Spring 2009 Keystone Business Climate Survey

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• Not well positioned, but hopful that we will survive (due to yong family member's persistance to go on!).
• No stimulus money for manufacturing
• depense on the milk prices
• Will survive with more cuts
• very dependant on the businesses we serve
• Depends upon high taxation of small businesses
• I think we can make it thru, but it depends how bad it gets
• depends on our clients
• We can take a 30% loss and survive
• Not by the recession. But by government interference

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• This does not make sense charge people for being responsible
• Look at alternative plans
• Will reduce payroll increases
• this is a horrible idea, I have an employee who pays more for health insurance than take home pay!!
• Family Business--Would have to cut our private health coverage and it barely covers anything now.
• Rendell needs to review his in-house spending before taxing businesses to death
• can't afford it now - with a tax we will never be able to afford it!
• Rendell HATES small Business. He doesn't know anything about economics!
• Kick Rendell and any other elected person out of office that votes for it.
• Reduce employees, work remaining longer
• Less people have health ins. So impose a tax????

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• Not pay myself and continue to work 40 plus hours every week.
• No, thankfully, not yet. Absorbed losses.
• negotiate temporary lease reduction
• n/a
• Can't raise prices, wouldn't lower
• Our salespeople are earning less commissions.
• Cancelled health insurance coverage
• will not buy machine
• NONE OF THE ABOVE
• work more hours myself
• Lessen my health care offering to employees
• Eliminate Trade workment that work with me.
• Work more IN my business, not ON my business
• currently reviewing other possibilities
• If no economic improvement we will either layoff or reduce hours.
• adjust budget/look for cost cutting in fixed costs
• eliminate bonus payments, stopped paying myself !
• STOP PURCHASES OF CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
• None of the above
• no impact
• na
• so far we haven't been impacted to greatly
• Cut operating costs to increase profit without raising prices
• Dropped Heath Insurance
• reduce services
• tried to cut costs
• borrow money to pay for health insurance
• curtail expansion plans
• No impact..... YET!!!
• Cut expenses
• We are falling behind in keeping our equipment updated.
• ADJUSTED TO SEASONAL RETAIL CHANGES

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• Stagflation - govt sucks up all credit - hyperinflation
• buying feed and fertizer
• competition
• cut taxes and the economy will grow
• Ability of our customers to get ample credit for Acquisition, Development & Construction Loans
• the cost of excessive government spending and high taxation
• all of the above plus other insurances
• All are becoming a major concern
• access to credit AND Health care coverage
• overall cost increases in health care & taxes
• ALL OF THE ABOVE, CAP AND TRADE WILL IMPACT ALL BUSINESSES
• why couldn't the government bail out the taxpayers who can't afford to pay their gas & electric bills?
• Top concern is for our future.
• Top-heavy Socialistic Government! RealEstate Taxes!
• All of the above
• ALL OF THE ABOVE
• regulatory compliance burden
• Government regulation and involvement
• lack of nuclear reactors making electricity too expensive
• reliable seasonal workforce, h2b visa reform
• excessive over regulation where the same dollars could and should be put to more and better productive uses

