New start-ups are coming amid some signs that consumer confidence is rebounding. Retail sales broke records over the Thanksgiving weekend. However, an October survey of small-business optimism found that 26 percent of owners called poor sales their top business problem. Temple economist Bill Dunkelberg says the outlook for new small businesses remains poor. "On the cost side, you couldn't pick a better time, but two-thirds of new starts are financed almost entirely by the savings of the entrepreneur and their family. How long that lasts depends on cash flow from customers."