Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

According to a survey taken by Small Business California, small business owners in the state are less than optimistic about the direction California is headed.  One-third of survey respondents felt that the state's business climate would be worse in coming years, with 60 percent saying California is headed in the wrong direction.  (The joke here in Washington is that they're headed to the ocean, but we won't tease each other today, right?) 

While it's not a huge group of respondents (only 420, actually), the survey is a good start.  Being able to access the opinions and thoughts of small- and home-based business owners is essential to the survival of a state's economy, in my opinion.  After all, when the Big Boys on the employment block announce layoffs and budget cuts, it's the little guys who keep plugging along and working within their communities to mentor new entrepreneurs, network with each other, and work toward legislation that encourages the growing number of small companies.  (And thus the growth of local and state economies, as we can see by examining the winners of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business Awards.)

To read the full survey results, pop on by Small Business California's website.  If you're the owner of a small- or home-based business in the state, be sure to let them know what you think too!