By Kristen Chavez

When I think about Florida, I immediately think about fun theme parks, warm sandy beaches and WCI in Orlando. This may seem short-sighted and naïve, but actually tourism is Florida's top economic driver.  According to "VisitFlorida" 127 million people visited Florida in 2018, adding $85.9 billion to the economy, with tourists landing in all of Florida's 67 counties. 

So, how is COVID-19 impacting Florida's economy? 

According to a recent survey conducted by the Florida Chamber:

• There are roughly 2.7 million small businesses in Florida.

• 60.8 percent of 4,842 small businesses surveyed revealed extreme concern over the Florida economy. 

• Only 2.8% of Florida's small businesses indicated that pandemic has had no impact on their business.  

• 60 percent of Florida's new jobs since 2012 are created by companies with fewer than 100 employees.  

• 45.4 percent of small businesses in Florida said they were extremely concerned about their ability to operate in the future.