San Fernando Valley business owners are optimistic about their prospects for growth, with about half of those responding to a new survey saying they plan to increase jobs over the next two years. Eighty-six percent of the businesses surveyed see their industry as growing or stable, according to the “Business Enhancement Survey” funded by the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley. “It shows that the firms in the San Fernando Valley still see some strong economic growth ahead,” said Doug Svensson, whose firm Applied Development Economics conducted the survey on behalf of the alliance. Of the 10,000 surveys sent to Valley business owners, about 650 were returned. The full results will be released at “Summit 2000,” the Feb. 10 alliance event being held to explore economic and social trends in the Valley. Financial and real estate firms expect the strongest gains, with about 60 percent expecting employment growth, according to the survey. Those sectors were followed by manufacturers and wholesalers about half of which expect growth. Entertainment firms had mixed feelings about their prospects, with about a third expecting employment increases and another third expecting to remain stable. Only about 4 percent of those polled see their growth declining over the next several years, the survey found. Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said the survey reaffirms what he has heard from business leaders throughout Los Angeles. “Overall in L.A. right now, there is the sense that things are going well,” he said. “One indicator is, we’re having a hard time finding industrial space. I’d say the general mood is very, very positive.”
