http://www.nfib.com/Small-business research from the National Federation of Independent Businessen-usEM3 iOnwebmaster@nfib.orghttp://www.nfib.com/object/IO_37149.html"Recession fears are spreading and the economy is showing definite signs of slowing, even on Main Street," according NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism rose 1.9 points in April to 91.5 (1986=100). Half of the gain was due to an improved outlook for business conditions 6 months out, and a quarter was from improved earnings trends. At the same time, rising prices are becoming a matter of serious concern.Tue, 13 May 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_37151.html"Recession fears are spreading and the economy is showing definite signs of slowing, even on Main Street," according NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism rose 1.9 points in April to 91.5 (1986=100). Half of the gain was due to an improved outlook for business conditions 6 months out, and a quarter was from improved earnings trends. At the same time, rising prices are becoming a matter of serious concern.Tue, 13 May 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36840.htmlRecession clouds appeared in the skies over Main Street, according to the most recent National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends member survey. The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism fell 3.3 points in March to 89.6 – its lowest reading since the monthly surveys were started in 1986, and the lowest quarterly reading since the second quarter of 1980. The decline was driven by a sour outlook for business conditions and real sales growth, accounting for half the decline in the Index. Weaker plans to create new jobs accounted for 21 percent of the decline. "We are seeing recession readings," said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg.Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36841.htmlRecession clouds appeared in the skies over Main Street, according to the most recent National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends member survey. The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism fell 3.3 points in March to 89.6 – its lowest reading since the monthly surveys were started in 1986, and the lowest quarterly reading since the second quarter of 1980. The decline was driven by a sour outlook for business conditions and real sales growth, accounting for half the decline in the Index. Weaker plans to create new jobs accounted for 21 percent of the decline. "We are seeing recession readings," said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg.Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36481.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends Report optimism index increased marginally in February, but continued to provide signals of a stronger-than-perceived economy. "There is no credit crunch in sight, and there are many unfilled jobs," said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. "But the economy is plagued by a dismal outlook, rising inflation and, contradictorily falling employment." The Index rose to 92.9 (1986=100), an improvement from last month's reading of 91.8 which was the lowest since January 1991.Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36482.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends Report optimism index increased marginally in February, but continued to provide signals of a stronger-than-perceived economy. "There is no credit crunch in sight, and there are many unfilled jobs," said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg. "But the economy is plagued by a dismal outlook, rising inflation and, contradictorily falling employment." The Index rose to 92.9 (1986=100), an improvement from last month's reading of 91.8 which was the lowest since January 1991.Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36183.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Index of Small Business Optimism fell 2.8 points in January to 91.8 (1986=100), the lowest reading since January 1991 (91.4). "The Index is sending a recession signal," said NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg, adding, "But by comparison, this January reading is more of a recession in expectations than in hard economic data. Hiring plans and job openings are much stronger today than in 1991."Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_36194.htmlTue, 12 Feb 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35744.htmlTue, 08 Jan 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35750.htmlWhile the Federal Reserve is focused on the problems of the large banks, small-business owners are worried about inflation. According to the National Federation of Independent Business December Small Business Economic Trends report, released today, the percent of owners reporting higher average selling prices had fallen to a net 9 percent of all firms in September but now stands at 16 percent. Plans to raise prices rose from 21 percent in September to 26 percent of all owners in December.Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35526.htmlReaction by small-business owners to Federal Reserve rate cuts in September and October sent the National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Optimism Index down 1.8 points to 94.4 in November – the lowest reading since 1993.Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35527.htmlReaction by small-business owners to Federal Reserve rate cuts in September and October sent the National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Optimism Index down 1.8 points to 94.4 in November – the lowest reading since 1993. Seventy percent of the index decline came from two index components, the outlook for real sales and the outlook for business conditions in six months. Weak earnings trends reports accounted for the balance of the decline. Inventory investment, capital spending and hiring plans all held steady.Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35523.htmlNFIB has launched a new Web site, www.411SmallBusinessFacts.com, that allows you to compare your business with others. The NFIB Research Foundation developed the new site and will update it with additional material eight times a year. While originally intended to help NFIB prepare testimonies and engage in other policy-related matters, the material on the site was too valuable to hoard. So, the service is now public and free.<br>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35492.htmlThe primary reason for the decline in the number of small businesses providing health insurance appears to be that owners of new firms are reluctant to introduce health benefits, according to a National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Poll released today. The poll on purchasing health insurance found that 52 percent of small-business owners do not offer either employee health insurance or an insurance purchase subsidy.Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35488.htmlMon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35433.htmlThe big news these days seems to be a concern that credit markets have "seized up," that they will not function properly and that commercial-paper markets are frozen. Well, that may be the view from the 50th floor of a building on Wall Street, but it is not true on Main Street.Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35307.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends Optimism Index fell 1.1 points to 96.2 in October (1986=100), continuing the decline that followed the Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September.Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35309.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends Optimism Index fell 1.1 points to 96.2 in October (1986=100), continuing the decline that followed the Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September.Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35122.htmlMon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34724.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Optimism Index rose one point last month to 97.3 (1986=100). The Index has been below its historical average for 17 of the past 18 months, and has been below 100 all year, reflecting the sub-par growth of the economy.Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_35043.htmlThe National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Optimism Index rose one point last month to 97.3 (1986=100). The Index has been below its historical average for 17 of the past 18 months, and has been below 100 all year, reflecting the sub-par growth of the economy.Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34898.htmlWhen Conventional Wisdom is WrongWed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34900.htmlAccording to the Bureau of economic analysis, the output of the economy (GDP) grew only 0.7 percent in the first quarter but 3.4 percent in the second. It is hard to believe that the growth rate of a $13 trillion economy could increase five-fold in just 90 days, so let's just average the two numbers and agree that, as small-business owners told us in January, growth was slow and below potential in the first half of the year, not much better than 2 percent for the year.Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34726.htmlDespite reports of a credit crunch and calls for the Fed to cut interest rates to save the economy, there doesn't seem to be a credit problem on Main Street, according to the August National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends Report. The report shows lending to finance the normal production of GDP is still running smoothly. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34631.htmlWed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34632.htmlWed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34309.htmlAmerican small-business owners aren't ignoring the turmoil on Wall Street, but they're calmly minding the store, according to the latest results of the National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Economic Trends report. Although entrepreneurs are not exuberant, their outlook remains positive: the Small-Business Optimism Index gained 1.6 points over June figures, rising to 97.6 (1986=100).Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34311.htmlAmerican small-business owners aren't ignoring the turmoil on Wall Street, but they're calmly minding the store, according to the latest results of the National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Economic Trends report. Although entrepreneurs are not exuberant, their outlook remains positive: the Small-Business Optimism Index gained 1.6 points over June figures, rising to 97.6 (1986=100).Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_34273.htmlWed, 08 Aug 2007 07:00:00 PST http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_33980.htmlThose usually optimistic small-business owners are showing signs of doubt about future economic growth. The National Federation of Independent Business Small-Business Optimism Index lost 1.2 points in June, falling to 96.0 (1986=100). The Index has now been below its historical average (100.2) for 15 of the past 16 months and below 100 during all of 2007.Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:00:00 PST