(http://www.manta.com)
As the presidential election draws closer, voters from highly
influential swing states will play an increasingly important role. A
new survey by Manta(http://www.manta.com/), the largest online
community dedicated entirely to small business, reveals that small
business owners in those key states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa,
Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin --
are leaning Republican. Over half (57 percent) of those small business
owners say they plan to vote for Governor Mitt Romney, Representative
Ron Paul or whomever is selected as the GOP candidate. Meanwhile, 32
percent say they back President Barack Obama.
Since the beginning of the year, small businesses have largely
supported the GOP candidates. In Manta's January Political Poll, half
of respondents said they plan to vote for one of the Republican
candidates still in the running at the time -- Former US House of
Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, Paul, Representative Rick
Santorum and Romney. Only 34 percent said they would vote for Obama.
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Nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) say the Republican Party
is the biggest supporter of small business, while one in four small
business owners feel Obama and the Democratic Party is who's backing
them -- down six percent since the last poll in January.
Tax policy and the ability to get a loan/access to credit topped the
January list of political issues important to small business owners,
but healthcare has since surpassed both topics. Nearly one in five
small business owners (19 percent) say healthcare will impact them the
most, while 17 percent say it's tax policy; 14 percent, government
regulation; and 13 percent, unemployment.
"As we are less than six months away from the election, it is critical
that the presidential candidates still in the race focus on important
issues affecting SMBs, such as job creation and healthcare," said
Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta. "Small businesses play a key role in
the national economy, and are a strong driver of innovation. Manta
supports these small business owners through a unique platform built
specifically for them, enabling this influential group to share and
voice their opinions."
The survey findings are part of a series of Manta Political Tracking
Polls that offer an ongoing assessment of small business owners'
opinions on candidates and hot topics related to the upcoming
presidential election. Manta's latest survey polled more than 1,500
small business owners.
"The economy has been hard on small businesses this year, so I'm
hopeful the presidential candidates will focus on issues that will
impact and improve the outlook for companies like mine," said Bruce
Muller of Wisconsin-based Webfitter
LLC(http://www.manta.com/c/mtmm225/webfitter-llc), a company that
helps mid-sized to large companies develop their web sites, PHP web
applications and manage their database systems. "Manta has been a
valuable resource to help me get through the tough times, and I'm
confident that no matter who our next president is, I will still be
able to rely on Manta to provide me with the tools to grow my business
and find new leads."
For more on the poll, please contact manta (at) bordersgratehouse
(dot) com. To access the full survey results, go to
http://www.manta.com/media/political_survey_052212(http://www.manta.com/media/political_survey_052212).
For more on previous Manta Political Tracking Polls, go to:
About the Survey Manta polled 1,593 small business owners across the
nation, who are members of Manta.com and have claimed their Manta
business profile, via an online Silverpop survey between May 1 and May
4, 2012. Out of the 1,593, 396 small business owners reside in swing
states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North
Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin). This survey tracked small
business sentiment toward the presidential candidates and how they
feel about government policies affecting their business. The margin of
error is +/- 2.98 percentage points.
About Manta Manta helps small businesses profit, connect and grow
through the largest online community dedicated entirely to small
business. Millions of people come to Manta each day to buy from,
partner with and connect to companies. By joining Manta, small
businesses easily harness the power of the Internet. Get visible; grow
your business for free at www.manta.com(http://www.manta.com/).
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