A friend asked me to facilitate an SBA loan for one of her clients

[In It to Win It]

I haven't done SBA loans or any small business loans for anyone in years, but I accepted the task as a favor.

The borrower operates three nail salons, and is preparing to expand with one new location, which is what the SBA loan is for. When I look at the list of supplies, equipment, and materials, the most expensive pieces are sourced from China.

Despite the hurdles, this person will continue with their plans. They've built a pretty successful business and have many employees, and when I think about Trump's tariffs, it's businesses like this that I think about.

I understand the idea, and the need, to get more manufacturing on American soil. I completely get it. What I don't get is the willingness to bulldoze all other businesses in pursuit of that goal. What I don't get is the thought that service jobs, like working in a nail salon, don't matter as much as working in a manufacturing job because a manufacturing job is something patriotic that we should be willing to sacrifice for.

The possible ruining of small businesses, like this nail salon business, gets overlooked because it's not as shiny as the remote possibility of an Apple iPhone factory being built in Ohio or Texas.

[Ilsa]

1. I would be concerned about staffing a new nail salon.

I'd be concerned about ICE raids. So many salons appear to be staffed by immigrants. Even if they are legal immigrants, I'd be concerned about the chaos brought to the business by ICE.

[tulipsandroses]

2. I think a part of it is MAGA's fever dream to go back in time.

Last edited Wed Jun 11, 2025, 03:09 AM - Edit history (1)

I doubt we will ever go back to producing most things in the USA. It's just not practical or cost effective.
We talk a good game about Made In The USA but how much are people going to want to pay for these items? How much will those jobs pay? If they are going to be good paying jobs - then undoubtedly the prices are going to be higher to accommodate for wages. If the wages are considered low to keep prices down, good luck finding people to work.

Stephanie Ruhle discussed this previously, we consume a lot of goods. We buy things just because there is a new color of something. Advertisers are always enticing us with the latest insert whatever item. Whether it's the latest iPhone or the newest shade of a nail polish. Not just blue, but cool blue, or electric blue or midnight blue. Then you end up with 5 different shades of blue nail polish. LOL. I don't think that level of consumerism existed in the time that MAGA wants to go back to.

Awhile back I read that the average American owns 12 pairs of shoes. In the 1960's the average was 3-5. We hardly repair anything anymore. Something is broken, get rid of it, buy another one. Other than big ticket items like appliances, most people are not fixing broken items. They just buy another one. I remember repairing watches and even my favorite pairs of shoes when they were worn down, as well as taking clothes to the seamstress to fix rips or replace broken zippers. Who does that now? You toss it, buy another.
I don't think we have the manpower to meet the high consumerism in America. Unless you are going to replace a lot of those workers with machines, robots for much faster production.

ETA: I did a quick google search on how many people work in factories in China. 128 million. If trump expects everything to be made in America then he needs to explain where is the labor force to meet the same level of demand for products. Is he going to limit how many items you can have? Or force people in other sectors to become factory workers?