TERRE HAUTE —
It is definitely a tough time to be a business owner right now.
Though the bigger companies are slowly bouncing back, it is taking the smaller ones a bit longer to rebound. The main problem is people are still not spending money as they once were.
The National Federation of Independent Business stated that small-business optimism fell for the sixth straight month this past August. The biggest issue that small businesses cited was lack of sales.
Meanwhile, unemployment continues to hover around 10 percent. It is the high unemployment rate that has created unlikely entrepreneurs. Many have started a business in a field they are familiar with only to realize that being their own boss doesn’t result in a high amount of income and the new business owners are forced to settle for a mere fraction of what they used to earn. The odds of a small business succeeding have slimmed down even more since the downturn in the economy. Since 2005, only 47 percent of businesses have survived for five years, compared to 50 percent from 10 years earlier according to the Kauffman Foundation out of Kansas City, Mo.
Despite the odds, businesses are finding ways to hang out and hope for the best. According to the Small Business Administration, companies with fewer than 500 employees created 64 percent of net new jobs in the U.S. from 1992 to 2010, they employ 55 percent of the workforce.
Firms between:
• 1–9 employees account for 13 percent of net new jobs
• 10–49 employees account for 19 percent of net new jobs
• 50–99 employees account for 10 percent of net new jobs
• 110–499 employees account for 22 percent of net new jobs
• 500–999 employees account for 7 percent of net new jobs
• 1,000 or more employees account for 29 percent of net new jobs
The main key to success will be increasing sales. Is your company doing all it can to survive? Have you looked at untapped markets? Festivals, if applicable, for new revenue streams? Grassroots marketing? Although all the above are labor intensive, one or more may prove to be fruitful in attracting and retaining new customers to make your company more sustainable.
Heather Penney is the regional director for Indiana State University’s Indiana Small Business Development Center.
Business
BUSINESS CENTS: Despite odds, smaller businesses finding ways to hang on
- Business
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- RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: May 21, 2012
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EYE ON THE PIE: Use to be close tie between output, employment
Crusty Crawford joined our lunch table with a pronouncement. “We’ve always assumed a close tie between output and employment,” he said. No one responded.
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Employer opinions sought on students
A joint venture between Ready Indiana and the Indiana Department of Education is seeking employer input that will impact how Hoosier high school students are equipped for the workforce.
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Carlisle prison marks 20th anniversary
2012 marks the 20th year of service for the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, going on line with its first offenders Dec. 10, 1992.
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SOCIAL SECURITY: Why young workers should care about Social Security
Summer will be here before we know it.
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BUSINESS CENTS: Does your staff understand pricing?
Many companies feel as though their staff will follow instructions and implement price strategies as instructed.
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Valley Child Development Center receives grant
Valley Child Development Center has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Terre Haute Day Nursery Foundation through the Wabash Valley Community Foundation.
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Exec offers advice on becoming startup entrepreneur
Sam Clemens, chief product officer of Cambridge, Mass., startup company Insight Squared, gave Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students insight on how to develop a startup business.
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Newsmakers: May 20, 2012
Leland Phipps, family practice physician at Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center, has been re-elected to membership with the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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Alumna to serve as VP for Rose-Hulman Ventures
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology alumna Elizabeth M. Hagerman is returning to her alma mater to serve as vice president for Rose-Hulman Ventures, the institute’s successful innovation space that has spawned careers and entrepreneurial enterprises throughout Indiana.
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Summer Sidewalk Sale set
Marshall Main Street’s Downtown Summer Sidewalk Sale is planned from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 9.
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Oil drops to lowest level in 6 months
The price of oil dropped to a six-month low Tuesday on concern that economic uncertainty in Europe could hurt demand for crude.
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Adidas initiative: ISU students develop business improvement process at facility
As Indiana State University students cruised Interstate 70 on Friday afternoons from Terre Haute to Indianapolis, they were looking forward to reaching their destination.
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BUSINESS BRIEFLY: May 13, 2012
An evening of networking and education for Clark, Crawford and Edgar counties regarding branding, marketing and tourism development opportunities is planned for 6:30 p.m. May 21 at the Heath Museum on the square in downtown Robinson.
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Wendy’s partners with Riley Hospital
For just $2, customers at participating Wendy’s restaurants in the Evansville/Terre Haute area can get free Jr. Frosty desserts through Dec. 31 while supporting Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.
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Marshall Chamber to stage annual golf outing
The Marshall (Ill.) Chamber of Commerce invites golfers to its annual golf outing scheduled for June 8 at the Marshall Golf Course.
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ON THE MOVE: May 13, 2012
McKenze Rogers has joined Williams Randall as an account supervisor.
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Seminar teaches seniors to fight fraud
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 25 million Americans are victims of consumer fraud each year.
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EYE ON THE PIE: Economic tools for consumers, workers, business owners, officials
My friend is a carpenter. He has two heavy boxes of tools and several other containers with stuff.
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SOCIAL SECURITY: Potential Medicare savings for mom
Given the current economic climate, buying a nice gift for Mother’s Day may be more difficult than in years past.
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‘Best Places to Work’ honored at banquet
Companies raising the bar with their workplace practices were recognized on May 3 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
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NEWSMAKERS: May 13, 2012
Susi Willis, CPA and partner in Larsson Woodyard & Henson, LLP, was recently presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Indiana CPA Society at its annual CPA Celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.
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Indiana Rail Road wins Family-Friendly Award
The Indiana Rail Road Co. has won the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce’s “Family-Friendly Business Award” for 2012 based on the company’s highly successful employee wellness program.
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Government cuts summer gasoline price forecast
The government says gasoline will be cheaper this summer than previously expected thanks to a drop in the price of oil.
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Mall operator becomes biggest real estate company
The nation’s largest shopping mall operator is now also the country’s largest real estate company.
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Dealership to celebrate first year
The 500 Automotive Group in Clinton will celebrate its first year in business with an big birthday bash at the dealership on Friday and Saturday.
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EYE ON THE PIE: Compensation levels did not cause the recession
America is still fascinated with “The Price is Right.”
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Old National begins year with strong first quarter
Old National Bancorp reported 1st quarter net income of $21.7 million, or $0.23 per share.
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Enroll in disaster preparedness class
The University of Illinois Extension is offering a disaster preparedness course on May 23 for Clark, Crawford and Edgar county businesses called Ready Business.
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Newsmakers: May 6, 2012
• Dr. Haytham Mansour
• Terre Haute Regional Hospital
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