On LI, minority small business owners expect growth despite challenges | Long Island Business News

Listen to this article Minority small business owners on Long Island feel better about their firms than they do about the economy. And they say improved access to capital, networking opportunities and marketing support would help them grow their business. That’s according to the Long Island Minority Small Business Survey, whose findings were released last week at a Long Island Association meeting. Conducted between September and December, the survey includes the insights of 176 small business owners. The survey was conducted by the Long Island University’s Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis, LIA, Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce and the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “We felt it was important to work with the LIA as well as the African American and Hispanic chambers of commerce here on Long Island to make sure that the views, opinions and concerns of small and minority businesses are recognized and heard,” Kimberly Cline, president of Long Island University, said in a written statement about the survey. The survey found that 83% of minority small business owners believe their businesses are better (51%) or the same (32%) as this time a year ago, with 16% saying worse. Asked...