Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) and the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management released on June 29th their quarterly Q2 2017 Private Capital Access (PCA) Index Report, which found 66% of small and medium-sized businesses in America struggling with working capital challenges. This number is the highest it has been in five years, rising 12% from Q2 2016’s 54%. The report is based on responses from a survey collected between April 26 and May 3, 2017.
Lead economist at Dun & Bradstreet, Bodhi Ganguli, talked in a press release about the rising percentage, saying that, “While access to capital for small businesses has steadily increased since the Great Recession, these businesses are still feeling the effects of being the last paid on the totem pole… the capital issues businesses are facing are unfortunately coming from the slowed payments from their business partners.”
Part of the problem also comes from interest rate hikes, with the Federal Reserve instituting a second interest rate hike in mid-June, with the likelihood of a third in 2017. 28% of medium businesses and 17% of small businesses say the interest rate hike will have an impact on their ability to reach new markets.
Dun & Bradstreet focuses on connecting customers with suppliers, partners, clients, and prospects relevant to their interests through data, with nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies using their analytics, insights, and data. The Pepperdine Graziado School of Business and Management uses experiential learning to improve critical thinking and deepen student’s connections so they can positively impact the communities and organizations they work in.
