More 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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
28%
32%
Encouraged
23%
14%
Uncertain
20%
29%
Excited
17%
17%
Concerned
5%
4%
Depressed
7%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
More dissatisfied with local economy; fewer “very” dissatisfied
Overall, how satisfied are you with the condition
of the economy as it affects your business
?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
10%
6%
very satisfied
29%
27%
somewhat satisfied
39%
33%
Total SATISFIED
29%
38%
somewhat dissatisfied
30%
25%
very dissatisfied
59%
63%
Total DISSATISFIED
2%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
Most optimistic in six-month
business outlook Over the next six
months, would you say that your business outlook
is good or bad?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
18%
23%
very good
42%
41%
somewhat good
60%
64%
Total GOOD
14%
8%
Some ways good/bad
15%
16%
somewhat bad
8%
8%
very bad
23%
24%
Total BAD
3%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
Fewer see 6-month bottom line
outlook improving 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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
8%
5%
improve a lot
18%
17%
improve somewhat
26%
22%
Total IMPROVE
3%
2%
Costs will exceed profits
44%
49%
Bottom line will remain the same
19%
13%
worsen somewhat
4%
6%
worsen a lot
23%
19%
Total WORSEN
4%
8%
Undecided/don’t know
Most still plan to maintain current number of employees 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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
17%
21%
Plans to hire more employees
69%
66%
Will maintain number of employees
6%
3%
May have to lay off employees
6%
4%
Will lay off employees (volunteered)
2%
6%
Undecided/don’t know
More planning pay increases for employees This year, do you
plan to increase wages for your employees?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
21%
38%
Yes
60%
53%
No
9%
––%
Yes for some/no for others
2%
––%
Will seek a decrease/wage concessions (volunteered)
8%
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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
69%
81%
Benefits will stay the same
10%
10%
Benefits will change
8%
1%
Change for some/stay the same for others (volunteered)
13%
8%
Undecided/don’t know
More expect to absorb 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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
22%
23%
No insurance
24%
34%
Absorb the costs
13%
11%
Increase employee premiums
10%
9%
Decrease healthcare benefits
9%
10%
No increase in costs (volunteered)
3%
1%
Combination of increased premiums and decreased benefits (volunteered)
2%
––%
Combination of all options (volunteered)
17%
12%
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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
15%
22%
Yes
82%
74%
No
3%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
More plan new advertising expenditures Do you plan to purchase advertising in the next six months?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
42%
45%
Yes
56%
50%
No
2%
5%
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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
8%
7%
Will add location
5%
4%
Will consolidate
84%
84%
Will keep the same number of locations
3%
5%
Undecided/don’t know
More report plans for service expansion Do you plan to expand
your business with a new product line or a new service
in the next six months?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
13%
9%
Yes, a new product line
5%
12%
Yes, a new service
5%
5%
Both
73%
65%
No, will not expand either
3%
9%
Undecided/don’t know
Increase in plans for 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?
Apr '06
Oct '06
33%
47%
Yes, will spend $________ Mean:
Apr '06
Oct '06
$3,313.57
$2,174.07
60%
49%
No, will not spend anything
7%
4%
Undecided/don't know
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?
Apr ‘06
Oct ‘06
16%
17%
Yes, respondent
6%
10%
Yes, employees
13%
21%
Both
62%
48%
No, don’t plan to travel
3%
4%
Undecided/don’t know
Upcoming election Who do you think will win the election for governor, Jennifer Granholm the Democrat or Dick DeVos the Republican?
Oct ‘06
Apr ‘06
55%
23%
Jennifer Granholm
23%
41%
Dick DeVos
22%
36%
Undecided/don’t know
On another topic, there will be several ballot proposals on the November election this year. Proposal 2 would amend the Michigan constitution to ban public institutions from using affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes. Public institutions affected include state government, local governments, public colleges and universities, community colleges and local public school districts. The proposal would prohibit public institutions from discriminating against groups or individuals due to their gender, ethnicity, race, color or national origin. A separate provision of the state constitution already prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. Based on what you know or have heard or read about this issue, if the election were held today, would you vote yes in favor of the proposal or no to oppose it?
