Fewer have positive outlook for business Thinking about your business ten years down
the road, are you excited about where you think
your business will be, are you encouraged, uncertain,
concerned or depressed?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
32%
35%
Encouraged
29%
17%
Excited
17%
18%
Concerned
14%
17%
Uncertain
4%
9%
Depressed
4%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
More dissatisfied with local economy
Overall, how satisfied are you with the condition
of the economy as it affects your business
?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
6%
4%
very satisfied
27%
21%
somewhat satisfied
33%
25%
Total SATISFIED
38%
36%
somewhat dissatisfied
25%
38%
very dissatisfied
63%
74%
Total DISSATISFIED
4%
1%
Undecided/don’t know
Fewer optimistic in six-month business outlook Over the next six
months, would you say that your business outlook
is good or bad?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
23%
15%
very good
41%
39%
somewhat good
64%
54%
Total GOOD
8%
8%
Some ways good/bad
16%
22%
somewhat bad
8%
13%
very bad
24%
35%
Total BAD
4%
3%
Undecided/don’t know
More see 6-month bottom line outlook worsening Over the next six months, do you expect your
bottom line to improve with profits growing over expenses
… worsen with costs taking a larger share of profits
[or] pretty much remain the same?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
5%
3%
improve a lot
17%
15%
improve somewhat
22%
18%
Total IMPROVE
2%
--%
Costs will exceed profits
49%
48%
Bottom line will remain the same
13%
20%
worsen somewhat
6%
9%
worsen a lot
19%
29%
Total WORSEN
8%
5%
Undecided/don’t know
Fewer plan to hire more employees – more see layoffs Over the next six months, do you plan to hire more employees, maintain the number of employees you have, or do you expect that you might have to lay off some of your employees?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
21%
16%
Plans to hire more employees
66%
69%
Will maintain number of employees
3%
7%
May have to lay off employees
4%
5%
Will lay off employees (volunteered)
6%
3%
Undecided/don’t know
Fewer planning pay increases for employees This year, do you
plan to increase wages for your employees?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
38%
27%
Yes
53%
67%
No
9%
9%
Undecided/don’t know
Most say employees' benefits will stay the same In the next six months, do you anticipate that the benefit package for your employees will stay the same or change?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
81%
81%
Benefits will stay the same
10%
12%
Benefits will change
1%
--%
Change for some/stay the same for others (volunteered)
8%
7%
Undecided/don’t know
Slight change in expected treatment of increase in employees’ health care costs Specifically, based on any expected increased
cost for health care for your business, do you expect
to absorb those costs, increase employee premiums
or decrease healthcare benefits?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
23%
19%
No insurance
10%
10%
No increase in costs (volunteered)
34%
26%
Absorb the costs
11%
9%
Increase employee premiums
9%
12%
Decrease healthcare benefits
1%
3%
Combination of increased premiums and decreased benefits (volunteered)
––%
4%
Combination of all options (volunteered)
12%
17%
Undecided/don’t know
More plan new office equipment expenditures Do you plan to spend money in the next six months by either purchasing or leasing any office equipment?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
22%
27%
Yes
74%
70%
No
4%
3%
Undecided/don’t know
Little change in plans for new advertising expenditures Do you plan to purchase advertising in the next six months?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
45%
47%
Yes
50%
50%
No
5%
3%
Undecided/don’t know
Little change in plans to add to current number
of locations Do you plan to expand
your business by adding one or more new locations
in the next six months, do you expect to consolidate
your business by closing one or more locations,
or will you be keeping the same number of locations?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
7%
5%
Will add location
4%
3%
Will consolidate
84%
90%
Will keep the same number of locations
5%
2%
Undecided/don’t know
Majority report no plans for product/service expansion Do you plan to expand
your business with a new product line or a new service
in the next six months?
Oct ‘06
April ‘07
9%
14%
Yes, a new product line
12%
12%
Yes, a new service
5%
5%
Both
65%
68%
No, will not expand either
9%
1%
Undecided/don’t know
More plan education/training expenditures Do you plan to spend any funds on employee education and training over the next six months? [IF “YES”] How much do you expect to spend?
Oct '06
April '07
47%
58%
Yes, will spend $________ Mean:
Oct '06
April '07
$2,174.07
$2,535.71
49%
38%
No, will not spend anything
4%
4%
Undecided/don't know
Small increase in business travel plans Do you plan to travel
or have any of your employees travel for business
purposes in the next six months?
