Presidential Candidates in Virtual Tie Among Small Business Leaders According to AllBusiness.com Study

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AllBusiness.com, Inc. (www.allbusiness.com), a leading online resource for businesses, today announced the results of its 2008 year-end “SMB State of the Union Study.” According to the study, small to mid-size business (SMB) leaders are split between presidential candidates when asked which one would be the better for their business. The study shows a shift in the traditional perception that the policies of Republican candidates are better for business. The candidates were tied at 37% when SMB leaders were asked whether Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain would be a better leader when it comes to the growth of business in general. Similar results were found when SMB leaders were asked which candidates would be better for the growth potential for their own businesses, with McCain at 39% and Obama at 37%.

Notably, personal choice overwhelmingly triumphs over business interest as 57% of respondents are more likely to vote for the candidate whose views match their own while 31% would choose the candidate who would benefit their business. Also, the candidates’ choice of Vice President was overwhelmingly more important (56%) to the business leaders in terms of how they would vote in the election, as compared to age (32%), race (9%) and gender (7%) of the presidential candidate.

“Our study reveals two particularly surprising and noteworthy trends among business leaders in the current presidential election cycle,” said Kathy Yates, CEO of AllBusiness.com. “Perception has traditionally been that Republicans are the party for business due to Republican emphasis on lower taxes and small government, but our data says otherwise with both candidates dead-even at 37%. Also, our data shows it’s wrong to assume that business leaders will vote only for their own self interests. When forced to make a choice, SMB respondents opt for a candidate they personally like over the one who is good for their businesses.”

Mike Hais, retired vice president of research at Frank N. Magid Associates added, “Traditionally, of course, business people tend to be Republican and I'd expect that they'll still support the GOP to a disproportionate extent this year. But, we are living in a time of change and in a time of major economic stress. As Morley Winograd and I said in our book, Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics, America is about to enter a ‘civic’ era when people want greater government action and more regulation in the economy. Business people, like others, want more economic stability and many expect government to provide that stability. I think that accounts for the greater than normal support of Senator Obama by business people.”

Despite the anxiety some small business owners may be feeling (35% believe they will fare worse over the upcoming year), SMBs are generally optimistic about their business outlook (44%) for the coming year, as they have been over the last four years.

Other findings focused on SMB outlook include:

• Access to capital (19%) tops the list of the most important issues for SMBs followed by the value of the dollar (11%) and taxes (7%)
• 1/3 of SMBs are having trouble obtaining credit for their businesses
• Most SMBs have adopted cost-cutting measures in the past 12 months
• SMBs expect most financing vehicles to get more difficult to secure in the next 12 months
• 85% of SMBs took at least one measure to go green in the past year

About the “SMB State of the Union” Study

Frank N. Magid Associates prepared the “SMB State of the Union Study” for AllBusiness.com surveying a national sample of more than 300 for-profit SMB leaders from September 24 through October 14, 2008. Participants were 21 years or older and were the owner, partner, president, CEO, COO or vice president at companies ranging from small to mid-size.

About AllBusiness.com.

AllBusiness.com, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet (DNB), is a leading online resource for businesses. The Company operates one of the Web's premier business sites, providing practical information and services for business professionals and growing businesses. The site includes how-to articles and videos, business forms, contracts and agreements, expert advice, blogs, business news, directory listings, business guides and more. In addition to its flagship Web site, the Company's content can be accessed by its content syndication program, RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters. (www.allbusiness.com)