This is pandemic progress: Survey shows slightly more small businesses now feel they will make it to end of year – ROI-NJ.com

The 16th survey by the research center of the National Federation of Independent Business since the COVID-19 pandemic overtook the country shows the outlook for small business is getting slightly better.

Of course, its all relative. The key data point for this conclusion: Fewer of them feel as if they are in danger of closing by the end of the year.

Thirteen percent of small business owners report that they will have to close their doors if current economic conditions do not improve over the next six months, down from 25% in December.

Thats progress. But it comes with many warning signs, NFIB New Jersey State Director Eileen Kean said.

While it is encouraging that more businesses are confident in their financial ability to keep their doors open, retail, gyms, restaurants and other business are still only open to 50% capacity, she said. Meanwhile, New Jersey has the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the United States and Gov. (Phil) Murphy is not lifting restrictions.

The Main Streets of New Jersey are still in very vulnerable shape.

In fact, only 11% of those survey feel business is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Key findings in the survey include:

This publication marks NFIBs 16th Small Business COVID-19 survey assessing the health crisis impact on small business operations, economic conditions and utilization of the targeted small business loan programs.

The first series was published in early March 2020, with subsequent publications every 2-4 weeks, found here. The full survey of the 16th edition is available here.

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This is pandemic progress: Survey shows slightly more small businesses now feel they will make it to end of year - ROI-NJ.com