues compared to national averages from NFIB’s monthly SBET surveys.
The NFIB Research Center has collected Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) Survey data from a random sample of NFIB members since 1973 and has issued monthly surveys since 1986. To create the new state-specific report, NFIB pooled data from multiple surveys into weighted averages for given seasons (April-September for summer and October-March for winter), analyzing responses from New York participants starting in summer 2025.
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For more than 80 years, NFIB has advocated on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven organization. Since its founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses. For more information, please visit nfib.com.
