“With the inauguration of the new Congress, business owners are looking forward to a fresh start and a 2025 legislative agenda that will positively impact their businesses,” said Randy Ford, president and chief operating officer of NWYC. “We encourage small business owners to continue to raise their voices and advocate for their business priorities in the new year in Washington.”
As President-elect Donald Trump was poised to return to office, small business leaders expressed hope for an agenda focused on reducing federal regulations, streamlining government spending and implementing tax reforms.
“I hope that 2025 will be an opportunity to develop the business. We need lower taxes, less regulation, dramatic cuts in government spending, energy independence and pro-American trade deals,” said Brett Tanner, president of Pinnacle Trailer Sales, Inc., which operates in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The survey also found strong support for a few of Trump’s proposed executive orders. Seventy-one percent of respondents imagine that efforts to streamline government agencies will increase efficiency, while nearly 70 percent support reducing climate-related regulations to extend domestic energy production.
Among these policy priorities, business owners also emphasized the necessity for national unity because the country transitions to a brand new administration.
“I am hopeful that the Trump administration will be able to repair and unite our deeply divided country,” said Brad Clubb, CEO of Flyway Excavating in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.
“We hope the government will find a way to work together for the good of the American people,” added Richard T. Seaver, president of Viking Tool and Engineering in Whitehall, Michigan.
Despite optimism for the long run, the survey showed mixed economic results for small businesses in 2024. Nearly half of respondents said results were stable, while 30 percent saw a decline. Only 20 percent of firms experienced growth, and owners attributed their success to strategic initiatives.
NWYC conducted the web survey from December 20 to December 31, 2024, collecting responses from 518 business leaders in 44 states. Most respondents (61%) run firms employing lower than 10 employees, while 36% manages firms employing from 10 to 99 employees.
The results send a transparent message to policymakers: Small business owners are able to take daring motion in 2025 to deal with critical economic challenges and support growth.
