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Research Center

Research Center

About the Research Center

The NFIB Research Center promotes greater understanding of small business and the conditions that impact it. The Center produces and disseminates various surveys and studies on small business, focusing on areas related to public policy’s effects. It is located at 555 12th Street, Suite 1001, Washington, DC.

Types of Research

Surveys

The NFIB Research Center conducts surveys of small-business owner and operator populations on a wide variety of topics. Surveys are conducted from nationally representative and NFIB member samples by both mail and telephones. (The Center does NOT conduct e-mail surveys.) NFIB member surveys tend to focus on opinion; nationally representative surveys tend to focus on behaviors. The exception is Small Business Economic Trends, a member survey that focuses on behaviors and expectations. Theoretically, totals using national and NFIB member samples on matters of opinion are likely to be different; practically, they are not. See, Op, comparing the outcome of national and NFIB member samples on 41 different issues. The results are the same for all intents and purposes.


Contract Pieces

The NFIB Research Center does on occasion contract with individuals and/or organizations to conduct research on its behalf.

Simulations (Using BSIM)

Simulations create simplified descriptions of reality. The simulation system the NFIB Research Center employs first calculates a baseline forecast intended to represent the path the economy would take assuming no major changes (“shocks”) occur. It then calculates forecasts for an alternative scenario in which some major change/shock occurs. For present purposes, these shocks take the form of public policy change. The difference between the forecast for the alternative and baseline scenarios is the impact of the policy change. Impacts measure include changes in employment, real output, prices, etc.

The Business Size Impact Module (BSIM) was developed for the NFIB Research Center by Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) of Amherst, MA. The principal feature distinguishing BSIM from REMI’s multi-region structural economic forecasting and policy analysis model, is its ability to forecast the impact of policy changes on U.S. businesses differentiated by size of firm. No other model (of which we are aware) has this capability. The REMI model is the leading forecasting and policy analysis model in use and is employed by hundreds of governmental agencies, universities, consulting firms, nonprofits, and others.

Additional Resources

Small Business Data Sources
Explore more resources we think might be useful for you.
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Academic Sponsorships
This award, given annually by the NFIB Research Foundation since 1995, honors outstanding doctoral research that deals with the founding, financing, marketing, growth, and development of independent small businesses, family businesses, and minority businesses.
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Meet The Staff

Holly S. Wade
Executive Director
Holly Wade is the executive director of the NFIB Research Center, where she…
William C. Dunkelberg
Chief Economist
Chief Economist for the National Federation of Independent Business since 1…
Madeleine Oldstone
Policy Analyst
Madeleine Oldstone is the policy analyst for the NFIB Research Center, wher…
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