Tonight (1.12.2016), President Obama will deliver his seventh State of the Union address. On the eve of his address, the small business web services company Endurance International Group released findings of its 2016 Small Business State of the Union Survey. Endurance surveyed 1,135 of the 4.5 million users of its various web services that include Bluehost, HostGator, iPage, Domain.com and many others. The survey was conducted from December 16, 2015 to January 4, 2016. Here are some highlights of the survey.
Makeup of small businesses surveyed
1,135 | Total number of small businesses surveyed
100% | Companies surveyed with ten or fewer employees
93% | Companies surveyed with 6 or fewer employees
47% | Sole proprietors
Small business owners are bullish about their business
77% | (Percentage of small businesses owners surveyed who)…Have a positive or very positive business outlook for 2016
48% | …Said their business fared better in 2015 than in 2014 and a majority
72% | …Feel 2016 will be positive in comparison to 2015
Small business owners are not bullish about congress
79% | …Feel that Congress has not been effective in addressing issues important to
57% | …Do not believe either party is effective on small business issues
76% | …Believe Congress should play a larger role in helping small business growth
Most small business owners plan to invest in their business in 2016
57% | …Plan to make financial investments this year like: product development, buying additional materials, or investing in real estate.
Of those who are making financial investments…
47% | Characterize the investments as ‘significant’
42% | Plan to hire over the next year
Key national policy issues to small business owners
Taxes | Most important issue to surveyed small businesses
Ability to obtain bank binancing | Second most important issue
Economy, Education & National Defense | Issues they want President Obama to address in his State of the Union Address
Among the candidates running for their political party’s nomination to be its candidate for President, who would be the most effective leader on issues important to small business?
Republicans
30% | Donald Trump
11% | Jeb Bush
10% | Ben Carson
9% | Ted Cruz
7% | Carly Fiorina
7% | Rand Paul
7% | Marco Rubio
5% | Chris Christie
5% | John Kasich
3% | Lindsey Graham
3% | Mike Huckabee
2% | George Pataki
2% | Rick Santorum
1% | Jim Gilmore
Democrats
44% | Hillary Clinton
37% | Bernie Sanders
20% | Martin O’Malley
*Due to rounding, numbers may not add up to 100%.
Download more results from the survey (PDF).
Featured illustration from photo of 2015 State of the Union Address, WhiteHouse.gov