Surveys Show Small-Business Owners Concerned About Implementation of Affordable Care Act

Two new surveys show that small-business owners are growing more concerned about the Affordable Care Act's implementation, despite the Obama administration's recent decision to delay the law's employer mandate. A survey released Wednesday by Sageworks found that two-thirds of 300 accounting professionals who work with small businesses said changes as a result of the ACA are a disincentive for small businesses to expand and hire new employees. Meanwhile, a separate survey from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that seven out of 10 small business owners said that ACA regulations would hindered their companies' growth.

• "Despite Temporary Reprieve, Business Owners Increasingly Anxious as Health Care Law Looms" (Harrison, "On Small Business," Washington Post, 7/17).