‘I’m over the moon’: New York’s small business owners rejoice as Mamdani cuts red tape
📰 source: theguardian_business · 💼 business
nyc mayor zohran mamdani announced 50 policy changes this week to cut red tape for small businesses. the video showed him shredding paper with phrases like 'cumbersome fees and fines' and 'a permit you need just to serve ice-cream'.
specific reforms: bodegas no longer need a separate license to sell fruit and flowers outside; restaurants no longer need a separate frozen dessert permit; barber shops renew every three years instead of yearly; street fair vendor fees reduced; restaurant inspections sped up; equipment registration fees eliminated for a year. the nyc best program, which assigns a case worker to each of the city's 180,000 small businesses, will expand. dawn kelly of nourish cafe praised the changes, noting the food-handling course will now be offered at multiple locations instead of one.
the reforms come as small businesses struggle — 8,400 closed in q2 2025 while only 3,540 opened. the mayor's actions contrast with rightwing portrayals of him as anti-business, with libertarian magazine reason acknowledging the pro-business steps.
why it matters: mamdani's deregulation push could improve small business survival rates in nyc, a bellwether for local economic policy.
source: theguardian_business
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