SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwired) — 06/19/13 — Small businesses remain most concerned with economic growth, viewing healthcare and immigration reform as secondary issues, and see mobile innovation as a top priority, according to the Rocket Lawyer 2013 Semiannual Small Business Survey. The survey gauges overall sentiment and identifies the top issues for more than 1,000 small businesses in the United States twice per year.
Although 43 percent of U.S. small business owners believe economic recovery should remain the focus of government attention, they are optimistic about business growth overall. Over half (55 percent) of respondents across all age groups said their businesses were growing or booming in the first half of 2013, and close to three-fourths (73 percent) are hopeful the second half will be even better.
The results also showed mobile technology to be transforming the way small businesses operate. Among small business owners surveyed, close to half (47 percent) said they use mobile apps every day for business purposes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen Y (ages 18-30) and Gen X (ages 31-47) reported the highest rates of mobile use. While some 62 percent of Gen Y and 58 percent of Gen X small business owners say they use mobile apps every day for business, only 27 percent of those ages 67+ say they use mobile daily.
“This is good news — Main Street businesses are increasingly optimistic and focused on growth,” said Charley Moore, founder and executive chairman of Rocket Lawyer. “Mobile technology is rapidly entering the mainstream of everyday commerce. That-s why our customers expect Rocket Lawyer to deliver simple and affordable legal services anytime, anywhere, on any device.”
Despite extensive media attention, healthcare and immigration are not central concerns for small businesses today. Only 10 percent considered healthcare to be a top priority and just over half said they are aware of the new healthcare exchanges geared toward small businesses. Views on the Affordable Care Act were split, with 59 percent saying they believe the legislation will increase employee healthcare costs while 29 percent said it will have no effect. Some 71 percent of small businesses also said they do not currently provide health benefits for employees.
Small business owners view immigration reform as even less of a worry, with a mere 3 percent of small business owners calling it a top priority for the country. While some 64 percent of respondents said they are aware of the immigration reform plan, there is no consensus on which direction Congress should take. Small businesses also remain ambivalent about the immigration reform plan currently being debated in Congress — some 23 percent of respondents said they do support the proposal, 28 percent claimed they do not and nearly half said they do not know.
At Rocket Lawyer, we believe everyone deserves simple and affordable legal services. Since 2008 we-ve helped over 20 million families and small businesses take care of their legal matters — so they can focus on what really matters. From free legal documents to discounted rates with outstanding attorneys, we-re there to help every step of the way. For more information on Rocket Lawyer, please visit: and follow Rocket Lawyer on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
This survey was conducted by Rocket Lawyer May 14-17, among 1,000+ small business owners nationwide who are Rocket Lawyer members or have used Rocket Lawyer-s services. The margin of error is 2.86 percent.
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