Just an Ember of Optimism?

Those entrepreneurs who have survived the recession continue to show glimmers of optimism.  A new Intuit Payroll survey found that 44% are planning to hire in the next 12 months. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 small business owners, also revealed that 60% of small business owners expect their business to grow over the period. 

My fear is that what we are seeing are mere embers of optimism left over from the blazing fires of our economic boom times of the past twenty years, rather than a spark heralding a period of renewed growth.