SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thumbtack, the website and app that finds you local professionals (pros) for any project, surveyed small business owners in 49 states to gauge their likelihood to vote in the November election and what issues will drive their votes.
The survey revealed 85 percent of Thumbtack small business owners surveyed report being registered to vote, compared to 70 percent of all Americans who are registered to vote1. Additionally, 93 percent of small business owners who are registered to vote say they “definitely” or “probably” will do so, while only 88 percent of registered voters nationwide say the same, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll2.
The survey indicated key areas of focus for small business owners. 17.1 percent of small business owner respondents said the number one issue in determining their vote this November is the economy and taxes, and 15.8 percent named health care as their top issue, making those the most important issues for nearly one-third of small business owners.
Small business owners know that policies on key economic issues like taxes, regulations, licensing, benefits and more won't just affect the general economy, but also their own businesses' bottom lines. Therefore, it's not surprising that they are focused on kitchen-table issues, far more than issues like Supreme Court appointments and foreign policy, as they prepare to vote this November.
“Small business owners continue to tell us they want their representatives to focus on the issues that impact their businesses and their families like the economy and health care,” said Thumbtack Head of Public Policy, Kellyn Blossom. “Small business owners are going to be a crucial constituency for every campaign this November. They care deeply about what affects their communities and plan to turn out in large numbers to vote.”
Survey Methodology
Between August 29 and September 5, 2018, Thumbtack surveyed 980 small business owners from across the U.S. operating across hundreds of categories, including as electricians, music teachers, wedding planners and wellness professionals. The survey asked these entrepreneurs about their voter registration status, plans to vote in the upcoming election and the issues guiding their political preferences. For more about the survey methodology, please visit https://www.thumbtack.com/survey#/sentiment.
About Thumbtack
Powering the businesses of hundreds of thousands of local professionals, Thumbtack offers nearly 1,000 categories of occupations, with a working professional in every county in the U.S. Thumbtack has helped customers complete millions of jobs — from plumbing and catering, to personal training and math tutoring. Founded in 2008, Thumbtack is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, please visit: www.thumbtack.com.
1 https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/voting-and-registration/p20-580.html