The EPG Connection

Well, after a long tough winter (and this is coming from a guy who lived in Alaska for 20 years), spring is here which means it is time for a long-overdue EPG Connection Newsletter. Since it has been a couple of months since our last publication I have a few things that have been rattling around in my brain that I would like to write about. First, a story about branding.

About five weeks ago my brother Bill and I met for a business lunch with a couple of colleagues at Chickie’s and Pete’s original location in Northeast Philly. Now, if you know anything about C&P you know they are famous for one thing and one thing only… crab fries! If you have ever gone over to Citizens Bank Park to catch a Phillies game you have seen people standing in huge lines (usually missing several innings of the game) just waiting for a small order of C&P crab fries. People love the things, and C&P gladly serves them up. So, the four of us are getting ready to order lunch and as the other guys are happily ordering up pulled pork sandwiches, cheese steaks, and of course crab fries I am thinking to myself how can I maintain my latest stab at eating healthy. When all of a sudden I notice on the menu, way off to one side down on the corner of the page these words…Caesar salad. Thinking I am safe I order the Caesar salad, resulting in a very strange look from our waiter, and we resume our conversation. My brother made some comment about the guys in the kitchen having to search for that one head of lettuce they keep on hand for just such an emergency. After about 10 minutes our food started to arrive and the table began to fill up with mounds of meat, cheese and you got it… crab fries. No sign of the Caesar salad. However, just when I thought all was lost and that my order had been placed in vain my salad arrived. Romaine lettuce, croutons, some chicken, and piled high with you got it… crab fries! We all stared at my “salad” and laughed our collective butts off at my futile attempt to try to eat something healthy at a place like Chickie’s and Pete’s. Now, here is where the branding part comes in. To me, a company’s brand is a statement or reflection of what they feel they do better in the world than anyone else. And of course, Chickie’s and Pete’s feels they do crab fries better than anyone else in the world, so no matter what you order there you are definitely going to get a big pile of their “brand” on your plate. As a result, whenever you think of Chickie’s and Pete’s the first thing you usually think of is crab fries. Oh by the way… I ate every one.

At Emerson Personnel Group we feel we supply our client companies with the best candidates, temporary or permanent, in the world. We can talk about our excellent customer service, our friendliness, our longevity or our high level of communication but at the end of the day what we do better than anyone else is provide the best possible candidate for each position we fill. That is who we are… and ultimately, that is what we are known for.

Okay, next topic; and this is related to what I just stated in the last paragraph. I am proud to announce that Emerson Personnel Group now has the added capability to assist our client companies in their search for excellent candidates in the field of Information Technology. By the same token, of course, we now have the concurrent ability to assist IT candidates in their search for an excellent company at which to work. EPG has partnered with John Barry who has 25 years of experience in the field of IT recruitment and is well-known throughout the region. John has hit the ground running and has already made some excellent placements for our team. Please give us a call if you have any questions about this exciting new addition to our service options.

I am going to wrap this thing up with a brief statement on the economy and a quick word of advice to hiring officials. First off, we are seeing a significant surge from our client companies in their need for temporary administrative personnel. I have written about this inevitability over the past several months and I am very happy to announce that what I have discussed in the past is now occurring in a big way. And, if history proves true, the demand for temporary administrative personnel will eventually morph into a surge in the need for executive search and permanent job opportunities. While this is very exciting news, it brings with it words of caution for companies who are in a hiring mode. Those words of caution are… make a decision! As the hiring climate heats up competition for the top candidates, it will only become stiffer. Additionally, it is typical for job candidates to be interviewing at more than one company at a time. So, the old saying “you snooze you lose” has never been more true. Simply put, if you meet with a candidate and feel they would be a great fit for your organization it behooves you to make an offer. I say this whether the candidate was supplied by Emerson Personnel Group, a competing recruitment firm, or whether it was someone the company sourced on their own. It is a simple fact that the best candidates will be scooped up quickly… especially in an environment toward which we are currently moving.

Okay, that is it for now. Bring on the spring and bring on the Phillies!

So let’s face it… by almost all accounts 2009 was a very tough business year. When speaking with fellow business owners the conversation is full of stories about layoffs, reduced office square footage, disappearing profit margins and a dramatic lack of business regardless of the industry. Of course, in a sluggish business environment there are always a few niche areas that will thrive. For example, attorneys specializing in bankruptcy and business liquidations seemed to stay relatively busy as did collection agencies and personal storage businesses. However, aside from these examples and a few others I think we can all agree that we will not miss 2009 even a little bit.

