Small Business Leaders Not Happy For 2010; Staffing Outlook Mixed;

Pessimism reigns amongst small business leaders responding to an annual survey.

Small business owners see a bleak picture for 2010 and are hoarding cash, reducing payrolls and generally pulling in their horns.

These are the overall trends revealed in Information Strategies, Inc., (ISI) 2010 Outlook Study.

In the ISI survey, only 7% said they were adding to staff, while 27% of responders plan to replace only those staffers who left and one in five (21%) said they were reducing staff. The remainder said they were unsure as to what they would do.  However, another survey said hiring should expand this year. Cick here:

The figures for reduction and non-replacement are up a combined 20 percentage points from last year’s survey.

For more details on this survey, please click here:

With the healthcare reform bill seemingly on life support, small businesses are breathing a sigh of relief for one more year.

At the same time, Health Savings Accounts are growing as a preferred option with more than 11 million Americans now covered. For more details, click here.

On a more positive note, Stan Rapp, a nationally known expert on promotion offers his ideas on improving small business efforts. Click here.