As the COVID-19 pandemic has raged across the country and resurges in California, small business owners continue grappling with the effects of state and local public health orders and a loss in consumer demand. Nine months into this crisis, California’s small business owners say their businesses have been diminished, leaving them with reduced revenue and operating capacity.
On October 21, Small Business Majority released a new report on small business challenges in hiring and training employees in California and their struggles accessing the broader workforce development ecosystem. The report reveals findings from an online survey of small business owners across the state, as well as separate focus group discussions, interviews and other convenings that provide insights into the ways small business owners approach hiring and training. It also provides recommendations for stakeholders to better engage their local small employers.
This is the fifth in a series of COVID-19 related surveys Small Business Majority has released of its network. Over time Small Business Majority has tracked the economic conditions facing small businesses, how well federal stimulus programs have served its network, the small business owners' views of proposed stimulus provisions, and other issues of importance.
Small Business Majority released its fourth survey of its national network of 70,000 small business owners conducted during the pandemic to assess the current state of small business and gauge their views on possible relief measures. The survey also revealed the extent to which PPP and EIDL have served small businesses during the crisis. The survey found many small businesses continue to face an uncertain future without additional relief, with 1 in 4 reporting they won't survive past three months and 16% considering bankruptcy.
As Congress continues to debate the next round of stimulus relief, Small Business Majority surveyed its national network of small business owners to gauge their views on key small business proposals currently on the table.
As the Paycheck Protection Program neared its expiration, Small Business Majority surveyed its national network of small business owners to better understand how businesses have benefited from PPP.
Small Business Majority surveyed its national network of small business owners to better understand who has benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the CARES Act, and to shed a light on their concerns with the program. The survey reveals a strong majority of small businesses have applied for a PPP loan, but most are worried about having the loan forgiven.
It’s no secret that California has been hard hit by the spread of COVID-19, with a vast 2.7 million applying for unemployment in the past four weeks, and the impacts have been particularly severe on small businesses that have seen their revenues take a nosedive overnight. With the economy on pause, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
It’s no secret that the spread of COVID-19 around the country has already had a devastating impact on small businesses. With the economy on pause and uncertainty gripping communities across the country, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
California Governor Newsom and state policymakers are discussing options to further expand California's Paid Family Leave program and ensure more Californians are able to utilize it by increasing wage replacement, extending the amount of leave time available and expanding job protection status for parental leave. As with any discussion of workplace benefits and employment laws, the impact to small business is central to this debate. New scientific opinion polling sheds light on their views on the different proposals and reveals they are in fact supportive of numerous options on the table.
