Small business owners in the US are not optimistic about their prospects in the near future, with almost 50% believing that the economy will not improve within the next six months. This bleak outlook is reflected in a report by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), which warns that inflation and a tight labor market are behind this feeling of uncertainty and caution.
The recent small business survey shows that owners are cautious when dealing with sales, inventory, employment, and credit, and are not expecting the economy to improve anytime soon. These findings are not surprising to Holly Wade, head of the NFIB’s research center, who attributes the grim outlook to a tight labor market and inflation.
The research shows that nearly half of small businesses have at least one unfilled job opening, which means that companies that need to hire more workers will face a big challenge over the summer. However, some companies are finding ways to adapt. These include limiting business hours, increasing benefits, offering flexibility, and raising wages.
Despite the mounting challenges small businesses are facing, some remain optimistic, such as Christina Sovans Schwartzman, who runs Sawgrass Recreation Park, an eco-adventure organization in the Florida Everglades. She offers boat tours to see alligators in Florida, as well as fishing and camping on 17 acres of wetlands. Schwartzman, who employs approximately 50 people during peak summer hours, has provided hundreds of raises over the last few years.
Schwartzman’s experience demonstrates the importance of flexibility in the face of uncertainty and challenges, according to Glenn McDonald, an economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Despite the recent obstacles faced by SMEs – COVID-19, inflation, labor shortages, and recession – there is still a lot happening in the world, and Marketplace aims to analyze world events and tell us how they affect our lives.
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