Poll: Government Shutdown, Tax Reform and Top Risks to Small Business

New BizBuySell survey explores small business owner opinions on recent events, such as the U.S. government's most recent initiatives and overall outlook on the nation's economy.

San Francisco, CA - BizBuySell, the Internet's largest business-for-sale marketplace, surveyed over 1,000 small business owners to get their perspective on events such as the recent government shutdown, tax reform and border security.

Topic: Government Shutdown

Did the recent government shutdown impact your business?

• Yes, negatively - 18%
• Yes, positively - 4%
• No - 79%

(Of those impacted negatively) How did the shutdown hurt your business?

• Customers who lost wages couldn’t purchase my product/service - 56%
• Closed offices meant fewer customers in my location - 26%
• Lost business/payments from government contractors - 18%
• SBA loan delays - 13%
• Product delivery was disrupted - 10%
• Travel was more difficult - 10%
• Federal or local license delays - 10%
• Other - 13%

(Of those impacted negatively) Has your business recovered from the shutdown impact?

• Yes - 60%
• No - 40%

Topic: 2019 Taxes

Have you filed your business taxes this year?

• Yes - 40%
• No - 60%

(Of those that have filed taxes) Based on the new regulations of the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act”, how did your business taxes change this year?

• The Act raised my taxes - 14%
• The Act lowered my taxes - 22%
• My taxes remained the same - 33%
• Unsure - 30%

(Of those that have filed taxes) In retrospect, how do you believe the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” reforms have affected your small business?

• Positively - 35%
• Negatively - 20%
• No Impact - 45%

(Of those women who have filed taxes) In retrospect, how do you believe the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” reforms have affected your small business?

(Of those men who have filed taxes) In retrospect, how do you believe the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” reforms have affected your small business?

(Of those who said the Act lowered their taxes) How much did your business taxes change compared to previous years?

(Of those who said the Act raised their taxes) How much did your business taxes change compared to previous years?

• 1-5%: 35%
• 6-10%: 35%
• 11-15%: 8%
• 16-20%: 6%
• More than 20%: 15%

Topic: Risks to Business

What is the biggest external risk to your business in the next two years?

• Economic recession - 38%
• Talent shortage - 17%
• Large, corporate competitors - 12%
• Government regulations - 12%
• Taxes - 9%
• Healthcare costs - 6%
• Immigration regulations/reform - 4%
• Cybersecurity - 2%

President Trump has proposed a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports if a trade deal is not reached. If tariffs were to increase, how would that affect your business?

• No Impact - 39%
• Negatively - 32%
• Unsure - 19%
• Positively - 9%

When do you think the U.S. will experience its next recession?

• This year - 9%
• Next year - 15%
• Within the next 3 years - 36% (#1 answer)
• Within the next 5 years - 13%
• More than 5 years from now - 10%
• Unsure - 17%

Which of these tactics is the highest priority for you when it comes to protecting your business from a recession?

• Increasing customer volume - 31%
• Diverse revenue flows - 29%
• High cash reserve - 26%
• Limit on inventory - 5%
• Limit on hiring - 5%
• Other - 4%

Topic: Immigration Reform

Do you agree with President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the border?

• Yes- 45%
• No- 41%
• No opinion- 14%

Age Breakdown

• Those over 50 years old
  • Yes- 50%
  • No- 37%
• Those under 50 years old
  • Yes- 35%
  • No- 48%

(Of the surveyed women) Do you agree with President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the border?

• Yes- 39%
• No- 43%
• No opinion- 18%

(Of the surveyed men) Do you agree with President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the border?

• Yes- 47%
• No- 40%
• No opinion- 13%

How could stricter immigration policies affect your small business?

• Positive impact - 21%
• Negative impact - 21%
• No impact - 58%

Topic: Data Security

Do you feel confident your business & customer data is properly protected against external threats?

• Yes - 53%
• No - 26%
• Unsure - 20%

How do you currently store business & customer data? (select all that apply)

• Third party cloud software - 42%
• Manual records in secure location - 38%
• Online files (e.g. excel, word, etc.) - 36%
• Thumb drives/external hard drive - 22%
• Third party on-premise software - 14%