According to the 2013 U.S. Bank Small Business Annual Survey, Wisconsin businesses remain slightly more optimistic than their national counterparts. Of the 201 state businesses responding, 23% said they expect to increase staff in the next year, compared to just 16% of companies polled nationwide. Four percent of the Wisconsin businesses polled expect to reduce hiring, compared to 5% nationwide.
Thirty-two percent of state businesses saw revenues increase compared to last year, while only 29% of the national businesses polled saw improvement. Also, 47% of Wisconsin businesses expect stronger revenues a year from now, compared to only 41% nationally. Over the next year, however, less than 30% of all business owners plan to make capital expenditures in order to expand.
U.S. Bank polled 3,210 small businesses across the 25 states where it conducts business. Only businesses with $10 million or less in annual revenue were included in the survey, which had a margin of error of 3.1%.
