Denver-area small businesses navigate ever-changing tariffs, uncertainty

After several years of working in the food industry Karina Tittjung pursued a passion of hers and about a year ago opened a pet boutique in the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora The store sells an array of toys games puzzles and feeders crafted to engage animals and humans Tittjung noted the store Bonez Budz is a labor of love fostered by her deep connection with her three dogs I started this boutique to help others experience that same bond It s a place where thoughtful fun and wellness-focused products come together to help not only the physical robustness of pets but their emotional well-being too Tittjung reported Along with ordering products and taking care of customers these days Tittjung is navigating the choppy waters of on-again off-again tariffs The uncertainty makes it tough to react she and other store owners in the marketplace noted One example We carry a line of leather toys that went up overnight for a single toy Tittjung mentioned The company is based in Michigan but the toys are made in India I m trying to find another source Tittjung noted Tittjung s experience highlights dilemmas that small businesses face on the tariff front Plenty of products with labels stating they were made in the U S include parts from other countries that are subject to tariffs One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the changing sizes and effective dates of the taxes as the Trump administration angles to negotiate agreement deals with countries Tiffany Spector and co-owner Anna Bangert bought True a women s boutique in the Stanley Marketplace about two years ago Spector revealed they try to buy from as multiple local vendors as they can but much of the apparel sold in this country is made in China In the last few days enacted tariffs on goods from China are at least although President Donald Trump reportedly was considering substantially slashing the tariff to de-escalate a growing exchange war with Beijing It s hard to make all these pivots because we re really still learning as small-business owners Then every day there s a new news headline Spector revealed You re trying to keep up with what the rules are and how we can try to make it work for us and our customers so we re not just passing along higher costs to them James Williams owns the Iron and Resin store which isn t far from Tittjung s space in the marketplace It sells outdoor clothes that are designed in house Like his work neighbors Williams has struggled to follow the latest bargain news and is bracing for the end of a -day pause on higher country-by-country reciprocal tariffs Owner of Iron and Resin clothing store James Williams at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora on Thursday April Photo by Andy Cross The Denver Post For now until the pause is lifted or plans change Iron and Resin is absorbing the levies imposed on the bulk countries The company produces clothes in Texas and Los Angeles but as business has grown it has expanded to factories in Pakistan Bangladesh and Indonesia Williams wonders what will happen when the three months are up Is it going to truly take place Is it going to be as drastic as we thought it was going to be he solicited One thing Williams knows is that his sleep count on his smart ring tracking fitness records isn t good It means I m nervous all day every day he declared Williams Tittjung and Spector were talking about the impacts of tariffs while sitting in the Cheluna Brewing Co in the Stanley Marketplace Jen and Javi Perez opened the brewery and tap room in After moving frequently through the years Jen Perez disclosed the couple decided to put down chosen roots for themselves and their kids and do something to build locality Starting a brewery seemed like a natural because Javi Perez had been brewing beer as a hobby for nearly years The couple knew other home brewers and would invite them for meals and the beer they produced together We felt strongly that there might be space in the realm for a Mexican-themed brewery Javi is Mexican-American That s how Cheluna was born Jen Perez mentioned Co-owner of Cheluna Brewing Company Jennifer Perez draws a beer for a customer at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora on Thursday April Photo by Andy Cross The Denver Post A brewery is different from other small businesses because the product is made in house Javi Perez declared But Cheluna could be affected by the tariffs on aluminum and steel Bulk of the stainless steel brewing equipment comes from Canada and China Malted barley comes from several countries France Belgium England Germany Canada and the U S The hops are grown mostly in the United States but several of the really popular new varieties come from abroad Javi Perez commented Whatever the business owners and customers alike will feel the squeeze if higher costs caused by tariffs slow spending overall he added After the presidential ballot Jen Perez stocked up on aluminum because she anticipated that tariffs would increase I haven t even gone online to look at the prices Once we get through that supply we ll see how prices have changed Javi Perez commented Tittjung has started placing orders for Christmas Spector co-owner of True disclosed the store has tried to place more orders to boost the inventory But there s only so much they can do because clothing is seasonal she commented We don t want to have tank tops in December