| How long have you owned your
business? |
% |
|
I am considering or in the
process of starting a business |
15 |
|
Less than 1 year |
6 |
|
1 to 5 years |
27 |
|
6 to 7 years |
8 |
|
8 to 10 years |
9 |
|
More than 10 years |
34 |
|
|
|
| Excluding
yourself how many employees do you have? |
|
|
Zero |
47 |
|
1 to 4 |
26 |
|
5 to 9 |
8 |
|
10 to 19 |
4 |
|
20 to 49 |
7 |
|
50 or more |
8 |
|
|
|
| What
kind of connection to the internet do you have for your
business? |
|
|
T1 or better |
16 |
|
DSL or cable modem |
40 |
|
Satellite or other wireless |
1 |
|
ISDN |
3 |
|
Dial-up modem |
36 |
|
None |
2 |
|
Don't know |
3 |
|
|
|
| What
type of employer-sponsored pension plan do you offer your
employees? |
|
401(k) |
25 |
|
403(b) |
3 |
|
SEP-IRA |
13 |
|
Standard IRA |
4 |
|
Defined Benefit (DB) |
4 |
|
Cash balance |
2 |
|
Keogh |
2 |
|
Other |
6 |
|
None |
40 |
|
|
|
| Are
you planning to hire anyone in the coming months? |
|
|
Yes |
60 |
|
No |
28 |
|
Unsure |
13 |
|
|
|
| In
your experience, how difficult has it been to raise private
investment? |
|
|
Very difficult |
64 |
|
Moderately difficult |
20 |
|
Only slightly difficult |
6 |
|
Not at all difficult |
11 |
|
|
|
| What
is the best way to ensure that women-owned businesses are
awarded the congressionally mandated 5% goal of federal
contracts? |
|
Strong leadership |
23 |
|
More regulation |
6 |
|
More accountability |
50 |
|
More government set-asides |
21 |
|
|
|
| Looking
forward, how confident are you that your business finances will
improve over the next six months? |
|
Extremely confident |
25 |
|
Very confident |
36 |
|
Just a little confident |
29 |
|
Not at all confident |
10 |
|
|
|
| Which
of the following best describes your primary means of obtaining
the capital necessary to run your business? |
|
Personal savings or assets |
53 |
|
Second/third mortgage |
5 |
|
Borrowed money from a family
member |
6 |
|
Borrowed money from a friend,
colleague or acquaintance |
3 |
|
Personal credit card |
10 |
|
Loan from a local bank |
24 |
|
|
|
| Is
your current business... |
|
|
Your sole source of income |
74 |
|
A secondary source of income |
26 |
|
|
|
| How
important is it for you to provide a family-friendly work
environment? |
|
Extremely important |
61 |
|
Very important |
26 |
|
Slightly important |
9 |
|
Not at all important |
4 |
|
|
|
| In
your opinion, does the government contracting system discourage
small entrepreneurs? |
|
Yes |
79 |
|
No |
6 |
|
Unsure |
14 |
|
|
|
| In
the next 12 months, do you project that the amount of business
that you do with the federal government will… |
|
Increase greatly |
9 |
|
Increase somewhat |
16 |
|
Stay about the same |
14 |
|
Decrease somewhat |
2 |
|
I need more info on federal
contracts |
59 |
|
|
|
| What
is the top difficulty in regards to providing a pension plan for
your employees? |
|
Pensions are expensive |
34 |
|
Complex laws are confusing |
17 |
|
Company is new and or profits
aren't consistent |
41 |
|
High turnover - too many new and
part-time employees |
9 |
|
|
|
| What
is the biggest obstacle you face in providing health benefits to
your employees? |
|
Federal and state coverage
mandates |
2 |
|
Administrative and regulatory
burdens |
1 |
|
Cost |
76 |
|
Lack of purchasing
power/negotiating ability |
21 |
|
|
|
| Thinking
about the current state of your business, would you rate your
business finances as… |
|
Excellent |
7 |
|
Good |
31 |
|
Fair |
37 |
|
Poor |
25 |
