The shutdown is affecting Minnesotans from federal workers to families relying on assistance programs. 

Small businesses are feeling the economic strain too. 

Berek Awend is the owner of his family's 47-year-old drapery business in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Seven months ago when WCCO first met him, he was working to manage rising costs just to stay flat.

Eight months later, Awend says the tariffs "have come through."

Now with the government shutdown, Awend says it's making it difficult to hire workers, expand and even advertise. 

"I can't feel comfortable putting, taking additional risk," Awend said.

The shutdown has already paused new small business loans from the Small Business Administration — something Awend says could derail future plans to grow or buy a building.

"If that's shut down and they're not doing loans, then that could really hamper the economy pretty bad," Awend said.

He's not alone in his concerns.

A new survey from Goldman Sachs shows that 72% of small business owners say keeping the government open is critical to their operations, but that's not happening.

Awend is among more than 2,000 small business owners heading to Washington, D.C. next week to meet with lawmakers as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Summit.

"Small businesses want to grow. We're ready to grow and uncertainty doesn't help us," Awend said.

And the urgency is widespread.

"If they're squeezed over time, they may have to cut back hours, which is the first thing that they'll try to do. And if not, they may have to start it, start letting people go. They don't want to do that. But if this goes on, that's certainly a possibility," said Asahi Pompey, Goldman Sachs Foundation's global head of corporate engagement. "Shutdowns lead to slowdowns."

Awend says he's hoping lawmakers can "wrap this thing up and unleash the economy."

The small business owners traveling to Washington will also be asking for additional assistance with capital, help finding qualified applicants, and training on AI.