Digital Infrastructure for Small Businesses

1. The Statistics

Technology Dependence:

75% of US small businesses say they could not survive without technology U.S. Chamber of Commerce
99% of small businesses use some kind of technology platform U.S. Chamber of Commerce
58% use 4 or more tech tools, and 33% use 6+ tools U.S. Chamber of Commerce
59% of SMBs are expected to increase their technology spending in 2024 Workday Blog

Cybersecurity Crisis:

73% of small businesses have experienced a cyberattack last year Execweb Mastercard
Data breaches can cost: $120,000-$1.24 million in damages/ransoms Cost of Cybersecurity for Small Businesses in 2025 | Blog +2
Global data breach costs $4.88 million on average (2024) Cyberhaven
Average cybersecurity cost: $5,000-$50,000 yearly Execweb
Businesses spend 7-13.2% of their IT budget on cybersecurity Business.com Execweb
Small businesses face cyberattacks every 11 seconds Total Assure

E-Commerce Costs:

E-Commerce Hosting: $40-$4,000/month + $1,500-$30,000 setup Jellyfishtechnologies
Shopify: $5-$2,300+/month Omnisend
E-commerce Platforms: $29-$299+/month Medium
Payment Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Medium
E-commerce Website: $2,000-$200,000+ depending on complexity WebyKing

Digital Barriers:

SMEs face resource constraints, skill gaps, lack of awareness, and structural limitations MDPI
Insufficient financial resources, high investment costs, and a shortage of qualified staff ResearchGate Springer
Resistance from workers and a lack of knowledge about technology providers Springer
Disparities in digital readiness: gaps in capital, skills, and infrastructure ITIF

Sources: US Chamber of Commerce, Workday, MDPI, ExecWeb, Mastercard, Total Assure, and DeepStrike

2. Who's Harmed

Mom-and-Pop Shop:

Runs neighborhood grocery 30 years
Needs website, e-commerce, and an inventory system
Quote: $10,000-$30,000 for website Jellyfishtechnologies WebyKing
Shopify $29-$299/month Omnisend
Payment fees 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Medium
Cybersecurity $5,000-$50,000/year Execweb
Total: $20,000-$50,000 first year
Can't afford it
Loses customers to Amazon
Closes after 30 years

Black-Owned Restaurant:

Amazing food and loyal local customers
Wants online ordering and delivery integration
E-commerce site $2,000-$200,000 WebyKing
DoorDash/UberEats takes 30% (see Platform Fees section)
Can't afford a custom site
Uses an exploitative platform
Margins are crushed
Struggles to survive

Immigrant Tailor:

Skilled craftsperson
Could sell globally online
77% of small business owners lack technical knowledge U.S. Chamber of Commerce
No one to help build website
Paid $5,000 to scam "web designer"
Got an unusable site
Lost their savings
Dreams are crushed

Rural Hardware Store:

Serves town of 5,000
Needs inventory management and a POS system
Slow internet (no broadband investment)
Cloud software doesn't work
Can't afford an IT consultant ($150-$300/hour)
Uses paper and spreadsheets
Can't compete with online retailers
Town loses their only hardware store

Working-Class Artisan:

Makes beautiful handcrafted furniture
73% of small businesses have experienced a cyberattack Execweb DeepStrike
Gets hacked and their customer data was stolen
Breach costs $120,000-$1.24 million Execweb Mastercard
Can't afford it
Goes bankrupt
Depleted their ife savings

The Pattern:

Digital infrastructure is essential for survival.
Costs are prohibitive for working-class entrepreneurs.
Tech companies extract maximum profit.
Small businesses are locked out or bankrupted.

3. Who Profits From This

Web Development Agencies:

Charge $10,000-$200,000 for websites
Small businesses can't afford the quality
Get scammed by cheap developers
Pay again to fix it
Cycle of extraction

Platform Monopolies:

Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce
Monthly fees from $29 to $2,300+ Omnisend
Small businesses are trapped (can't migrate)
Platforms raise prices whenever they want
No alternatives (monopoly)
Eternal Renters

Cybersecurity Vendors:

Sell expensive software for $5,000-$50,000/year
Small businesses can't afford it
73% get hacked Execweb DeepStrike
Vendors profit from their insecurity
No affordable options
Blame the victims ("should've bought our product")

Payment Processors:

Take 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Medium
Duopoly (Visa/Mastercard)
Small businesses can't negotiate
Billions are extracted annually
Pure rent-seeking

