As the coronavirus cases spreads around the country, small business owners are beginning to feel early impacts, such as supply-chain problems and lost sales.
New data from the National Federation of Independent Business show that the current effects may be limited, but worries are big.
The group found that 74% of small businesses say they are not yet impacted by the pandemic, while 23% say they are being negatively affected. Just 3% report positive impacts. The group polled a random sample of 300 of its 300,000 members on Tuesday and Wednesdayfrom employers with up to 120 workers.
Of those who said they were not being impacted, nearly half anticipate the outbreak to affect their business if the virus spreads to or more broadly within their immediate area over the next three months.
Among the businesses that said they were being hurt, 42% reported seeing slower sales, while 39% were experiencing supply-chain disruptions. Just 4% said they had sick employees, which is likely out of…
