An OvationMR survey has determined small business owners attitudes regarding the government shutdown are splintered based on whether or not the action impacts their business.
OvationMR officials said the survey involved 825 small business owners, partners, and executives between Jan. 18-21, 2019, as a means of assessing how they are being affected. Respondents were employed full-time or self-employed at organizations with 50 or fewer employees and with less than $10 million in revenue.
The analysis revealed 55 percent of small business leaders indicated the government shutdown does not impact their business while 14 percent said the shutdown is having a major impact on their business. A majority of small business leaders said they are following the shutdown closely (51 percent), think it could have been prevented (87 percent) and estimate that it will last another month (53 percent). Fifty-one percent of those impacted by the shutdown blame President Trump and the Republicans while 41 percent blame the Democrats in Congress. More respondents characterized Trump’s most recent offer as political posturing (48 percent) rather than as a serious offer (36 percent).
“Small business leaders may not be in a position to break the logjam across Pennsylvania Avenue,” Andrew Ribner, chief research officer at OvationMR, said. “They are divided like the rest of the country across party lines.”