Big Idea (in full): Small businesses power the U.S. economy and rely on digital advertising and data to find new customers, thrive and grow. As policy debates unfold, the real-world impact of state-by-state regulatory patchwork is being felt acutely by entrepreneurs and independent publishers. A unified approach, a pragmatic federal law, is not only warranted ¡ª it¡¯s essential.

Google¡¯s Alex Propes (center) sat down with ¡°Chef Dennis¡± Littley (left) and Jason Anthony (right) for a conversation about how digital advertising and larger platforms support their small businesses.

The Digital Advertising Alliance¡¯s (DAA) Summit 25 in Washington, DC spotlighted the backbone of the U.S. economy: the small business owners who make up 99.9 percent of all enterprises. In a panel moderated by Google¡¯s Alex Propes, panelists Jason Anthony (Jason Anthony Group) and Dennis Littley (Ask Chef Dennis Productions) shared firsthand how digital advertising and responsible access to data are not abstract policy ideas ¡ª but necessities in their small businesses.

Both panelists underscored a fundamental truth: digital tools and data access are the great equalizers that allow small businesses to compete with larger enterprises. 

Jason Anthony¡¯s Pittsburgh-based digital marketing agency helps businesses grow through responsible digital strategies, from search engine optimization and targeted interest-based ads to branding and performance consulting. For Anthony, data is the key driver, providing intelligence and insights that inform a more efficient marketing strategy. ¡°Data reveals the problem,¡± he explained, ¡°and we can find a solution using empathy.¡±

He recounted how one roofing client cut its cost per lead by 40 percent simply by refining their campaign data and strategy. A dermatology practice saw a 30-percent increase in bookings after the agency helped clarify online messaging with more patient-oriented language. ¡°Data access equals survival for SMBs,¡± Anthony said ¡ª especially when trying to compete with larger players using limited budgets.

Chef Dennis shared a different path, yet echoed the importance of access to data and larger digital platforms for effective marketing. His website, Ask Chef Dennis, evolved from a teaching tool into a thriving food and travel blog. With time and investment using digital marketing tools among other techniques, his site traffic grew by 1,200 percent, income by 8,000 percent, and RPMs (revenue per thousand visitors) by 57 percent. He credits his growth to seeking and listening to the guidance of digital collaborators, for example those in the Google Ads community.  ¡°I started to understand and work better,¡± he said. ¡°People were paying more for the ads on my site. And because of the ads on my site, I was able to live a life I never imagined I would be able to live.¡±

Advertising revenue became the foundation for not only his success, but also a growing family business. His son now works with him full-time, his niece recently joined, and even his 14-year-old granddaughter has begun contributing content. Chef Dennis thanked digital advertising for helping him build a digital legacy that spans generations. ¡°If I¡¯m making a great living doing what I love,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s my job to help others do the same.¡±

During the DAA Summit 25 ADvocate in Washington DC, Jason Anthony (right) reflects on how small businesses are tightly connected to dozens of other companies, and how evolving privacy rules often catch entrepreneurs off guard, adding unexpected costs and delays.

The panelists emphasized that small businesses do not operate in isolation. Instead, they described a deeply interconnected ecosystem. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize I was working with 26 other companies to run my business,¡± Chef Dennis noted, highlighting that, perhaps unlike the kitchen, digital advertising relies on many chefs.

Small businesses, he argued, are often the first domino in a longer supply chain. From software providers to ad networks, service vendors to part-time contractors, their reach is broader than most realize. ¡°We like to think of ourselves as the heart and soul of the open web,¡± he said.

For small businesses, compliance with today¡¯s evolving privacy laws is no small feat. Anthony noted that many of his clients ¡ª especially new entrepreneurs ¡ª are often caught off guard by the varying requirements from state to state. That realization often delays projects and adds cost they hadn¡¯t budgeted for.

Chef Dennis added that many independent publishers and small business owners simply feel overwhelmed with the expertise needed to keep a business well marketed, and in compliance with regulations. ¡°Most of them want to bury their heads in the sand,¡± he said. ¡°But that won¡¯t work.¡± He shared how he hired a full-time expert when he realized he couldn¡¯t keep up on his own. ¡°If you¡¯re spending all your time doing things you don¡¯t enjoy or don¡¯t understand, you¡¯ll start to resent your business and you won¡¯t grow.¡±

Both speakers emphasized the emotional toll state-by-state compliance confusion takes, especially when online business owners are just trying to do what they love.

As part of the DAA Summit¡¯s Hill Day program, both Anthony and Littleley visited policymakers on Capitol Hill. They shared how today¡¯s fragmented privacy landscape puts small businesses in a bind. Owners are uncertain whether they¡¯re compliant, unable to afford guidance, and often unaware of changes until it¡¯s too late.

¡°Legislation can unintentionally crush people¡¯s lives,¡± Anthony said. He questioned the sustainability of enforcement under a growing patchwork of state-level privacy laws. ¡°What¡¯s it going to cost to enforce all of this? Who¡¯s actually going to do the lift?¡±

Chef Dennis discusses how privacy rules and digital advertising compliance can overwhelm small business owners, warning that most aren¡¯t even aware these policy changes are happening.

Chef Dennis echoed the concern, noting that his peers are overwhelmed and uninformed. ¡°I guarantee 90 percent of small businesses don¡¯t know this is happening,¡± he said of the count and complexity of privacy laws around the United States. ¡°They¡¯re running restaurants, shops, blogs. They¡¯re not hearing about this on the news.¡±

Equally importantly, it was noted that many of the laws are incorrectly thought of as being aimed only at larger companies. What many regulators and legislators seemed to have forgotten in that calculus is that without access to audiences and data from larger platforms, small businesses cannot find new customers.

Both called for greater outreach, better education, and a single, federal standard. 

Bottom Line: Protecting and Facilitating Opportunity

Digital advertising isn¡¯t just about metrics and impressions ¡ª it¡¯s about opportunity, the panel concluded. It allows independent publishers to build legacies, and local businesses to scale with purpose. But as privacy laws expand and diverge, small businesses face disproportionate challenges that threaten their ability to compete.

We are gratified to continue to use the DAA Summit as a platform to elevate these voices ¡ª and as a reminder that the future of the open internet is not just about technologists and policymakers. It¡¯s about brands (big and small) creating customers and growing businesses.

DAA wishes to acknowledge the editorial support of our summer associate Spencer Baker.