Dr Jeff Cornwall

There are so many implications for every action taken in a time like this. It seems reasonable to employees to have their employers pay for sick leave and it feels logical for consumers to stop consuming. For small businesses, these actions can very likely be the harbingers of demise. Suppose the most cost-effective means for survival is letting employees go. In small business, the reality of dependence is more than personal. It is familial. In these businesses, employees have become friends, and some have worked since day one. Bosses have dined with the family, they know each child by name, and the thought of reducing their livelihood when 2,000 people are filing for unemployment by the hour is heart-shattering.
If competition is fundamental to the free market, we must offer more solutions to ensure that corporations do not quickly become monopolies. Most importantly however, we must offer solutions and aid that is deemed necessary by small business owners. These businesses do not have the funds to make it through another two months, let alone lobby congress for helpful aid. The data is out there, and if our nation truly believes in a free market it must listen.

I knew coronavirus had had a huge impact on businesses, but to see the numbers in front of me is astounding. Among these high numbers, I couldn’t help bust notice the 13%. Reading that that number represented the number of businesses confident in their ability to essentially carry on with their business shocked me. This is such a small percentage! So many businesses–big and small alike–have suffered during this difficult time that nobody could have seen coming. If big businesses took a hit, it is disheartening to think about all of the small businesses heavily impacted by the virus. So many small businesses were forced to close which was detrimental to so many. As we are a year into the pandemic, my hope is that some of these requests above were answered and small businesses can thrive again.

This is a very interesting picture, which I think unveils a few interesting points. The fact that 75% of businesses feel they have no say in the public policy making process is a very interesting number to me. It would seem that the “system” is broken, although no one seems to know exactly what the best solution is. Thank you for sharing.

It would be interesting to do a follow up survey with these same businesses. I wonder how what percent of employees now have the ability to telecommute. As our society has changed to even doctors appointments being conducted through telemedicine, telecommunication has become more and more vital.