Square/Gallup Survey: Three-Quarters of Florida Small Business Owners Approve of How Donald Trump is Handling His Job as President

Floridian small business owners would vote for President Trump over all Democratic candidates compared with national data showing that Bloomberg defeats Trump in a head-to-head

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a survey conducted by Square and global analytics firm, Gallup, nationally, American small business owners are closely following the 2020 Presidential election and overwhelmingly plan to vote in November. With 60% paying “a lot of attention” and 30% paying “some attention,” this key group of voters, which account for more than 30 million businesses across the country, is more than highly engaged: 97% say they will likely cast a vote in the 2020 Presidential election.

Even though national small business owners tilt more Republican (40%) than Democratic (33%) or Independent (26%), they are closely divided in whom they would support in the general election. By comparison, U.S. adults nationwide are less likely to identify as Republicans, according to Gallup.

Results show that 75% of small business owners in Florida approve of how Donald Trump is handling his job as President which is significantly higher than the 60% approval rating from small business owners nationwide. In a hypothetical head-to-head match-up, Floridian business owners choose Donald Trump over every Democratic nominee with Bloomberg ranking as the top Democrat at 44% versus Trump at 56%. Below is the breakout:

Florida Head-to-Head	Democratic Candidate	Donald Trump
Michael Bloomberg vs. Donald Trump	44%	56%
Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump	42%	58%
Pete Buttigieg vs. Donald Trump	42%	58%
Bernie Sanders vs. Donald Trump	40%	60%
Elizabeth Warren vs. Donald Trump	39%	61%
Amy Klobachar vs. Donald Trump	39%	61%

The Economy is Bright in Florida

The majority of Florida’s business owners (64%) responded that the financial situation of their business is ‘excellent,’ compared to 56% of small business owners nationally. When looking at overall current economic conditions in America, a little more than half (51%) of Florida small business owners say they are ‘excellent,’ compared to just 38% nationally.

Key Issues in Florida

Florida’s small business owners list taxes (29%), healthcare (23%) and government regulations (22%) as the top issues that present the greatest challenges for their businesses. President Trump’s policies are working well according to Florida business owners where 74% say they benefited from the increased small business deduction in the 2017 tax reform, slightly higher than the national average of 69%. Also, 38% say that the US trade tariffs have mostly helped their business compared to just 27% nationwide.

Methodology

Results for this poll are based on online surveys conducted by Gallup on Jan. 15-24, 2020, with a sample of 1,234 small business owners, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, including 100 in Florida. Respondents were interviewed via web in partnership with Dynata. All respondents own a small business with annual revenue between $50,000 and $25,000,000. The national sample was weighted by revenue to ensure the sample was reflective of respondents across the revenue range.

About Square

Square, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) revolutionized payments in 2009 with Square Reader, making it possible for anyone to accept card payments using a smartphone or tablet. Today, we build tools to empower businesses and individuals to participate in the economy. Sellers use Square to reach buyers online and in-person, manage their business, and access financing. And individuals use Cash App to spend, send, store, and invest money. Square has offices in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Ireland, and the UK.

About Gallup

For more than 80 years, Gallup has been a recognized leader in the measurement and analysis of people’s attitudes, opinions and behavior. While best known for the Gallup Poll, founded in 1935, Gallup’s current activities consist largely of providing marketing and management research, advisory services and education to the world’s largest corporations and institutions.