--- title: "Survey: Tariff Anxiety Surges for Small Business Owners" url: https://burnaze.com/article/4f87d89b-1c26-4ac7-af48-de7c9b4b546b source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/_survey_tariff_anxiety_surges_for_small_business_owners.html author: "M. Scott Morris" category: "Finance" topics: ["Finance & M&A","Regulation & legal"] published: 2025-04-16T08:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T20:08:59.529Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/9461_plate.jpg --- # Survey: Tariff Anxiety Surges for Small Business Owners **TL;DR:** A survey by Alignable found that 44% of small business owners in the US expect reduced sales due to tariffs, with 25% already reporting tariff-related revenue drops. The survey, which collected 4,441 responses, also found that 68% of small business owners anticipate continued uncertainty through April. *By M. Scott Morris, originally published in Franchising.com on 2025-04-16. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/_survey_tariff_anxiety_surges_for_small_business_owners.html).* ## Story Tariff-related anxiety is surging among U.S. small business owners (SMBs), and new research from Alignable, in collaboration with Harvard Business School and MTI researchers, shows how quickly concern is growing. Based on 4,441 responses from small business owners, Alignable's April Tariff Report found: - 44% of SMBs expect reduced sales due to tariffs, up 14 points since February. - More than 25% already report tariff-related revenue drops. - Only 5% expect a significant revenue boost from tariffs. - 68% anticipate continued uncertainty through April; 42% say it could last through 2025. - More than 50% say they can't negotiate better supplier prices. - Domestic alternatives often cost 25% more and take 6+ months to source. - 75% believe average tariffs of 15%+ are here to stay. - More than 50% were unaware of retaliatory tariffs from China and Canada. - Concern is highest in New York (55%), Pennsylvania (52%), Florida (48%), Massachusetts (48%), New Jersey (45%), and Illinois (40%). - Most affected industries are retail (57%), restaurants (54%), travel (54%), construction (53%), and manufacturing (52%). - Get Started in Franchising - Franchise Rankings & Awards - Franchise Sales & Development - Featured Franchise Stories Franchising.com is produced by Franchise Update Media. Franchise Update Media has its finger on the pulse of franchising with unrivalled audience intelligence and market driven data. No media company understands the franchise landscape deeper than Franchise Update Media. 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 300A Washington, DC 20005 PH. (408) 402-5681 - Franchisee Financing & Lending - Site Selection & Real Estate - Supply Chain & Procurement - Annual Franchise Development Report - Multi-Unit Franchising Conference - Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference - Franchise Leadership & Development Conference - Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine - Franchise Update Magazine - Franchise Update Franchisor Report - Franchising Express Report - International Franchise Report - Multi-Unit Franchisee Report The multi-unit franchise opportunities listed above are not related to or endorsed by Multi-Unit Franchisee or Franchise Update Media Group. We are not engaged in, supporting, or endorsing any specific franchise, business opportunity, company or individual. No statement in this site is to be construed as a recommendation. We encourage prospective franchise buyers to perform extensive due diligence when considering a franchise opportunity. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Florida (location) - new york (location) - Finance (sector) - canada (location) - new jersey (location) - M. Scott Morris (person) - Pennsylvania (location) - Illinois (location) - massachusetts (location) - China (location) - US (location) --- Originally reported by M. Scott Morris, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/_survey_tariff_anxiety_surges_for_small_business_owners.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/4f87d89b-1c26-4ac7-af48-de7c9b4b546b).