Recent headlines about the recession ending send a mixed message. If the recession is really behind us, as most economists say, then why haven’t we seen expansion in the economy? The lack of understanding lies in the fact that the definition of recession is very specific to an economist – and the fact that growth can be in very small increments. Every aspect of the marketplace is SO cautious right now that growth is painfully slow. We are not going to flip a switch to reset the economy – we are going to have to grow into prosperity much more slowly.
It is really frustrating for a small business owner to run with the big dogs – I know this is not news. While we are bound by the same laws of economics as the rest of the marketplace, we don’t normally have the same resources.
When we have a Reduction in Force (sounds so much less threatening than Layoff) EVERYONE on the team is called upon to pick up some extra responsibilities. Our staff has been remarkably flexible, understanding, and patient with the snail’s pace at which we are moving back to profitability. But we didn’t reduce redundancy in the workforce – we asked individuals to learn new tasks, manage multiple priorities and exceed our already high quality standards. Our bench was never very deep and now when someone is home sick we feel it throughout the organization.
All of our “spare” time is spent making it easier for customers to do business with us so we will be able to continue to deliver excellence in this leaner environment. I can say without hesitation that we will be ready for what the market demands next year and the year after. We are finding our feet in this post-recession marketplace and we are ready to start making more banners!
