Daily Local, 3/11/2022- Houlahan visits Phoenixville, meets with business leaders still battling pandemic
By Staff
PHOENIXVILLE — U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th Dist., recently visited Baba’s Brew Kombucha in Phoenixville for a roundtable with local Pennsylvania small business owners to discuss the challenges they continue to face on the two-year anniversary of the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This event was the latest installment of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Voices Road to Recovery Tour.
The visit to the kombucha shop started with a tour conducted by Olga Sorzano, owner of Baba’s Brew Kombucha. After the tour, Houlahan led a roundtable with local small business owners within her southeastern Pennsylvania congressional district, in which the small business owners discussed the programs the federal government provided to small businesses during the pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as struggles they continue to face.
“As an entrepreneur, I understand that small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy,” said Houlahan. “Here in our community, we have approximately 14,917 small businesses that generate $8.3 billion in payroll across Chester and Berks counties. So when we support small businesses, we support Pennsylvanians. Today, I joined Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Voices at an event in Phoenixville to hear directly from small business owners like Olga Sorzano and others about their recovery and plans for the future. From workforce challenges to delays in receiving crucial products and rising energy costs, small business owners have faced numerous challenges these past two years, and it’s more important than ever that their voices are heard. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I look forward to bringing their stories with me to Washington so we can continue advocating on their behalf.”
Sorzano welcomed the opportunity to talk to Houlahan.
“I was so excited to welcome Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan to Baba’s Brew Kombucha this morning. Over the course of the last two years, I have had to make adjustments that I never expected, but that’s the life of a small business owner. Hiring new workers is more challenging than ever and finding the right fit for my business is just as tough. It was comforting to relay these concerns directly to Congresswoman Houlahan as her constituent, and I would like to thank her for taking time to hear from us small business owners today. Additionally, I’m grateful for Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Voices for organizing an event that brought small business owners from all across the district together,” said Sorzano.
Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Voices released its most recent survey, which found that among small businesses owners:
• 97 percent of those hiring say labor shortages are impacting their bottom line, a 17% increase from September 2021
• 87 percent of those hiring find it difficult to recruit qualified candidates for open positions
• 68 percent report concerns regarding ongoing supply chain constraints, with 69% saying it has negatively impacted their business revenue
• 84 percent say inflationary pressures have worsened since September 2021, with 76% saying it’s affected their business’ financial health
• 29 percent say that the United States is moving in the right direction, a 38% slide since June 2021
The data is a result of a survey of 1,466 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses participants by Babson College and David Binder Research from Jan. 10-13. The survey included small businesses from 47 states, 58% of whom were women.