By: Reese Clifford

In the last several years, the support of small businesses has grown immensely due to organizations and resources such as the Small Business Association (SBA). According to the SBA, Small Business make up 99.7 percent of U.S. employer firms, which are defined as an collection of all businesses obtained by a parent company. The stories and history of how these businesses were created relates to funding and to local support. However, competition from larger corporations and the awareness of these corporations has historically posed problems for local businesses. Larger chains like Starbucks have corporation-tied money, whereas a local individual store has more complications with funding. According to Slate Magazine, Starbucks ballooned from just six stores in 1984 to over 3,500 stores in 2000.  Not to imply that corporations like these are without issues, but for small local businesses, there is an inability to thrive without proper funding and support from the community.

Today, small businesses are emphasized by local and national politicians alike as something that is incredibly relevant and an important part of their voter base. Politics and business are inherently tied because of tax payers and how these taxes can contribute to small businesses. In 2016, the National Small Business Association (NSBA) conducted a survey of small business owners related to their political views and the ways in which the business world ties to the political system. Of the 890 business owners that were surveyed, 65 percent believe that the political system does not help them. This indicates that the current political state has impacted the ways that business owners feel about the government and seem to believe that small businesses lack support from higher-ups in general.

Small businesses have been a jump-starter of communities and a staple of early American culture. The SBA was established in 1953 to help small businesses gain legal rights and support privately owned organizations. This legislation in the 1950’s was intended to help regulate big businesses while also bolstering local economic growth. Without this legislation, the SBA would not have existed and therefore local business would not be as nationally supported.

Although there are multiple sides to this issue, there is not an anti-small business viewpoint necessarily. However, the issue of competition and national belief that businesses lack support creates complications within this sector. The SBA would be considered pro-small business, whereas competition and bigger chains may be considered against small businesses.