Now, those who know me will always describe me as a silver lining kind of guy, and with that in mind I’d like to propose that there were lessons to be learned from the brutal year we just put to bed. First, I believe many businesses learned a great deal about the advantages of running lean and mean. Excessive and/or unnecessary budget items were quickly rooted out with the result being a higher level of efficiency. Second, people I have spoken to became much more skilled at time management and tried to work smarter with specific goals in mind. And third, the whole concept of accountability took on new levels of significance and importance. These three factors/lessons will go a long way in contributing to the fruitful 2010 we are all looking forward to.

That’s right, you heard me correctly… I said the fruitful 2010. Believe me, this is not just wishful thinking. As I’ve written before, the staffing/recruiting industry has historically been a very accurate barometer for the economy as a whole. Very reliable data has shown that as the economy emerges from a recession one of the first areas of improvement occurs in the placement of temporary administrative personnel. Emerson Personnel Group has survived six documented recessions since 1971 and we have led the way to prosperity as the economy emerged from each one. It is incredibly positive news that the fourth quarter for EPG was our strongest of last year, most notably in the temporary administrative arena. The fourth quarter also saw our strongest surge in the direct hire/executive search component of the business. So, needless to say we are very excited at EPG and we have hit the ground running in 2010. Will it take the economy awhile to dig out from the past couple of years? Absolutely. However, the indicators mentioned above are all pointing in a very positive direction. EPG invites you to join us with an increased positive attitude and a long overdue heightened level of excitement for the year ahead. Let’s go!

Okay, now that baseball season is finally officially over I can get down to the business at hand, which is writing these words of wisdom for our much overdue newsletter, so here goes… If you’re like me, you attend a lot of networking events, spend a lot of time on the telephone and are generally in constant contact with many different people on any given business day. Perhaps the most commonly asked question at the beginning of these interactions is “how’s business?” I believe that many times a question is asked almost as a greeting as in “how are you doing?” or “how was your weekend?” However, over the past year or two as the economy has weathered an extremely tough recession the question “how’s business?” has taken on a whole new flavor and meaning. People ask the question with a whole new level of sincerity and concern, and people think long and hard before they answer the question, in fact the answer usually comes after a long and heavy sigh. And then the answer itself can range anywhere from “great” to “brutal”.

Although Emerson Personnel Group is exposed to many different types of industry and literally hundreds of companies producing various services and products what we know best is staffing and recruiting. So when someone asks me “how’s business?” it is primarily staffing and recruiting that I feel most qualified to comment on. And fortunately, over the past 4 to 6 months I’ve been able to answer the question with an unqualified “better, and steadily improving”. This should be very exciting news for the economy as a whole since, historically, the staffing and recruiting industry has served as an excellent early indicator for economic conditions whether they be improving or declining. Typically, an improvement in the staffing and recruiting industry has a lead time of approximately 6 months for the overall economic climate. This is good news!

As we emerge from the recession, which by the way has been the longest and deepest since the founding of Emerson Personnel Group in 1971, we initially see companies calling for temporary administrative personnel. Over time the staffing needs begin to morph into temp to hire opportunities and contract positions. Finally, toward the tail end of the recession we have documented previously an increased demand for executive search and direct hire positions. At this point, here at EPG we have noticed a significant increase from our client companies for high-quality temporary administrative personnel. So, if history repeats itself we should be on track for an overall, albeit slow improvement across industries. It may be a little rocky, with a few ups and downs but at least we will be on the right track.

I think I wrote in a previous column how much we love the South Jersey business community, and how impressed we continue to be with the toughness and resilience of the people we work with everyday of the week. It has been very difficult to see companies and people for whom we have the highest respect going through such tough times and being forced to make extremely difficult decisions such as laying off good people and cutting their resources to the bone. We’ve seen a lot of good companies go out of business over the past couple of years and there are lot of excellent people out of work. So you can imagine how good it feels for me to be able to write about some light at the end of the tunnel. At this point it may just be a flashlight at the end of the tunnel but I firmly believe that the light will grow into an eventual sunburst of activity and prosperity. So the next time someone asks you “how’s business?” hopefully you’ll be able to answer the way I have been lately… “better, and steadily improving”.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to, and result of, the current economic recession is the dramatic rise in unemployment. Mass layoffs, closing businesses, companies getting “lean and mean”, and the general lack of confidence in the economy have resulted in an unemployment rate approaching 10%. Now, please keep in mind that a very large proportion of the people who find themselves in the job market were laid off for reasons having nothing to do with competence or production. They were simply caught up in the economic downturn. Literally tens of thousands of highly qualified, exceptionally skilled, excellent potential employees are beating the pavement looking for work. So, what is the end result for Human Resource professionals who are tasked with hiring decisions? You got it…… they are absolutely buried under an avalanche of resumes, phone calls and emails. Here at Emerson Personnel Group (EPG) we have heard stories of HR Departments receiving up to 1000 resumes for a single job opening. Thus, it is not unusual when calling HR professionals for us to hear the following statement: “We don’t really need your help finding job candidates, we have more than we can handle.”

