If the moods of small business owners can be trusted, 2012 could be the year the economy takes off. In January, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that optimism among small business owners has increased for the last four months. In another survey in December  led by polling firm Zoomerang, 40 percent of respondents said they feel “optimistic” or “very optimistic” about their business prospects for the new year. And in a TD Bank survey of 300 East Coast small-business owners in December, 74 percent said they expect to meet or exceed revenue projections for first-quarter 2012, up from 61 percent the previous quarter.