2017 was a record setting year for small business confidence according to the NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism. The average index for the year was 104.8 which is an all-time high, breaking the 2004 level of 104.6. The index has increased dramatically over the last 2 years, as can be seen in the graph. The index has increased from 95.2 as of December 2015 to 104.9 as of December 2017, an increase of 10.2%.