Tariffs Served as ‘Illuminating Beacon’ for Small Businesses, Public Square Founder Says

As ‘Made in America’ push gains steam, consumers are voting with their wallets for patriotic brands

Michael Seifert, founder of the online marketplace Public Square, said tariffs have acted as an “illuminating beacon” for small businesses seeking to prioritize American-made goods.

In a recent interview, Seifert described the tariff agenda as one of several tools that have helped spark a resurgence in American pride and exceptionalism among consumers and business owners alike.

“It’s been pretty neat to witness over the past few years this resurgence in American pride and exceptionalism,” Seifert said. “We have the most powerful consumer audience in the entire world here in the United States.”

According to Seifert, today’s consumers care not only about product quality but also about the stories behind the businesses they support. He said shoppers want their hard-earned money to go toward business owners who value Main Street, love their country, and take a stand for classic American principles.

“They do not want to be lectured about social political issues,” Seifert added. “They want to know that they are shopping from businesses with quality products to sell and exceptional stories to tell.”

Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, Seifert noted that global supply chain disruptions served as a wake-up call for many Americans. He said the crisis revealed the importance of sourcing and celebrating goods made in the United States.

“Tariffs were obviously one tool in order to do that,” Seifert said. He explained that countless small business owners told him tariffs were a “wake-up call” to prioritize American manufacturing.

“I want to see the tariff season as an opportunity to learn new suppliers, get in touch with new manufacturers, get involved in local networking events with chambers of commerce, leverage resources out of amazing agencies like the Small Business Administration, to revolutionize the way my business is done in order to celebrate America,” Seifert said.

He described a “wildfire” effect, where one small business discovers a new American supplier and shares that information with others in their community.

Seifert also pointed to Etsy as an example of how domestic sourcing is paying off. The company recently saw its stock jump after announcing that 90% of its goods are sourced domestically.

“We are seeing that Etsy example played out not just on Wall Street and reflected in stock jumps, but also in countless examples of Main Street businesses that market really well the fact that they do celebrate and source from their local community and then see a surge in new customers because of it,” Seifert said.

He emphasized that trust plays a major role in the shift. Buying from a local brick-and-mortar business, he said, allows customers to hear the owner’s story and understand exactly where products come from, unlike a “Made in China” label.

As America approaches its 250th birthday, Seifert said small business owners are increasingly making patriotism a core part of their marketing strategies.

“I’m seeing small business owners say, ‘My core pillar of my marketing strategy this summer is going to be talking about why I love this country,’” he said.