GLENVIEW, Ill. — October 16, 2007 - As the 2008 presidential election approaches, a survey of small business owners conducted by online payroll service SurePayroll this month reveals that most of them are hoping for a different outcome than the majority of Americans.
Of the 84 percent of small business owners who said they plan to participate in their state's primary or caucus, 59 percent of them favor Republicans, whereas various national polls report that up to 50 percent of Americans in general favor the Democrats and 35 percent favor Republicans*.
SurePayroll President Michael Alter says this data comes as a surprise, as many assumed small business owners' opinions mirrored those of Americans in general.
"During a time when Americans seem to be screaming for a change in political philosophy, small business owners are saying the Republican Party still holds the key to success," says Alter. "This is bad news for Democrats. If they want to win, they need to do a better job reaching this community. Small businesses represent 98 percent of companies and employ roughly half of our national workforce - their votes and influence matter."
Small Business and General Voters Agree on Importance of Economy, War and Defense
The survey reveals that while small business owners and Americans in general differ on which party they believe is better for the country, they agree on which issues are most important.
When provided with a choice of 12 issues and asked to identify what they felt was the most important one to consider when electing a president, the largest group of small business respondents cited the economy as their prime concern, which includes issues related to taxes, national debt and the budget deficit. The war in Iraq and national defense/homeland security followed.
Similarly, according to a September Rasmussen Reports tracking poll, the economy was the number one factor for 72 percent of general American voters, with national security/War on Terror closely following at 71 percent.
Small Business Owners Choose Giuliani, Believe Red is Better for Small Biz
The largest amount of small business owner respondents would like to see Rudy Giuliani win (18 percent), followed closely by Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton, who each received 16 percent.
Similarly, 51 percent - the largest amount - said they felt the Republican Party was more beneficial to small business. 27 percent said they did not think one party was better than the other in this respect, and 22 percent chose the Democratic Party.
"Certainly small business owners have seen economic success during the last few years. The SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard has been reporting on the healthy state of the small business economy for several years," says Alter. "They could be of the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality."
Most Small Business Owners Familiar with Candidates, Issues
The survey results also suggest that most small business owners consider themselves well-informed about political issues. 49 percent of respondents said they were somewhat familiar with the candidates seeking nomination for the 2008 presidential election, while almost as many, 47 percent, considered themselves very familiar. Only 4 percent responded that they were not at all familiar.
Small business owners responded fairly similarly when asked to gauge their familiarity with candidates' stances on major issues. 59 percent said they were somewhat familiar, 32 percent said they were very familiar and 9 percent said they were not at all familiar.
"It is not a surprise that most small business owners are passionately engaged in the political discussion - their businesses and lives in general are directly dependent on the state of the American economy," says Alter. "They are less likely to do guess work at the polls because most realize just how much is at stake for their business and make it a point to do their homework."
Additional Insight
* According to a September CBS News/New York Times poll, 48 percent of respondents said they would vote for a Democrat and 32 percent said they would vote Republican. Another recent poll conducted by FOX News/Opinion Dynamics showed similar results. In that poll, 50 percent of respondents indicated they would vote Democratic, and 35 percent said they would vote Republican.
About SurePayroll:
SurePayroll is the online alternative to ADP® and Paychex®. SurePayroll's service and team members are dedicated to providing an easy, convenient online payroll service at a price small business owners can afford. Tens of thousands of customers rely on SurePayroll to process payroll wherever they want in as few as two minutes.
In addition, SurePayroll offers small businesses solutions for managing 401(k) plans, health insurance, workers' compensation, HR compliance and employee screening. For accountants and banking partners, SurePayroll provides private-label services that enable them to offer payroll processing to their small business clients.
Over the last decade, SurePayroll has received numerous prestigious awards for its innovative technology and outstanding customer service, including recognition from PC Magazine, Inc. 500, Accounting Today, the Stevie Awards and many others.
For more information, you can visit http://www.surepayroll.com, call 877.954.7873 or follow us on http://twitter.com/SurePayroll.
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