NFIB: The Voice of Small Business - National Small Business Poll

All	Q#	Top 100	Question
	1		Within the last three years, have you engaged any contractor to remodel, renovate, install, or do construction-type work on your business premises or facilities that amounted to $10,000 or more?
	2		Have you done this type of construction work on your business premises or facilities once in the last three years or more than once?
	2a		Did you hire the same person or firm in all cases or different people or firms to do different jobs?
	3		Approximately, what was the total value of that job?
	4		Did you put the job up for competitive bid?
	4a		What was the primary method used to invite potential bidders?
	4b		About how many bid packages or sets of specs did you send out to potential bidders?
	4c		How many did you actually receive?
	4d		Were you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat unsatisfied, or very unsatisfied with the bids you received?
	4e		What was the single most important factor that influenced your choice of the winning bid? Was it:?
	4f		Was the bid you selected the lowest priced?
	4g		Why didn’t you put the job out for bid? Was it because:?
	4h		Was the contractor you used a person with a Social Security number and perhaps an EIN, or was the contractor a business with a name and a business tax ID?
	4i		Did you have a written contract with that individual or business, not including a service agreement of some type?
	4j		Was the contractor bonded?
	4k		Would you definitely, probably, probably not, or definitely not use this contractor again?
	4l		If the job was completed in 2007 or before, did you send that contractor a federal form 1099 at the end of the year?
	5		In the last three years, has your business employed, either full-time or part-time, a driver or drivers to haul, deliver, transport, or ship goods, commodities, products, packages, waste, messages, or people?
	6		Is driving, hauling, transporting, or delivering goods, commodities, products, packages, waste, messages, or people the primary activity of your business?
	7A		(reason for employee vs contractor) Greater control over times, routes, and performance
	7B		(reason for employee vs contractor) Employee(s) are cheaper
	7C		(reason for employee vs contractor) A steady flow of things to transport
	7D		(reason for employee vs contractor) Had underused resources, such as an underused vehicle or employee, available
	7E		(reason for employee vs contractor) Can better coordinate with other activities in the business
	7F		(reason for employee vs contractor) Employees are more reliable and accountable
	7G		(reason for employee vs contractor) Gives you more flexibility
	7H		(reason for employee vs contractor) Delivery or haul area is relatively small
	7I		(reason for employee vs contractor) Transporting is a potential profit center
	8		Not including the Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, DHL, or similar carriers, in the last three years, has your business engaged another firm with a driver or drivers, or a single person known as an independent contractor to ship, haul, deliver or transport goods, products, commodities, waste, packages, o...
	9		Of all the goods, products, etc., that have been shipped, hauled, delivered, or transported for your business by NON-employees in the last three years, approximately what percent of your shipping costs was spent with the Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and similar carriers? Was it closest to:?
	10		Not including the Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and similar carriers, would you describe the contractor you most commonly use or used as a person with a Social Security number and perhaps an EIN, or was the contractor a business with a name and a business tax ID?
	10a		Did you, or do you, have a contract or written agreement with that person or business to perform those transportation services? An account number is not a written agreement.
	10b		Does that person or business work for you frequently, occasionally, or infrequently?
	10c		If that person or business worked for you in 2007 or before, did you send them a federal form 1099 at the end of the year?
	10d A		Don’t have to invest in vehicles or pay insurance
	10d B		My shipping, delivery, or haul flow is uneven
	10d C		Tough to screen and hire qualified drivers
	10d D		Outside contractors are cheaper than employees
	10d E		We have no experience in transportation
	10d F		Helps cash flow
	10d G		Ship relatively little
	10d H		Delivery locations are too far or varied
	11		In the last three years, has your business employed a person or persons to install, service, repair, and/or instruct other employees in the use and maintenance of your firm’s computers and information technology equipment?
	11a A		Greater control over performance and quality
	11a B		Employee(s) are cheaper
	11a C		The work flow is steady
	11a D		Helps other employees stay up-to-date on the equipment
	11a E		More reliable and accountable
	11a F		Helps find new and better ways to use the technology in the context of our business
	11a G		No waiting for a repair tech or problem solver to get here
	11a H		Had a person already on staff who was interested and skilled on computers
	12		In the past three years, has your business engaged an outside person known as an independent contractor or another business to install, service, repair, and/or instruct other employees in the use and maintenance of your firm’s computers and information technology equipment rather than having an em...
	12a		Would you describe the contractor you most commonly use or used as a person with a Social Security number and perhaps an EIN, or was the contractor a business with a name and a business tax ID?
	12b		Did you, or do you, have a contract or written agreement with that person or business to perform those computer services?
	12b 1		Is that document a service contract that came with the purchase of computer hardware, software, or attachments?
	12c		Does this person or business work for you frequently, occasionally, or infrequently?
	12d		If that person or business worked for you in 2007 or before, did you send them a federal form 1099 at the end of the year?
	12e A		Computer people need constant retraining and we can’t afford it
	12e B		Don’t need such skills very often
	12e C		Tough to screen and hire qualified computer people
	12e D		Outside contractors are cheaper
	12e E		We have no experience in computers and IT
	12e F		Helps cash flow
	12e G		Easy to get rid of if they don’t work out
	12e H		Different problems require different expertise