Issue #5, August 2008

The Top 9 from 411SmallBusinessFacts.com

The NFIB Research Foundation continues to post new data to the 411 Web site as they become available. We post an average of about 100 new questions and answers every quarter.

Two other current Foundation products should be of interest. Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) continues to show upward pressures on small business selling prices and concerns over resurgent inflation. Given the SBET's record of accurately forecasting price trends, the small business numbers are not encouraging. The second is a series of simulations produced by the Foundation's BSim model that has recently affected policy debate in at least California and Ohio . The topics of the simulation included mandatory employer provision of health insurance and mandatory employer paid sick leave. More can be found at www.nfib.com/research.

Regards,
The NFIB Research Foundation

The TOP 9 Questions for August 2008

1. 1
   CREDIT SCORING – How familiar are small employers with "credit scoring?" (Vol. 7, Iss. 7, Q#5).
2. 2
   INFORMATION SOURCES – What is the most important media source of business news and information for small employers? (Vol. 7, Iss. 6, Q#6).
3. 3
   EMPLOYEE OBESITY – Do small employers consider employee obesity a business issue or a personal issue? (Vol. 4, Iss. 3, Q#11).
4. 4
   ECONOMY – How many small employers have made a business decision in the prior six months directly as a result of action taken by the Federal Reserve Board? (Vol. 8, Iss. 1, Q#19a).
5. 5
   POLITICS – How interested are small employers in public affairs and politics? (Vol. 5, Iss. 4, Q#1).
6. 6
   INCOME – What portion of small employers obtain 95 percent or more of their entire personal income from owning their (primary) business? (Vol. 7, Iss7, Q#7).
7. 7
   PRIVACY – How many small employers maintain information on customers or potential customers that reasonable people would consider personal or confidential? (Vol 1, Iss. 8, Q#6).
8. 8
   INSURANCE – What do small employers think is the largest problem with business insurance? (Vol.2, Iss. 7, Q#1).
9. 9
   EMPLOYEE TRAINING – How many small employers in the prior three years sent at least one employee to a four year college to obtain or upgrade job skills? (Vol. 5, Iss 1, Q#26a).