Three Ways to Capitalize on Business Optimism

Even before the Labor Department reported that  200,000 new jobs were created in December, a funny thing was happening: Business owners were starting to feel more upbeat about 2012. 

Surveys of owners' attitudes started coming back showing rising confidence:

• Peer-mentoring organization Vistage International's CEO Confidence Index hit the highest level since the beginning of 2011. It also saw the biggest single-quarter uptick since 2009.
• The National Federation of Independent Business -- which always seems to have the gloomiest or, depending on how you look at it, realistic data -- found small-business owners' confidence in December had risen for the fourth month in a row. Their headline: "While Economic Winter Continues, It Appears to be Getting Warmer."

So what's going on?

Is it just that we don't want to be depressed anymore? Or maybe four (going on five) long years of pent-up, American-consumer demand may be all we can take before we've just gotta buy.

Perhaps owners are simply feeling better these days because they're having an easier time getting the money they need to grow. A Thomson Reuters/PayNet survey showed business lending hit a four-year high in November.

There are still plenty of negatives out there, though.

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The unemployment rate is still high, at 8.5 percent. Some say Americans overspent on the holidays and may not be able to buy much for at least another couple of months. And Europe remains in economic chaos.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

If you sense a positive change in the wind, here are three ways to lay the groundwork for growth in 2012:

1. Up your marketing spend. Money invested in marketing now should pay off in more new customers as the economy improves.
2. Consider a hire. It's a great time to snap up talented applicants. And thanks to hiring subsidies offered for employing veterans, the move could make even more sense. 
3. Move in a new direction. If you've been holding off on a new product or business initiative, now's the time to put it in gear. Get a jump on the competition before everybody catches on to the upswing.

Leave a comment and let us know. 

This article originally posted on Entrepreneur.com