COVID-19: The impact of the pandemic on Florida’s small businesses
“…no business plan allows for something like this kind of setback.” – Sheryl Webster, The Refinery Barre Fitness Studios, Tallahassee
COVID Small Business Impact Survey 2.0
Small businesses have continued to face challenging times due to the coronavirus and we want to better understand those challenges. That’s why we recently partnered with the Florida Chamber Foundation, the University of West Florida Haas Center, and CareerSource Florida to conduct a second phase of our research study to understand the continued needs of small businesses as the pandemic and subsequent economic impacts reach the one-year mark. Sign up below to receive the survey results.
COVID Small Business Impact Survey Results
The pandemic has initiated the need for greater safety and sanitation practices at homes, workplaces, and businesses alike. It has forced many people to stay indoors, avoid travel, and the resulting financial strain has prompted many to tighten their budget and cut back on consumer spending. For business owners this means making tough decisions such as changing operating procedures, laying off employees, or in some cases, closing down altogether.
To explore the impact of the pandemic on the state’s small businesses, the Florida SBDC Network, the Florida Chamber Foundation, and the University of West Florida Haas Center partnered to conduct a survey of Florida’s small businesses during the summer of 2020. This survey was designed to identify the types of small businesses that were affected by the pandemic and assess the damage to business operations overall. 4,842 business owners from over 95 percent of Florida’s counties participated in the survey, and the results are compelling.
The survey results can be viewed in various ways. Click on the respective link in the light blue bar to the left to view the results by your desired category. We will continue to provide additional ways to view the results, so we recommend you check back often.
