U.S. small businesses remain upbeat despite the recent gridlock on the health care bill.
The small business optimism index surged following the election and reached a peak in January this year. Although the index slipped in June due to gridlock over repealing the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), it remains near its highest level in more than a decade, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.
Business owners are backing up their positive outlook by planning to add more jobs and to increase investments. And the majority of business owners expect to achieve sales growth.
Across the board, 60 percent of small-business owners anticipate an increase in revenue next year, according to a survey by MetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The same study showed that only 9 percent expect a decline.
