Canadian Business Barometer Slips In April

File this report in the "nothing lasts forever" folder, if you wish.  The latest numbers from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business show that small business owners in the country became less confident in April, but the decrease compared to March is perhaps not yet something to worry about.

A new report from the CFIB stated, "In its latest reading, CFIB’s Business Barometer Index dropped to 66.4 from its March level of 69.9.  These views suggest that the torrid pace of overall economic growth seen last winter is beginning to cool to more sustainable rates."

So, even if nonstop growth would be good from many perspectives, at least Canadian small business owners aren’t exposing themselves in the event of a "double dip" recession.  Or, if that possibility’s behind us, they’re also not at work setting up another bubble.

Anyway, here’s how you can interpret the CFIB’s numbers in an official fashion: "Measured on a scale between 0 and 100, an index level above 50 means owners expecting their business’ performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance.  According to past results, index levels normally range between 65 and 75 when the economy is growing."

Let’s just hope we stay in that span when the May numbers arrive.