Almost half of small business owners polled in Boston are confident the city’s economy will improve in the next 12 months, while only 39 percent are confident the national economy will improve in the next year, according to a Bank of America survey. 

Bank of America recently compiled its first Small Business Owner Report, a semi-annual study exploring the concerns, aspirations and perspectives of small business owners across the country, according to a statement. In Boston, 46 percent of surveyed business owners said the Boston economy will improve in the next year.

The survey found 67 percent of Boston’s small business owners said their greatest concern regarding the economy’s impact on the success of their business is the recovery of consumer spending. That was followed closely by health care costs and the effectiveness of U.S. government leaders at 65 percent. The availability of credit was lower on the list, but more than half still marked that as their greatest concern.

Despite these issues, many small business owners in Boston have expressed optimism about the future of their own business, with 56 percent anticipating an increase in revenue over the next 12 months.

When asked to describe their staffing projections for the next year, 61 percent of Boston small business owners said they plan to maintain the same number of employees they currently have, while 19 percent plan to hire more employees.

Only 23 percent of Boston small business owners claim to be very financially savvy when it comes to running their business. The remaining respondents admit to needing occasional or ongoing expert help.

When asked if they could change one aspect of what their bank provides their business, 20 percent cited a desire for more investing options tailored to small businesses as well as better online/remote banking services. Even so, 69 percent of small business owners believe they currently have enough capital to effectively run their business.