Spector explained Co-owners of True clothing boutique Anna Bangert left and Tiffany Spector center work with customer Ivona Birdsell at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora on Thursday April Photo by Andy Cross The Denver Post Jen Perez noted she understands the desire to rebuild domestic manufacturing but believes pushing through tariffs to do that is an oversimplification of a complex issue I think it takes a long time to bring that to fruition she added It would be nice if we could start a long-term more focused plan that came in efforts and not just a different headline every day that something is changing The business owners agreed they will shoulder as much of the burden of tariffs as they can before hiking prices on customers They talked about weathering the storm together These are real people with real lives and their businesses are at stake if this goes on for too long Spector noted An April letter from U S Sen John Hickenlooper of Colorado and nine of his colleagues to Kelly Loeffler head of the Small Business Administration declared the vast majority of small businesses rely on imports The Trump administration s tariffs will be devastating for small businesses across the nation and millions of jobs are at pitfall on Main Streets in every corner of the country the Democratic senators wrote The SBA office in Washington D C didn t answer requests for comment Tariffs are hurting the state s agriculture industry and small businesses Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser reported in a announcement Wednesday Colorado is joining a multistate lawsuit to block the tariffs stated by Trump on the grounds that only Congress has the power to tax and impose tariffs Brothers Keaton and Kyler Brown were set to hire employees after seeing their business The Windy Company grow over the past year However the bump in the road that is tariffs has led the Browns to step off the gas pedal to see if the business turmoil settles down Keaton Brown revealed Four years ago the brothers started a company that delivers windshield wipers to customers homes Keaton Brown noted the idea was sparked by his frustration with struggling to replace his wipers himself Related Articles Colorado and other states sue Trump administration to stop tariff approach Tariffs could cost the average American household per year Here s how to save for it Denver Water s Gross Dam project violates federal law Letters Worried about fresh Wall Street turmoil and its effects on your retirement or investments The Denver Post wants to hear from you With Trump s honeymoon very likely over Colorado s Gabe Evans Jeff Hurd tackle tough political terrain The brothers settled on a more user-friendly design Customers subscribe to the system and have the wipers delivered once or twice a year The Windy Company ships from a warehouse in Grand Junction to people in all states The wiper blades are made in China out of natural rubber About half of our customers buy for the quality and half for the ease mentioned Brown who lives in Denver The brothers scouted out suppliers and settled on China where bulk of the windshield wipers are made I m not sure if there s a single factory in the U S that produces wipers in current times Brown announced Brown remains optimistic about the company s long-term outlook There s enough inventory for the near term and the brothers feel good about their customer base But we certainly expect to take a hit this year I don t know how long that will last but there ll be a vital impact at least on our expansion Brown mentioned Brendan Dorney has invariably been good at art and painted drew and restored antiques A limited years ago he turned a studio into a screen printing and design business in Denver s Capitol Hill neighborhood Through his business called Rabies Babies Dorney produces his own art for clients including concert venues and musicians Dorney also makes prints of other artists work He has worked side jobs while striving to build his true love into a full-time gig I ve made all the wrong choices but I ve followed my passion And now it s definitively turning back around to where the money s coming in and not just invariably going out Dorney declared But now come tariffs and uncertainty about the price of the supplies he necessities He buys gallons of ink and requirements a lot of niche items to produce the prints Since the height of the pandemic when supply chains were disrupted Dorney stated prices have gone up and stayed there Tariffs levied by the Trump administration have added a whole new layer The big one that really shocked the hell out of me was the aluminum frames that I need to buy Dorney noted He uses custom-made frames from a small store in Wisconsin and the price in recent days jumped from to per framed screen A person at the store was apologetic and kind but didn t explain the big increase He assumes it s because of the tariff on aluminum which is used for the frames Dorney plans to inventory his supplies and figure out what he ll need in the coming months and where he can get the best deals Any sales that come up I m just going to double down on stuff And he expects to have to raise prices I consistently feel bad if I have to give somebody a higher number Dorney reported The artists that I print for are all similar to me They re all independent They re doing well but they have the same challenges Get more business news by signing up for our Business activity Now newsletter