Political Impact on Business

With the election only a couple months away, we wanted to know what small business owners are thinking about the outcomes of November 5th. (Credit: Courtesy of Element5 Digital, Pexels) Small business owners often mention the economy when it comes to what’s at stake this November. A recent CNBC Survey Monkey Small Business Confidence Index, released in August, found that three out of five small business owners cite inflation and economic growth as the top issues in deciding who they will vote for in November. How that translates at the polls remains to be seen. Do business owners see Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump at better handling the most pressing economic issues for business owners? Turns out, the majority or 55% say they are unsatisfied with how either of the presidential candidates (and President Joe Biden, from earlier in the race) are addressing small business issues, according to a recent Goldman Sachs survey. To glean more, we reached out to some of the female founders we have recently featured in our 1,000 Stories Project — and discovered a few more concerns besides the economy, although inflation and consumer spending loomed large. Most business owners we contacted didn’t share which candidate they planned to support specifically, although some alluded to Trump's anti-immigration policies and Harris's pro-environment record, and voiced concerns over access to healthcare in underserved communities. And perhaps, most surprisingly, some founders said the upcoming election – as consequential as it seems, to many voters – likely won’t impact their niche businesses at all. Here’s what they told us. Responses are lightly edited for length and clarity.

Political Impact on Business

We Asked Female Founders: How Will Election 2024 Affect Your Business?

TSE Quick Take: Entrepreneurship in Trump’s America

The Story Exchange

Political Impact on Business

We Asked Female Founders: How Will Election 2024 Affect Your Business?

TSE Quick Take: Entrepreneurship in Trump’s America

The Story Exchange

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