GROWING PESSIMISM: A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business shows that small business owners were less optimistic in July for the second straight month.
THE REASONS: A growing number of owners expect sales to fall in the next three months. NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg said owners are anxious because they don’t know what their taxes will be like next year — and they likely won’t know until after the November elections.
SCALING BACK PLANS: Less than a quarter of owners surveyed said they planned to buy equipment or real estate in the next three to six months.
