Respondents evenly split on Bush vs. Obama as a stronger advocate for small business

RENO, Nev., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of small business decision makers say that worries about their businesses keep them awake at night, according to the Small Business Opinion Poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, commissioned by EMPLOYERS(R), America's small business insurance specialist(R). According to the 500 small business decision makers polled across the country, they worry most about the economy, growing and maintaining their business, meeting operating expenses and their business closing.

Small business decision makers also are paying close attention to the federal government's various stimulus bill packages first geared toward very large financial institutions and more recently the small business stimulus package. More than half (55 percent) of small businesses do not believe the initial stimulus bill included enough provisions to benefit them. Impressions of the government's latest effort to stimulate small business lending via the Small Business Administration have not yet been quantified.

'America's small businesses and entrepreneurs will play a more profound role than ever in driving growth in the next economic cycle,' said Douglas Dirks, president and CEO, Employers Holdings, Inc. 'They are the job generators and innovators who will lead us out of the recession, and we want to provide them with the tools to succeed in these challenging times. Because we are exclusively focused on serving small businesses, we are well suited to help them run a more effective, profitable business.'

Additional small business decision maker sentiments garnered from the Small Business Opinion Poll include:

• Small business decision makers are evenly split on whether the Obama Administration will be a stronger advocate for small businesses than the Bush Administration (47 percent vs. 47 percent, with 6 percent undecided)
• 72 percent expect their 2009 revenue to stagnate or decline in 2009
• 81 percent expect to cut costs in some way in 2009
• 42 percent expect to eliminate or cut back expenses in 2009
• 21 percent expect to lay off workers in 2009

EMPLOYERS recognizes the challenges small businesses face as they focus on doing what is necessary to make it through the recession. Naturally, small business decision makers are carefully evaluating cost structures and working to enhance operational efficiencies, which is smart business no matter what the economic climate.