Opinions are a bit like statistics. You can find some to support pretty much any argument you care to make.

This week, for example, we see that the economy is still shaky and that small firms are still having a tough time getting by.

At the same time, we also learn that the economy is much improved and ready to resume both GDP growth and, more importantly, job growth. Naturally, small businesses will lead the way.

It is even possible to argue one side or the other, with yourself or with anybody you can find to indulge you, if you happen to find that sort of thing entertaining.

The glass is both half empty and half full.

We all know that it is not rational to expect the economy to go straight from ‘ew' to awe in less than a month. And, while it might make sense to assume that things will be better in December 2010 than they were in January 2010, it will still take some time to get there.

So, while you are listening to various folks with various sorts of axes to grind, bear in mind that things are neither uniformly wonderful nor frighteningly terrible. It isn't necessary to find deep meaning or predictive value in any particular set of tea-leaf substitutes.

Right now, it is what it is.

What's more, sometimes it just makes more sense to wait and see what happens.

There are legions of people out there who get paid to review whatever data they like best, in order to pronounce oracle-esque predictions and hope nobody checks in six months to note how wrong you were.

But you don't have time for crystal-ball gazing, do you. You have a business to run.