Discover® Small Business WatchSM:Small Business Confidence Rises for Second Consecutive Month in Spite of Cash Flow Concerns
27 Luglio 2009 - 1:13PM
Business Wire
Economic confidence among small business owners rose for the
second consecutive month, although concerns about being able to pay
their bills jumped significantly in July as measured by the latest
Discover® Small Business WatchSM. The index rose to 82.1, up from 80.9
in June.
Cash flow concerns in July hit the highest level in the Watch’s
three-year existence. More than half of small business owners, 53
percent, say that in the past 90 days they have encountered
temporary cash flow issues that caused them to hold off on paying
some bills, up from 42 percent in June.
“Although they seem to have a gradual sense that things are
improving in the economy, small business owners are still hurting
for profits,” said Ryan Scully, director of Discover's business
credit card. “They continue to take home less, more of them are
borrowing and the majority have not increased prices in the past
six months to reflect higher costs of doing business. We still
don’t have a definitive sense whether small business owners will be
the ones leading us out of this recession or riding the
tailwinds.”
July Highlights:
- 30 percent believe the overall
economy is improving, up from 26 percent in June. Those who believe
it is getting worse fell to 50 percent, down from 57 percent in
June, the lowest reading since May 2007. The other 20 percent
aren’t sure or think it’s staying about the same.
- 58 percent of small business
owners rate the economy as poor, 35 percent rate it fair and 7
percent say it’s excellent or good.
- 29 percent of small business
owners see economic conditions for their businesses improving, up
from 25 percent in June, while 46 percent see conditions getting
worse and 19 percent say conditions are the same.
- 49 percent of small business
owners say they plan to cut spending on business development over
the next six months, down from 51 percent in June; 23 percent plan
to increase spending, 23 percent are planning no changes and 5
percent aren’t sure.
Mandatory Healthcare Opposed 2-1, Opinions Mixed on Threshold
for Exemption
Sixty percent of small business owners say that they oppose any
legislation that requires businesses to provide health insurance
for their employees. However, when asked which small businesses
should be exempt from the law, 39 percent of small business owners
favored a recent U.S. Senate proposal that would exclude operations
with fewer than 25 employees, 31 percent said it would be better to
have a U.S. House proposal that would exempt all businesses with
payrolls of less than $250,000; but a sizable 30 percent weren’t
sure.
However, if Congress does use payroll as the exemption measure,
49 percent of small business owners said they would oppose a
proposal with a $250,000 limit, 40 percent would favor it and 12
percent weren’t sure.
Weathering the Recession: Borrowing Up Sharply
Sixty-five percent of small business owners still have not
borrowed money to pay their business expenses; but the number of
those who have borrowed was 33 percent in July, up from 19 percent
in October 2008.
Interestingly, those who are borrowing aren’t using traditional
sources. When asked if they have applied for new credit cards,
lines of credit or loans, 82 percent said they had not, while 17
percent said they had and 2 percent weren’t sure. Of those who did
apply for loans or credit, 44 percent said their applications were
approved, 31 percent were rejected, 7 percent were pending and 18
percent weren’t sure.
Current economic conditions have forced 69 percent of owners to
reduce the amount of money they take home from their small
businesses, up from 55 percent in October 2008.
“Along with taking home less pay, 60 percent of small business
owners also told us they have not adjusted their pricing in the
past six months to deal with higher costs of doing business,”
Scully said.
Confidence in the federal government has slipped since February.
This month, 65 percent of small business owners are not very
confident or not at all confident that the federal government and
Congress can address the needs of America’s small business owners,
up from 62 percent who said the same in February. Only 9 percent
are very confident that the federal government can address their
needs, down from 12 percent in February, while 23 percent are
somewhat confident.
When asked about a proposal to use additional funds from the
$700 billion federal stimulus package to expand SBA loan programs,
50 percent of owners say they would favor it, 34 percent are
opposed and 16 percent are not sure. At the same time, only 31
percent said that they would consider using such a program in the
next six months to help their businesses, while 56 percent said
they would not use the program and 13 percent are not sure.
Most Disapprove of President Obama’s Handling of the
Economy
As for their view of how President Obama is handling the
economy, 52 percent strongly or somewhat disapprove of what he’s
doing, while 47 percent strongly or somewhat approve.
The views and opinions expressed by small business owners and
consumers who participate in the Small Business Watch survey are
their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Discover
Financial Services or its affiliates.
About the Small Business Watch
The Discover Small Business Watch is a monthly index measuring
the relative economic confidence of U.S. small business owners who
have less than five employees, a segment that consists of 22
million businesses producing more than a trillion dollars in annual
receipts. The Watch is based on a national random survey of 750
small business owners. It is commissioned by the Discover Business
Card, which strives to offer the best business credit card for
American small businesses, and is conducted by Rasmussen Reports,
LLC (www.rasmussenreports.com), an independent survey research
firm. The numeric index is calculated by assigning values to
responses to a set of six consistent questions. The base value of
the Watch was established at 100.0 based on surveys conducted in
August 2006. In addition to generating the index, the Small
Business Watch surveys small business owners every month on key
issues, and polls 3,000 consumers four times per year to gauge
purchasing behavior and attitudes towards small businesses. For
past results and survey data, visit
www.discovercard.com/business/watch. For information on Discover
Business Card, visit www.discovercard.com/business.
About Discover Financial Services
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a leading credit card
issuer and electronic payment services company with one of the most
recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception
in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in
the United States. The company operates the Discover Card,
America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers student and personal
loans, as well as savings products such as certificates of deposit
and money market accounts. Its payments businesses consist of the
Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access
locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks;
and Diners Club International, a global payments network with
acceptance in 185 countries and territories. For more information,
visit www.discoverfinancial.com.
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