Small-business owners are maintaining a positive outlook for the rest of the year, according to the latest Western Union Payments Small Business Barometer. The national survey, which monitors business owners’ financial confidence and money-management practices, found that U.S. entrepreneurs saw gratification in being small business owners and are optimistic about prospects for their revenue.

Positive forecast

Small business owners are projecting rewards when it comes to finances, notes the survey, which was conducted in June. Fully 45 percent of small business owners under the age of 44 felt that their revenues were going to increase, and 28 percent of all survey participants believed their bottom line was going to be looking up as the year progressed.

Although the outlook appears bright, the report found additional rewards to being an entrepreneur that may contribute to the participants’ hopeful outlook. When they were polled about why they became entrepreneurs, almost one third (31%) cited the ability to control their income. However, another 26% loved the creative outlet that having a business provides, and 19% appreciated the ability to drive their own career. Income, creativity and control: U.S. small business owners are feeling good about being in the driver’s seat.

The experts weigh in

How do small business experts interpret these survey findings? Celent’s senior analyst, Bob Meara, said this about the resilience of entrepreneurs: “The Small Business Barometer results show that even in a challenging economy, people are finding entrepreneurship has its own rewards. Small business owners are continuing to innovate and search for new ways to attract business and expand offerings.”

Enhancing business

Not only do small business owners feel upbeat about their revenue prospects, they are also actively looking at ways to make their businesses better. For example, 36% of business owners surveyed are planning on offering new products or services, 25% will offer specials and promotions, and 23% will increase their marketing dollars.

To top it off, small business owners understand the value of social media, with a quarter of them (25%) planning on using various channels to promote their business, 17% planning to use Facebook, and 11% planning to use LinkedIn and Google.

A few clouds remaining

Despite this upbeat attitude, even the most positive of the small business owners who were surveyed worry. About 37% are anxious about how to get new customers and revenue, and 19% are simply stretched too thin; 19% are concerned about managing their payments and staying on top of their cash flow.

In June of this year, Celent, an international financial research and consulting firm, surveyed 501 small business owners and managers online about their behaviors and mindset toward their business and related financial matters. A similar survey was conducted in January 2012 from a random sampling of 503 small business owners and managers.

For more information, visit http://smallbusiness.westernunion.com.