Sage finds anecdotal evidence of small business optimism

3/28/2011

Small business owners have been coming out of the woodwork, each with their own story of success, Sage Peachtree recently noted after several day-long events on a cross country tour to meet with various entrepreneurs.

This anecdotal evidence aligns with a survey the brand took last year, which found 46 percent of small business owners believe the economy is on the mend. Further, 36 percent have greater confidence their business prospect] in 2011. Improvements in small business lending, lessening of taxes and a stabilizing national debt are the root of this optimism, according to the report.

"What we found was that many small businesses are grappling with similar concerns, which echo those we identified in our recent accountants survey and the Sage Global Business Index survey," said Jennifer Warawa, senior director of partner programs at Sage.

"The top concerns voiced by our attendees were running their businesses on reduced staff, dealing with rising costs and regulatory issues, attracting and keeping new customers, waiting for consumers to start spending again and finding ways to retain skilled employees," she added.

While the economy is slowly improving, small business owners are urged to be careful about resuming hiring habits. Inc. magazine's Norman Brodsky advises businesses to instead invest in sales and marketing.