Small-business revenues fall as government shutdown persists

Baked by Yael isn’t getting its usual flow of customers who stop in after visiting the nearby National Zoo; the popular Washington, D.C., tourist spot remains closed by the government shutdown.Owner Yael Krigman gets half her business from the three-year-old store, and the shutdown that began Dec. 22 is taking a toll.“Right now, I’m just trying to focus on the day-to-day and hustling to generate revenue any way I can,” says Krigman, who also has corporate and online customers and sells at farmers’ markets. Small companies across the country are losing business because of the shutdown. Federal contractors, especially those who rely on the government for most of their revenue, aren’t getting orders and aren’t getting paid. Any company that needs help from agencies including the Small Business Administration can’t get it. And owners like Krigman, located near federal offices or operations, aren’t getting sales from government workers or visitors who are their customers.