Smallbiz Ready to Hire

The nation’s unemployment rate may have hit a 26-year high in September, but many small businesses are getting ready to hire, according to a survey released Monday by Intuit Inc.

The Mountain View, California-based company said its survey found that 44 percent of small-business owners polled are planning to hire new employees within the next 12 months.

At the same time, many small-business owners believe that benefits are key to attracting new hires but are finding them difficult to afford, the survey found.

Sixty percent expect their business to grow in the next year, and newer businesses are the most bullish, with 80 percent of companies founded less than three years ago expecting growth over the next year. That compares to roughly half that have been in operation for 10 years or more, Intuit said.

When it comes to hiring, small-business owners are looking for candidates with a broader skill set. Fifty percent of the small-business respondents said they were looking for a “people person” or “jack of all trades” over a “creative genius” (11 percent) or “mathematical wizard” (4 percent).

The Intuit survey reflects a recent survey conducted by the City Business Journals Network, the advertising affiliate of American City Business Journals, Portfolio’s corporate parent.

According to that survey, 52 percent of business owners with 5 to 499 employees surveyed felt optimistic about their business’ prospects in the next 12 months when the survey was taken in August and September, as the latest Dow rally was well under way. That optimism number was up 22 percent from March, when optimism hit its low of 35 percent as the market wallowed. An even bigger number, 71 percent, of executives of companies with more than 500 employees surveyed in September were optimistic.