Small Business Administration

1. 1

   The overwhelming majority of small employers (95%) have heard of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). Of the 95 percent who have heard of SBA, just 17 percent are very familiar with the agency while 24 percent have heard of it and that is about all.
   

2. 2

   A plurality of small employers (43%) who have heard of SBA hold a favorable impression of the agency, but almost as many (42%) hold none at all. Only 14 percent have an unfavorable impression.
   

3. 3

   Eighty-five (85) percent of small-business owners report that SBA has had no direct impact on their business over the last three years. Of those who think they have been directly impacted, over twice as many assess the impact as favorable as assess it as unfavorable.
   

4. 4

   Seventy (70) percent cannot identify one government agency, federal, state, or local, that has had a positive impact on their business in the last three years. One percent identified the Small Business Administration as the governmental unit with a positive (the most positive if the owner could think of more than one unit) impact.
   

5. 5

   Small employers think SBA’s current programmatic functions as they perceive them to be are appropriate. Forty-two (42) percent think SBA puts greatest emphasis on finance and finance-related functions. Fourteen (14) percent mention an emphasis on management assistance and counseling. Meanwhile, 54 percent think emphasis should be placed on financial assistance for small-business owners who cannot get financing in the private sector. Nineteen (19) percent think greatest emphasis should fall on management assistance-type programs.
   

6. 6

   Small employers do not think current programmatic targets as they perceive them to be are necessarily appropriate. Twenty-six (26) percent think that both owners of start-up businesses and socially and economically disadvantaged owners of small businesses are SBA’s current policy priority. But, 36 percent think SBA should give policy priority to owners of start-ups and another 26 percent think owners of run-of-the-mill small businesses should have priority.
   

7. 7

   Seven percent of small employers participated in some SBA or SBA-sponsored program or activity over the last three years. The subject matter of the activity in which they participated was finance-related in two-thirds of cases.
   

8. 8

   Fourteen (14) percent have visited the SBA Web site in the last year. Most visited only a couple of times over the period. The site receives modestly positive ratings compared to other sites small employers frequent.
   

9. 9

   A plurality (46%) think SBA receives too few resources, particularly compared to those who think it receives too many (15%). However, two-thirds would not increase the deficit to increase agency resources and three-quarters would not raise taxes to do so.
   

Volume 6, Issue 5, 2006
ISSN 1534-8326

William J. Dennis, Jr.
NFIB Research Foundation

• 1Have you ever heard of an agency of the federal government called the Small Business Administration or SBA?
• 2Are you very familiar with the SBA, somewhat familiar with it, not too familiar with it, or heard of SBA and that's about all?
• 3Do you generally have a favorable impression, an unfavorable impression, or no impression of the Small Business Administration? Is that very (favorable/unfavorable) or somewhat (favorable/unfavorable)?
• 3aWhat is the most important source of your impression of the Small Business Administration?
• 4In the last three years, has the Small Business Administration DIRECTLY affected your business positively, negatively, or not at all?
• 4aHow has it impacted you (positively/negatively)?
• 5In the last three years, what federal, state, or local government agency has had the most POSITIVE impact on your business?
• 5aIs that an agency of the federal government, state government, or local government?
• 6The Small Business Administration spends its time and money doing the following among other things. In your view, which does the SBA put greatest emphasis on?
• 6aIn your view, which SHOULD receive greatest emphasis?
• 7Who do you believe is SBA's CURRENT policy priority? Is it owners of:?
• 7aWho do you believe SHOULD be SBA's policy priority? Owners of:?
• 8In the last three years, have you participated in any SBA or SBA-sponsored program or activity?
• 8aOf the SBA-related programs or activities in which you have participated, what was the topic most important to you?
• 9In the last year, have you visited SBA's Web site?
• 9aTypically, have you visited SBA's Web site in the last year daily, weekly, monthly, or just a couple of times throughout the year?
• 9bWhat is the type of information you most frequently looked for on the SBA Web site?
• 9cIn the last year, did you look for tax-related information of any type on the SBA Web site?
• 9dHow would you evaluate the usefulness of SBA's Web site compared to other sites you frequent? Would you say it is:?
• 10Do you believe that government devotes too many or too few financial and human resources to support SBA programs and activities?
• 10aWould you be willing to have a larger federal budget deficit to fund SBA programs and activities at a higher level?
• 10bWould you be willing to pay higher taxes to fund SBA programs and activities at a higher level?