Is there a glimmer of hope among small businesses? The results of the NFIB Small Business Optimism Survey for April 2020 were released on Tuesday, May 12th. While small business sentiment remains weak overall, the forward-looking data may surprise you.

Most notably, the outlook for general business conditions showed a substantial 24-point increase over the March survey and, at 29%, is now higher than it’s been in 19 months. Another eye opener? Plans to increase employment, which bottomed out at -8 in early 2009, are still net positive. Could it mean that the SBA’s Payroll Protection Program is working? While only time will tell, could the current negativity about the economic outlook be overstated?