Florida Chamber survey shows Covid had a staggering impact on small business
October 23, 2020 - About 85 percent of small business in Florida have lost revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a a new survey. Most of those businesses have taken advantage of relief programs and received Paycheck Protection Program loans, but the businesses say additional support is still needed in order to remain operating, the survey found. The Florida Chamber Foundation, the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, and the University of West Florida Haas Center partnered to conduct the survey, which was completed by 4,800 individuals covering 95 percent of Florida's counties and representing all industry sectors. Six out of every 10 respondents said they are extremely concerned about the economy and 45.4 percent were concerned about their ability to operate in the future. More than half of businesses either voluntarily closed or were forced to close their doors, with more than 30 percent revealing their operations were still suspended during the time of the survey, which was conducted during the summer.