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• Cutting costs. Eliminate extras.
• Cutting back to bare minimum essentials. Laid off staff.
• Lay off key personel, and continue to work myself without pay, also having to cash in an annuity to loan to the company.
• cutting cost
• we downsized
• we downsized
• advertising more keeping employment low pricing
• Cutting any excess in inventories. Not giving raises as quickly. Took a reduction in my own salary (President).
• Increased sales effort, reduced staff, negotiated tempory lease reduction.
• I work longer hours for less money.
• much more networking, less adverstising
• lean and mean
• LAYED OFF ONE EMPLOYEE, DID NOT FILL POSITION OF ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WHO LEFT. ALSO NOT DOING ANY UNECESSARY SPENDING
• Educating as many people as possible regarding the hyjacking of our freedoms by our government.
• balancing the volumes of work in the practrice areas we offer to serve those sectors that are doing best in these economic times
• Control Spending Limit Labor cost Promote concept of "Local" to our customer base
• To become leaner and more efficient.
• Looking to restart energy consulting and energy development services. Active in Carter years - Oboma pushung same uneconomic crap but we made lots of money doing in in the 80's
• Constant networking to keep momentum strong
• cutting costs and layoffs
• Controlling and reducing every cost.
• Produced a working plan which leveled the amount of work over a six month period. Allowing me to keep the same amount of people working. Diversified my advertising also.
• raising prices, reducing employee work hrs, spending more time working alone
• We are increasing our efficiency and always looking for cost savings such as e-mailing or faxing invoices and orders instead of using the postal service. We are also cutting back on travel expenses.
• Cutting hours, benefits
• buying little and paying what bills i can
• not replacing equipment, repair instead, raise ins. copays
• eliminate employee overtime
• price cuts, lower salary increases
• lay offs and had to raise prices on some products
• Cut operating cost, increased marketing
• Just keep purchases and hours worked in line with sales.
• We Are Doing just fine!
• my wife and I work more hours, cut employees hours passed more of the costs on in price increases
• Doing more of the work myself rather than having others do it
• pay down debt, keep current customers happy,
• Be more assertive
• More networking, new brochure, cut back all expenses as far as possible, trying to come up with a marketing plan and cash-flow plan, opened home equity line of credit
• Promoting business in Florida areas where have high passive income levels.
• KEEPING COSTS TO A MINIMUM
• limiting spending
• focusing on additional ways to earn revenue
• cut all our costs back, laid off workers, decrease our health insurance benefits , do not keep inventory on hand, across the board 10% pay cut
• Redirect sales activities
• Have been working to build a strong balance sheet and limit bank debt for the last 25 years.
• Downsizing via layoffs, pay increase freeze, reduction in needed capital expenditures, cutting any items possible from our corporate budget.
• cutting all costs possible and taking care of each and every detail - to let nothing slip through the cracks
• holding on to cash, not buying anything that isn't necessary, not hiring, and considering cutting our healthcare plans.
• Cutting costs; buying less, etc.
• cutting back on purchases by taking more up front payments on special; orders, lessened employees and their hours (all are part time and have been)
• As owner I take a more active role in the operations. We have cut back on employee "perks" ie, bonus's, lunches, parties, etc. We are trying to cut back on wasteful spending
• Employees can no longer make bonuses and overtime work that allowed them to make more is not available. The next step is further reduce work hours then to lay off. I am resisting lay off in the interest of my employees. The taxes that come off the top of their pay checks every pay period and the unbridled spending of the government we become evermore resentful.
• We're just hoping business picks up
• Cut labor force, revisit Medical Coverage. Invest no further into business expansion
• reducing spending as much as possible, rearranged schedules (we are required to be open 24/7-personal care home) to eliminate hiring more people, put a higher cap on our negotiated rates-refusing low income residents, and as the owner, I have skipped paying myself at least once a month to be able to afford paying my staff.
• had to raise prices, watch spending, making very carful decidtions.
• We have a nitch market of sales. We're trying (as always) to keep prices at a bare minimum to help our customers. We're also expanding our product line to offer more variety.
• Spend less.Scrutnize costs.Increase sales
• Taking it day-by-day and waiting for the day Rendell is out of office before he exterminates small businesses
• Lay off employees, cut prices
• Offering more product for same amount of cost to the consumer
• Have had some employees retire and go on Social security to relieve their wages for other benefits. Less hours for employees.
• cut spending, no new hires, and overall being aware of weekly trends and news
• Cutting back on purchases
• Provide good customer service.
• cut costs, less hours for employees no health insurance, lay people off.
• Reduction of Workforce
• Cost cutting, realigning overhead relative to sales projections
• more marketing and prospecting considering more layoffs pondering pay cuts
• Have lowered the level of health insurance to offset extreme increases, reduced any non-essential purchases.
• Inventing new products, Lay off worker(s), curtail production
• Work hard. Watch my nickles and dimes.
• we are reducing as many of the descretionary costs as we can. instituting a more flexible pricing structure to maximize gross margin $, while increasing sales of "recession" items
• sales taskforce to combat lost revenues, implemented cost cutting measures - including lay offs and wage cuts and also reducing expenditures
• Dairy Farm: Cut back expenses, Reduced hourly workers hours increased sallary workers hours.
• we have cut our hourly employees hours to 32 hrs a week & may have to cut them further to survive additionally we have instituted paycuts for hour salaried people. we are in survival mode.we have been here before , but it hasn't ever looked this bleek since i entered the work force in 1984, at this company.
• try to reduce fixed costs, monitor expenses at all times.
• All things listed above. Our problem is lost sales due to the general economic downturn and the lost housing and home improvement market, followed by a weak commercial market for our products. Hardwood components.
• We had lay offs, cut hours, cut maintenance expenses(stopped lawn care service, cut trash service, cut cleaning service), cut hours, sold equipment to generate cash, cut inventory levels.
• Increase marketing and reducing costs
• Laying off employees/reduce spending
• We have reduced hours worked by 20% for entire staff and may have to have lay-offs and then close the business if necessary
• Cutting overhead expenses as much as possible.
• CUT BACK ON INVENTORY, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, TRAVEL EXPENSE, SHORTER WORK WEEK FOR EMPLOYEES ETC.
• Cutting all non eccential spending and lowering inventory
• Cut all operational cost Reduce products and services Eliminate benefit pkg.
• cut spending
• none.
• more fund raisers, keeping prices at a reasonable and affordable for customers
• Prayers
• Controlling costs
• Cutting everynthing that is not essential - more innovative ways to market - paying attention to all the details - PRAYING
• Let less productive employees go, we are doing their workload and ours to cut costs.
• Cut prices, extended business hours
• Cutting back on expenses
• Watching spending, spending for the short term
• Careful scrutiny of costs
• Cut spending
• Basically, we have not hired our normal seasonal workers and we ourselves are working longer hours.
• Cutting employees
• reducing inventory alternative marketing
• Hire Moral people! Buy AMERICAN PRODUCTS! Support Local Businesses! Use Conservative Accounting People!
• Manage cash flow
• Cut Cost in overhead & purchasing products - Laid off Employees
• Tracking expenses, output, and emplyee production to stay above break even.
• Cutting employee hours, eliminating part time employees, cutting costs wherever possible. Unfortunately, increased payroll taxes and the threat of cap and trade are really concerning.
• Consolidated utilities needed into "bundled" plans, eliminated unneeded "luxuries", bringing in food from home instead of eating "out".
• Spending frugally and trying to position ourselves for growth once the economy turns around.
• Cutting costs, cutting pays, and dropping prices.
• Cutting Spending
• MORE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION
• Not expanding our business and lowering the hours worked by our employees plus freezing salaries and wages.
• Conservitive spending. Reducing employee hours.
• less inventory, less debt, cutting hours, more sales time. paying bills slower
• Cut spending on improvements, Higher co-pays on employee heath insurance, reducing overhead, not replacing inventory
• Cut, Cut, Cut Back Spending
• reduced hours, cut pay rates, reduced services, borrowed personally
• offering specials, limiting productsavailable for sale, minimizing new hiring, becoming ' more lean and mean'.
• cutting costs & spending
• Growth on hold
• CUTTING SPENDING, CUTTING ADVERTISING, CUTTING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
• Reevaluating inventory to make it turn faster
• More networking
• Reduced hours and employees and reduced prices to customers.
• Cut Hours --- Short layoffs---Less Donations--- More Signage on our building--- More Networking
• Becoming as lean and mean as possible
• Offering discounts
• Targeted advertising and staff reduction. May not survive. Our legislators need to listen to the little (15 employees or less) businesses that are the heartbeat of america -- NOT the automakers with their bonsuses, etc.
• Cutting costs and employee perks. Repairing old equipment versus buying new.
• Continue to provide outstanding customer service.
• holding on by my fingernails!
• We are marketing more aggressively, cutting costs by laying off employees and other cost saving measures across the board, and taking huge pay cuts.
• Advertising more. Taking care of good customers.
• reducing salaries
• CUTTING BACK ON ALL EXPENSES
• Tighten operations
• Keeping a close eye on over-time and raw material costs.
• Offering other serves and promoting those into new markets. To soon to tell whether we will see enough of a return to be able to call the move successful.
• Find new ways to increase sales.
• Just keeping our heads and staying the course
• negotiating a new line of credit
• cutting back everywhere.
• Taking on a new product
• See #24.
• turn down nothing, expand capabilities and services. keep costs down.
• Working longer for less.
• More agressive marketing & pricing, obtained line of credit, cut expenses where possible.
• hunkering down
• adding new services
• new product lines
• consolidation of facilities
• CUTING LABOR COSTS
• We are cutting costs everywhere we can. We spend only what is necessary to stay in business until business picks up. No one is spending money in construction right now.
• watching purchases closely

