Thanks partly to the Bay State economy's reliance on health care and education, Massachusetts-based small business owners seem to be more optimistic about economic issues than their national counterparts, suggests the recently released American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, which looks to take the temperature of the small business climate twice a year.

Released each spring and fall, the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor is based on a nationally representative sample of 839 small business owners and managers of companies with fewer than 100 employees. The anonymous survey was conducted via telephone by Echo Research in August and September, American Express said.

According to the results of the latest survey, 66 percent of Massachusetts-based small business owners have a positive outlook on the economy and business prospects, compared with the national average of 49 percent.

What's more, 74 percent of Massachusetts small business owners plan to grow their business over the next six months; that figure is 5 percent higher than the national average.

In an e-mail, Alice Bredin, a small business advisor to American Express Open, offered her take on why Massachusetts small business owners are so comparatively upbeat.

"The optimism among Massachusetts' based small businesses can be attributed to several factors, including the importance of health care businesses to the state's economy," Bredin wrote. "Health care is a growth area."

Article by Chris Reidy, boston.com