Survey: Entrepreneurs Upbeat About 2012

More than 80 percent of entrepreneurs report being confident their business will be more profitable in 12 months.

It takes a certain degree of optimism to start your own business, but maintaining that confidence can be a challenge.

Entrepreneurs are optimistic about the year ahead, however. More than 80 percent of business owners are confident their business will be more profitable in 12 months than it is today, according to a nationwide survey of 800 clients of LegalZoom, the online document service that co-sponsored the research with the Kauffman Foundation.

The survey also shows that 68 percent of respondents think the economy will either improve or stay the same, and more than a quarter said they plan to hire additional employees in 2012. Three out of four business owners think customer demand will increase or stay the same.

The survey, titled the Startup Confidence Index, is the first installment in a quarterly survey designed to measure entrepreneurial confidence. –John McDermott

Photo via Flickr user _Fidelio_.