"Poof, just like that, 90% of my freelance income had vanished": How I'm adapting after Trump's tariffs hurt my small business

I don’t work in the automotive or steel industry, but the tariffs that Trump has put into place have still managed to negatively impacted my small business.

I don’t provide a tangible product, I provide a service — I write content and articles for the pet industry. But these tariffs have a trickle down effect, as everyone in the industry is tightening their belts in anticipation for a bumpy ride.

My first inkling of trouble was at Global Pet Expo in March, an industry-leading event where pet stores make purchases for the upcoming year. There weren’t as many attendees and booths as in previous years, the happy hours were few and far between and I didn’t come home with as many product samples as I usually do.

But that was just the beginning. Shortly after I got home from the event, bad news was waiting for me. I work with a Chicago marketing firm, and both of my main clients, for whom I write SEO blog posts (which means they are written to be found by Google, AKA ‘Search Engine Optimized’), had decided to cut their marketing budget. And poof, just like that, 90% of my freelance income had vanished — and I had been pulling in $1,500 a month.

While I do have a full-time gig working at Money.ca, my side hustle allowed me to put money aside for retirement, as well as pay for a new furnace and air conditioner that went kaput late last year.

While I now have to cut back on my spending and reallocate funds from my main source of income, I’m always one to look for the silver lining in that big, black tariff cloud. Here’s what I’m doing until things pick up again across the border.

Updating my business website

While I’ve been busy with my freelance writing, my site, ThatFluffingDog, has sadly been neglected. Now’s the time for me to double down on my mad SEO writing skills and start posting on a regular basis, which translates to one post a week.

Those SEO posts help bring in the clicks, and to a fledgling site like mine, every single one matters. I now have the impressions numbers that allow me to monetize the site (meansing turning site traffic or content into income, typically through methods like ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or selling products and services), and while it doesn’t bring in the big bucks now, those nickels add up.

Backlinking

Google likes and recognizes when reputable sites link to yours. So I’m hitting up my pet network contacts with guest posting requests. I write a blog post for free in exchange for a backlink to my site. Not only do I get some of that sweet SEO juice, but these sites usually publicize my post via their social media accounts — double the awesome sauce!

Social media posts

Here’s another opportunity I’ve let slide since my freelance business took off. I only have one social media profile (on Instagram, my handle is @thatfluffingdog, give me a follow!), but man, is it ever sad. I haven’t even broken 100 followers yet. Now’s the perfect time to post more pics of my dog, Zed, comment on other similar accounts and grow my followers.

Small jobs

When I was juggling my full-time gig and my two big clients, I didn’t have time for one-off blog posts. Now, I’m willing and able to take them on. I’ve been taking jobs for a blog post here and there, both American and Canadian clients. And I’m letting these people know that I’m available to take on more work if they need it. It’s $100 here and there, but they add up and help pay the bills.

Sourcing locally

Getting paid in USD was great, while it lasted. But since the tariffs came into place, like many Canadians, I’ve turned my focus to locally sourced pet products. And that includes potential clients. Right now, I’ve got a proposal out to a Canadian-based treat company that’s looking to break into mainstream grocery stores — the potential here is promising.

Collabs

I’d never thought about working with other small businesses — until now. What seemed like a lot of work while I was freelancing was now a feasible idea. Someone who I had met through the pet industry suggested we partner up to make podcast episodes, and videos to go along with them. This is a new stream of original content that will be shared on different platforms I’d never been exposed to in the past, and one more way to promote my website. Plus, I get to talk about something near and dear to my heart — my little troublemaker and furry roommate, Zed.

We don’t know if this trade battle with our southern neighbours is going to end any time soon, and even when and if it does, there is no guarantee that my US customers will return. That’s why the steps I’m taking today to fill the void left by my departed US customers are so important to take with care and consideration — so that it doesn’t matter to my small business if they ever do.