---
type: Article
title: "SBA Funding Cut 67%: Free Resources Still Available"
description: "SBA funding faces a 67% cut. SCORE, SBDCs, and Women's Business Centers all at risk. The free help still here for small retailers — and what's at risk now."
resource: https://amyfaychandler.com/sba-funding-cut-67-but-your-best-free-resource-isnt-going-anywhere/
tags: [sba-funding-cut-67-but-your-best-free-resource-isnt-going-anywhere]
---

[Retail Tidbit](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/morning-retail-tidbit/)

# SBA Funding Cut 67% — But Your Best Free Resource Isn’t Going Anywhere

	By[AmyFay Chandler](https://wordpress-1600709-6279960.cloudwaysapps.com)
						April 16, 2026July 31, 2026

The White House budget proposal that dropped this week cuts SBA funding by 67% — from a billion dollars down to $329 million. That means SCORE mentoring, Small Business Development Centers, and Women’s Business Centers are all on the chopping block. These are real programs that real shop owners have leaned on to figure out merchandising, cash flow, growth plans — the stuff that keeps the lights on.

Whether or not Congress passes it exactly as written, the direction is clear. The free resources on which small businesses have relied are shrinking.

That makes me think about the resources that are already sitting right in front of retailers and costing them nothing. A good manufacturer’s rep is paid by the brand, not the store. They walk in with market knowledge, merchandising ideas, and product expertise that’s specific to your region and your type of shop. That kind of hands-on, human guidance is getting harder to find everywhere — except it’s already built into the wholesale relationship, if you use it.

xoxo, ❤️ AmyFay

What’s happening in the world. What it means for your store. Monday through Thursday, from AmyFay Chandler. More in [Weekly Retail Tidbits](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/weekly-retail-tidbits/) every Friday.

		[AmyFay Chandler](https://amyfaychandler.com/author/amyfay/)

I’m AmyFay Chandler, a Knoxville-based wholesale sales rep serving independent retailers in Tennessee and Kentucky through Tango Showroom. I also represent Sweet Tree Jewelry and Caroline B Cook nationwide. Before I became a rep, I built two T-shirt lines, ran my own retail business, bought home and gift for Elder’s Ace Hardware, and worked with Werner Frank. I have been the maker, buyer, retailer, rep, and person at the register, so I evaluate every line from the store floor first.

I write the Morning Retail Tidbit and [Friday Retail Tidbits](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/friday-retail-tidbits/) to help local retailers buy smarter, merchandise with intention, and keep their stores valuable.

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