Small business owners in the States believe they will lead the charge out of the country’s protracted recession – with almost three-quarters (72 per cent) saying they will be the driving force behind the US economic recovery in 2010. 

The study released by FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s) – its third annual Signs of the Times survey – shows that 51 per cent of the small business owners polled say their businesses have already or will fully recover by the end of this year.

This optimism is a marked improvement over the survey’s findings last year, when 54 per cent of respondents indicated they were very concerned about the economy’s impact on their business. Further evidence of a brighter outlook is that 18 per cent of small businesses are considering an increased budget for staffing and HR activities in 2010, double last year’s nine per cent.

This study, conducted online during the first week of April, also found that small businesses are planning to put their trust in the power of marketing to help them restore business to pre-recession levels. About 42 per cent are considering increasing spending on marketing and advertising initiatives in 2010 and 30 per cent say they may increase spending on sales initiatives – both actions specifically aimed at boosting customer traffic and revenues.

Randy Scarborough, vice-president of marketing for FedEx Office, said: "Small businesses are definitely getting it right when it comes to identifying and investing in the tools that will help them bounce back from a difficult period.

"From print ads and direct mail campaigns to online marketing programs and a social media presence, small business owners today are smart and savvy about how to maximise their budgets while connecting effectively with new and existing customers down the street and around the world."