My 2Cents Blog

Bailout Bill is Done -What's next?

Earl L. Sigmund — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:12:11 +0000

Relief to small business owners will take how long? months ...........years....................? I just hope the new president has a real plan and pushes politics in the back of the bus.

Hey Elected Officials-How about working our hours!

Earl L. Sigmund — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:13:45 +0000

Entrepreneurs don't remember their last 9 to 5 day. If there's a crisis in a small business - the owner stays at the business until it is resolved.

Shouldn't our paid elected officials do the same thing? If today's economy isn't a crisis then what is a crisis?

HEY CONGRESS - WORK AROUND THE CLOCK like us entrepreneurs would UNTIL YOU PASS A BILL that attempts to resolve the crisis. NO MORE NEWS CONFERENCES UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE AND A BILL IS PASSED.

Your feelings on the Bailout? Here's my take......

Earl L. Sigmund — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:08:58 +0000

It looks like a bailout out package to "save" our economy is about to be passed. As a small business owner, I feel that a government bailout of a privately owned company is ethically wrong because it sets a bad precedent- goverment should let a privately owned business solve their own problem or go out of business on its own. BUT if the alternative is a COMPLETE collapse of our economy, I just have to trust that SOMEONE up top knows the consequences of non-action and thus I must agree with this bailout.

Bailout- Where's mine?

Earl L. Sigmund — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:07:12 +0000

Bailout is the term of the day these days. Big companies make mistakes and because of their bigness.........the government steps in to prevent a panic. Small companies make mistakes and they fall by the waysides without a handout. Something is just not right here. In a democratic society we have the freedom and opportunity to start our own businesses. We entrepreneurs know from the get go that the odds are against us from the get go. We know that we may lose our entire investment of dollars along with other things we saved for in our lifetime- but we still take the chance. So in light of the recent bailout of the financial darlings of Wall Street by our government does this mean bigger is better? We may remember 2008 as the year of the bailout - but it may also signal the beginning of the end of the so-called level playing field of small vs. bigger businesses.

Small Business Owners Woes in this economy put on back burner

Earl L. Sigmund — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:58:45 +0000

The current plight of the small business owner is taking an undeserved back seat in the press given the downfall of the DARLINGS of WALL STREET such as Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. Only on the social networking sites are the small business owners woes coming to light. The country still depends on the small business owner to keep what's left of the nation's economy moving. When will some small business owners be bailed out?

Fall of 2008 -The Hits just keep on coming!

Earl L. Sigmund — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:42:06 +0000

You don't have to travel far the see the effects of the economic slump. More mom & pops have closed shop, shopping mall traffic is down, the $10 movie ticket is here, and the cost to buy essential business goods and services keep going up. In spite of warnings to the contrary, small business owners have cut back on advertising, customer service, and educational training expenditures. Small business owners seem to reading less and seem unaware of what's really happening out there in their community and the world. Business communities seem to have have stopped working together to create a " BUZZ" about their shopping area. Some small business owners give one the appearance of defeat with their sad demeanor. We all worked too hard to get where we are to let "the times" suck the life out of us.

Just what are you doing in your company to fight back?

Summer of 2008 - Not a prosperous one so far at my end

Earl L. Sigmund — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:08:15 +0000

From what I have seen so far this summer, this summertime will be one for the record books for most small business owners. Restaurants are less crowded for the most part........forget the "everyone's on vacation excuse" and "nothing special" restaurants are closing right & left. For the most part mom & pop retail shops are reeling from lower sales and are refocusing their energy on watching their spending now and banking on the cool fall weather and holiday rush to rescue them from the doldrums of the current economic slump. Service businesses seem the least effected by the slump, but they too are getting sqeezed by fewer large orders and offsetting higer operating costs generated primarily by soaring energy costs. Consumers are starting to resign themselves to the harsh reality that $4.00 gas is not going away and that other areas of consumer expenses must be held in check (eg. eating out, expensive vacations, etc.). How is your business faring this summer? What expenses are you cutting back on?

Networking? Please have a plan........................

Earl L. Sigmund — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:54:06 +0000

Another pet pieve of mine is attending a networking type business event and meeting people whose last purpose for being there seems to be making new business contacts. It seems to me that the networking event for some business people is just a another break away from the daily grind, an excuse to get out of real working, or they are just plain hungry or thirsty. If that's the case can't we get these people to wear a tag around their neck displaying their real intensions or place them in their own roped-off area in the room?

In reality, attending these networking events is a great way to meet new contacts, start a long-term business relationship, and hopefully get a client or two out of the event down the road. Looking at where my clients came from proves this theory out time and time again. But for you to succeed at these networking events you have to look past the businesses that the people you meet represent. The person that you meet may not meet your target market. But you never know who they may know who may be the perfect fit for your product or service.

Change is not worth the effort except for my piggy bank

Earl L. Sigmund — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:28:32 +0000

Ever think about all the effort you and stores that you shop spend on dealing with change...........What a waste of time! We could make more money melting down pennies and nickels and selling the compound. Penny pretzel sticks have been gone for decades now.......Why now just round up the nearest dollar or round down to nearest dollar and forget the whole change routine? Am I all wet here or is there a productive purpose for change in 2008?

Sometimes you gotta think past your own objectives....

Earl L. Sigmund — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:25:31 +0000

Many of us volunteer our services for different organizations with the hope of developing new contacts and some new business. Sometimes decisions made by others have a negative impact on our own business, but these same decisions helped that organization reach its goals and objectives. We can't and should not hold a grudge against that officer or member who made a decision which hurt us and/or our business. In every business transaction there are always winners and losers.......Your time will come if you invest enough of your time and energy.