Small-business owners are beginning the new year on a positive note, says the Staples National Small-Business Survey. It reports that 85 percent of American small-business owners are “optimistic” about the business climate in 2017.

The survey also found that 67 percent of respondents plan to hire employees this year, while 91 percent would be likely to encourage their children to start their own business given the current state of the small-business environment, and 67 percent think business tax reform should be the top policy priority for 2017. Furthermore, 97 percent plan on increasing investment in their companies in 2017, 72 percent intend to increase staff compensation and 93 percent rate running their own business as the best kind of job satisfaction there is.

“We’ve been a small-business champion for more than 30 years, and are pleased that small-business owners are hopeful and confident as we head into the new year,” says Frank P. Bifulco, Jr., executive vice president of global marketing at Staples. “We conducted the survey to better understand the pulse of small-business owners and to further identify those priority product and service areas in which we can help our customers achieve success in 2017.”

The survey of 502 U.S. small-businesses owners was designed by Staples and conducted online by Wakefield Research from December 14 to December 21, 2016. For the purpose of the survey, small-businesses owners were defined as those who had up to 10 full-time employees.

Staples participates in the promotional products industry as distributor Staples Promotional Products (PPAI 108945).