|
Opening
Session - Jonathan Ortmans
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What
would you say is the most important issue facing you as a business
owner?
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|
Access
to capital
|
32
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|
Rising
cost of health care
|
12
|
|
Workforce
recruitment & retention
|
8
|
|
Taxes
|
8
|
|
Regulatory
burden
|
3
|
|
Current
state of the economy
|
26
|
|
Competitive
business environment
|
7
|
|
Other
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
What
is the biggest obstacle you face in providing health benefits for
your employees?
|
|
Federal
& state coverage mandates
|
4
|
|
Administrative
& regulatory burdens
|
2
|
|
Cost
|
83
|
|
Lack
of purchasing power/negotiating ability
|
11
|
|
Other
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
How
are you handling health cost increases?
|
|
|
Absorbing
all of the increase
|
22
|
|
Reducing
the level of coverage
|
17
|
|
Canceling
coverage
|
7
|
|
Changing
health care providers
|
16
|
|
Passing
the increase to employees through higher premiums
|
35
|
|
Other
|
3
|
|
|
|
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Trends
in Entrepreneurship in the Northeast - Diane Smith
|
|
Compared
to the national economy, do you think the regional economy is:
|
|
Much
stronger
|
5
|
|
Stronger
|
30
|
|
About
the same
|
40
|
|
Weaker
|
23
|
|
Much
weaker
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Which
of the following sources do you current rely on MOST for the capital
necessary to run your business?
|
|
Personal
savings or assets
|
40
|
|
Reinvestment
of business earnings
|
13
|
|
Second/Third
mortgage
|
5
|
|
Borrowed
money from a family member, friend or colleague
|
5
|
|
Venture
capital funding
|
3
|
|
Angel
financing
|
4
|
|
Personal
credit card or business credit card
|
8
|
|
Loan/line
of credit from a local bank
|
21
|
|
Other
|
1
|
|
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|
The
View from Washington - Kaaren Street
|
|
|
|
|
Which
of the following helped you become a better business owner?
|
|
Role
model(s)
|
15
|
|
Mentor
relationships
|
45
|
|
Formal
training (college/university)
|
18
|
|
Seminars
and workshops
|
19
|
|
Internet
resources
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
In
which area would you most like to pursue future training?
|
|
|
Business
planning
|
15
|
|
Financial
managment
|
18
|
|
Public
relations, advertising & marketing
|
8
|
|
Market
research & analysis/polling
|
6
|
|
Technology/Internet/Computers
|
13
|
|
Time
management/organization
|
5
|
|
Expanding
markets
|
22
|
|
Hiring
& training the right employees
|
1
|
|
Negotiating
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
The
View from Washington - Dr. Philippa Malgrem
|
|
|
|
|
Excluding
yourself, how many employees do you have?
|
|
|
Zero
|
42
|
|
1
to 4
|
21
|
|
5
to 9
|
10
|
|
10
to 19
|
8
|
|
20
to 49
|
10
|
|
More
than 49
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
Which
of the following would you say most closely describes your opinion
of the federal government?
|
|
|
The
federal government is mostly helpful in its efforts to support small
business owners
|
22
|
|
The
federal government neither helps nor hinders small business owners
|
38
|
|
The
government is not at all helpful in its efforts to support small
business owners
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
Concluding
Plenary Remarks - Jonathan Ortmans
|
|
|
|
|
What
do you consider to be the top priority for your business?
|
|
|
Opening
a new location
|
4
|
|
Increase
the number of clients
|
47
|
|
Expanding
services you provide
|
7
|
|
Increasing
profits
|
34
|
|
Expanding
staff
|
1
|
|
Increasing
name recognition
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
What
is the most important aspect of helping other women to become
entrepreneurs?
|
|
Provide
access to Training/Technical assistance
|
13
|
|
Personal
contacts (networks)
|
31
|
|
Mentoring
|
32
|
|
Access
to services such as daycare, insurance, etc.
|
5
|
|
Access
to capital
|
13
|
|
Access
to new markets
|
3
|
|
Other
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Which
of the following have you found to be the MOST helpful source of
information about business financing options?
|
|
Recommendation
from a friend or business associate
|
30
|
|
Government
website
|
3
|
|
Banks
|
16
|
|
An
SBDC/Women's Business Center
|
15
|
|
The
SBA
|
26
|
|
Private
source
|
6
|
|
Other
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
What
is the top difficulty in regards to providing a pension plan for
your employees?
|
|
Pensions
are expensive
|
30
|
|
Complex
laws are confusing
|
19
|
|
Company
is new and/or profits are not consistent
|
22
|
|
High
turnover - too many new and part-time employees
|
10
|
|
Too
few employees
|
14
|
|
Other
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
Which
of the following best describes your plans to fund your own
retirement?
|
|
Sell
my business & use the money
|
12
|
|
Invest
in IRAs and 401K plans
|
62
|
|
Use
money from my savings, or low risk CDs
|
3
|
|
Use
money from my spouse's Retirement Account
|
4
|
|
Have
not yet made specific plans to fund my retirement
|
19
|
