Woot Woot! Small Businesses ROCK!
It's Official: Americans Love Small Business
Report: Compared to major corporations, small businesses have won the hearts and minds of consumers.
Shutterstock
Here's some good news for small businesses: You can do no wrong in the eyes of the American people. Well, most of them, anyway.
According to the
2012 Public Affairs Pulse Survey, 88% of adults have a favorable view of small businesses. Fifty-three percent have a
very favorable
view of small businesses. Meanwhile, the number of people who say the
same for major corporations is just 16%. Overall, more than half of the
survey respondents believe small-business owners tend to exhibit honest
and ethical behavior unlike CEOs of major corporations.
The survey, which is based on interviews with 1,750 adults living in
the U.S., also found that Americans generally believe that small
businesses are the backbone of the middle class. Fifty-one percent say
small business has supported the middle class for the past 50 years.
This response outweighed other options such as unions, major companies,
and the government.
Respondents also preferred to support local businesses over large
companies--even at a price increase. More than two-thirds say they would
prefer to do business with “a smaller local company that may charge
somewhat higher prices” than with larger companies that may offer lower
prices. This statistic has risen 6% from 2011.
The survey coincides with other polls recently released highlighting
job creation as a top priority for voters in the upcoming presidential election.
