---
title: Between Two Bridges
description: Last week, New Hanover County Commissioner Dane Scalise came under fire for his call to defund the County’s Office of Diversity and Equity. In comments he made ...
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[ ![Small Business](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/TwoBridges/2025/small_business/SmallBusiness-Article.png) ](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/between-two-bridges/small-business-big-voice)

Since the pandemic, if you’re a business owner, you’re probably still feeling the pressure. Small businesses everywhere are on the brink of closure due to rising rent, continued inflation, lack of access to capital, and supply chain shortages. They can’t find good employees, and they’re losing foot traffic. Stricter regulations are making it more expensive to stay open. We must change the tide because our small business economy is too big to fail.

  28 January 2025