Small Business Owners Currently Have Mixed Feelings

culled from:inc.com

Behind the increase

Nearly half the owners surveyed said their revenue rose over the past 12 months, up from 37 percent who reported higher revenue a year ago. Fifty-five percent expect revenue to be up this year, compared to 48 percent a year ago.
Meanwhile, cash flow, critical to a company's ability to pay its bills, is also expected to be stronger; 65 percent of owners said theirs will be good over the next 12 months, up from 57 percent who made that prediction a year ago.

Hiring plans dip

Twenty-three percent of the owners said they'd add jobs over the next 12 months, down from 26 percent in November but up from 22 percent a year ago. The more cautious stance toward hiring has already been reflected in small-business jobs reports this week from software maker Intuit and payroll company ADP. Both said their smallest customers added jobs at a slower pace in January.
Some fluctuations in hiring are to be expected, as business owners have said in surveys the past few years they wouldn't hire unless their revenue was strong enough to justify bringing in more workers. However, economic growth did moderate during the fourth quarter, according to the Commerce Department, and owners may be cautious going forward in response to that news.