Optimism among small business owners hit a one-year high in March, according to the SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard survey for March, with 81% saying  they are optimistic about the small business economy and 89% saying business is the same or better than last year.

In addition, the average paycheck increased 0.1% in March, gaining 0.7% for the year to date. Hiring is also slightly higher year to date, up 0.1%, despite a slight drop in March.

“The things that may have worried small business owners last year seem to be worrying them less this year, and the positives seem more promising,” said SurePayroll General Manager Andy Roe. “We can’t predict what pitfalls may lie ahead the rest of the year, but for optimism to be this high, and hiring and pay to be up, that's an encouraging first quarter.”

SurePayroll’s Scorecard compiles data from more than 40,000 small businesses and exclusively reflects the trends affecting businesses with one to 10 employees. The average business reflected has six employees. SurePayroll Inc. provides online payroll services to small businesses. It is a subsidiary of Paychex Inc. (NASD: PAYX).