Highlights:
- Florida small business owners haven’t been this optimistic since 2009
- Local business confidence is translating into strong hiring intent
- Full report outlines reasons for optimism, top worries, and feelings about key political and policy issues that affect business
Florida’s local business owners are feeling pretty good — the best in nearly a decade, according to some measures. The state’s small business community still faces challenges, such as rising loan default rates, but in general spirits are high among Floridians who run independent local businesses.
All that confidence is translating into strong hiring intent on Main Street. Fully 27% of Florida’s small businesses are planning to add staff this year, slating the Sunshine State #12 nationally for small business hiring intent. In addition, Florida boasts 4.5 optimistic small business owners for every pessimistic one, with about 70% reporting optimism about prospects this year — right on the national average, according to new data from Womply.
Our study also identified the specific drivers of confidence and anxiety for Florida small businesses (hint: Trump’s election looms large), how sentiment impacts intentions like hiring or business expansion, and how the state’s local business owners feel about Obamacare repeal, tax reform, immigration, and other key policy topics that affect small business.
Take a look at the full report.