Optimism is the coin of the realm. Well, that and coin.
And, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the optimism side of the economy — which tends to lead the transaction side of things — is looking up for small businesses in the region.
The Fed’s semi-annual pulse-taking of companies in the Southeast shows that, while companies don’t report a boost to business, more of them do expect to hire staff over the next 12 months.
As for the coin, the chances of getting financing are up, sayeth the Atlanta Fed’s survey.
A little less than one-third of companies said they applied for credit. Six of ten that applied got the big green light for the loan. That compares with just four out of ten a year ago.
“Businesses had the greatest success with attaining financing by applying to regional or community banks,” the Fed reported.
