Keeping small business up, while the trends are headed down

For small business owners, everything is amplified. For instance, the landing of a large new account is not only a professional success, it’s a personal success that can mean long term financial security for your family. At the same time, every setback, small or large, hits even harder. When times are tough for the overall economy, they are exceptionally tough for small business owners.

Last month, Discover(R) Small Business Watch found that economic confidence among small business owners dropped to a record low. Nearly 80 percent of small business owners thought the U.S. economy was getting worse. With the prices of most goods rising, especially gas and food, nearly every participant in the American economy is feeling the pinch. It’s unavoidably trickled down — your customers are probably looking to change behaviors and cut back. The result for you and your small business: reduced opportunities, stagnant cash flow and slimmer profit margins.