IB partnered with Chamberlain Research Consultants (CRC) to poll a pre-selected group of 100 companies. Chamberlain researcher Tony Trout structures the questionnaire, summarizes the data, and created a website so participating company presidents can receive “live” data.
Why should you care about these numbers?
If you are a company owner or manager, these peers (your customers and vendors?) are telling you their projections, hopes, and worries for the next 90 days. Even their plans.
If you are an employee, distanced from bottom-line discussions … what your manager thinks very much impacts your job security. Real people and real numbers in real times — our IB100 promise.
IB Asks
Commentary from our Participants
IT Firm CEO: Business continues to be robust! Every month this year has been a record month compared to prior years’ performance. We see continued strong demand for IT services for the near-term, 3-6 months out. Technologies like Virtual Desktop infrastructure and Cloud-based services are very compelling and have tremendous ROIs.
Jeweler: With the unemployment situation, I think it will be an other year before we will see any real improvement in the economy.
Wholesaler: Business has been very flat for our products because consumer spending on durables still is not increasing. Consumers are reluctant to make major purchases as they continue to deleverage and because of concerns about their jobs, income, and the economy in general. While some segments of the economy are seeing a degree of recovery, most segments are not seeing any recovery, particularly housing and home furnishings. Until consumer confidence increases consistently, and consumers have more money in their pockets, the recovery will remain out of reach for many segments. If all the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire, the economy will take another hit as people will have even less money to spend.
Business Banker: I really hoped that some of the first and second quarter strength in housing would have carried into the third quarter; however, recent housing data shows that that momentum has slowed.
Builder: [We have] two big projects with verbal commitment from clients, but waiting for financing and appraisal. If appraisals work out, then this fall will be good for us.
Builder: Working much harder to earn less.
Confidential (not attributed to a particular industry at request of this CEO): Democrats and Republicans need to stop doing what’s right for the party and start doing things that are right for the people. If they don’t, we are all in trouble!
Would you like to be included in our IB100 group and answer the poll above once a month? We sometimes have “churn” in our group and invite you to apply. Benefits are that you have access to “real time” results and additional information. To apply, e-mail your name, title (must be the owner, president, chair, CEO, or general manager) to jodyp@magnapubs.com.
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