---
title: "Small Business Owners Feel The Worst May Still Be To Come"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/e218775f-2804-4f00-8c9c-368618b81cf5
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_owners_feel_the_worst_may_still_be_to_come.html
author: "Multi-Unit Franchisee"
category: "Finance"
topics: ["Finance & M&A"]
published: 2020-12-21T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:31:54.847Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/5706_plate.jpg
---

# Small Business Owners Feel The Worst May Still Be To Come

**TL;DR:** A poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife finds that half of small businesses see their operations continuing for a year or less in the current business climate. Most small businesses fear that the worst is still to come with Covid-19's economic impact.

*By Multi-Unit Franchisee, originally published in Franchising.com on 2020-12-21. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_owners_feel_the_worst_may_still_be_to_come.html).*

## Story

Half of small businesses see their operations continuing for a year or less in the current business climate before they would have to permanently close, says a new poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife.

Most small businesses (62%) fear that the worst is still to come with Covid-19’s economic impact and three-quarters of all small business owners (74%) say they need further government assistance to weather the storm. That percentage increases to 81% when looking at minority-owned businesses. Only four in 10 small business owners believe their business can continue to operate indefinitely without having to shut down permanently.

“The impact of coronavirus continues to take a devastating toll on America’s small businesses. In fact, half of them say they can operate for a year or less before closing permanently,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S.

Chamber of Commerce. Most small businesses see a long haul before things return to normal. Just a quarter of small businesses think the U.

S. small business climate will return to normal in under six months, with more than half (56%) predicting between six months to a year for a return to normalcy. This is in line with sentiments expressed last quarter and in May (six months ago).

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- General (sector)
- Multi-Unit Franchisee (person)
- covid-19 impact (topic)
- small business (topic)
- US Chamber of Commerce (company)
- MetLife (company)
- economic climate (topic)
- government assistance (topic)

---
Originally reported by Multi-Unit Franchisee, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/small_business_owners_feel_the_worst_may_still_be_to_come.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/e218775f-2804-4f00-8c9c-368618b81cf5).