Of course, we usually respond to such a statement with the following question: “Which is a better use of your time; to sift through hundreds or thousands of resumes or to contingently hire EPG to do the work and present you with the top three candidates to interview?” For those prospects who become clients we do just that, and we have piles of testimonials that speak to the efficiency and excellence of our process. However, for those prospect companies who choose to keep the bulk of the recruitment process in-house, EPG is excited to offer the following services which we are calling HIRE RIGHT SOLUTIONS:

• Job Marketing - We can help you create an ad or posting that will attract the most qualified candidates. We will also identify the best avenues to post your open position so it will get maximum exposure at a minimum cost.
• Resume Screening - When you are overwhelmed with the high volume of resumes you are receiving, Emerson HR will augment your existing staff remotely to screen for the “right” candidate.
• Candidate Screening - Once you have narrowed your pool of candidates down to a manageable number, we can conduct a phone interview “pre-screen” to help you further scale down the number of potential candidates.
• Interview Counseling - Emerson HR will provide you with interview support on an as needed basis, insuring the process is seamless.
• Reference Checks - We will conduct candidate reference checks to help insure a quality hire.
• Mini Outplacement Services - Emerson HR offers career coaching, assistance with resume writing, “mock interviews” with displaced employees along with assisting them with their on-going job search. Assistance can also be provided with exit interviews as needed.

The core purpose of Emerson Personnel Group is to improve the quality of life of others. Our Hire Right Solutions options will undoubtedly do so for not only the hiring official needing assistance, but also the diamond in the rough excellent candidate who may be otherwise lost in the shuffle. If you are interested in hearing more please give us a call!

A few months ago I wrote about the advantages to businesses and companies of utilizing temporary and/or contract employees, particularly during a recession. I reiterated those thoughts in January when I spoke as a panelist at the Rutgers Quarterly Business Outlook. At the Outlook I also briefly mentioned the advantages to job seekers of considering temporary/contract assignments while looking for permanent career opportunities. The main topic of this CEO CORNER will be an expansion of that thought.

Although there are many reasons to do so, I believe there are three main advantages to considering temporary/contract assignments even when (actually especially when) permanent employment is the goal. First, and perhaps the most obvious, is the fact that it is much more likely that you will find permanent employment if you are in the workforce. In fact, many temporary/contract assignments are structured as temporary/contract to hire. In these situations, if all parties (candidate, company, and recruiter) agree, the temporary assignment can result in an offer of permanent employment after an agreed upon period of time. For this reason it is very important to work to the best of one’s ability during the “temporary” tenure. Show them what you can do! Additionally, the opportunities for career-focused networking are much stronger while engaged in the workforce. Make it your business to get to know influential people, possible hiring officials, and anyone else who may be in a position to assist in your job search. Let’s face it; the chances of gaining meaningful employment are much greater from the inside rather than the outside.

The second main reason for considering a temporary/contract assignment has to do with cash flow. Do the math…will more money be coming into your household with a job or without a job? Granted, the income generated through a temporary work assignment may not be sufficient to meet all of your financial goals, but certainly can go a long way toward getting the bills paid. Additionally, many upper level contract assignments can be quite lucrative, and in fact many people make an excellent living working exclusively in the contract arena.

Finally, being engaged in any type of work endeavor is certainly more energizing and fulfilling than passing through the day without focus. Of course, many people are extremely focused on their job search and it is those people who stand a much greater chance of gaining employment, even in a down market. Also, many studies have shown that people feel much more vital, worthwhile, and motivated when they are working. Again, many temporary/contract assignments may not involve the job of your dreams, but the simple fact that you are getting out of bed in the morning with a purpose can go a long way toward finding that special job.

