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San Francisco Small Business Owners See Bright Future

Schedulicity (http://schedulicity.com), the leader in online appointment scheduling for small, appointment-dependent businesses, today announced the results of its business and economic outlook study for 2012.  The study reveals the priorities, attitudes and perceptions of small businesses in regards to the economy, hiring expectations, marketing and 2012 business performance.

“While 2011 was clearly still a rebuilding year for many small businesses, 2012 is poised to be a time of development,” said Jerry Nettuno, CEO of Schedulicity.  “Prosperity is right around the corner.  Small businesses owners are signaling to us – both anecdotally and through formal communications – that the economic recovery is progressing.”

Schedulicity-using SMB owners were asked to participate in the online survey, from which nearly 1,200 responses were received. Here are the results:

1.      SMBs Are Overwhelmingly Optimistic About 2012 Business Performance

Among survey respondents, a surprising 91 percent indicated they expect their business to perform better than it performed in 2011, while only two percent predict negative business results. More than 47 percent expect much better results and 44 percent rated their expectations as somewhat better than last year. For comparative purposes, participants were asked to assess their 2011 business results. An impressive 51 percent rated last year’s business performance as better, or much better than expected; 34 percent reported earnings were on point with expectations; and a minimal 12 percent reported a worse-than-expected business performance in 2011.

2.      Small Business Owners Believe the Economy has Turned a Corner

When asked to rate the outlook on the economy in 2012, a hopeful 66 percent of business owners expect a better economic environment. Conversely, only eight percent believe the economy will be worse in the New Year, while 26 percent expect the economy to remain unchanged in 2012.

 Read more: Examiner.com San Francisco Small Business Owners see bright future