High Gas Prices Hit Cleaning Services Businesses

Spikes in gas prices have taken a toll on small business owners trying to bounce back from the pandemic, especially those that offer cleaning services, according to a new survey. 

The Alignable Gas Price Poll found more than two out of three small business owners (68%) report experiencing “very significant” negative impact given recent gas price spikes. The poll was conducted among 6,439 randomly selected small business owners from March 12 to 27.

Cleaning services ranked second behind transportation as the small business sector feeling the most financial pressure, followed by beauty salons, plumbers, and repair shops.

While gas prices were on the rise earlier this year, more industries were affected after the U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas forced prices to skyrocket to new heights, analysts say.

Cleaning (90%) and plumbing (78%) services rely on their workers driving—often long distances to and from clients’ homes or corporate facilities—all day long, every day, even on weekends, in many cases. 

Alignable analysts say adding up the increased operational expenses from all of that driving, over the course of a week, would be devastating to the margins of these types of small businesses. 

Minority-owned businesses are having more challenges with the increase in gas prices as well, as nearly three out of four (74%) reported “very significant” negative impact on their business growth.

However, veterans aren’t far behind with 70% of those businesses struggling with higher gas prices. 

Geographically, Michigan, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia top the list of states where more small businesses are feeling the negative effects of gas price spikes. 

See the full poll results here.