Businesses large and small are beginning to put money into self promotion, something Bob Lin, CEO of MTI Marketing in Carlsbad hasn’t seen for some time. “We are for the first time in over two years optimistic,” he says. MTI works for other companies as an extension of their marketing and communications department. It creates promotional products, provides creative services and designs marketing materials. “So we feel their sensitivity for spending their marketing dollars.” Lin reports activity has increased and held steady since October. “We’re even talking about adding jobs (in 2004),” he says.