Small business owners more optimistic this year

This news should come as no surprise, given how dismal 2009 was for many Gulf Coast businesses, but now there is proof that Florida small business owners are more optimistic about their financial performance compared to a year ago.

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute recently released new research showing that 49% of small business owners statewide anticipate higher revenues in 2010, compared to only 31% the year before. This is significant, the institute says, since its study was conducted in June based on only the first half of this year.

The New York-based institute's analysis is based on a comprehensive study, “The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America's Small Business Owners,” which surveyed 1,200 small business owners with two to 99 employees across 12 industries.

Florida small business owners also revealed that over the next 12 to 24 months, 46% plan to maintain business as usual, while 40% plan to expand and only 8% plan to downsize.