São Paulo – After a gradual loss of confidence over the course of this year, entrepreneurs have recovered their optimism and most are projecting an expansion in business from January until March next year, when the country will be under president elect Dilma Rousseff, the first woman ever to occupy the position.
So says the survey conducted by consultancy firm Serasa Experian among 1,015 executives across all sectors of the economy, from November 22 to 30.
Out of the interviewees who are going to revise their projected revenues for the first quarter of 2011, most (85%) informed that they expect greater earnings. Only 15% claimed that they will revise the figure downwards. In comparison with the same period of 2010, there was a slight decline in optimism. At that time, 90% of interviewees had higher growth expectancies than their initial projections, and 10% said that they would reduce their sales targets.
The most optimistic are businessmen in the trade sector (87%), followed by services (86%) and industry (77%). Businessmen in small enterprises are among those who showed greater confidence (86%). In large enterprises, 83% bet on business expansion, and in medium enterprises, 82% do.
As for 2010, most are expecting greater revenues (65%). Out of all interviewees, 22% believe that they will have a similar performance to that of 2009 and a minority (13%) expects a decline.
Regarding the hiring of new personnel, most claimed that they will maintain their current employees (65%). For 27% of interviewees, there should be an increase in job positions, and 8% forecast job cuts. There was a slight decline compared with the same period of last year. For the first quarter of 2010, 34% intend to increase their total number of employees, 62% should maintain their current personnel, and 4% intend to dismiss people.
There has also been a decline in the rate of those who plan on investing more, who total 30%, as against 37% in the same period of last year. Expected improvements during Dilma Rousseff’s term in office include a tax reform project, interest rate reduction, better credit conditions and greater infrastructure investment.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
