Alex Fees: Here in Cleveland we talked to some of the cozy membership about how they are functioning during the economy that our country is experiencing here on the last quarter of 2008.
Mark Seidel: Currently today, we’re actually in a pretty large growth mold. And one of the major reasons that business are trying to reduce or suspending they’re trying to save some money to get around some of the other economic issues that they’re—you know, the hurdles that they’re having to jump. So we’re able to cut some other phone cost, cut some high speed internet cost in communications and they bundle the services together to really help the small business owners save money in this economy.
Alex Fees: Dan, what is 1-888 Ohiocomp?
Dan Neubert: A managed care organization that handles work compensation for employers in Ohio. We managed the claims from the start of injury through return to work. Well, our company handles about 25,000 employers in Ohio. And the current economy, all employers are required to have a managed care organization. We’re seeing employers actually going out of business, we’re seeing employers downsizing, less of persons employed. And so we’re actually seeing a lessening, an eroding of the business.
Alex Fees: Ginny, what is Cannon Advertising Specialties?
Ginny Globokar: Cannon advertising is a full service at specialty company meaning we represent over 2 Million different items that it can embezzled with your local or branding.
Alex Fees: So you have no certain niche of client telling that sounds you serve a lot of different people, is that fair?
Ginny Globokar: Absolutely. From the Mom and Pop shops all the way to the Fortune 500 companies.
Alex Fees: Ginny, how is Cannon functioning in this current environment?
Ginny Globokar: We are functioning fine. If we refused to let the economy, the election get us down we have to be on our game. Our main concern is to make sure we stay educated with our product because are not order takers, we’re consultants. So we can teach our clients how to buy, what works, what doesn’t work, use case histories. We’ve been around a long time.
Jim Dietz: It’s been a struggle I mean definitely things are changing, people are thinking about cutting back on expenses and watching where they spend their money. So it’s been a challenge for the past few years. We’re trying to market through internet, mailings and we have outside sales course that tell our costumers some of the new products that we’re offering.
Alex Fees: Safe to say Jim, you can function on this environment?
Jim Dietz: Yes, absolutely. You just have to know what your costumer’s needs are and kind of work your business to match their needs because the needs are constantly changing so you need to change your business to match those needs.
Jerry Peyton: What we’re seeing in our market place in Akron, Ohio where we’re located is we’re seeing a lot of folks that might be delaying some decisions or seeing some decisions that are being made more quickly. So we’re seeing a little bit of both.
Alex Fees: How do you cope with that?
Jerry Peyton: You need to have the planning internally and you need to make sure your quality serves to your costumers are high so that they’ll stay with you and they’ll trust you as their adviser.
Alex Fees: For more information on the counsel of smaller enterprises, visit our website, cose.org.
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