Jana Kasperkevic | Inc.com staff
Apr 5, 2013
What Small Businesses Want From Washington in 2013
Rather than poking its nose into the small businesses' business, Washington should focus on increasing the country's economic stability, according to a new survey.
Small business owners sent the U.S. government a clear message in a recent survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Only 11 percent said they would appreciate the government lending them a helping hand-- instead, they said they would like it to take action on a variety of issues ranging from energy to immigration to taxes.
According to the small business owners surveyed, Washington should take a look at the following:
- Immigration: 66 percent of small business owners said they believe that immigration reform will "help strengthen the U.S. economy and increase Aemrica's global competitiveness by bringing in new tax revenue and establishing a market based employment system."
- Taxes: 79 percent of small business owners said they support tax reform and 52 percent said they would like that tax code to be less complex.
- Health Care: 71 percent of small business owners said the health care law makes it harder for them to hire more employees. Due to the employer mandate, 32 percent of small business owners said they plan to reduce hiring and 31 percent plan to cut back hours to reduce their number of full time employees.
- Energy: 80 percent of small business said they do not think the government is doing enough to "keep gas prices low, increase domestic energy sources, or develop an energy policy that supports American jobs." In fact, 77 percent see high energy prices as an "immediate threat" to their business.
