Small-Business Optimism Spikes in October

With elections just a few days away, one issue that doesn't seem to be bothering small-business owners is the economy. A Discover Small Business Watch survey released today found that during the past month business owners reported big jumps in cash flow and a greater willingness to invest in business development. Forty-four percent rated the economy as "excellent" or "good." Sixty-one percent reported they had no cash-flow issues.

This survey is a little more upbeat than the most recent numbers available from NFIB's Small-Business Optimism Index. In September, NFIB reported that while the labor market was very strong, small-business owners were less confident about the overall economy. The Optimism Index rose from the August reading, but NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg remained cautious.

Now with the stock market experiencing robust growth in recent weeks and the Fed keeping inflation in check, business owners seem to be responding with greater certainty about their economic futures.