In the News: Small Businesses Facing Worker Shortages

The human capital response to the COVID-19 pandemic is going to affect businesses of all sizes, but especially small businesses. This according to a survey from The Conference Board.

In this week’s roundup, the New Survey Quantifies Worker Shortage Problem for Small Business article points out the challenges businesses are going to face when it comes to finding qualified workers. The report from the survey says 80% of the respondents hiring mostly industry and manual services workers are having a hard time finding qualified workers. But what is more distressing is 25% of them are saying they are finding it very difficult to find workers.

The number of businesses that found it difficult to find qualified workers was only four percent before the pandemic, so there is a noticeable difference. The report also adds companies looking to hire will face challenges in the coming months as they ramp up output to meet the growing demand from the opening economy.

This week’s roundup also looked at how small businesses are looking to increase the diversity of their suppliers, why 27% of workers are planning to leave their job after the pandemic, and why 66% of consumers expect free shipping on every purchase. These are the types of articles you will find in the weekly roundup as well as the whole of Small Business Trend to help you see what is on the horizon in the economy, technology, policies, and other issues affecting small businesses.

 

Small Business News Roundup – June 25, 2021

Here’s a look at the big stories affecting small businesses this week:

Small Businesses Want to Increase Supplier Diversity in 2021

Having a single supplier is extremely risky for any business, as the pandemic proved with real-world results. And according to the Amazon Business B2B E-commerce in Evolution Report, businesses are very much aware of this problem. The report goes on to say supplier diversity remains a top priority among B2B buyers this year.

Pizzeria Visits Up 47% Since January

Since January of 2021, there has been a 49% increase in foot traffic at pizza restaurants across the U.S. And as more people get vaccinated and indoor mask mandates are lifted, the numbers are set to go even higher. Pizzeria Visits Up 47% Since January The information comes from the data scientists at brick-and-mortar marketing expert Zenreach.

27% Plan to Quit Their Job as Pandemic Subsides

How has the pandemic impacted the workforce? According to a survey from Eagle Hill Consulting, 27% plan to leave their job as the pandemic subsides. Furthermore, 29% of workers expect to leave their job in the next year. For millennial workers, 33% are planning to leave post-pandemic and 36% are expecting to leave within the next year.

66% of Consumers Expect Free Shipping on Every Purchase

A large majority of consumers (66%) expect free shipping on every purchase they make online. An even larger number (80%) expect free shipping when ordering a certain dollar amount on online products. These were some key insights of the Q2 2021 Consumer Trends Report issued by Jungle Scout. Jungle Scout, Amazon research tool providers, conducted an anonymous survey of 1,066 US consumers.

Thimble Small Business Customers Ready for Comeback

Are you waking up before your alarm? Infused with optimism? Looking forward to every new day being part of a business operation? You’re not alone.  Thimble reached out to its customer base of more than 50,000 small businesses, and they are feeling positive. Small Businesses Ready for a Comeback The pandemic is responsible for upending the business plan of companies big and small.

T-Mobile Launches New Services for Small Business

T-Mobile has launched new services designed to help small businesses succeed in a mobile-first digital transformation strategy. The new services include offering Business Unlimited smartphone plans, which have unlimited 5G access, high-speed hotspot data, and greater Premium Data.

Crafters: Become a Skillshare Teacher to Earn Extra Cash

With more and more people going online to learn new skills, it’s a great time to share knowledge with others and earn money. On Skillshare, you can monetize any number of skills. But what is Skillshare and how do you leverage it? Here’s all you need to know to get started as a Skillshare teacher.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, "In the News: Small Businesses Facing Worker Shortages" was first published on Small Business Trends