Small businesses are still suffering from the economic blow of the global financial crisis, noted one of the largest banks in the country.

The Commwealth Bank of Australia said that the global financial crisis is far from over for small businesses.

Bank officials said that small businesses are still taking it slow.

The bank has conducted research amongh small businesses and data showed that 40 per cent or nearly half of the small business owners used for the study said that they still find the trading conditions to be tough.

Four out of five businesses surveyed by the bank said business levels were yet to return to pre-global economic crisis stages.

Symon Brewis-Weston, the bank's executive general manager for local business banking, said the responses from small business owners disproved any notion that the county had escaped the financial crisis.

"Many economic commentators have suggested that the worst of the global financial crisis is behind us here in Australia, but that doesn't appear to be the case for our small businesses who are still feeling the impact of the crisis," he said.

Major banks here have previously reported that the number of new impaired loans had been slowing down in recent months. The majority of these loans came from small and medium sized businesses.

In April during financial result reporting period of major banks, a forecast of business confidence to return over the coming months was reported. The latest research of the Commonwealth Bank supported the positive outlook.

The research showed that over two-thirds of small business owners said they were focused on growing their business in the next financial year.

Mr. Brewis-Weston said, however, that one-third of these business owners admitted they did not have a substantial plan to pursue growth.

"It's worrying to see that a third of all small business owners do not have a business plan in place, when so many are expecting their business to grow in the new financial year," he said.

"Business owners need to be proactive to ensure their dream of growing their business," said Mr. Brewis-Weston.