So, keep your chin up, stiff upper lip, and hold your head high. There are many opportunities for work, especially in the temporary and/or contract arenas.

Being willing to broaden your horizons and step out of your comfort zone can give you a leg up when it comes to finding the job you’ve been looking for.

Those of you who have read previous pieces I have written know that I am very big on networking in its many forms. Whether it be organized events such as the Chamber of Commerce, social opportunities, less formal organic groups, seminars, luncheons, or any of the many other venues offering networking opportunities… I use them all. They each have distinct advantages and, when worked properly, they can all be beneficial. However, the last few years have seen the emergence of a whole new category of networking tools. I am referring, of course, to the many online social/business networking sites that are typically free and becoming more and more prolific. The most prominent are LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. There are literally dozens of lesser know sites but these are the biggies. I’m going to talk a bit here about the two I use and am most familiar with; LinkedIn and Facebook, and I’ll try to point out the advantages and disadvantages of each.

LinkedIn is a business-oriented networking site mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009, it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries. The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection. This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways:

• A contact network is built up consisting of their direct connections, the connections of each of their connections (termed 2nd degree connections) and also the connections of 2nd degree connections (termed 3rd degree connections). This can be used to gain an introduction to someone you wish to know through a mutual, trusted contact.
• It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one’s contact network.
• Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates.
• Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.

I like and use LinkedIn a lot for all of the above reasons. Although it is free, for a fee you can enhance your capabilities to allow distributions lists and in-mail options. However, I maintain a free account and find it more than sufficient for my purposes. As with any networking venue there must be a constant evaluation of time vs. business generated. In other words, be careful not to getting sucked into spending and inordinate amount of time cruising around the site while getting nothing in return.

Facebook is a free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages and photos, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. The website currently has more the 150 million active users worldwide. Although more social in nature, I still find Facebook to be very useful from a business standpoint. It is an excellent way to keep in touch with clients and prospective clients as well as friends, and can be further used to notify many people at once as to business needs, projects, hot jobs and candidates, etc. However, I have two main warnings when it comes to Facebook. First, because the site is very robust and includes tons of fun features it is easy to spend way too much time simply cruising around either looking for old friends or simply “playing” on the site. As a result, productivity can most certainly suffer if you are accessing the site during working hours. My rule is simple; while at work I carve out about 20 minutes of Facebook time strictly for business purposes, and keep the personal stuff confined to non-working time. My second warning should be viewed as severe. Simply put, be very careful with the personal information and/or photos you put on your page. It has become quite common for hiring officials or anyone looking for information on a particular person to check out their Facebook page/profile. So, it might be wise to leave that old college photo of you streaking naked through the quad while chugging a bottle of Jack Daniels off your page. Bottom line (pun intended): If it’s on there it will be seen or read.

So, I encourage you to get on board with a couple of the more reputable social networking sites available while keeping my warnings in mind. There can be no doubt that, when used appropriately, they will enhance your visibility and thereby increase your pool of trusted contacts. And after all… isn’t that what networking is all about?

It seems as though I’m developing the reputation as being a bit of a rambler, so for this month’s CEO corner I’m going to do my best to get my point across as succinctly as possible. We’ll see how it goes…….

You certainly don’t need me to tell you that 2008 was a tough year on many levels. Being very familiar with employment trends, I can safely say that this past year was one of the most recessive, employment-wise, in many years. Unemployment is currently running at about 6.8% which is very high for the United States, and we read about mass lay-offs every day. However, here at Emerson Personnel Group we are keenly aware that an emerging trend among our client companies is the utilization of temporary and/or contract employees. Historically, this trend indicates the bottoming out, and subsequent rebounding, of the economy. Let’s hope this is the case in 2009!

There are four main reasons companies retain temporary/contract employees to bolster their workforce:
1. The idea of a very flexible workforce is appealing to companies who are trying to remain lean and efficient as their workload increases. Many times, as the economic landscape improves, the demand for a company’s product or service can be sporadic. Until those workload requests become more consistent, having a workforce that includes temporary employees can be an excellent way to handle the peaks and valleys nature of the rebound.
2. Bringing on contract employees with very specific skill sets for narrowly defined, finite projects is another huge benefit inherent in the utilization of such candidates. For example, an Emerson client recently brought on two contract accountants for a three month project geared toward Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Our client had a very definite need for immediate attention to the project but could not justify bringing on two new permanent employees. The contract option met their needs perfectly.
3. Cost effectiveness! That’s right, you heard me. The cost incurred via working with a recruiting firm for temporary and/or contract employees is largely set off by not having to pay for employee benefits, payroll taxes, workers compensation insurance, time spent on recruiting, and advertising. Beyond those, there is a huge cost savings in not having to pull in-house employees from their duties in order to cover the increased workload.
4. Finally, bringing on temporary/contract employees is one of the best ways to locate top talent. What better way of assessing a potential employee’s skills and abilities that seeing them on the job with your own eyes?

