Welcome to the November 17-21 edition of the Main Street Minute from your small-business-advocacy team in Sacramento.

Can You Join Us Tomorrow?

It’s not too late to reserve your spot for tomorrow’s (November 18) free webinar featuring NFIB California Policy Director Tim Taylor and NFIB Small Business Legal Center Executive Director Elizabeth Milito, bringing the latest news from Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

And it’s not just any news, but important state laws, legislation and legal issues affecting your small business! Click here for more information and to register.

Have You Signed the Petition Yet?

NFIB is taking the lead on holding California policymakers’ feet to the fire with the launch of a petition drive to get the state to pay off the $20 billion it owes the federal government for loans it took out to keep its unemployment insurance trust fund up and running.

Click here to read more about this campaign and to sign the petition.

Getting the state to pay off, or at least substantially pay down, its UI loans is NFIB’s No. 1 lobbying goal headed into the 2026 session of the California State Legislature. Already, NFIB’s lobbying team has secured interest from a bipartisan group of lawmakers—but they’ll need an extra push from you.

Embarrassingly, “California is the only state that has not paid back its loans to the federal government to fund COVID-era unemployment insurance benefits now that New York agreed in May to pay off its remaining debt,” reports The Center Square.

Small businesses can never compete in the lobbying and campaign cash corporations and unions can ladle on this Legislature, but our numbers, when unified and speaking as one, can overcome their advantage. Check out The Power of the Small Business Voice to find out why.

Please sign the petition. Also, when educating people about the importance of this issue, emphasize that the UI trust fund is not just some business-only matter, it is what keeps unemployment checks going to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Small Business Saturday is November 29

NFIB has a few suggestions for its retail members to make it a successful occasion:

— Promote in advance. Tell regular customers about your plans. Use signs, bag stuffers, and flyers to remind them to come back.

— Leverage social media. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X to post regularly about your Small Business Saturday deals.

— Keep it festive. Decorations and even special treats can help put shoppers in the mood to buy gifts for others—and maybe for themselves, too.

— Showcase gift ideas. Group items with signs suggesting they’re perfect for Mom, grandparents, or kids. Restaurants can highlight holiday specials or gift cards.

— Offer doorbusters. Exclusive deals at set times of the day can drive traffic, just like the chain stores do.

— Partner with nearby businesses. Pool resources for advertising or in-store promotions. For example, if a customer buys at one shop, suggest a complementary deal at another.

Calendar

— November 29: Small Business Saturday

— January 5, 2026: Legislature reconvenes

National

Highlights from Federal Government Relations Principal Louis Bertolotti’s weekly report.

— NFIB put out a statement regarding the Visa and Mastercard anti-trust settlement. Vice President of Federal Government Relations Jeff Brabant said, “This ‘settlement’ – like its previous version – is not good enough… The current system… amounts to price fixing and must be reformed.”

RELATED: Episode 74 of the “Small Business Rundown” podcast was also released, featuring a discussion with Beth Milito and Rob Smith on the impact of rising swipe fees for small businesses.

— NFIB released Episode 1 of the “Small Business By the Numbers” podcast. In this new series, Research Center co-hosts Holly Wade and Peter Hansen will be joined by a variety of guests as they discuss data, stories, and the economic conditions affecting small businesses nationwide.

— NFIB released the October SBET survey. The Index declined 0.6 points in October to 98.2, remaining above its 52-year average of 98. The Uncertainty Index fell 12 points from September to 88, the lowest reading of 2025.

Next Main Street Minute: November 24. All Main Streets Minutes can be found on the NFIB website here. Pull down the California tab in the upper-right-hand corner.