Survey: Omicron, the new variant of COVID-19 comes to strongly concern small businesses.
Minority businesses and those owned by women stand out among the most concerned
Researching the web, we found a new survey of small business owners showing that 44% are concerned that the new omicron variant of the coronavirus will harm their already worrying economic recovery.
Here we show the results:
According to Alignable’s Omicron Pulse Poll of 5,632 small business owners conducted Dec. 4-7, industries that depend on in-person businesses are very concerned about what omicron might do to their businesses; 70% of travel, 69% of restaurant owners, 68% of massage therapists and 58% of retailers have expressed strong concerns.
The survey also found:
The omicron variant is even more daunting for disadvantaged groups including minority business owners:
69% of minorities polled expressed concern about omicron affecting their recovery
The majority of women who own small businesses (52%) felt the same way.
The degree of concern varied depending on what state the small business was located in:
60% of New York-based small businesses are nervous about omicron, as well as 64% of those in Massachusetts, 57% in New Jersey, and 54% in Michigan
States with small businesses that are not as concerned include Texas (38%), Colorado (37%), and North Carolina (37%).
Small business owners reported strategies they are taking to help control potential damage omicron could cause:
40% say they’re increasing basic health protocols
23% say they’re getting a booster shot
21% are investing more into marketing.