California’s Entrepreneurs Have Sunnier Outlook Than Elsewhere

California small-business owners are feeling pretty upbeat these days.

The state’s entrepreneurs expressed greater optimism about their business prospects than their counterparts from around the nation, according to a recent report by Wells Fargo and the National Federation of Independent Business in Washington.

Of the 381 California entrepreneurs surveyed in April, 20% said they planned to hire workers versus 18% nationally; 26% of the state’s small-business owners said it was a good time to expand compared to 22%; and 27% said they expected higher sales versus 21%, the survey found.

The only negatives in a generally rosy report were signs of inflationary pressures. Nearly one in four California small firms recently increased prices, the highest level since January 1990.

“After a long period of languishing, prices are clearly on the move,” said William C. Dunkelberg, chief economist at the National Federation of Independent Business.