A Survey Asked Small Business Owners What They Really Care About in the 2024 Election — The Results Were Surprising Small business organization, National Write Your Congressman (NWYC), released its Q2 2024 Index measuring how business owners feel about Congress, the 2024 presidential election and the direction of the U.S. economy.

By David James

Key Takeaways

  • Respondents gave a high approval rating to Congress.
  • Of those surveyed, 67% of business owners fear the U.S. economy is moving in the wrong direction.

While culture wars play out on cable news, a non-partisan group devoted to giving small business owners a voice in government, the National Write Your Congressman (NWYC), released its Q2 2024 Index, which measures how SMBs feel about Congress and government business policies.

First, the surprising news: The Index found that the 1,011 respondents gave the highest "trust, satisfaction, and hope in Congress" ratings since 2020. This flies in the face of a July Gallup poll that found 79% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress does its job.

But while the survey (conducted before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race) found favorable feelings toward lawmakers, it did reveal "uncertainty and fear" about the direction of the economy, says Randy Ford, president and COO of National Write Your Congressman.

"Small business owners are concerned about how the election results may affect their business and are grim on the current U.S. economy," says Ford. "We encourage our members to continue using their voice to ensure their business priorities are heard in Washington."

Related: Four Takeaways for the Franchise Industry From My Time at the Republican National Convention

Here are some key findings of the survey:

  • 67% of business owners are concerned and fearful the U.S. economy is moving in the wrong direction.
  • 51% said their business remained flat in Q2 of 2024.
  • 31% said their business declined.
  • 19% said their business grew.

Top Five Topics Small Business Owners Want Candidates to Address

  1. Immigration
  2. Inflation
  3. Taxes
  4. Debt Ceiling and Government Spending
  5. Regulations

Top Five Issues Facing Business Owners Today

  1. Inflation
  2. Taxes
  3. Uncertainty about U.S. Economy
  4. Regulations
  5. High Interest Rates

Read more about the study at nwyc.com.

David James

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff writer

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