Vistaprint N.V., a leading online provider of professional marketing products and services to micro businesses and the home, today revealed the results of its second “Small Business Happiness Index” for 2012. The index gauges micro business owner sentiment and provides information on topics that include their overall happiness, customer growth and revenue. Additionally, this survey focused on small businesses and their presence online, including owning a website and leveraging social media.

Results of the survey indicate that with the economy slowly rebounding, business is going well for micro business owners: 27 percent are on track to make the same amount of money as last year, while 46 percent are on track to make more money this year. Additionally, 55 percent of small business owners have more customers now than they did at the beginning of the year.

The quarterly survey generated nearly 1,500 responses from U.S. based micro businesses (businesses with between 1-10 employees) and showed that the vast majority are optimistic about running their own businesses, with 77 percent reporting that they are very happy. Respondents also said that running a small business is ideal for them, as over 85 percent somewhat prefer or strongly prefer working for themselves.

“Each quarter as we take the pulse of the micro business community, it is encouraging to see that owners are overwhelmingly happy with operating their own businesses and holding the role as sole decision maker,” said Don LeBlanc, chief marketing officer for Vistaprint. “Business is picking up, but according to our survey 42 percent of micro business owners are working more hours while holding or improving their customer numbers. The continued dedication of micro business owners reflects a resiliency and shows how dedicated they are to succeed.”

Some detailed numbers from the survey around the usage of websites and social media platforms follows:

• 90 percent of respondents feel that it is important to have a website
• 69 percent of micro businesses surveyed currently have a website
• Of those micro business owners who have a website, 75 percent are generating revenue either directly or indirectly through a website
• A little less than half (46 percent) sell physical products on their website
• 56 percent of micro business owners have a Facebook page for their small business

“It is clear that micro business owners recognize the importance of having a web presence and how it can positively impact their business,” said LeBlanc. “Being online extends the potential reach of small businesses and introduces them to new audiences and customers. Interestingly, the survey shows that 75 percent of respondents are generating revenue from their businesses, but only 46 are actually selling products on their websites. That indicates that websites are also driving brand awareness through search results.”

Vistaprint conducts regular surveys with its U.S. micro business customer base, defined as small businesses with between 1-10 employees that primarily work out of their homes and generate less than $100,000 annually in revenues. This online survey was conducted from June 10 to June 17, 2012 with nearly 1,500 total respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

While the Small Business Happiness Index offers insight about the sentiment of micro businesses generally, it does not indicate or represent changes in Vistaprint's business results for any period.