IT Consultants:

Charge $150-$300/hour
Small businesses can't afford
Struggle alone
Fail
Consultants only serve wealthy clients

The Model: Make digital infrastructure is essential → Price it beyond reach of the working-class → Profit from desperation → Blame the victims for not "investing in technology"

4. Solutions + Strategies

A. Free Public Digital Infrastructure

National Small Business Tech Platform:

Government-funded, completely free
Provides every small business:
- Professional website (custom design)
- E-commerce platform (0% fees)
- Inventory management system
- Point-of-sale software
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Accounting software
- Email/marketing tools
- Cloud storage and backup
- Mobile apps

Features:

Custom domain (yourstore.gov or .coop)
Unlimited products
Unlimited transactions
No platform fees
No payment processing fees (government payment system)
Integrated shipping
Analytics and reporting
Multi-language support
ADA accessible
Open source (no vendor lock-in)

How It Works:

Small business applies online
Meets with a tech specialist (in-person or video)
Specialist designs the site based on their needs
Site built in 2-4 weeks
Training is provided (in multiple languages)
Ongoing support is included
Upgrades and maintenance free

Cost to Government:

$50 billion annually
Serves 10 million small businesses
$5,000 per business on average
Self-funding through economic growth

B. Public Cybersecurity Service

Free Cybersecurity for All Small Businesses:

Government-provided security suite
Includes:
- Firewall
- Antivirus/anti-malware
- Email security (phishing protection)
- Website security (DDoS protection)
- Data encryption
- Backup and recovery
- Security monitoring 24/7
- Incident response team
- Employee training

How It's Delivered:

Software is deployed automatically
Managed by a government cybersecurity team
Alert system for threats
Automated patching and updates
Human experts are available 24/7
Incident response within 15 minutes

Breach Insurance:

Government provides free cyber insurance
Covers up to $5 million per incident
Includes:
- Data recovery
- Customer notification
- Credit monitoring for affected customers
- Legal fees
- Public relations
- Business interruption

Cost:

$25 billion annually
Protects 10 million businesses
Prevents $120K-$1.24M losses per breach Execweb Mastercard
Saves billions in prevented attacks

C. Community Tech Cooperatives

Local Tech Support Networks:

Every community has a Tech Cooperative
Staffed by:
- Graduate workforce (recent grads doing public service)
- Retrained workers
- Local tech professionals
- Volunteer mentors

Services Provided:

Website design and development
Software setup and training
Cybersecurity audits
Digital marketing
E-commerce consulting
Data management
Tech troubleshooting
Custom software development

Pricing:

Free for businesses under $250K revenue
Sliding scale $250K-$2M revenue
All services are 75% cheaper than private consultants
Worker-owned (profits stay local)

Connection to Graduate Workforce:

CS/IT/design graduates work 2 years
Gain real-world experience
Serve their communities
Get paid living wage
Build portfolio
Launch careers

D. Open Source Everything

Mandate Open Source for Public Funds:

Any software built with public money = open source
Small businesses can use/modify freely
No licensing fees
No vendor lock-in
Community contributions improve it

Public Software Repository:

Government maintains the software library
Small businesses download free:
- Accounting software
- Inventory management
- POS systems
- CRM platforms
- Marketing tools
- Analytics software
- Communication tools
- Project management

Technical Support:

Community forums
Video tutorials (multi-language)
Live chat support
Phone support
In-person training (at incubators)

E. Public Payment System

Government Payment Processing:

0% transaction fees
Instant settlement (no 2-3 day wait)
Built on FedNow infrastructure
Integrated with public e-commerce platform
Supports all payment types:
- Credit/debit cards
- ACH
- Mobile payments
- Cryptocurrency/stablecoins
- International payments

Benefits:

Save 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Medium
$50 sale = $1.75 saved
$1,000/day sales = $525/year saved
Millions of small businesses = billions saved

How It Works:

Link bank account to the platform
Accept payments through website/app/in-store
Money is instantly deposited
No chargebacks (fraud protection built-in)
Fully encrypted and secure

F. Universal Broadband

Public Broadband Infrastructure:

100 Mbps minimum everywhere
Fiber to every building
Free for small businesses
Publicly owned (municipal fiber)
No data caps
No throttling

Rural Priority:

Satellite internet where fiber is impossible
Government-funded (Starlink-style network that's not controlled by Elon Musk)
Same speed as urban areas
No business is left behind

