Small Business,
Significant Impact

By Adelaide Sledge

People strolling at New York Botanical Gardens

Project Description

Small businesses are more than 90% of the business community, and their losses affect the economy at a local level. So I spoke to small businesses to ask how climate change has impacted their bottom line. This project is the beginning of a long-term public information campaign, and I have started using social media accounts to begin. I created a small business survey online that has collected more than 50 reports from business owners to date, including tallies of financial loss. This project has been largely trial-and-error, as some businesses didn’t want to share specifics, and some businesses didn’t have a handle on the impact, but towards the end I began to get into the flow. I am currently posting information on a weekly basis.

Outcomes

Raising overall awareness to the financial impacts of climate change on small businesses, which are the largest employers in the United States and are most important to the economy

Process

I published a simple Google form asking small businesses for feedback on any ways in which they might have been affected by climate change and/or weather related issues
I reached out to a range of organizations for help distributing the form, including the Village of Hastings, the Rivertowns Chamber of Commerce, the Hastings Downtown Advocate, the Mamaroneck Chamber of Commerce, the Ossining Chamber of Commerce, the the Business Council of Westchester
I asked at the end of the Google form survey for contact information for anyone interested in following up with an in-person interview
I went in-person to many businesses (and continue to), and interviewing, taking photos, taking notes, and making recordings when permitted
I started an Instagram account, @smallbizshortstories, where I post short summaries, media, and statistics that come out of the interviews and survey data
I intend to continue this project until June 2026, meeting in-person and over the phone with small businesses from all different backgrounds and locations.

Lessons Learned

Climate change can have financial consequences on small business in many ways
40% of small businesses that are damaged in weather events (such as floods or storms) do not reopen
Apiaries in the USA lost on average 62% of their bee population in 2024-25
Farmers' markets and outdoor vendors lose business due to rain and extreme heat, and suffer 30-70% drops in attendance
Strawberry farms across the US had crop difficulties in 2025 due to a fungus caused by abnormally warm weather and heavy rains
Floods in New England caused strawberry field rot in 2025, causing strawberry shortages
New York and New England’s cauliflower season was damaged by heavy heat and rains, causing this cold-growth crop to sprout flowers, thus making it inedible
“Smoke taint” and fire damage in California 2020-2024 caused vineyards to lose business, entire fields, and even entire seasons of production
Small farms have growth difficulties due to shortened seasons. For example, a mild and rainy winter leading to an early spring can cause crops to grow at the wrong time or not at all, putting farmers out of money and work
Bakeries have difficulty in heat waves: running hot ovens in hot temperatures can cause ingredients and fillings to melt and make working conditions difficult
Nuts growers are hindered by wild fires, lack of water for crops, and global shortages
Small businesses that make their own textiles have difficulty sourcing reasonably priced fabrics, new or thrifted, due to shortages in fabric production
I have gained knowledge about storm and flood damage in small businesses and about fabric production