Businesses have been dealing with tariff uncertainty since April, and it's starting to wear some of them down.

They aren’t just worried about upsetting their customers. Many face a number of other obstacles to raising prices, even as their costs have increased this year.

Whether they’re paying more to import bananas, ship furniture or change suppliers, it all involves paying more — after a long bout of inflation.

Policy experts say the benefits of the “pass-through” deduction, part of the 2017 tax law, mostly help wealthy business owners.

Like many of their customers and colleagues, they’re feeling some pain.

The NFIB reports a spike in its uncertainty index, perhaps triggered by thrifty consumers and the upcoming election.

With interest rate cuts uncertain, businesses owners are keeping their shelves a little leaner. But that’s not necessarily a bad sign.

The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates for almost two years now, affecting virtually everyt;hing in the economy. But some businesses have been relatively insulated from rate hikes.

In August, for the 20th straight month, business owners scored their outlook below average.

In the words of one business owner: “Why would I want to go into any type of expansion?”