Of the 220 small business owners and top management surveyed:
81%
think they are smarter about operating their businesses
70%
say that surviving the recession has made them stronger leaders
29%
doubt whether to continue operating their small businesses
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U.S. Small Business Outlook 2010:
Lessons Learned—A Case for Greater Optimism
See how the recent economic challenges have impacted Small Businesses' operations, perspectives and plans for the future.
At a Glance
Does your company have in place a strategy to guide growth once recovery from the current economic downturn begins?
After what may have been the most turbulent and confusing 12-18 months they’ve ever faced, U.S. small businesses are looking ahead to 2010 in anticipation that the ordeal of the 2009 recession may be fading. Having made it through the economic trauma, business owners are hoping that the hard lessons they’ve had to face will instill in them the discipline and control necessary to help ensure their success.
To gain a clearer understanding of what issues small companies are facing at the start of 2010, Forbes Insights, in association CIT, surveyed owners and executives at 220 U.S. small businesses (with annual revenues between $1 million and $15 million). The results, unsurprisingly, found many of these companies still numb from the shock of 2009. Yet while their outlooks may appear clouded with indecision, they also believe that a vital small business market will help lead the U.S. economy out of its current stagnation.