Nearly four out of five (78 percent) entrepreneurs are predicting growth over the next 12 months according to the latest Enterprise Index research by Smith & Williamson, an accountancy, investment management and tax group.

However, the Enterprise Index, a quarterly barometer testing the views of nearly 200 business leaders and entrepreneurs, reveals that expectations for the wider economy have dropped. Only just over a third (37 percent) expect the economy to improve over the coming year, down from 50 percent in the previous quarter. 

“We’re looking at a wobble in confidence; entrepreneurs are naturally...