Cost:

$100 billion over 10 years
Creates millions of jobs
Enables the digital economy everywhere
Returns investment through economic growth

G. Digital Literacy & Training

Free Training Programs:

Website design
E-commerce management
Social media marketing
Cybersecurity basics
Data analytics
Digital advertising
SEO and content strategy
Customer service platforms

Delivery Methods:

In-person at incubators
Online courses (self-paced)
Video tutorials
Bootcamps (2-4 weeks intensive)
One-on-one mentorship
Multi-language support

Certifications:

Government-recognized credentials
Demonstrates competency
Free to obtain
Opens job opportunities

H. Tech Tool Library

Community Equipment Sharing:

Professional cameras
Audio recording equipment
Video production gear
3D printers
Laser cutters
Photography studios
Recording booths
Computers and tablets

How It Works:

Check out equipment like library books
Use on-site or take home
Training is provided
Free for small businesses
Maintains and repairs equipment
Insurance is included

Benefits:

A $10,000 camera that's available to everyone
Create professional marketing materials
Product photography
Video content
Podcasts
No cost barrier

5. Impacts

Immediate (Year 1):

National Tech Platform launches
1 million small businesses get free websites
Cybersecurity suite protects 2 million businesses
500 Community Tech Cooperatives open
10,000 graduate workforce members are deployed
$120K-$1.24M per breach Execweb Mastercard losses prevented

Short-Term (Years 2-3):

5 million businesses on the public platform
Save 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction Medium = billions saved
73% cyberattack rate Execweb DeepStrike drops to 10%
Universal broadband reaches 75% of the country
50,000 tech workers are trained and deployed

Medium-Term (Years 3-5):

10 million businesses using public infrastructure
Private platforms forced to compete (lower prices)
Small business tech costs drop 80%
Cyber breach rate is under 5%
Every community has a tech cooperative
The digital divide is eliminated

Long-Term (Years 5-10):

100% of small businesses U.S. Chamber of Commerce have a professional digital presence
Zero platform fees
Zero payment processing fees
Zero cybersecurity breaches (comprehensive protection)
Main Streets thrive online
Technology is an equalizer, not a divider

Economic Transformation:

$100 billion/year saved by small businesses
Money stays in local communities
Creates millions of tech jobs
Enables global competition
Levels the playing field

6. Why This Matters

Technology = Survival:

75% of small businesses can't survive without technology. U.S. Chamber of Commerce
It's infrastructure, not luxury. Like roads, water, electricity.

Current System = Extraction:

Website costs $10,000-$200,000. Jellyfishtechnologies WebyKing
Monthly platform fees $29-$2,300+. Omnisend
Transaction fees 2.9% + $0.30. Medium
Cybersecurity $5,000-$50,000/year. Execweb
Small businesses bankrupted by essential tools.

Cybersecurity Crisis:

73% of small businesses hacked. Execweb DeepStrike
Losses $120K-$1.24M per breach. Execweb Mastercard
Attacks happen every 11 seconds. Total Assure
Can't afford protection, then gets blamed.

The Choice:

Public infrastructure (free websites, cybersecurity, payment processing, and broadband)
OR Private extraction (monopoly platforms, expensive consultants, and cybercriminals profiting from insecurity).

We Choose Public.

Technology built with public funds should serve the public, not enrich tech bro billionaires. Every small business deserves professional digital presence, bulletproof security, and zero-fee payments.

Connection to Other Policies:

Anti-Monopoly: Already breaking up platform monopolies (Amazon, Shopify, etc.)
Graduate Workforce: Tech workers staffing Community Tech Cooperatives
Main Street Incubators: Digital training and support are integrated
Small Business Finance: Public bank provides capital for tech needs
Circular Economy: Open source = sustainable and repairable, not planned obsolescence

7. The Bottom Line

Digital infrastructure is public infrastructure.

Roads aren't private toll roads owned by billionaires. Water isn't privatized and sold at usurious rates. Electricity is regulated utility, not for-profit extraction.

Same with digital tools for small businesses.

When we say "The Empire Ends With Us," we mean:

No more $10K-$200K website costs
No more platform fees extracting billions
No more small businesses getting hacked and bankrupted
No more digital divide between rich and poor

We're building:

Free websites for everyone
Free cybersecurity for all
Free payment processing
Universal broadband
Community tech support

Technology for people, not profit.