The process of searching for new customers seems like the largest hurdle for small businesses, followed by keeping up with local, state and federal government regulation.

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The American corporations are run by management and
accountants, and these people have no knowedge of
any techanical know-how. In Japan, all manufacturing companies run with 66% of Engineers, and all Techanical decisions are made by Engineers.

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Starting off without enough financing.

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I am 66 and retired about one year. Some of the small business men are saying that they can’t find and retain dependable help.

I don’t want to work full time, but really want to work 3 to 4 days a week. I wish employers would take advantage of our capabilities by having folks like me SHARE a full-time job!

Example: I worked 44 years in manufacturing (hands on). Supervising & managing world-class hi-tech enviornments for Fortune-500 companies.

I noticed that they do this in Europe. I grant you, the Human Resources Dept. might have to do a little more, but people like me enjoy the social contact and could help mentor new employees using our knowledge and experience. We leave a big knowledge drain on industry as we leave and retire. We don’t have to work, but we would like to work. That might be a refreshing thought!

Joe Sadlier,
Harrisburg, PA

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The biggest hurdle in small business is getting financial back-up at the right time, and for a reasonable interest.

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Three years ago, my company filed a federal tax return and a state tax return. Now it must file (AND PAY) in five other states as well, and the list keeps growing. This is because states are claiming nexus, due to the existance of commissioned reps present in their state.

Forget about global free trade. We need free trade between states! We are, after all, supposed to be the “United” States.

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Money? No problem bidding, completion, collecting!

Your own “financial institution-bank” will do everything in their power to keep your deposited check from you!!

The stock answer is “We’ll have to hold for clearing of check”!! Or “You don’t have the collateral if this check fails to clear”!!

To clear a $30,000 check recently exceeded 10 day week due to weekends + holiday.

Well, all the above goes on top of your funding the job upfront, time to perform the work, wait for the check to be cut in sequence and delivery of the check. Easily two months to have a bank tell you sit on it for 10 more days while you can’t make payroll, really sucks!

Congratulations, you are heading up the group of employers who don’t pay employee checks.

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With the advent of the bank consolidations and the demise of the local “hometown” banker who knew everyone and made financial decisions based on the person you were, small business has experienced a more business-like review of requests for financial help. Generally speaking,
the review may be conservative, but they are dealing with the money of others in granting you money.

To one gentleman above, I suggest you do have a bidding problem, you are clearly not realizing enough to sustain operating capital nor accumulate liquid assets to fund a check that does not clear the bank. Remenber, in winning a bid…all things equal, the winner is the guy who agreed to do it for less than anyone else…sometimes you wonder if that is really winning.

Maybe, just maybe your bank is trying to tell you something about the way your business is structured. A bank’s job is not to help capitalize your business, they are not an invested partner who has risked money on the hope
of a return on that investment, they simply offer a service, just like an attorney, accountant or the power company for that matter.

If you are expecting anything more, you are in for disappointment. They too are running a business and they are careful in the “jobs they bid”. They cannot risk “not paying employee checks”.

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The biggest problem is competing in the world marketplace against the big boys. A lot of small businesses have already lost the battle. Many more will follow. They just don’t have the resources to get it done.

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