The increasing optimism for this year's sales may be linked to SMB's confidence in their latest marketing strategies. The survey showed that 89 percent of SMBs plan to use holiday email marketing, and 43 percent expect to increase their online sales this year.

"[Small business owners] have clearly told us that marketing plays an important role in keeping strong connections with their existing customers and attracting new ones," said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. She attributes SMB optimism to entrepreneurs' ability to promote themselves through new platforms, like social media.

While the holiday sales could boost SMB revenue, Constant Contact reports that more than 35 percent of respondents expressed optimism in the overall state of the economy this year. Moreover, a good number of SMB owners feel that holiday sales are less important to annual revenue than in previous years.

This general optimism is likely linked to SMB's increased use of online marketing year-round. According to Vertical Response, 74.1 percent of SMB owners plan to increase their use of email marketing in 2010 and the Internet Advertising Bureau reports that the internet is the only medium to show advertising growth in these economic hard times.