Possible burger brain moment. Euro brains feel free to chime in.

Americans don't know wtf bourgeoisie means. If they've even heard the word before it was likely in the humorous context of something being "bougie" or in an old movie used by a guy with a shitty Russian accent playing the villainous Soviet soldier or something. They associate it (correctly, I suppose) with "overly decadent." They are not going to tie that association with the owner of a used car lot. To them, Steve (proud owner of Steve's Stinky Seconds used car dealership) is a jean-wearing, trickster who will absolutely rob them on that used car loan... but he isn't "bougie." Because they don't know what the word is meant to mean. Steve works hard and look at him! He's a normal dude!

But if you call Steve a small business tyrant, a play on small business owner, well, now they understand. Everyone who has had a job at any point where you worked for a private business owner, which is almost every American who can work or has to work, knows exactly who that version of Steve is. He's the asshole who acts like he does all the work but he's never around except when it's time to collect his profits. He's the clown that tells you to shave or he's going to fire you despite him coming in looking like coked up Don Jr. half the time sweating tequila into his shitty wrinkled dress shirt. Everyone knows that boss.

It's also a French word and a French-ish word. Saying small or little bourgeoisie is fine already. Small owner of capital... owner of a relatively little amount of capital... small business owner. Only one of these really rings a bell to most of my fellow burgers. And you can substitute in tyrant because every dipshit Yank loves lines about "watering trees of liberty with blood of tyrants" and shit like that. It's basically guaranteed to hit the intended burger brain audience in the way you intend.