Study finds they are much more than just the engines of local economies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Kabateck, California State Director, john@kabstrat.com
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 20, 2024—A new report issued this week by the nation’s largest small business association puts some numbers behind what most Californians see for themselves every day: the community involvement of the Main Street entrepreneurs who give many of their friends, families, and neighbors jobs and a livelihood.

“I’ve often said small business owners are the central pillars holding up every community in California, and this new report provides some numbers behind my claim,” said John Kabateck, California state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), whose Research Center produced the 2024 Small Businesses’ Contribution to the Community report.

According to the nationwide survey:

• “About three-quarters (76 percent) of all small business owners reported volunteering their time to work on behalf of civic groups, charities, youth sports programs, schools, religious organizations, or similar activities in the last 12 months.

• “Financial support was the most common method small businesses used to support their communities … Ninety percent of small business owners have financially supported community or civic groups, charities, youth sports programs, schools, religious organization, or similar activities in the last 12 months.

• “Sixty-three percent of small business owners reported providing in-kind contributions … (e.g., providing a meetings space for a local fundraiser, donating excess inventory for a cause, offering auction items to raise money, etc.).”

The report also looked at the groups of activities small businesses are part of. The report is a national snapshot of NFIB-member, small-business owners not broken down by state. The typical NFIB member employs between one and nine people and reports gross sales of about $500,000 a year. 

“This Small Business Saturday coming up November 30 would be a great time to show a small bit of appreciation for the work small business owners put into making their communities better places for all of us—work that big box retailers and online commerce sites don’t even begin to match,” said Kabateck. “California is not an easy state to run a business in. Some are hanging by a thread and count on the holidays to give them that needed boost to make it into another year.”

Keep up with the latest California small-business news at www.nfib.com/CA. Follow us on X @NFIB_CA and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/NFIB.CA

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For 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com. 

NFIB California
915 L St. Ste C-411
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-9904
NFIB.com/CA
Twitter: @NFIB_CA