45% of Missouri business owners dub market good

The fourth-quarter report was released Dec. 1 by the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Forty-five percent of respondents indicated business conditions in their market were “good.” Another 5 percent said those conditions are “improving,” compared to 11 percent that said the same in the previous quarter.

Fewer small-business owners believe the outlook is “good” for the next three months – 59 percent, down 7 percentage points from the third quarter.

The business climate was considered “supportive” by 31 percent of respondents, compared to 12 percent of Illinois survey respondents. Eleven percent in Missouri said they were involved in starting another business.

Fifty-six percent said they were “somewhat satisfied” with the direction the state is headed, while 20 percent said they were “not too satisfied.”

A combined 49 percent said they are either reducing energy use or absorbing costs with lower earnings to offset higher energy costs. An additional 12 percent said they have raised selling prices.

Sales were “good” for 43 percent of respondents, compared to 46 percent in the previous quarter. Twenty-four percent said profits were “good,” also down three percentage points.

The greatest cost pressure named by small-business owners was wages, at 52 percent. Benefits were the greatest cost pressure for 33 percent of respondents, a 9-percentage point increase from the third quarter.

Regarding employees, 21 percent of respondents said they have at least one job opening, and 19 percent said the cost per worker on payroll has increased.

The survey polled a minimum of 350 small-business owners, with “small employer” defined as employing between one and 250 people in a for-profit business.

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