WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 14, 2024) – NFIB Research Center Executive Director Holly Wade joined Brad Smith of Yahoo! Finance to discuss the state of the small business economy and increasing levels of optimism among Main Street owners.

Wade examines data from NFIB’s October SBET survey to show how small business owners are beginning to feel more confident about future business conditions as they enter the holiday season and a post-election environment.

Watch Wade’s interview here: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/small-business-optimism-ticks-higher-180306345.html

“[Uncertainty] will largely be alleviated in terms of what [small business owners] can expect moving forward with post-election sentiment and that relief of, especially with those tax cuts that they’re looking to have extended or ideally made permanent that are set to expire in 2025, especially the 20% deduction on small business qualifying income.”

“The index did improve two points. That was a great sign for small business owners, especially with the outlook on economic conditions. That’s the question within the index that improved the most.”

“Looking towards, again, those tax provisions that they’re looking to have made permanent that specifically benefit the majority of small business owners. Again, the corporate tax rate, that certainly impacts a lot of small business owners, and the regulatory environment in which they’re operating. [Small business owners] are looking for that to be less aggressive in the compliance aspect of a lot of the regulations that they’ve had to manage and work through and comply with. But also, just the threat of not knowing what might be coming down the road for them as far as the regulatory environment on a federal level. That will largely be, you know, a much more supportive environment in the new administration.”

“Even the run up to the election in October we did see a bit more support or a bit more optimism among our owners that we surveyed in economic conditions moving forward.”