Cancel Culture and the Small Business Owner
- Zel McGhee
- Oct 15
- 10 min read
A Field Advisor's Perspective, By: Zel McGhee
When the Knock Comes to Your Door
As a Business Field Advisor with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I spend my days helping entrepreneurs navigate challenges both expected and unforeseen. Among these challenges, few generate as much unease as the concept of “cancel culture.”
When it happens to someone else, it feels like background noise, something far away, perhaps even deserved. But when it comes to your business, it feels very different. For small business owners who have invested years of sweat equity, family resources, and personal reputation into their work, cancel culture represents not just an abstract debate but a direct threat to livelihood.
This article explores the subject honestly, not as a political issue or cultural argument, but from the perspective of what it means for small business owners and what can be done about it.
Cancel Culture in Plain Terms
At its most basic level, cancel culture is a collective response: the withdrawal of support from an individual, business, or brand due to something that person or organization said, did, or was associated with.
It can take many forms:
Customers boycotting your business.
A sudden flood of negative online reviews.
Vendors, employees, or community partners distancing themselves.
Social media campaigns demanding accountability or punishment.
For small businesses, which rely heavily on local trust and reputation, even a short-lived wave of criticism can do real damage. Unlike a slow market shift, cancel culture moves quickly. The spark is often emotional, and social media accelerates it far beyond the original context.
Cancel culture itself is not new. Boycotts and consumer backlash have been around for centuries. What has changed is the speed and scale. A local issue that once might have been contained to a neighborhood can now spread across the internet in moments, turning into a global issue.
What It Means for Small Business Owners
The consequences are not just reputational, they are operational. Here’s what cancel culture means in practice:
Fragility of Reputation: A single misstep, whether intentional or not, can overshadow years of good service.
Amplification Effect: Social platforms make local issues instantly global. A comment made in Abilene can ignite conversation across the country.
Perception Over Intent: In many cases, what you meant matters less than how people received it.
Personal and Business Identity Overlap: In small business, your name is often your brand. The criticism does not just hit the logo on your sign; it hits you personally.
Family and Staff Impact: If your spouse or employees carry the same last name as the business, they feel the pressure as well.
I’ve seen owners lose sleep, employees worry about their jobs, and families question whether to stay in the community. The emotional toll is as real as the financial one.
Why Cancel Culture Happens: The Roots of Broken Trust
Debates rage about whether cancel culture is accountability or mob rule. In my experience, the root cause is simpler: it stems from a breakdown in trust.
When customers feel unheard, they find an outlet.
When dialogue seems unavailable, outrage becomes the substitute.
When intent is unclear, people fill in the blanks with their own narratives.
Cancel culture thrives where constructive communication fails. It fills the space where trust should exist.
It also often begins as a reaction to a perceived imbalance of power. For large corporations, boycotts may be about accountability. For small businesses, the dynamic is more intimate, but the principle is the same, when people feel powerless, they turn to public reaction.
Free Speech, Real Consequences
One of the most common refrains I hear from small business owners is: “Don’t I have the right to say what I want, serve who I want, sell to who I want?”
The short answer is yes, within legal boundaries, you do. As an individual, you have the right to free speech, and as a business owner, you often have discretion over how and to whom you sell your goods or services. But rights are never exercised in a vacuum. Every right brings with it the possibility of reaction.
Speech: You may voice your opinion, but customers may voice theirs in response, sometimes loudly, sometimes collectively.
Service: Some service limitations are legal (such as refusing to serve underage drinkers), but others can be perceived as discriminatory. Perception, not intent, often drives the reaction.
Sales: Who you partner with, sponsor, or endorse may not violate any law, but customers are free to walk away if they dislike the association.
And here’s where it gets more complicated: it may not be you, the business owner, who lights the spark.
Employees: A staff member posts something controversial on their personal account, and suddenly the public associates it with your brand.
Customers: A customer makes a scene in your business, records it, and frames your response in a way that paints you as complicit.
Associations: Even the vendors you choose to work with can bring backlash if people view them negatively.
In these situations, it is not the cause (what was said or done) that matters most, but the effect (how people perceive it and respond). Free speech and free commerce do not insulate anyone from consequence, and in today’s climate, those consequences often arrive faster and louder than expected.
Lessons from History: Cancel Culture Before It Had a Name
Although “cancel culture” feels like a modern phrase, the dynamic behind it is nothing new. Throughout history, consumers and citizens have used collective action to influence businesses and institutions.
Labor Movements: Workers and consumers in the early 20th century boycotted unsafe factories or unfair wages, forcing change through collective refusal.
