Prince George, BC – According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small businesses in the province are feeling good about their prospects, as the summer winds down…

The CFIB’s ‘Business Barometer’ index for BC for the month of August rose 1.9-points to 66.3.  (Measured on a scale of 0 to 100, an index level above 50 means owners expecting their businesses’ performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting a weaker performance.)  BC’s confidence barometer holds 5th place in the province and is above the national average index of 65.9.

Entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan are the most optimistic in the country at 70.7, followed by Newfoundland and Labrador at 70.7, Alberta with an index rating of 69.5, Ontario at 67.8, and then BC.

The federation says short-term full-time hiring plans are more positive than usual, with 22-percent of respondents surveyed expecting to add staff and only eight-percent looking to trim down.

CFIB’s Director of provincial affairs, Mike Klassen, says, business outlooks in BC have remained steady near this level since late last year.  "Tax and regulatory costs remain the top constraint on businesses with 67-percent being concerned over it – still the highest level in the country."