Pandemic Paralyzes US Small Businesses Awaiting Federal Aid, Business Group Says

A normally busy Main Street is deserted as the small businesses that line the business district remain closed after the governor instituted a shelter-in-place order in an attempt to curtail the spread of the CCP virus in Rockton, Ill., on March 24, 2020. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Small-business owners are hopeful that a $2 trillion federal relief package will provide much-needed support as COVID-19 continues to weigh on the U.S. economy.

A National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) poll released March 23 found that 76 percent of small businesses have been hurt by the pandemic. The majority of those are feeling the effects of slower sales.