Where has the allure of e-commerce gone for micro-businesses?
For 16 years, I was able to sell my designs online and ship them to over 20 European countries, managing to build a community of lovers of my work and repeat customers in several of them. My products were always well received, never presented safety issues, and met the quality standards my customers deserve. In addition, I have constantly worked with compostable packaging made from recycled and reused materials, aligning myself with my commitment to sustainability and caring for the environment.
E-commerce was once a great hope for those of us who start small businesses. It opened doors that were previously closed: reaching customers around the world, managing our own time, and working from home. In my case, being a designer and creator of handmade jewelry, it was the opportunity to bring my unique designs to those who value work done with care and sustainable materials. However, this dream is at risk.
Not only have advertising costs, essential to stand out among millions of options, skyrocketed to the point of becoming unattainable for many. Now, even the big brands have managed to implement regulations designed to curb the negative impact of mass production chains, but which, paradoxically, end up affecting the small companies more, as we are not responsible for this damage.
General Product Safety Regulation: an unequal law
The European Union's, General Product Safety Regulation, which comes into force next Friday, December 13th, is a perfect example of how laws designed to regulate large corporations can stifle micro-businesses. This legislation requires multiple certifications, safety tests, labeling, and bureaucratic processes that are manageable for large, well-resourced companies, but nearly impossible to afford for those of us operating on a smaller scale.
Added to this regulation, is the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, another European Union regulation in force since 2022, which requires manufacturers to take responsibility for the management and recycling of their products and packaging. Although this law seeks to promote sustainability, its implementation entails additional expenses in registrations, logistics, and regulatory compliance. For small businesses, the combination of these two regulations means facing costs and requirements that are practically unfeasible, especially considering that the European market often represents only a small part of our sales.
The absurdity of regulations for small businesses
What hurts the most is the contradiction. These laws seek to limit the excesses of the big brands: mass production, irresponsible use of plastics, unbridled consumerism, and low-quality products. However, they end up hitting those of us who do the opposite the hardest: unique, sustainable pieces, made with care and recycled materials.
From Friday, December 13th, I will not be able to sell my jewelry in the European Union, Not because my products are not safe, but because the costs associated with complying with regulations are impossible for a micro-business like mine to bear. And like me, many other small entrepreneurs are seeing the closing of a door that had meant so much: the possibility of competing in a global market.
Are there no equitable solutions?
I am not against regulations that seek to protect consumers and the environment. But why apply the same requirements to a small artisanal jewelry store and a mass-market giant? Laws must be fair, and that requires that they take into account the inequalities between those who must comply with them.
It is urgent to implement measures that allow micro-businesses to adapt to these changes without being crushed in the process. Subsidies, extended deadlines, technical and legal assistance, costs equivalent to their impact, or simplified requirements could make the difference between closing our doors or continuing to offer our products to the world.
One more obstacle for small businesses is the decline in commercial openness to entrepreneurship.
Today I feel great sadness because this dream of taking my designs to other places is fading away. E-commerce, which once appeared as an accessible alternative for those of us who did not have the resources of big brands, is ceasing to be so. The impact of laws such as the "General Product Safety Regulation" and the "Extended Producer Responsibility Act" promoted by the European Union not only affects us economically but also emotionally, because it destroys the dream of many entrepreneurs who believed that the world was also open to us.
I will continue to fight for my business and for the values that I defend: sustainability, ethical production, and quality. But I also hope that someday those who legislate on the other side of the world will listen to our voice, that of those of us who want to continue creating with care and love, without being crushed by laws created for a corporate world that does not represent us.
I'll be selling to the European Union until the death line date, Friday, December, 13th. sales for non-EU countries, and everywhere else in the world will remain.
What do you think of these regulations? If you are also an entrepreneur or value handmade products, I would love to know your perspective.
Comentarios