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Small Biz Optimism Up --
4th Consecutive Month
The Index of Small Business Optimism gained
1.8 points to 93.8, the fourth straight monthly
increase. This suggests the rising trend might stick.
See the study »
Top Impediments to Small Business Growth
According to the NFIB's Research Foundation
Study, Growth – External Factors report,
the two primary external impediments to small
business growth are:
•Economic and political uncertainty
•Weak sales

Read the Full Study
Find out exactly how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has affected small business over the past year in the latest study from the Research Foundation
Small Business Credit in a Deep Recession (PDF)
NFIB's Research Foundation released a new national small business poll that takes a deeper look at what the underlying credit problems are for small businesses. The report, Small Business Credit in a Deep Recession (PDF), shows that access to credit has become increasingly more difficult for a segment of the population and identifies the key contributing factors to the credit problem.

Research Foundation

Find the latest research, polls and information on critical small business trends, including NFIB's well-known monthly Small Business Economic Trends report.

Small Business Economic Trends

SBET NFIB Small Business Economic Trends, January 2012
The Index of Small Business Optimism gained 1.8 points for the fourth straight month, rising to 93.8. About half of last month’s gain was due to reduced concerns about business conditions 6 months ahead and improved expectations for real sales gains.

January 2012 Survey

Small Business Problems & Priorities

Small Business Problems & Priorities study Problems & Priorities
The cost of health insurance remains the top problem for small business in America—-as it has been for two decades. Read the survey results from the seventh edition of NFIB's Small Business Problems and Priorities survey, which is based on the responses of 3,530 small business owners.

See Problems & Priorities

NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg on Bloomberg

What's Keeping Unemployment so High?

Fewer Small Business Sought Credit in 2010

The outlook for small business expansion remained bleak for most of 2010 as fewer and fewer business owners sought to access credit; a trend that has continued since 2009.  In its latest report, “Small Business and Credit Access,” NFIB found that the present challenging economic environment has resulted in a reduction in the number of small businesses seeking credit in 2010, and an increase in the number of discouraged borrowers, or those who have ceased attempts at accessing credit.

Read the study (PDF)

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