By alang.consultant New York (Knewz) — Optimism is falling among small business owners and inflation is the main problem for many, according to a new survey. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell almost two points to 97.1 in January. The National Federation of Independent Business released the results from its most recent survey this week. The small-business advocacy group noted that 22 percent of all small business owners said inflation was their biggest problem. Prices continue to rise at rates not seen since the early 1980s, according to the federation. Five percent of owners reported…