Issue #7 OCTOBER 2008

The Top 9 from 411SmallBusinessFacts.com

Given the convergence of a business cycle's end, declining real estate values, and the mess on Wall Street, the time is appropriate to gather more detail than currently available on the implications of recent developments for small firms.  Of special interest (concern) is the use of real estate to collateralize existing loans. Small business owners proportionately own substantial amounts of real estate, which can be a positive or a negative under present circumstances. Earlier in the week, a survey in this series, more lengthy than typically employed, entered the field to collect data on small business credit access, real estate, and mortgages.  Initial results should be available between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

About one in 10 employing, small businesses are managed by someone who is not an owner.  These non-owner managers create a number of substance and, for researchers, methodological questions, interesting and sometimes surprising.  Both will be addressed in 2008's final issue of the National Small Business Poll.  

Regards,

The NFIB Research Foundation 

The TOP 9 Questions for October 2008

1. WEB SITES – How much does a Web site typically contribute to the sales of a small employing business?  (Vol. 6, Iss. 7, Q#15a).  

2. CREDIT RECORDS – In the last three years, how often did small employers find that their business credit records were inaccurate?  (Vol. 7 Iss. 7, Q#2a).

3. CHECKING REFERENCES – How likely are small employers to request and check out the references of a prospective employee?  (Vol. 7, Iss. 8, Q#17).

4. ELECTIONS – What proportion of small employers are registered to vote?  (Vol. 5, Iss. 4, Q#2).

5. LOCATION – About how long, in minutes, does it take the small business owner to drive from his or her home to the business?  (Vol. 6, Iss. 2, Q#6).

6. SUPERVISORS – How many supervisory employees, other than the principal, do employing, small businesses typically have?  (Vol. 4, Iss. 7, Q#9a).

7. TAX PREPARATION – What is the principal reason that small employers engage a tax professional or accountant to prepare their federal business tax return?  (Vol. 6, Iss. 6, Q#1a).

8. SBA – What is the principal direct effect of the Small Business Administration (SBA) on employing, small businesses?  (Vol. 6, Iss. 5, Q#4).

9. PURCHASE/LEASE – How many small employers own the building in which their business is principally located?  (Vol. 6, Iss. 3, Q#4f).