For the mechanic in Fabens, the family-owned manufacturer in El Paso, or the small restaurant in Five Points trying to make payroll, economic uncertainty hits close to home and is felt every day by working families building something from the ground up.
Small businesses keep our communities moving. They sponsor youth sports teams, hire local workers, keep neighborhoods vibrant, and take risks that large corporations often will not. When the economy slows down, they are usually the first to feel the pressure and too often the last to recover.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They make up more than 99% of businesses in Texas, so when a small business closes, our communities feel it immediately. Jobs disappear, families lose income, and neighborhoods lose part of what gives them life.
As a small business owner myself, these challenges are real and familiar.
Years of conversations with welders, truckers, family restaurant owners, small manufacturers, and entrepreneurs across our region have reinforced a consistent reality: small businesses are competing in an economy that too often favors those with the deepest pockets.
These conversations have helped shape recent legislative efforts. If Texas wants to remain the best state in the nation to do business, policy must go beyond large corporations and ensure small businesses can survive, compete and grow.
In this ever-evolving digital age, one issue many small businesses have not traditionally had to confront is cybersecurity. For a large corporation, recovering from a cyberattack is expensive. For a small business, it can be devastating. A single ransomware attack can shut down operations overnight, damage customer trust and leave owners facing lawsuits and financial ruin.
That is why I authored Senate Bill 2610, the Cybersecurity Safe Harbor Act, to strengthen protections for small businesses by encouraging proactive cybersecurity practices and providing a legal safe harbor for those that meet recognized cybersecurity standards. The goal is to give small businesses the tools they need to compete safely in a digital economy.
Beyond cybersecurity, reducing unnecessary red tape remains essential. Too often, small business owners spend more time navigating unclear regulations than running their operations. I was proud to joint author Senate Bill 14 to reduce bureaucracy, simplify regulations, and strengthen the ability to challenge state agency interpretations of laws and rules.
The government should not create barriers that only large corporations can navigate.
Strengthening Texas’ manufacturing economy is another priority. Texas is now the number one manufacturing state in the country and exported nearly $292 billion in manufactured goods in 2023 alone. But many small and mid-sized manufacturers continue to face challenges keeping up with rapid changes in technology, automation, and digital systems.
That is why I authored Senate Bill 2925, creating the Task Force on Modernizing Manufacturing. The task force will assess the current state of manufacturing in Texas, identify barriers to adopting new technology, measure the economic impact of modernization, and develop recommendations to strengthen competitiveness.
Our region is ready to lead in the next chapter of Texas manufacturing. SB 2925 ensures that small businesses, local workers, and our border economy aren’t just keeping pace but helping set the pace. This effort supports good-paying jobs, strengthens local industry, and positions El Paso as a key player in modern manufacturing.
Across the board, support for expanding research and development incentives, reducing burdensome business taxes, strengthening economic development tools, and increasing property tax exemptions for business inventory and equipment all point to the same goal: creating the conditions where small businesses can succeed.
Small businesses are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair shot. They want an economy where hard work is rewarded, where regulations are clear, where innovation is encouraged, and where local businesses are not overshadowed by large-scale corporate interests.
The strength of Texas is built by people who open their doors before sunrise, work long hours, and invest in their employees and communities. I look forward to continuing to work in the Texas Senate to make sure public policy supports small businesses and keeps our communities strong.
State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, represents District 29.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: OPINION: Small businesses are backbone of Texas, El Paso, Borderland
Reporting by Cesar Blanco, Guest columnist / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cesar Blanco, Guest columnist | USA TODAY Network
