The Bodega Association USA
Korean American Small Business Service Center
SBC Small Business Congress
New York City Ramon Murphy Bodegas Survey
2021 Survey of only small immigrant family owned businesses in business for over 5 years.
Survey strictly confidential with only business owners answering.
All survey answers only address prior issues to the virus crisis.
Final results: 479 Immigrant family owned NYC small businesses:
1. Is your business Immigrant family owned? Yes 100% No_______
2. How many years have you been in business at your present location?
_7 _years average.
3. What is the number of your employees (include family and part-time workers)? 6
4. Prior to the Coronavirus was your business at risk of closing (not due to retirement or health issues)?
Yes _61%_ No __8%_ Unsure___31%__
If yes, Please select most likely reason or reasons (You can check more than one but if you choose two or more list number in order of priority with 1 being the most 4 the less). * please read all before answering!!
39%_3_ Real estate speculation in community, gentrification.
23%_4_ Unable to compete with larger franchise stores or Enet.
84%_1_ Higher Rents & unreasonable lease terms.
78%_2_ Property Tax increases
5. Prior to Corona Virus had you been forced to lay-off workers? Yes 77% No 23%
6. Prior to Virus had you been forced to cut hours of workers or cut back some workers to part-time?
Yes 84% No 16%_
If yes, to either 5 or 6, Please select the most likely reason or reasons (please number in order of priority with 1 being the highest 4 less) Read all before answering!!
27%__3_ Real estate speculation in community, gentrification.
19%__4_ Unable to compete with larger franchise stores or Enet.
78%__1_ Higher Rents & unreasonable lease terms.
71%__2_ Property Tax increases
7. Prior to the Virus did you have any plans to expand your business or make major capital improvements?
Yes 9%__No 91%____
8. Do you feel the people in NYC government who are responsible to recommend small business economic policy or the agency to help small businesses understands immigrant owned small businesses? Yes 8% No 92%
9. At any time during the commercial lease renewal process, has the landlord or acting agent demanded from you money as a condition to begin the negotiation of your lease renewal? Yes 48%__ No 52%___
10. At any time during the commercial lease renewal process, has the landlord or acting agent threatened to force you out of business unless you give him “cash”? Yes 57%__ No 43%___
11. If Yes, did you give your landlord or his agent “cash” Yes 41%__ No 59%___
12. From your experience with lease renewals, do you feel you have no rights during the lease renewal process?
Yes 93%_ No _7%_
13. Do you feel without any rights for the tenants during the lease renewal process you cannot negotiate fair lease terms? Yes 91% No 9%____
14. Is the present length of your lease adequate for growth and job creation? Yes_14%____ No 86%_____ what is your present length of lease _2_years average.
15. What length of lease would give your business the best opportunity to grow and create jobs? _8_____ YEARS.
16. Did you receive the length of lease you asked your landlord for?
Yes_7%_ No_93%__
17. Since owning your business have you received any help or services from NYC Small Business Services?
Yes _11%__ No__89%___
18. Can you survive in business without government intervention to give you rights when your lease expires?
Yes _17%__ No__83%____
19. Have you heard of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act giving owners 10 year leases and no property taxes? Yes __6%____ No___94%___
20. If our government passed the Jobs Survival Act would this motivate you to remain in business and look to a brighter future in business? Yes_87%__ No_13%____
21. Can you remain in business by continuing to pay your rent and landlord’s property taxes?
Yes _18%____ No__82%_____
22. Did you feel you faced a crisis to survive prior to the Coronavirus crisis?
YES__69%_______ NO___31%_______
SURVEY TAKER ______________ INITIALS ONLY DATE ________