Some improved numbers could get an extra boost from the right legislative proposals
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 4, 2021—The state director for the association that released its 15th COVID-19 survey of its small-business owning membership today called it a good opportunity to remind California lawmakers of some significant steps they could take that would nicely build on some of the positive results.
“The good news that stood out from the 27 questions we asked was the drop from 25% two months ago to 15% today in the number of small-business owners who said they could operate their enterprises no longer than six months under current economic conditions,” said John Kabateck, California state director for NFIB, which has conducted the 15 polls since March of last year. “Our polls are a national snapshot not broken down by state, but California can find plenty of reflections of itself in them.”
In listing the state legislative items that could build on today’s bit of good news, Kabateck listed the PPP tax conformity contained in Assembly Bill 281, giving small-business owners liability protection from unfair COVID lawsuits thrown at them, and support for the state-and-local tax adjustments contained in the governor’s proposed budget, which would allow some small businesses to restructure their state income tax calculations to reduce their federal tax obligations.
Explaining the welcome drop in the percentage of small-business owners who said they could not last longer than six months, Holly Wade, executive director of NFIB’s Research Center, said, “The reopening of the Paycheck Protection Program is likely a main factor in the decrease of those anticipating having to close their doors soon but still, the economic recovery remains uneven for small businesses. Fortunately, more businesses are reporting stronger sales and those still negatively impacted by state and local restrictions are receiving additional financial help.”
All prior COVID-19 polls conducted by NFIB can be found here. Scroll down to the research tab after clicking the link.
Contact: John Kabateck, California State Director, [email protected]
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, [email protected]
Keep up with the latest on California small-business news at www.nfib.com/california or by following NFIB on Twitter @NFIB_CA or on Facebook @NFIB.CA.
For more than 77 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since its founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.
NFIB
1130 K St. Suite 150
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-9904
www.nfib.com/CA
Twitter: @NFIB_CA
Facebook: @NFIB.CA
