SmallBusinessNewz

Here's hoping whatever stimulus package eventually gets passed includes a price break on Prozac, because it seems small business owners are in need of the stuff.  The National Federation of Independent Business's Index of Small Business Optimism fell again in January.

The index has been around for 35 years, and it's currently set so that the 1986 readout is equal to 100.  By comparison, January of 2009 registered at 84.1, a full 1.1 points down from December and actually the second-lowest reading in the survey's history.

William Dunkelberg, the NFIB's chief economist, also stated, "The failure of the index to rebound from historic low readings as it did in 1980 indicates that the recession will encompass the first quarter, with little chance for a bottom before the second quarter."

And, yeah, the Dow's down about 380 points for the day.

We'll try to highlight a handful of positives, though.  Compared to December, a few more small business owners now plan to increase capital outlays.  There were slight bumps in the categories of "expect economy to improve," "current inventory satisfaction," and "expected credit conditions," too.

One more thing: if the next small business optimism report tells of a new record low, at least that'll represent an achievement of a perverse sort.