Small businesses optimistic about economy says Chase survey

A majority of Americans may be down on the economy, but 75% of small business owners feel that they will meet or beat their goals by the end of this year, according to a recent survey by Ink from Chase, the business card portfolio from Chase Card Services.

"What surprised us this year was the degree of a real turn-around, a real sea change in the way that small business owners are thinking about their future prospects," Ink President Richard Quigley told WalletPop in an interview. "We also asked about going forward, 'what are you thinking about the economy and your business in the next 3-6 months?' 76% said that they feel it's going to be better going forward. So there is a resurgent optimism."

That optimism will likely translate into more jobs as 72% surveyed said they are adding or plan to add more employees, up from 49% last year. In fact, 35% said they spent this past year expanding aggressively, while 40% claimed growth on a more modest scale.