Owner Confidence Declines

 

April 30, 2007 -- Small-business owners had a weaker outlook on the economy in April, citing rising insecurities and cash-flow issues, a new survey found.

Of 1,000 small-business owners polled last month, 55 percent said economic conditions across the nation are getting worse, up from 51 percent in March, according to Discover Financial Services.

Thirty-two percent said business conditions in their own markets were deteriorating, while 40 percent said they had experienced cash-flow problems within the past few months, the survey found.

Despite the declines, which were spread across all business segments tracked by Discover, 44 percent of owners polled said they were still planning to increase spending in the months ahead.

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