Small Firms Unscathed by Housing, Credit Crunch

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Despite trouble in the credit and housing markets, small-business owners are maintaining a positive outlook for the months ahead, according to a recent survey by PNC Bank.

Of more than 1,200 small-business owners polled by Harris Interactive, 87 percent said credit availability was the same or better than three months ago, the Pittsburgh-based bank reported.

While 43 percent of respondents said they expected housing prices to fall, less than a quarter believed it would have a negative impact on sales and profits.

"Small-business owners are not yet ringing the recession bell," Stuart Hoffman, the bank's chief economist, said in a statement. He said the survey results pointed to slow by sustained economic growth over the next few months.

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