GOP Debate Primer: Five Key Issues That Small Business Owners Want Addressed

As Fox Business prepares to host the second GOP debate tonight, candidates should keep in mind the interests of the small businesses that are the backbone of the US economy.

Here are five key issues that a survey of over 50,000 small businesses, conducted by both PublicSq. And RedBalloon.work, are asking to see addressed.

1. Trustworthiness. In the August Freedom Economy Index, 77% of employers said that a lack of confidence in elected leaders was a major business challenge. Additionally, 53% of respondents said that government created roadblocks were listed among the top challenges for small business owners.

2. No More Mandates. 66% of small businesses believe that the government will try to impose COVID lockdowns and other mandates again.

3. Cancel ‘Cancel Culture.’ 95.6% of FEI survey respondents say they believe that Big Tech and social media companies will collaborate once again in 2024 to censor conservative voices, and 83.5% are concerned that their businesses' social media accounts will be canceled because of their conservative beliefs.

4. Get US Economy Back on Track. 91.6% of business owners believe that the US is on the wrong track, with 70.7% believing that we’re headed into a major recession. This is obviously something Americans will want to change during the next administration.

5. Stop Welfare Programs from Sidelining Workers. When it comes to solving the tight labor market, government policies are also working against small businesses. 68% of respondents say that the ease of obtaining government welfare is keeping many job seekers on the sidelines and making it more expensive for employers to hire new talent.

These takeaways show that Americans currently don’t trust the current administration and want the next one to solve these key issues. The bottom line: these business owners want to know that their government isn’t going to restrict them from building a robust US economy and labor market.