So, as we slowly emerge from this brutal economy, and as your workloads begin to increase, consider calling your friendly neighborhood staffing/recruiting firm (I strongly suggest Emerson Personnel Group). Bolster your workforce with some flexible, cost effective, highly skilled and truly excellent temporary and/or contract employees. Let’s have a great 2009!

My good friend Clayton Clark, owner of Eastborn Home Mortgage in Moorestown is fond of saying “If nothing changes, nothing changes”. I think it’s his way of saying that change is generally a good thing and that positive progress can only occur when the status quo is shaken up. Now, Clayton is a pretty smart guy so lately I’ve been trying to apply his philosophy on change to the interesting times we currently find ourselves in. We see previously indestructible corporate giants like General Motors teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, unemployment reaching the highest levels in 20 years, the first African-American family moving into the White House, seemingly daily technological advancements, and perhaps the biggest change of all… the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series. Wow! To quote another pretty smart guy… “The times they are a changin’”.

I’d like to focus on the positive aspects and learning opportunities we can take from the ever changing employment landscape. Certainly the recent report that the unemployment rate hit 6.9% is not good news, but what it tells me is that 93.1% of the employable population ARE working (call me the eternal optimist). Also, if we are looking for learning opportunities, we all need to peel back a few layers and examine what industries are laying off, and what industries continue to hire. We also need to come to grips with the fact that as the employment scene changes so do the desired skill sets and expertise growing, hiring companies look for in great candidates. Sure, the American automobile industry is laying off in droves, but smaller auto companies committed to building energy efficient, “green”, eco-friendlier vehicles are booming.

In fact, it is my heartfelt belief that industries geared toward earth friendly, energy conserving, carbon footprint-lowering practices will soon be, and in many cases already are, the new providers of vast employment opportunities. Companies committed to developing alternative forms of energy like wind, solar and nuclear are growing as we speak. They are most definitely looking for excellent candidates in a variety of positions. Beyond those companies that directly produce green products, there is a highly noticeable shift ACROSS ALL INDUSTIRES toward green thinking and energy conservation in general. Therefore, for example, even though the construction industry is down construction companies continue to aggressively seek out and hire executives who hold the LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Job candidates at all levels and across positions that possess similar certifications and/or are cognizant of green practices will continue to become increasingly employable.

Another example of looking beyond the immediate can be found within the current credit crisis. Although not exactly uplifting it is a fact that companies whose stock in trade is in collections, foreclosures, bankruptcy, business liquidations, etc. are busy and hiring. So, while the thousands of people who have been laid off from the mortgage industry might have to wait quite awhile for the industry to rebound there are options for immediate employment. It may require some re-training, re-tooling or further education but the opportunities are there. Again, it might not be the job of your dreams but it is definitely a way to keep the wolf from the door.

Please don’t get me wrong. That these can be scary, challenging times is indisputable, and I would never try to sugar-coat that fact. But it is my contention that change is good, that we grow stronger because of change, and that great opportunities exist in the face of, and because of, change. So, embrace the changes in your life; learn from them, and do your best to improve what you have to offer to those companies that are hiring. Because there is one thing that will never change… there will always be a demand for hard working, highly skilled, well-prepared people.

 

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Rutgers Quarterly Business Outlook, a networking venue and panel presentation that discusses a snapshot of the current economic conditions in specific segments of industry, and attempts to predict conditions for the coming quarter. Unless you live in a cave I’m sure you can guess the general atmosphere of the event; yes, grim. It was greatly agreed that these are very tough economic times we are living in, and that there is no quick fix on the horizon. Time and patience seemed to be the general mantra in the room.

