- Annual trends show increased confidence YOY in future of company,
growth, hiring
- Cost of Taxes remains top business concern for five straight
quarters
Company Website:
http://www.samsclub.com/
BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- (Business Wire)
Microbusiness owners’ expectations to maintain or grow their personal
income in 2015 have increased 15 percentage points from a year ago,
according to the Sam’s Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker.
Based on a year of feedback from America’s Main Street microbusinesses –
firms of five or fewer workers - Sam's Club and Gallup discovered that
America’s entrepreneurs’ expectations for growth and strengthened
business conditions have improved dramatically since December 2013.
Microbusiness owners also report fewer concerns about their cash flow or
bottom lines at the end of 2014 than they did a year ago. Owners concern
for cash reserves as a “major issue” for their business dropped 6 points
from December 2013 to December 2014 (58% to 52%), while the number of
microbusinesses that had to dip into personal savings to make ends meet
dropped 9 points (44% to 36%).
Other annual trends signal microbusiness optimism, including:
-
Increased confidence in the future of their companies (66.6% up to
72.5%)
-
Decreased concern for finding more customers (51.4% down to 46.5%)
-
Decreased concern about access to capital (35.8% down to 30.8%)
"With a year of data on American microbusinesses’ top emotional and
economic concerns, I hope small business advocates will join Sam’s Club
to respond to entrepreneurs needs and help them prosper with data-driven
solutions, services, grants and programs,” said Rosalind Brewer,
president and CEO of Sam’s Club. “The optimism among Main Street
business owners heading into 2015 is a significant economic indication.”
“The improving outlook among microbusiness owners in December 2014
mirrors rising spirits and stronger economic signals in other economic
metrics Gallup regularly tracks,” said Ben Ryan, entrepreneurial
specialist at Gallup. “Economic
confidence is up, unemployment
is down, and consumer
spending is strong. The rising tide appears to be lifting these
smallest of boats as well.”
Cost of Taxes Top Concern for Millennial and Boomer Microbusiness
Owners
From December 2013 to December 2014, the cost of taxes was consistently
the top major business concern among microbusinesses owners (61.4%) with
even more (67.5%) concerned that the cost of taxes will increase in
2015. Less than half (48.3%) of microbusiness owners feel up-to-date on
the latest tax policies. Similarly, less than half (46.5%) are confident
they will file their taxes on time this year. For a breakdown of
millennial and boomer tax concerns, please see the attached infographic
or visit SamsClub.com/newsroom
for the full “State of Microbusiness in 2015” Report.
The
State of Microbusiness in 2015 Report features annual and quarterly
trends on microbusiness financing and operational concerns, including
taxes and healthcare. It also features unique Mood and Mind Indices that
assess the basic preparedness and state of mind of microbusinesses
through 2014. The Mood Index has tracked upward from this time last
year, remaining relatively stable through 2014 with a rise in line with
improving economic metrics in the fourth quarter. The Mind Index has
rebounded in Q4 2014 after a drop in Q3 of almost a full point,
indicating recovering assessments of preparedness and confidence among
microbusiness owners.
The Sam’s Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker results reflect 1,007
phone interviews conducted November 24 to December 2014 with companies
of five or fewer workers defined as microbusinesses. The Tracker has
followed companies of five or fewer workers on a quarterly basis from
December 2013 to December 2014. For further information please view
Gallup’s article, Microbusiness
Owners Finish 2014 Feeling Strong and download the Sam’s Club “State
of Microbusiness 2015” report at SamsClub.com/newsroom.
About The Sam’s Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker
The Sam’s Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker is a nationally
representative survey that regularly reports on U.S. businesses with
five or fewer workers, a key driver of U.S. economic growth. The tracker
provides valuable insight into the mood and mind of microbusiness owners
for decision makers and influencers in government and commerce by
highlighting the unique concerns and challenges of microbusinesses along
their path from startup to maturity. To learn more about the Sam’s
Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker, visit SamsClub.com/Newsroom
or Gallup.com.
About Gallup
Gallup delivers forward-thinking research, analytics, and advice to help
leaders solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 75 years
of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the
attitudes and behaviors of the world's constituents, employees, and
customers than any other organization.
About Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT),
is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products,
savings and services to millions of members in 643 clubs in the U.S. and
Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam’s Club, visit the Sam’s
Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com,
and interact with Sam’s Club on Twitter and Facebook.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150122005157/en/
Contacts:
Sam’s Club Media Relations
Carrie Foster Moore, 1-800-331-0085
SamsClub.com/newsroom
Source: Sam’s Club
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