State Of Small Business Report Reveals Recovery Outlook

A new Alignable State Of Small Business Report just released offers an inside look at what's happening among small businesses as they reopen across the U.S. and Canada. Alignable is an online referral network for small businesses with more than 5 million members across North America.

Based on surveys of more than 88,000 small business owners, their greatest recovery concerns are having sufficient financial resources and helping customers overcome Covid-19-related fears associated with returning to their businesses.

Here are a few of the report's highlights, reflecting small business owners' struggles, early triumphs, and other sentiments:

• Reopening Surge! 68% of small businesses are open now -- a promising start. However, only 40% are fully open -- the remaining 28% currently offer fewer products or services. And 3% say they're closed for good.
• Feeling Anxious About Customer Fears: Less than 50% of customers have returned, and 25% of business owners worry they'll be scared to come back. Making customers feel safe and comfortable is priority No. 1.
• Employment Situation: Only 47% of pre-Covid-19 employees are back on the payroll, but small businesses expect to hire another 7% by the end of June.

To see a variety of other small business sentiments, trends, polls and analysis about the recovery process, click here for the full report.