Religious and Moral Movements: In the 1800s, abolitionist groups boycotted goods produced by slave labor, effectively “canceling” businesses complicit in slavery.
Prohibition Era Pressure: In the 1920s, alcohol-related businesses were publicly shunned, with campaigns labeling them as immoral.
Modern Corporate Boycotts: The Nestlé formula boycott in the 1970s, sparked by aggressive marketing in developing nations, shows how consumer outrage long predates hashtags.
The difference today is not the principle, it is the speed, visibility, and intensity. What once required months of organizing can now happen overnight with a single viral post. For small business owners, that shift makes reputational management a far more immediate concern.
When Criticism Turns Viral: Two Small Business Scenarios
The following examples are fictional. They are not meant to second-guess real businesses or individuals. Instead, they illustrate the kinds of situations that could unfold for any small business owner.
There are many real-world examples already out there, but hindsight makes it easy to play armchair quarterback. That’s not the purpose here. The purpose is awareness, helping owners imagine how quickly ordinary disputes or off-hand comments can snowball in a digital age.
Whether it begins with your words, an employee’s post, or a customer’s recording, the outcome is often the same: perception drives reaction. And perception spreads quickly in the digital world. That is why small business owners must think beyond the legal concept of rights and prepare for the practical reality of responses.
Scenario 1: The Coffee Shop Owner
A small-town coffee shop has a devoted local following. One evening, an employee posts a personal opinion on their private social media account. Within 24 hours, the post spreads, and customers begin associating the employee’s view with the business itself. Negative comments flood the shop’s Facebook page. Regulars stop showing up.
Timeline of Escalation
Day 1: The post is shared locally. Comments begin to build.
Day 2: Negative online reviews appear, referencing the employee’s comment rather than the shop’s service.
Day 3: Local news stations pick up the story. The shop owner receives calls for comment.
Two Possible Outcomes
If the owner reacts defensively: The story grows. Headlines shift from the employee’s comment to the owner’s combative response. Community members see the shop as dismissive rather than understanding.
If the owner reacts thoughtfully: The owner issues a measured statement: acknowledging the controversy, clarifying the employee’s views are personal, and reiterating the shop’s commitment to being a welcoming space. Some customers remain upset, but the business maintains trust with most of its base.
Lesson: A business must recognize how quickly personal actions by employees can reflect back on the brand, and that the tone of the response can either deepen the crisis or begin the process of rebuilding trust.
Scenario 2: The Local Contractor
A contractor disputes a job with a customer. What would normally be a private disagreement becomes public when the customer takes to social media, posting photos and accusations. Friends of the customer join in, resharing the post. Suddenly, the contractor is facing a wave of online criticism.
Timeline of Escalation
Day 1: The customer’s post garners 200 shares.
Day 2: The contractor’s Google Reviews drop from 4.6 to 3.2 in less than 24 hours.
Day 3: Local radio picks up the story, presenting only the customer’s side.
Two Possible Outcomes
If the contractor argues online: The dispute escalates. Screenshots circulate showing heated comments. The contractor is portrayed as unprofessional.
If the contractor handles it privately: The contractor reaches out to the customer directly, offers mediation, and posts a calm statement emphasizing the company’s commitment to resolution. The fire cools, and loyal customers vouch for the contractor’s professionalism.
Lesson: Disputes are inevitable, but how you handle them determines whether they remain isolated incidents or become public crises.
How to Minimize Risk Before It Happens
You cannot remove the risk entirely. But you can minimize exposure and prepare for resilience. The small businesses that navigate these storms best tend to practice several habits:
Define and Live Your Values:
Be clear about what your business stands for. If you value fairness, service, or family, make that evident. Consistency reduces the chances of your actions being perceived as hypocritical.
Listen First, React Later:
When complaints arise, avoid defensiveness. Take time to listen, acknowledge concerns, and respond with humility. Even if you disagree, people want to be heard.
Train Your Team Well:
One employee’s off-hand comment can create headlines. Invest in communication and customer service training. Employees should understand that they represent your business even in casual interactions.
Pause Before Posting:
Social media is powerful but permanent. Ask yourself: “Does this reflect my business’s values?” before posting. A moment of pause can prevent months of fallout.
Prepare a Response Plan:
Just as you prepare for financial downturns or natural disasters, create a reputational crisis plan. Decide who will respond, what channels will be used, and what tone will be taken.
Engage Proactively with Your Community:
Businesses that build goodwill before a crisis are better positioned to weather one. Sponsor local events, support causes authentically, and cultivate relationships beyond transactions.
