| I have seen it happen over and over again. | | | | of America are still wounded from having to let people |
| Entrepreneurs and business owners hire people and | | | | go during the recession. |
| then they grow to like them. They build a culture of | | | | Where a few years ago it was common to see |
| family and they genuinely feel a sense of pride in and | | | | entrepreneurs hire a new person at even the prospect |
| responsibility for providing employment and security for | | | | of the need, these same entrepreneurs, still bruised |
| so many families. | | | | from some tough times, are much more hesitant to pull |
| Then, when times get tough, they struggle to let people | | | | the trigger on new hires. Phrases like: "Let's hold off on |
| go because of this same sense of pride and | | | | hiring until we are absolutely certain we need another |
| responsibility. These same entrepreneurs don't hesitate | | | | person," and "I'm fine to authorize overtime until we can |
| to sell equipment, downsize their office, or cut other | | | | really justify adding to the staff," have become the |
| non-human expenses. So why can't they just look at | | | | new norm. |
| their employees as an asset or a piece of equipment | | | | Even though the Business Outlook Survey is predicting |
| to sell or dispose of when they need to lean-up their | | | | double-digit rates of growth in both earnings and capital |
| operations? | | | | spending over the next 12 months, it is also predicting |
| I know, this question sounds silly. Obviously we don't | | | | much slower employment growth. When asked why |
| build much of a real relationship with a piece of | | | | employment would lag behind other positive trends, |
| equipment, and we don't personally know of a wife | | | | two of the top three responses highlighted the reliance |
| and five kids that the piece of equipment is trying to | | | | on: |
| support. So, what does this have to do with our | | | | - 44% plan to increase productivity per employee |
| ongoing high levels of unemployment in this country? | | | | - 37% will increase production efficiency |
| We have all heard the statistic from the SBA that that | | | | Entrepreneurs are simply asking for more from their |
| just over half of private employees are employed by | | | | current employees and looking to technology and |
| small businesses. And I would argue that the small | | | | automation to grow. They learned their lesson and, as |
| businesses are those that have more of a tendency | | | | a result, are accelerating our economy's change to a |
| to view their employees as real people and real | | | | more efficient playing field, relying on people to add |
| families - in fact, sometimes a good portion of their | | | | high-level value than fulfill lower-level tasks. So, as the |
| employees are family members. In this context, I submit | | | | economy rebounds, it only makes sense that |
| that owners and executives of the small businesses | | | | employment will lag behind. |