What downbeat business sentiment means for 2009

The watchwords in business these days are that to survive in a downturn, you should "focus on the positive" and "tune out the drumbeat of bad news."

But here is some information that's hard to ignore. Business people in the U.S., Europe and Asia have an even more negative view of the current economy - and of its prospects for the next 12 months - than consumers, according to our review of several current surveys.