What to Do If You Become the Target
If you find your business at the center of cancel culture, here are practical steps:
Stay Calm and Assess: Knee-jerk reactions often make things worse. Step back and evaluate the situation.
Acknowledge, Don’t Argue: Even if you believe the criticism is unfair, acknowledge the concern. Arguing with customers rarely wins hearts.
Seek Trusted Advice: Consult mentors, advisors, or legal counsel before making public statements. A calm outside perspective can prevent missteps.
Take Corrective Action if Needed: If a real mistake occurred, own it. Apologies backed by meaningful action carry weight.
Support Your Team: Employees may feel attacked by association. Keep communication open and provide reassurance.
Focus on Core Customers: Not everyone will come back. Concentrate on rebuilding trust with the customers and community members who matter most.
Advising Clients Through the Storm
As advisors and consultants, we are not here to pass judgment on whether cancel culture is fair. Our role is to help small business owners work through the situation and find a path forward.
When a client comes to me facing reputational issues, I walk them through three lenses:
Short-Term Stabilization: What can you do today to stop the bleeding? This might mean drafting a statement, limiting social media engagement, or opening a direct line of communication with concerned customers.
Medium-Term Action: What corrective steps are needed? Training staff, revising policies, or offering tangible restitution may be appropriate.
Long-Term Strategy: How do you rebuild trust over months and years? This is about consistency, showing the community that lessons were learned and improvements were made.
Advisor’s Toolkit for Small Business Owners
Red Flags to Watch: sudden spikes in negative reviews, unusual social media activity, or signs that employees are posting controversial content linked to your business.
Crisis Response Flow: (PAR)
Prepare: Identify spokespersons, draft template responses, and clarify your values.
Act: Respond calmly, listen actively, correct mistakes where real.
Rebuild: Reinforce positive actions, invest in community ties, and let time and consistency heal.
This toolkit is not a shield from criticism, but it provides a steady foundation when the unexpected arrives.
The Emotional Toll Few Discuss
One of the least acknowledged aspects of cancel culture is the emotional burden it places on small business owners. Losing sales hurts, but the personal impact cuts deeper.
Owners often feel blindsided and humiliated.
Family members feel judged by association.
Employees worry about stability.
Owners themselves may question their place in the community they serve.
Cancel culture is not just a marketing or financial problem, it is a human one. When an owner feels isolated, stress can become overwhelming, and that can spill into family life, staff morale, and decision-making. Naming that reality matters.
The Community Factor: More Than Just the Owner at Risk
The impact does not stop with the owner. Employees may wonder if they should look for another job. Vendors might reconsider partnerships. Community leaders sometimes hesitate to associate with a business under fire. These ripples can make recovery harder than expected.
Yet the same community dynamic can also provide support. I’ve seen chambers of commerce, local associations, and even competitors step forward to defend a business, when they knew its track record of integrity. In those cases, relationships built over time became the lifeline that helped carry the business through the storm.
This is the reality: communities amplify both the risk and the recovery. Which side of that equation you experience depends heavily on the trust you’ve built before the crisis arrives.
Rebuilding Trust is the Hardest Part
Once the storm has passed, the real work begins. Rebuilding trust is slow and sometimes frustrating. It requires consistency over time, not quick fixes.
Practical strategies include:
Community Engagement: Show up in local causes and events with humility, not as a publicity stunt.
Transparent Communication: Share your progress and lessons learned openly.
Consistency: Live out your stated values every day, even when no one is watching.
Forgiveness is rarely immediate, but steady actions reshape perceptions over time.
Lessons for the Road Ahead
Cancel culture is not a passing fad, it is the modern expression of age-old consumer power. For small business owners, the takeaway is not to live in fear, but to stay alert and intentional.
Reputation has always mattered, but today it moves faster than ever. The businesses that endure are those that treat every customer interaction as a chance to build trust, pause before reacting, and choose consistency over convenience.
This is not about perfection. It is about showing up with integrity, again and again, in ways that customers recognize and respect. Awareness itself is an advantage: those who prepare are better positioned than those who assume it will never happen to them.
Standing Tall in the Storm
No small business owner expects to wake up to a tidal wave of criticism, yet some do. When it happens, it feels like a storm crashing through the front door. But storms pass, and businesses anchored in values and community ties stand firm.
Standing tall in the storm is less about avoiding criticism and more about resilience, how you steady yourself and lead through the moment. Preparation matters, but so do humility and a genuine commitment to serving well.
The knock may come. And if it does, you will be ready, not because you can control every reaction, but because you have chosen to build a business grounded in values that endure. Cancel culture may not go away, but neither does the resilience of small business owners. That resilience, rooted in community, remains stronger than any storm.
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