Entrepreneurs in the Triangle are still optimistic about their businesses come what may over the next six months, but they aren’t quite as excited as at the same time a year ago, a new NCSU Entrepreneurship Clinic survey reports.
In fact, the overall index score is the lowest among seven such surveys. Politics could be a reason, says the Clinic’s director.
The Quarterly Outlook of Triangle Entrepreneurs showed some declines in hopes to hire, to grow revenue, and to spend.
Increased hiring dropped to 56.1 percent for the coming six months vs. 61.2 percent a year ago.
Revenue is seen as growing sales by 82.4 percent vs. 88.2 percent in 2015.
And capital spending is projected to drop by 45.7 percent of startups vs. 46.3 percent last year.
Still, the numbers are positive and reflect findings as reported earlier this week in a survey of startup and emerging company CEOs by Durham-based Bull City Venture Partners.
Overall, the outlook index dipped to 103.8 from 110.77 for the first quarter of this year.
It’s also the lowest to date for the survey, just under the 103.93 calculated in the fourth quarter 2015 report.
The survey was highest in Q2 2015 at 121.83.
However, a year ago, the index stood at 121.83.
So what’s going on?
Is it politics such as HB2? The presidential campaign?
“This might reflect the complexity of the political landscape at the local and national levels,” explained Lewis Sheats, who is the director of the NCSU Entrepreneurship Clinic, who didn’t mention a specific issue in the report about the survey.
“Firms may be down on sales and employment growth, but still willing to invest in the venture and plan for possible future growth. It will take more data, from future quarters to bear this out—perhaps it will take until the election is over before we get closure here.”
Read the full report at:
http://entrepreneurshipclinic.ncsu.edu/clinic-research/
