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Small Business Problems and Priorities

Holly Wade Executive Director, Research Center, 网曝吃瓜
Madeleine Oldstone Policy Analyst | 网曝吃瓜
Small Business Problems and Priorities

This is the 11th edition of Small Business Problems and Priorities. The first edition was published in 1982 followed by editions in 1986, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. The volumes are among the 网曝吃瓜 Research Center鈥檚 most popular publications and therefore have become a staple.

Introduction Executive Summary Concluding Observations List of Tables (Rankings) Select State Problems and Priorities Methodology Appendix Problems and Priorities Classifications
Small Business Problems and Priorities / 2024 / 11th edition

Executive Summary

  • The 10 most severe problems for small business owners of the 75 business problems assessed are in order:

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    鈥淐ost of Health Insurance,鈥�
    鈥淐ost of Supplies/Inventories,鈥�
    鈥淯ncertainty over Economic Conditions,鈥�
    鈥淔ederal Taxes on Business Income,鈥�
    鈥淟ocating Qualified Employees,鈥�
    鈥淐ost of Natural Gas, Propane, Gasoline, Diesel, Fuel Oil,鈥�
    鈥淯nreasonable Government Regulations,鈥� 鈥淯ncertainty over Government Actions,鈥�
    鈥淪tate Taxes on Business Income,鈥� and 鈥淓lectricity Costs (rates).鈥�
    The 鈥淐ost of Health Insurance鈥� remains the most severe problem for small business owners and is 鈥渃ritical鈥� for 41 percent.

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  • The 10 least severe problems for small business owners of the 75 business problems assessed, beginning with the least severe and moving up the list are:

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    鈥淓xporting My Products/Services,鈥�
    鈥淚mporting My Products/Services,鈥�
    鈥淥ut-of-State Sales Tax (e.g., internet sales),鈥�
    鈥淐osts and Frequency of Lawsuits/Threatened Lawsuits,鈥�
    鈥淐redit Rating/Record Errors,鈥�
    鈥淲inning Contracts from Federal/State/Local Governments,鈥�
    鈥淏ad Debts (not delinquencies) and/or Bankruptcies,鈥�
    鈥淥btaining Long-Term (5 years or more) Business Loans,鈥�
    鈥淥btaining Short-Term (less than 12 months or revolving) Business Loans,鈥� and 鈥淐ost and Availability of Child Care.鈥�
    鈥淓xporting My Products/Services,鈥� the least severe problem proves critical for 4 percent of small business owners, nearly unchanged since 2012.

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  • Small business owners evaluated most problems in the 2024 survey as they did in 2020, the date of the last Problems and Priorities survey.

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Among problems increasing in importance, 鈥淚nterest Rates,鈥� topped the list by rising 43 positions from a rank of 56th in 2020 to 13th in 2024. Four other problems rose 10 or more positions up the ranking starting with 鈥淧ricing My Goods/Services鈥� moving up from 36th in 2020 to 21st in 2024. 鈥淐ost of Natural Gas, Propane, Gasoline, Diesel, Fuel Oil鈥� and 鈥淩eal Estate Values鈥� moved 13 and 12 positions respectively.

The largest decline in the ranking is 鈥淭raining Employees鈥� and 鈥淐ompetition from Large Businesses,鈥� which both fell 12 rankings.

网曝吃瓜 Research Center Team

Holly Wade
Executive Director, 网曝吃瓜 Research Center
Holly Wade is the executive director of the 网曝吃瓜 Research Center, where she…
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Madeleine Oldstone
Senior Policy Analyst
Madeleine Oldstone is the senior policy analyst for the 网曝吃瓜 Research Cente…
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