Survey Says: A Look at the New American Consumer

If you're a small-business owner hoping for a surge in sales, the good news is that consumers are feeling a bit more optimistic about their financial future. The bad news is that they're still watching their wallets, so the newfound confidence may not translate into future sales -- at least, not without some extra effort on your part. Here's a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.

Feelin' Groovy

First, the good news: A new national survey from Weber Shandwick and KRC Research reports almost 70 percent of Americans have an optimistic outlook about their household finances for the next two years. And nearly 25 percent are very optimistic. Most (81 percent) say they are more responsible with their household's money today than when the recession hit two years ago.

Now, the not so good news -- at least for us business owners. Most say they've changed their financial habits and they now:

You better get used to it -- 60 percent swear these new savings and spending patterns will continue after the economy recovers.

For Better or for Worse

While consumers may be optimistic about the future, they're realistic about the present -- and reality bites. According to the SymphonyIRI Group Special Report: Back-to-School 2010, a whole lot of people say they are worse off today than they were only a year ago, including:

And to echo the optimistic folks I reported on above, 69 percent of all respondents, and 59 percent of those earning more than $100,000, are focused on saving money and cutting spending. And many -- 57 percent -- have stopped buying their favorite brands and are purchasing what's on sale.

Customer loyalty has taken a big hit in this recession. You're going to have to work harder to figure out smart ways to offer deals and still make money.

Employees Pay Healthy Share of Health Insurance Costs

Obviously, there are good reasons consumers are watching their budgets. And a big one is simply that more of their money is going to health insurance. According to a new study from The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust, in 2010, employees paid an average of 19 percent of the total premium for single coverage (up from 17 percent in 2009) and 30 percent of the premium for family coverage (up from 27 percent in 2009). The percentage of employees with high-deductible health plans also rose, from 8 percent last year to 13 percent in 2010.

To no one's surprise, employees at small firms are disproportionately affected. Nearly half (46 percent) of employees at small businesses had deductibles of at least $1,000 for single coverage, compared to only 27 percent of large company employees. And small business employees were much more likely to pay at least half (and often more) of the cost of their premiums (8 percent, compared to 1 percent of large company employees).

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit SmallBizDaily.com to sign up for her free TrendCast reports.