DENVER (Oct. 29, 2025) – In a conversation with 9NEWS Business Buzz’s Ryan Frazier, NFIB Colorado State Director Michael Smith highlighted the findings of NFIB’s latest Small Business Economic Trends report, which saw a decline in optimism and uncertainty increasing.

Smith noted that harmful proposals and regulations passed by the state legislature make it difficult for small business owners to thrive in Colorado.

“Trying to find the right people for the positions that small businesses are trying to fill, that is a challenge,” Smith said. “At the Colorado level, the people I’m talking to are really concerned about the proposals that are coming out of the state legislature that are anti-small business. That really scares them. There may be more regulations to comply with, and that’s a big burden for small business owners.”

Smith continued, highlighting that in July, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law legislation making the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent, which has been a “big boost” to small business owners nationwide.

“The biggest thing that happened this year on a positive note from a policy perspective was at the federal level with Congress passing the 20% Small Business Deduction, making that permanent. So it’s been on the books for about eight years, but now it’s permanent. That really adds a lot of certainty, and that helps small businesses plan for the future, invest in capital, and invest in their employees. That has been great news,” Smith said. “Now that it’s permanent, that gives small businesses a big boost here in Colorado and across the country.”

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