It's Official: Americans Love Small Business

By Maeghan Oulmet

Here's some good news for small businesses: You can do no wrong in the eyes of the American people. Well, most of them, anyway.

According to the 2012 Public Affairs Pulse Survey, 88% of adults have a favorable view of small businesses. Fifty-three percent have a very favorable view of small businesses. Meanwhile, the number of people who say the same for major corporations is just 16%. Overall, more than half of the survey respondents believe small-business owners tend to exhibit honest and ethical behavior unlike CEOs of major corporations.

The survey, which is based on interviews with 1,750 adults living in the U.S., also found that Americans generally believe that small businesses are the backbone of the middle class. Fifty-one percent say small business has supported the middle class for the past 50 years. This response outweighed other options such as unions, major companies, and the government.