Executives see few rays of sun

Florida small business owners are a grouchy and grumpy bunch.

At least that's so when compared with peers in the Southeast and the rest of the country, according to the American Express Open Small Business Monitor. In fact, Florida survey respondents have a more pessimistic view than others in seven recession recovery areas.

For starters, 32% of the respondents have a positive outlook on the economy and business prospects over the next six months, while 46% in the Southeast are positive and 48% nationwide are positive. Results are similar for respondents who say their business has capital investment plans: Nearly half — 46% in the Southeast, 48% nationwide — answer that question in the affirmative, while only 26% in Florida do.