As I speak with my colleagues in the staffing industry, the one consistent thing that they share with me is “We are busy!”.  This means good news for business in America. 
Staffing is a leading indicator of doom and turnaround.  As I’ve written here before, our people were the first to be laid off in late [...]

It happened again this morning.  I was attending a speaker series and was engaged in conversation over coffee with the controller for a local lighting distributor.  The conversation centered, as it usually does these days, on the amount of growth or lack thereof we’ve been experiencing over the past year.  This person indicated that while [...]

Recent news of higher unemployment seemed to throw water on the smoldering embers of a new fire in the economy.  Many signs are pointing towards a recovery: new housing starts, reduced inventories even a dropping in new claims for unemployment.  I suppose this is just the market’s way of keeping our exuberance in check.  After [...]

Many people are asking me these days, “Are you seeing signs that business is improving?”  Initially, I thought I was being asked about our business in particular.  Upon further review, I realized the inquiries were about whether we’re getting busier because our customers are getting busier. And if our customers get busy, then the world is a better place. [...]

 
Clearly we are living in unprecedented times. Most say, and probably with good reason, that this recession and these economic times are second only to the Great Depression. One day it will come to an end though and then what? How will we handle the need for new talent when the orders come back? How [...]

These times bring out the best and worst in all that we encounter: customers, employees, vendors, etc.  Unfortunately as another customer has gone out of business and left a large receivable which may not be collectible, we’re busily trying to fill an order for someone else that has been steadily paying their bills on time.  [...]