The National Federation of Independent Business has released its latest data. Its Small Business Optimism Index rose and so did its Uncertainty Index, to its highest reading since November 2020. Once again, small business owners named inflation as their single most pressing issue in operating.
Small business owner Carol Roth agrees that inflation is the biggest factor squeezing small businesses. She noted that labor and government regulations are also dragging small businesses. She described the situation as “too many concerns and not quite enough optimism.”