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The State of Main Street Businesses — Insights from the Spring 2025 Small Business Profiles Survey
In this episode of the Main Street Business Insights podcast, host Matt Wagner is joined by Michael Powe, Senior Director of Research at Main Street America, to discuss the findings from Main Street America’s recent Spring 2025 Small Business Profiles Survey.
Matt and Mike explore the definition of Main Street businesses, and discuss current economic concerns cited by survey respondents, including rising costs and decreasing customer spending, and the overall confidence of small business owners.
Takeaways include:
- The average confidence score dropped to 6.7 out of 10, the lowest since tracking began in 2022. Only 40% of respondents now rate their confidence as 8 or higher, compared to 59% in Fall 2022.
- Nearly half (49%) of respondents reported a decline in profits over the past three months. Only 15% saw any profit increase.
- 65% of respondents said their household depends on their business’s profitability. Alarmingly, 43% said their income from the business is insufficient to meet basic living expenses.
- Major concerns include the rising cost of supplies and equipment (72%), declining customer spending (68%), and the impact of new tariffs (50%).
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Join us next week for more insights into the evolving landscape of Main Street business.
About the Main Street Business Insights Podcast
Each week, join host Matt Wagner, Ph.D., as he travels the country and takes a deep dive into the personal journeys of downtown and neighborhood entrepreneurs. The stories that far too often go unheard. Learn about the innovative ways that these Main Street businesses have overcome adversity, whether it’s starting a new enterprise or keeping a multi-generation business alive, and the advice they have for others on how to keep their businesses on track. Main Street Business Insights is powered by Main Street America.