"The big picture remains solid, with small firms as optimistic, and inclined to spend and hire, as [much as] they have ever been," the NFIB says.
"Small business owners are deeply uncertain about the future, and that is affecting their decisions,” the NFIB says.
Nearly one third of respondents said that they could not fill positions because they could not find qualified applicants, says the NFIB.
But solid economic growth likely to be elusive this year, says NFIB chief economist William Dunkelberg.
The December National Federation of Independent Business survey shows optimism is back up to pre-recession levels.
Optimism among small business owners is high, but many don't expect business conditions to get any better in the next six months.
Private companies are less likely to default on debt, according to new data, making them well-positioned to secure loans for expansion.
Small business wins reprieve on credit-card rule.
The Internal Revenue Service responds to business concerns by eliminating a requirement from its new pay card reporting rule.
Thousands of businesses are criticizing a proposed labor law that would require many lawyers to report confidential information on corporate clients to the Department of Labor.
