National

Small Business Majority, American Businesses for Clean Energy and We Can Lead commissioned a national survey of 800 small business owners across the country to learn their attitudes toward energy conservation practices and clean energy policies.

The results of the poll show that among small businesses there is strong support for clean energy and climate legislation; small businesses believe that clean energy policies will help the U.S. economy; and support for clean energy policies is even higher among Latino- and black-owned businesses.

Small business owners have been working tirelessly to pull the economy back from the brink of the Great Recession. The long hours and commitment they put into their businesses is rivaled only by their employees, whose hard work is crucial to the success of the business. That’s why small business owners feel it makes good business sense to take care of their employees, as it’s crucial they retain a loyal, talented workforce.

Small businesses are particularly at risk from climate change and the extreme weather events it causes and must take steps to adapt, according to a new report Small Business Majority released on July 25, 2013. 

Extreme weather and climate change have become real business threats for small businesses across the country. Scientific opinion polling conducted for Small Business Majority found nearly six in 10 small businesses believe climate change and extreme weather events are an urgent problem that can disrupt the economy and harm small businesses. 

Small business owners nationwide are doing all they can to strengthen their businesses and put the Great Recession’s effects behind them. Now more than ever, it’s critical they have the help of smart employment laws allowing them to attract and retain the best talent. National scientific opinion polling shows the vast majority of small business owners believe we’re long overdue for federal and state policies protecting all workers from discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Small business owners nationwide are recovering from the Great Recession and slowly fortifying their businesses. It is the jobs these small businesses provide and the consumers they serve that keeps our recovery moving. Entrepreneurs nationwide recognize we need to foster this trend. According to a national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority, small business owners widely agree our federal minimum wage should increase so that small business employees and consumers have more money in their pockets. 

Across all industries and from one end of the political spectrum to the other, small business owners recognize that without comprehensive immigration reform, U.S. small firms and the economy cannot maximize job creation or revenue generation. New scientific polling shows that the vast majority of them believe our current immigration system isn’t working, and they’re eager to fix the broken system. Our primary job creators agree something must be done because immigration is good for America and good for small business.

Signed into law on Feb. 5, 1993, the Family Medical Leave Act allows eligible employees of covered employers to take a limited amount of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons, and have their benefits maintained. Twenty years later, scientific opinion polling has found small businesses strongly support the decades-old law.

On June 12, 2012, Small Business Majority and Kaiser Permanente released opinion polling that provides new insight into what small business owners in California and Oregon want out of state health insurance exchanges, which are being created under the Affordable Care Act. The polling found interest in a small business exchange is high, along with specific features in the exchange, including allowing employees to choose among multiple carriers and ensuring prevention and wellness programs are available. The survey also found awareness of the small business tax credits is low.

Small business owners across the country are working to rebuild our economy. These entrepreneurs, the engine of job creation, are doing everything they can to hire, grow and move their businesses forward. As part of these efforts, scientific opinion polling in six states— Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia—shows that America’s entrepreneurs want pragmatic, innovative policies that help guide them into a competitive, modern clean energy economy.