SmallBusinessNewz

Compared to any time between, say, the start of 2003 and the end of 2007, the latest entry in the NFIB's Optimism Index looks kind of depressing.  Compared to March, however, the April results seem encouraging.

"The Index of Small Business Optimism rose 1.9 points in April to 91.5," a new report states.  "Only one Index component fell, the other nine were either unchanged or posted a gain.  Half of the gain was accounted for by an improved outlook for business conditions six months out, and a quarter of the gain resulted from improved earnings trends."

Of course, 91.5 is still a ways off from 107.7, which the index reached in November of 2004, and Anita Campbell writes, "Remember that sentiment is about how confident business owners feel about the economy and the decisions they are making to spend, hire and otherwise run their businesses.  It's not a measure of actual results."

Any gain is good at this point, though.  And since small business owners play a rather large role in the economy, their opinions can form into fact.

Keep thinking happy thoughts, then, and we'll see how May's numbers turn out.