My Outlook on the Future of Small Businesses

Until quite recently, I had a rather cautious optimism about our economy. This was based on our increase in business. I was hearing the same news from other women-owned businesses and from our competitors as well.

However, as hard as I am trying to still be an optimist, for the first time since I can remember, my outlook for the next year looks pretty dismal.

There appears to be too many negative factors coupled with too little positive to offset the problems.

Everyone has been saying that it will take the small business to jump start the economy, but in recent months we have had the slowest growth in startup businesses in a number of months.

The administration created the small business lending fund of 30 billion dollars but many banks do not want to participate because of the new tight regulations initiated by the banking meltdown.    

The bottom line is, “confidence” and we just don’t have it because of so many uncertainties about such things as long term debt, the debt ceiling, the knowledge that each party in Congress will not take the drastic steps necessary to put our economy on a strong path in fear of losing the next election.