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• I don't know
• Don't know them.
• not sure
• Don't know
• No idea
• don't know yet
• would not vote for a liberal
• don't know
• do not know
• Not enough information on any to make a decision
• no opinion yet
• not sure would have to get more back round!!
• None of the above
• Dont know enough about canidates currently
• do not known any
• Probably vote Republican
• TOM CORBET
• None of the above
• no comment.
• na
• I'm a conservative.
• who knows
• ???
• none of the above
• NOT SURE
• Do not know
• Not Democrat
• don't know

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• Do not really know all of these. Probably Corbett.
• unkown
• not sure
• Don't know
• Who are these guys?
• no idea
• Not sure what any of these stand for or against
• Senator Mike Fulmer
• too early to say
• NOt sure
• undecided at this time
• Pat Toomey
• i really don't know anything about these people the only one i ever heard of is CORBETT
• Don't know any of them, I'd pick myself right now
• don't know at this time.
• No opinion currently given these choices
• not sure
• no comment.
• Why not me? I couldn't do a worse job than these other bozos!
• I do not know these potential candidates.
• not idea
• undecided
• No Decision
• Lynn Swann
• Dissatisfied with all politicians

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• Why did you add Peg Luksik to a choice of TWO?
• Do not really know Pat Toomey.
• anyone but Spector
• anyone but Spector
• Not Arlen Specter
• not arlen specter
• don't know
• too early to say
• Melissa Hart
• undecided at this time
• anybody but Specter. don't know enough about the others listed to commit.
• WILL SWITCH TO REPUBLICAN PARTY JUST TO VOTE SPECTOR OUTAND TOOMEY IN
• no comment.
• NOT SPECTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO WAY!!!!!!!!!
• None neither are anywhere close to what we need.

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• employee
• Local Government
• vice president
• General manager
• president/also technician
• Bookkeeper
• owner/designer
• WE ARE ALL OF THE ABOVE

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