However, those who know me will, I think, describe me as a positive guy who consistently works to find the silver lining in any stormy situation. So, as I trudged to my car I began to try to ascertain what I thought were the positives to be taken from the gloomy event I had just attended. Three points immediately came to mind. First, when mentally surveying the crowd that made up my fellow attendees I could not help but be struck by what a tough and resilient group they were. I truly believe that when the going gets tough, the business communities of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia get going. It is my feeling that when stacked up against any other region in the country we will always do ourselves proud. For example, Emerson Personnel Group has weathered six recessions since opening our doors in 1971, and we’re still standing stronger than ever.

Second, I reflected that as I worked the room during the networking portion of the event there was much more going on than a commiseration of these rough economic waters. In fact, for every negative point made there were two or three ideas generated as to how to overcome that point in a positive way. It was as if the room had turned into a think tank geared toward the manufacture of positive ideas and solutions. So, I realized, not only are we a tough, resilient group but we’re smart too! Over the last eight years I have had the privilege to meet dozens of bright, innovative, and forward-thinking men and women in our business community. Together we will use our collective brains and strong wills to rise above the fray.

My third point, I believe, was my most important realization and it is simply this; united we stand, divided we fall. We are truly all in this together and we must remain united if we are to succeed. It was at that point that my brain flashed to a scene from one of my favorite movies… Mr. Mom. If you know the movie you’ll know the scene. In it Mr. Humphries, President of Schooner Tuna, is taping a television commercial that had been pitched to him by an advertising executive played by Teri Garr. The movie takes place during the tough economic times of the mid-1980’s and the thrust of the commercial is that during the economic crisis Schooner Tuna will cut their cost to the consumer drastically and will revert to regular pricing when the economy recovers. The tag lines are “Remember we’re all in this together” and “Schooner Tuna, the tuna with a heart”.

Can you guess where I’m heading? You got it! In the spirit of unity and togetherness we are making the following offer:

During these tough economic times Emerson Personnel Group will significantly reduce their cost for all new orders for temporary employees. This will not result in a lower pay rate to the temporary employees, but rather a lower than standard bill rate for our new and existing client companies. This offer goes into effect immediately. This offer will in no way result in a reduction of the high quality of service our clients have enjoyed since 1971. Remember, we’re all in this together…Emerson Personnel Group, the recruiting firm with a heart.

 

Wow! These sure are some wildly turbulent and somewhat nerve-wracking economic times we are living in. Bailouts, a roller coaster of a stock market, failing banks and financial institutions, waffling in Washington, and golden parachutes for a privileged few have everyone a bit on edge. Also of concern is the instability of some of the, usually steady, large segments of the industrial landscape such as the automotive, residential housing, and energy markets. But fear not! Because there is one cog in the economic engine that continues to chug along and, in many cases, thrive. One entity that never fails in its consistent representation of what is great about this country. One segment of industry that, in my opinion, will play a huge role in the economic solution we all desperately seek. That, my loyal readers, is the American small business.

American men and women who own and operate small businesses across this great country continue to get up every morning and go to work where they put their energy, their entrepreneurial spirit and their ideas to work. While giant companies and institutions exhibit gross mismanagement, lose billions, and lay-off thousands, it is the small businessmen and women that watch every penny responsibly and who seek to grow organically rather than through poorly thought out acquisitions. In essence it is the small businesses of America that truly make up the majority of our economic fabric.

Additionally, as the owner of a small business devoted to excellence in the field of recruiting, staffing and employment, I bear witness every day to the efforts of other small businesses to hire people in the face of economic tough times. When huge companies are forced, through no one’s fault but their own, to lay off excellent employees it is many times the small business owners who seek to hire the exceptional talent off the street.

Unfortunately, and despite the points illustrated above, it is many times the small business owner who is asked to ride to the rescue time and again. An inequitable taxation system continues to put undue pressure on small businesses to kick in far more than their fair share. Ironically, the vast majority of business owners I know are more than willing to shoulder their share of the load not only via taxes but by sitting on various boards of directors, giving charitably, sponsoring youth sports, and volunteering countless hours of their time to help worthy causes. It is only when the taxation becomes onerous to the point that it prohibits growth that I take issue. Government should either support the small American business or get out of the way and allow them to grow and flourish as they most certainly will.

So, when you go to the polls in November please go well prepared. If your primary issue of concern is the environment then take some time to study how each party will address that specific issue. Take the same approach regardless of your issue of a passion; the war, healthcare, education, etc. But please, take some time to explore how the candidates plan to encourage and support small business. For it is the small businesses that keep America going.