National Write Your Congressman (NWYC), an organization that gives small businesses a voice in American government, released its Q1 2021 Quarterly Index which found 38 percent of business owners plan to grow their business this year, a 100 percent increase since last quarter.
Business owners also gained more confidence in the future, with only 23 percent of business owners citing uncertainty compared with 35 percent uncertainty in Q4 2020.
“Our small business owner members have been resilient, adapted and thrived in a year of unforeseen changes,” said Randy Ford, President and COO of National Write Your Congressman. “Small business owners are not only more hopeful, but their satisfaction and trust in their elected officials is growing as local economies are beginning to open and businesses are able to work at full capacity.”
NWYC’s Quarterly Index Score increased with an overall increase in hope, satisfaction, and trust in Congress. Members’ trust, hope and satisfaction with their local government was highest compared to their satisfaction, hope and trust in state and national government.
Fifty-seven percent of small business owners said they believe their U.S. Congressional Members know their opinions on important issues, a 21 percent increase from last quarter. Thirty-eight percent believe their own elected U.S. Congressional Members act according to their constituents’ input, a 31 percent increase from last quarter. Thirty-nine percent of small business owners surveyed said they trust the elected U.S. Congressional Members who represent them, a 25 percent increase from last quarter.
This quarter, business owners’ top concern was hiring qualified workers (31 percent), followed by taxes (29 percent), regulations (12 percent) and COVID-19’s effect on their business (nine percent).
Small Business Investment in Technology
Over the past year, about 40 percent of small business owners surveyed either created or updated their current website, almost half utilized video conferencing, 30 percent added online ordering, drive-thru service or pick up services, and 26 percent became more active on their business’ social media pages to accommodate state orders of sheltering in place and closing of non-essential business storefronts.
“As a small non-profit community resource, we have done what we can to adapt and find some silver-linings. Our members were able to start reserving their time in the makerspace starting last summer with an online scheduling software,” said Jeff Bianchine, Managing Director for Print Shop Inc. “While this limited use of the shop to one-at-a-time, it did allow creativity and production to start happening again, and artists, boutique manufacturers, small businesses and local cultural and social justice organizations have been able to prosper due in part to the shop’s ability to use technology to adapt and remain…
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