SmallBusinessExecutiveInforming, Inspiring and Connecting Businesses
Hot IPO market catches a chill
Due to a volatile economic situation, the market for Initial Public Offerings has cooled considerably in recent days. Six out of 12 companies scheduled for IPOs this month had postponed them as of Wednesday morning, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The about-face surfaced after investor confidence plummeted due to stock market fluctuations and controversy over the national [...]
Business owners rank economy as top concern
Amid controversy over the national debt, three out of four small business owners surveyed in mid-July said they were concerned about it, according to Insperity, a Houston-based provider of human resources and business performance solutions that conducts quarterly business confidence surveys of its clients. About 70 percent of respondents in July said they were [...]
Jobs data makes case for hiring now
Hire now, if you plan to expand this year. That’s the advice of Robert Miano, president and chief executive at Wayne, N.J.-based Harvey Nash USA, a staffing and recruiting firm. “It’s an excellent time to hire,” said Miano, who is adding staff to his own firm in advance of what he believes will be stronger [...]
Jones Lang LaSalle’s results show signs of real-estate recovery
By Robert Wile Medill News Service Earnings of Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. rebounded more than 500 percent in the first quarter as the pace of commercial real estate transactions picked up throughout the world, suggesting signs of recovery. In the quarter ended March 31, 2011, the global real estate services firm reported net income of $1.5 million, or [...]
Optimism dives on higher gas prices
Higher prices for gas and other commodities helped spur a 17 percent drop in optimism among small business owners in April, according to Glenview-based payroll provider SurePayroll, which tracks hiring and wage data monthly. The SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard indicates hiring and wages in April were flat with March, while the hiring index for Illinois dropped [...]
Modest recovery will pick up: Bernanke
By Nicole Bowling Medill News Service – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke dampened concerns about inflation and expressed optimism about further improvements in employment during his first-ever press conference Wednesday. Many factors contributing to the economic slowdown are “transitory,” Bernanke told reporters, echoing the Fed’s April statement released earlier in the day. “While the recovery [...]
Businesses started out of necessity might not generate jobs: Kauffman report
The Great Recession produced more entrepreneurs than at any time during the past 15 years, but most haven’t yet generated jobs, according to a new study by the Kansas City, Mo.-based Kauffman Foundation. The foundation’s Index of Entrepreneurial Activity suggests about 34 out of 10,000 adults — or about 565,000 people – started businesses each month [...]
U.S. Chamber: Strict business regulations constrict job growth in Illinois
A new report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce suggests states with more business regulations might be constricting employment growth and business formation. By reducing labor and employment regulation, states could generate about 750,000 new jobs nationwide and 50,000 new firms, the report concludes. The report’s state-by-state review gives Illinois a “poor” rating, due to [...]
Small businesses add workers, hours
The Intuit Small Business Employment Index indicates small businesses created about 50,000 jobs in February, while slightly increasing the average number of employee hours worked to 107.6 hours or about 24.8 hours per week, Crain’s Enterprise City blog reported today. Small businesses have added about 800,000 jobs since the growth trend began in October 2009, [...]
A longer view on innovation shows growth
Increased efficiency is often blamed for job loss, yet the money saved from innovations can fund future economic growth, a new study by the McKinsey Global Institute reported. “Companies can pass on those savings to their customers in the form of lower prices, leaving households and businesses with more money to spend elsewhere. They can [...]
