WASHINGTON (AP) – Small business owners are upbeat about their companies' prospects, but their optimism is tempered by concerns about the economy and government regulations.
That's the finding of a survey of 1,000 owners released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife. An index based on the survey registered at 60.6 on a scale of one to 100. The chamber and insurance company plan to release the index quarterly going forward.
The survey, conducted last month, is in line with others released in recent months by banks and small business advocacy groups that showed owners more optimistic about their own prospects than about the local and national economies.
Components of the Chamber of Commerce-MetLife index that reflected owners' optimism included their assessment of their companies' financial health, their hiring intentions, revenue expectations and plans to invest in their businesses. Drags on the index included their view of the national and local economies and the amount of time they spend on complying with regulations.
The survey found that 61 percent of the small business owners rated the health of their companies as good and 38 percent called business very good. However, companies with fewer than five employees were the least upbeat, with only 33 percent rating their companies as very good.
– by AP Reporter Joyce M. Rosenberg