Presidential impact on small businesses up for debate

Despite the tsunami of heat President Barack Obama took for his “You didn't build that” comment, the business community, at least in one new survey, stands behind him.

Indeed, 39% of small business owners say President Obama is “the most supportive candidate of small businesses,” according to the survey, from The George Washington University and Thumbtack.com. Less than one-third, 31%, say Republican candidate Mitt Romney is the most supportive, while 28%, the survey says, are not sure.

The survey respondents, says Thumbtack.com, a local professional services website, are a mix of more than 6,000 “real small business owners, like wedding photographers, auto mechanics and yoga instructors.”

Of course, that survey isn't the final word on which presidential candidate is the small business champion. For example, in SurePayroll's September Scorecard, 66% found Romney is better for small businesses, against 34% for Obama. That survey further found 67% of the respondents say Romney better represents their views on economic and fiscal policy, while 65% say Romney will drive more jobs.

SurePayroll Scorecard respondents, moreover, plan to vote for Romney by nearly a 2-to1 count, 61% to 33%.

While the presidential/small business champion gap is large, the surveys are closer on at least one major issue that impacts businesses: lack of optimism.

For instance, the SurePayroll survey says overall optimism among small business owners is 45% — down from 60% in August. And more than three-fourths, 77%, say the election has impacted their optimism. “It's deeply concerning that optimism plunged 15 points at a time when we're struggling to maintain the recovery,” SurePayroll CEO and President Michael Alter says in a release.

The George Washington-Thumbtack.com survey, meanwhile, found anecdotal evidence of gloom in Florida. That's where a Winter Park entrepreneur says true small businesses “are overstressed, overtaxed, overlooked and overshadowed by large corporations.”

Adds the entrepreneur: “The SBA is one of the most cumbersome and non-helpful organizations I have ever attempted to utilize. Many of their programs are unobtainable for a truly small business.”