The survey of 518 business owners across 45 states reveals a widening gap between local business performance and federal confidence. While 29.6 percent of respondents reported growth, nearly 40 percent of owners described the broader U.S. economy as only fair, with 39 percent citing strong distrust in Congress. Owners frequently pointed to rising insurance premiums and regulatory compliance as significant barriers to expansion.

Randy Ford, President and COO of NWYC, noted that trust in Washington continues to lag behind the inherent optimism business owners feel about their own operations. To bridge this divide, 69 percent of participants expressed a high likelihood of contacting their Congressional representatives in the coming year to advocate for tax certainty and relief from inflation. For many, the path forward requires a tangible shift in federal fiscal policy rather than incremental adjustment.