Our Research: Entrepreneurship & Independent Economy

Small business owners are suffering from weak sales and decreased customer demand, and on top of that, a lack of access to capital. It is difficult for small business owners to access the capital that will help them grow, hire and jumpstart the economy. Our new opinion polling shows an overwhelming 90% of small business owners nationwide agree the availability of capital for small businesses is a problem.

Thu, 07/12/2018
Retirement Planning

Recent scientific opinion polling reveals small business and freelancers need more flexible retirement options. The poll found small employers struggle to offer retirement benefits, and are increasingly turning to independent workers to meet their needs. Additionally, small employers overwhelmingly support state-administered retirement savings plans and other policies that would make it easier for them to offer retirement benefits.

Tue, 04/24/2018

Small business owners are strongly opposed to the FCC’s recent move to repeal rules enforcing net neutrality, according to recent scientific opinion polling. Specifically, the poll found that 56% of small business owners oppose the repeal of the rules, with nearly 4 in 10 (39%) strongly opposed.

Wed, 04/04/2018
Signing business documents

Recent scientific opinion polling found small business owners overwhelmingly believe Congress should pass legislation requiring businesses to list their true identity when forming. Such legislation is being considered to fight fraud committed by anonymous shell companies, including when larger companies use these entities to unfairly compete for government small business set-asides. Additionally, the poll found small business owners think such legislation would benefit, rather than burden, their business by protecting them from fraud and allowing them to compete fairly for government contracts.

Thu, 03/01/2018

Recent scientific opinion polling found women small business owners believe access to reproductive health is critical to their economic success. The poll also found women entrepreneurs of color and younger business owners especially feel that access to birth control has been important to their ability to start their business and advance in their career

Tue, 12/12/2017

Access to capital is consistently one of the most pressing issues for small business owners. A recent survey conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for Small Business Majority found California small business owners are worried about predatory lending and agree that there should be stronger regulations on online lending. The poll was a national online survey of 500 small business owners with an oversample of 141 California small business owners and conducted between September 29 and October 4, 2017.

Fri, 10/13/2017
Women at work

Small Business Majority released a scientific opinion poll that found that the majority of women-owned small businesses believe that insurance companies should be required to include contraceptive coverage in their health plans. Further, the poll found women entrepreneurs view access to reproductive healthcare as critical to their ability to start their business.

Wed, 05/04/2016
ratehike

Colorado small business owners soundly reject efforts to increase the interest rates lenders can charge on certain consumer loans, and the results of a new Small Business Majority poll of state small business owners strongly suggest state legislators who support such increases would pay the price at the election booth.

Wed, 01/27/2016

Scientific opinion polling found the majority of millennials who own a business or would like to start one at some point say student debt and a lack of retirement savings plan are barriers to entrepreneurship.

In every aspect of building a thriving society and economy—from addressing long-term unemployment to providing high quality jobs—American entrepreneurship represents a pathway to success, particularly among young Americans who struggled to get their foot in the door during the Great Recession...

Tue, 03/17/2015
Freelance

Entrepreneurs create more jobs than any other sector of the economy, and they are in the vanguard of an evolving 21st century economy that is shaping America’s new employment landscape—one where brick-and-mortar storefronts are being replaced by online retailers, and freelancers and contractors are the new version of the 9-to-5 office worker. 

Tue, 10/09/2012

Small businesses are one of the most respected constituencies in the country, and certainly one of the most courted by policymakers in Washington. However, small businesses are also a group that legislators and the general public understand little about—the very smallest ones, especially. Those businesses are known as “micro businesses.”

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