Regulation, Lack of Demand Biggest Concerns to Small Business

[Toro]

What are businesses worried about? « Modeled Behavior

 

[Mr. H.]

"Consumer confidence" and "Poor leadership" add up to 24%, trumping Gov't regulation concerns.

There's an air of impending doom in this country and I think it rode in on Obama's coattails.

 

[Wiseacre]

What are businesses worried about? « Modeled Behavior

Well, we know what to do about regulations, but what do we do to fix the problem with consumer confidence and lack of demand? And no mention of rising taxes, which I thought was a bit surprising.

 

[Zander]

I have my own list:

1) Finding good employees- hard to believe, but we have a very difficult time finding entry level workers. We start them at $10/hr, full time with benefits. I have to go through 25 to get one keeper.
2) Getting paid by the clients- about half the jobs I sell I have to work out extended payment terms. We are getting paid, but instead of 30 days average we are now at around 60 days.
3) Health care costs - up 15% over the last 18 months.
4) Complying with Regulations- Cities, Counties, States, Feds- all pumping out new rules and regulations every year. It's a full time job to keep up with them all!
5) Fees- getting nickel and dimed on everything- dump fees, permits, license fees, bank fees, etc...

Despite all that, my business is growing. The weak competitors are out of business and that helps. We still come across the bottom feeders with low ball prices- but they are always there in good times or bad.

 

[Toro]

"Consumer confidence" and "Poor leadership" add up to 24%, trumping Gov't regulation concerns.

There's an air of impending doom in this country and I think it rode in on Obama's coattails.

Add concerns about upcoming health care regulations and regulations trump demand.

 

[editec]

I'd REALLY like to know how "small" these "small" businesses they pollled were.

If they're using the SBA's definition of "small"?

They're hardly small businesses, at all.

 

[California Girl]

I'd REALLY like to know how "small" these "small" businesses they pollled were.

If they're using the SBA's definition of "small"?

They're hardly small businesses, at all.

Well, why don't you go to the Gallup website and find out? Too lazy or too stupid?

 

[Nosmo King]

It's demand. It's always been demand. Without customers, no one is going to open any business, no matter how many or few regulations apply.

Conservatives, spurred on by anti-worker businesses are taking advantage of a slumping economy to roll back regulations they feel are too onerous, but actually are there to protect consumers, the environment and the workplace.

If the regulations were too crippling, why didn't the same forces who are complaining about them now address their concerns when their own lobbyists wrote them originally?

 

[jillian]

"Consumer confidence" and "Poor leadership" add up to 24%, trumping Gov't regulation concerns.

There's an air of impending doom in this country and I think it rode in on Obama's coattails.

that's what happens when the ihopehefails crowd starts their drumbeat the day a president is elected. i believe, based on the actions of the GOP in the house and senate since january, 2009, that their was a concerted effort to destroy consumer confidence and slow any recovery in order to force a change in administration in 2012.

consumer confidence is a very fragile thing... it;s not that difficult to upset... particularly when business is sitting on trillions in cash on hand. at some point it's up to the rightwing media to tell people there HASN'T been an increase in regs. That taxes haven't gone up because this president, against all rational thought, keeps lowering taxes and giving tax breaks.

just because there's a "concern" doesn't make it rational... you know, like the GOP this week passing a house bill against an EPA reg that doesn't exist and a resolution saying our motto (which was ALWAYS our motto) is STILL our motto.

 

[Cuyo]

I have my own list:

1) Finding good employees- hard to believe, but we have a very difficult time finding entry level workers. We start them at $10/hr, full time with benefits. I have to go through 25 to get one keeper.
2) Getting paid by the clients- about half the jobs I sell I have to work out extended payment terms. We are getting paid, but instead of 30 days average we are now at around 60 days.
3) Health care costs - up 15% over the last 18 months.
4) Complying with Regulations- Cities, Counties, States, Feds- all pumping out new rules and regulations every year. It's a full time job to keep up with them all!
5) Fees- getting nickel and dimed on everything- dump fees, permits, license fees, bank fees, etc...

Despite all that, my business is growing. The weak competitors are out of business and that helps. We still come across the bottom feeders with low ball prices- but they are always there in good times or bad.

I have almost the identical situation to what you just described, except that our healthcare is pleasantly cheap, much cheaper than we expected, and we've not had increases yet as we've had it less than a year. It's up for renewal in the spring so we shall see what happens.

But the biggest growth problem does seem to be high supply, low demand, too much competition. We are growing nonetheless.

As my old boss used to say, it's all about staying in business through the shitty times. Even when you can barely make payroll, keep with it. If you jump out, you will not be able to jump back in when the market heats up.

 

[Ravi]

I'd REALLY like to know how "small" these "small" businesses they pollled were.

If they're using the SBA's definition of "small"?

They're hardly small businesses, at all.

Well, why don't you go to the Gallup website and find out? Too lazy or too stupid?

Gallup doesn't define it. So I'd say he's neither.