Extreme Weather Puts Economic Chill on North Carolina Small Businesses

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
Date: 
Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Extreme weather events have been front-page news lately, especially with the U.S. experiencing record storms across much of the country and devastating droughts in the West. Research shows small businesses are especially susceptible to financial ruin after an extreme weather event. 

It’s not surprising then that Small Business Majority's polling found nearly 1 in 5 North Carolina small business owners had to lay off workers after they were negatively impacted by an extreme weather event.

Key Findings

Small business owners have laid off employees as a result of extreme weather events: Due to the devastating financial impacts of extreme weather on their businesses, more than 1 in 5 small business owners (21%) have had to lay off employees. What’s more, 44% of respondents report they’ve had to close their business for up to a week after a storm, and some owners say they’ve had to close for as long as 14 to 30 days.

Nearly half of North Carolina small employers have been personally affected by extreme weather events: Nearly half (47%) of North Carolina small business owners report they have personally seen examples of extreme weather financially impacting their own business or those around them. When asked whether it was their own or a nearby business impacted by extreme weather events, a vast 67% say that it was their own business that was affected.

Small business owners say they have seen a significant financial impact to their business as a result of extreme weather: A staggering 90% of small business owners impacted by extreme weather say the financial impact to their business was significant, and nearly four in 10 report damages between $5,000 to $25,000. 

North Carolina small businesses suffered economic hardships due to extreme weather

Press Release

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