Survey Shows Record Level of Support for Local Businesses

In a new survey of 625 Hawaii Residents conducted in partnership with Omnitrak and with the support of Central Pacific Bank Foundation, the Hawai‘i Chamber of Commerce Foundation found there is a record level of support for small businesses in Hawai’i. The survey also determined most Hawai’i residents are aware of the struggles facing local businesses and would like to see more action taken to support small businesses in the current legislative session.

“There are so many small businesses in Hawai‘i that continue to struggle to keep their doors open, and the results of this survey highlight the urgency of helping businesses through this extremely difficult time,” said Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i CEO. “This is not the time to put more burden on local businesses, instead we should continue to find ways to lift businesses up while our economy begins to recover.”

Highlights from the survey can be found below:

• A record number of virtually all Hawai‘i residents (98%) feel small business is important to Hawai‘i and 9 in 10 (88%) say it is very important. This level of “very important” is rarely seen in Hawai‘i.
• A similarly large number – 97% across the State support action by the current Legislature to help keep small businesses open and their workforce employed with 8 in 10 saying it is “very important.”
• More than 9 in 10 residents (95%) agree that the Legislature should focus on getting our economy back on track and people back to work, with 3 in 4 or 75% strongly agreeing. Only 5% disagree that economic recovery should be the Legislature’s priority.
• By more than 6 to 1, residents agree that this is not the time for the Legislature to increase mandates on small business. Just under 9 in 10 (86%) of residents agree – 48% strongly – while a minority of 14% disagree.
• In a Chamber of Commerce small business survey of members, 85% of business executives said it was important to decrease regulations on small business, with two-thirds indicating this is extremely important to economic recovery.