Survey: Bucks small business owners are confident

BUCKS COUNTY

Survey: Small business owners

are confident

DOYLESTOWN Small business owners in Bucks County are nearly as optimistic about the economy as those in the rest of country, according to recent local and national polls.

U.S. small-business owners have the most positive view of their overall financial situations than they have had in seven years, with 71 percent claiming to have a favorable outlook, according to the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, which surveys small-business owners throughout the United States.

At 69 percent favorable, optimism about the national economy among Bucks County's small business owners isn't far behind. Their view of the local economy is slightly lower, at 66 percent. Both figures come from a recent survey by the Bucks County office of Score, a national nonprofit organization that serves small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Score Bucks County also reported that 28 percent of local business owners said they expected to grow and hire employees.

"Our survey results point to a strong opportunity for job growth in our area driven by the small business community, a condition we have not seen for some years," Score Bucks County chairman Gene Murtha said. - Ben Finley