Optimism is up for small business leaders; Concerns make 2012 an uncertain year; Mistakes Can Lead to Management; Experts Talk About Food Trends;

Surveys show optimism amongst small business leaders but at the same time caution as to this continued good feeling.

For instance, Newtek Business Services said the results of its monthly Small Business Market Sentiment Survey shows that a majority of business owners are optimistic about the future and their 2011-year end results.

According to CEO Barry Sloane “this optimism is the result of recent headlines indicating a drop in the unemployment rate, the growth in consumer spending and small gains in hiring in the fourth quarter.  Whether this optimism will continue in the first quarter of 2012 is anyone’s guess, given that consumer spending growth has not been accompanied by personal income growth.” Focus groups conducted by this newsletter’s parent, Information Strategies, Inc. in December mirrored these findings with a strong undercurrent of doubt as to continued optimism.

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One bellweather was the continued lack of interest in hiring new employees with less than one in five in its annual survey saying they expected to increase head count in 2012.

Since 2005 ISI has conducted a study of spending plans involving 1000+ small business leaders.  It is seeing little change in overall plans for 2012 with just 21% saying they expected to increase purchasing of property, plant and equipment. (the same percentage as 2011). 

-IT spending is also flat, with just 18% indicating they expected budgets to be higher in 2012.  Just 8% of respondents said they were planning to cut either of these two metrics.  Spending is up in marketing (26%) and healthcare (23%). 

For most categories spending is expected to be about the same.  By way of comparison, in 2007 45% of respondents said they were increasing spending in categories and this figure has steadily declined since that date.  Hiring remains stagnant but a positive sign for 2011, just 6% said they expected to cut staff and 19% said they were adding staff.  Healthcare costs are the single most uncertain item for 41% of respondents.

Want the corner office? Making mistakes may lead you there.

On a happier note, here are some food trends for this year to wet the palate.