Local business owners are optimistic about business opportunities, according to a survey conducted by Missouri S&T’s Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC).

“Of those surveyed, more than 81 percent of businesses expect their business to improve somewhat or improve greatly over the next one to three years,” says Keith Strassner, director of technology transfer and economic development at Missouri S&T. “Although we expected most to have a positive outlook, it was surprising to see this number that high.”

Another surprising result was the number of businesses involved in exporting, with nearly 25 percent of respondents doing business internationally. “Many small businesses don’t think about exporting because they consider themselves too small,” says Strassner. “However, about 97 percent of all exporters are small businesses according to the Small Business Administration.”

The business needs survey was conducted in late 2016 throughout a nine-county area served by Missouri S&T’s Small Business and Technology Development Center. Learn more about the survey results.