Digital advertising plays a critical role in ensuring that entrepreneurs of every background can participate fully in today’s economy. By lowering barriers to entry, it allows small businesses to reach customers, tell their stories, and build communities—regardless of geography, size, or access to traditional capital. For minority-owned businesses, these tools are often the difference between being visible and being overlooked.
At the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, this reality is front and center. Our work is focused on supporting Black-owned businesses and strengthening long-term viability across our communities. Digital advertising helps us promote awareness of our members, connect entrepreneurs with new opportunities, and ensure that diverse voices are represented in Delaware’s growing economy.
These same tools empower our members directly. Relevant, targeted digital advertising allows small businesses to compete with larger firms by reaching customers who are actively looking for their services—without the high costs of traditional advertising like print, television, or billboards. This efficiency is especially important as many entrepreneurs navigate rising operating costs and economic uncertainty.
Delaware’s economy is growing, with more than 111,000 small businesses accounting for over 98 percent of all businesses and employing more than half of the state’s workforce. Continued access to affordable, effective digital marketing tools is essential to sustaining that growth and ensuring it is broadly shared.
A balanced federal privacy standard would protect consumers while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on affordable digital tools or discouraging innovation. Clear, consistent national rules can provide meaningful privacy protections while ensuring that minority-owned businesses, creators, and community organizations continue to thrive in a digital-first economy.
Ayanna Khan-Flowers is the founder and CEO of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce.