An annual survey of small business owners and managers throughout Nevada reveals record levels of confidence in the economy, with more than 87 percent of those surveyed believing Nevada’s economy is headed in the right direction. The by Applied Analysis was conducted during January on behalf of Nevada State Bank. To ensure it is statistically significant, the bank surveyed more than 400 small business decision-makers, including owners, operators and executives representing businesses with annual sales ranging from $250,000 to $10 million. One of the key findings: more than 42 percent say they plan to hire more employees over the next year. That’s up from less than 36 percent who planned to increase their employee count last year. The biggest concern for small businesses was rising health care costs, followed by business taxes and government regulations.