Sunday, March 14, 1999
SMALL-BUSINESS DIARY
Executives feel security diminishing
BY JOHN ECKBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Fear is up almost fourfold among American executives, according to a recent survey of 800 managers by Exec-U-Net, a consulting group based in Norwalk, Conn.
While only 7 percent of the executives polled in 1997 thought that poor performance of their company might put their job at risk, today, 24 percent of the executives had that worry.
“For the first time in several years, we're seeing managers begin to doubt that economic growth and corporate prosperity can go on forever,” said David Opton, executive director of Exec-U-Net.
“This is having a big psychological effect on the workplace. It is no longer keep your nose to the grindstone and all will be well.”
Despite the worries about job security, the company found that 72 percent of the executives surveyed are optimistic or strongly optimistic that business will improve in 1999. A year ago, only 59 percent were optimistic about the business climate.
× Matching grants
offered start-ups
Thinking about starting a business?
Financial Solutions International, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, has business start-up matching grants of up to $1,000 available for each new business. The grant program has a pool of $500,000 available. For more information, contact the nonprofit at (800) 443-5438, Ext. 1000.
Information about grants is also available from the nonprofit's Web site at www.cash-grants.org
× Seminar offers
education in finance
Business owners looking to beef up their working knowledge of finance should consider a seminar Thursday sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Conducted by Chris Waddell, president of Chris Waddell Inc., the program will run 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Sports Plus, 10765 Reading Road, Evendale.
The seminar will explore measuring a company's profitability, distinguishing between net and operating income, understanding the difference between direct and indirect costs and between fixed and variable costs, overhead, depreciation and amortization. The cost is $165 for chamber members and $300 for others. For more information, call Chenise Crump at the chamber at 579-3166.
× Business bookshelf
From Quotable Business by Louis E. Boone (Random House; $17.95): “If you're the boss and your people fight you openly when they think you're wrong, that's healthy. If your people fight each other openly in your presence for what they believe in, that's healthy. But keep all conflict eyeball to eyeball.” — Robert Townsend, former president of Avis-Rent-a-Car Inc.
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