Fla. biz owners ooze optimism

The respondents to a new business owner survey from BMO Harris Bank are a happy bunch.

To wit: Nearly all of the respondents, 96%, feel their business will either grow or stay at the same level this year, according to the survey. More than three-fourths, 80%, believe the U.S. economy will either improve or stay the same this year, and 92% feel the Florida economy will either improve or stay the same this year.

“It's a very encouraging sign that Florida business owners are so confident about their company outlooks in 2014,” BMO Harris Bank Managing Director Andrew Cardimen says in a release. “While we've certainly seen progress to date, there's a bit of apprehension when it comes to the prospects for the overall U.S. economy.”