Signs the Economy is Improving at the End of 2011

Over the past month I’ve heard more and more signs from front-line entrepreneurs that the economy is starting to get a little better. It could just be a seasonal thing with the holidays but the information is based on comparing Q4 of 2011 to Q4 of 2010. Now, I don’t think the housing market is going to improve for many years but there are signs other parts of the economy are getting better.

Here are some signs the economy is improving:

• One startup that offers a 10% discount to clients that pre-pay for a year in advance instead of paying quarterly has seen an up-tick in pre-pays, indicating their clients feel more confident about their financial position and are investing in new tools
• One company that sells directly to consumers has seen same store sales grow 50% faster in 2011 compared to 2010
• One business signed more new customers in Q4 than the rest of 2011, and Q4 isn’t normally a good quarter

Obviously, this sample size isn’t large enough to be statistically significant but anecdotally it appears that things are getting a tiny bit better.

What else? What other signs have you seen that the economy is improving here at the end of 2011?