One in four small business owners say they plan to hire new full-time employees in the next year, and some plan to add new locations, according to a survey released today by Citibank.

The results of this year’s Citibank Small Business Pulse survey indicate a higher level of confidence than the bank has seen in the three years it has been conducting this survey.

"The rise in those that have a favorable view of current business conditions is unmistakable," Jerome Byers, head of Citibank Small Business, said in a statement. "While about half still fault sales for preventing them from achieving business goals, just as many business owners project improved sales this year and next."

Byers also said in the statement that the bank had increased its small business lending last year to $9.6 billion from $4.5 billion in 2009.

The survey reported that almost half of small business owners surveyed, 48 percent, rated current business conditions as good or excellent, compared with 43 percent who said the same thing a year ago and 24 percent who said as much three years ago.

Half of small business owners say they expect annual sales to grow this year, with one-third saying they will grow by more than 10 percent. More than half of respondents, 54 percent, expect an even stronger 2014.

Accordingly, more than a quarter, 26 percent, of those surveyed said they plan to hire new full-time employees over the next 12 months, compared with 15 percent who said the same last year.

Thirteen percent of those small business owners said they plan to add a new location. Among those companies, a quarter said they intend to grow internationally.

Only 14 percent of respondents said business conditions were poor, and only 5 percent are considering a staff reduction.

This year’s Small Business Pulse survey was conducted via telephone during the latter half of May and surveyed a random sample of 750 small business owners aged 18 years or older.