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Survey Says: Most Consumers Still Want to Buy American
Despite partisan divides, American pride is alive and well in the nation's malls, according to a new survey.
Posted 11/ 3 10 at 6:00 PM | Business Trends, Sales, Leadership, Legal Issues, International Business, Online Business, Consumer Products & Services, Manufacturing, Retail
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Amidst all the partisanship in the country, most Americans still agree upon something -- they like products made in the USA. Small-business owners are also in agreement. They're not ready to retire, maybe not ever. Here's a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.USA! USA!
National pride is alive and well when it comes to shopping. In a recent Harris poll, 61 percent of Americans said they are more likely to purchase a product when it's advertised as "Made in America" while only 3 percent are less likely to buy it. (For 35 percent of U.S. adults, "Made in America" doesn't influence them either way.)
Midwesterners and people over 55 are the most likely to be influenced by the Made in the USA factor. However, even among those least influenced (consumers 18-34 and Westerners), more than 40 percent said they were more likely to buy a product bearing the red, white and blue.
What Retirement?
When do you plan to retire? For almost half (47 percent) of small-business owners, the answer is "never," according to the results of a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index poll. Another 41 percent say they will cut back on work but stay involved with their business after retirement. The percentage planning to stop working altogether dropped to 10 percent, down from nearly twice that level in 2005.
While more than 60 percent of small business owners say they have changed their retirement strategy due to the economic downturn, money isn't their sole motivator for wanting to work longer. When asked, if money were no object, which of four things they would do today:
- 51 percent say they would continue working full- or part-time in their current business.
- 28 percent say they would retire completely.
- 18 percent say they would start another business.
Personally, I'd be bored out of my mind retiring (although taking a vacation might be nice -- someday).
In Other News
The high cost of hiring a lawyer keeps most small-business owners (51 percent) from seeking legal representation, even though 25 percent of them say legal issues are the biggest risk their companies face, according to online legal service provider Rocket Lawyer.
Meanwhile, more Americans will be shopping online this holiday season. A report from eMarketer says online retail sales for the fourth quarter are expected to rise 13.7 percent to $51.4 billion. This is expected to drive 2010 annual online retail revenues to more than $162 billion, up nearly 13 percent from 2009.
And Sage North America reports that only 7 percent of entrepreneurs think the government is doing enough to help small business, and 16 percent say they benefited from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit SmallBizDaily.com to sign up for her free TrendCast reports.
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Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Please consider buying American made Christmas ornaments this holiday season. A Christmas Ornament Co. has many beautiful items for sale.
Our family truly cares for every Christmas decoration we have. To open the box every year and have all of those special memories return, is so special to us. Some of our ornaments have been in the family for nearly one hundred years, so collecting only quality made in the USA decorations has been an important part of the tradition. We like themed and dated decorations the best.
I prefer to buy "Made in America" 100 percent of the time over "made anywhere else" , even if it were a little more expensive. Not buying American is almost biting the hand that feeds you and probably isn't great for your karma either.
People claim they want to buy American, but then they head on down to Wally and buy the usual boatload of disposable Chinese goods.
Most Americans are sheep. They buy what the sellers put on the shelves and don't get their money's worth. Americans don't complain to the sellers about cheap, inferior products that come from Chinese manufacturers. I, personally, have Chinese clients who refuse to buy Chinese products! I get my money's worth. If the product doesn't live up to its promise, I take it back and ask for a refund or replacement. The stores are trying to weasel their way out of refunding your money or replacing the product by saying ,"it is a manufacturer's warranty, so you have to return it to the manufacurer for replacement or refund!". That is B*LLSH*T!!. You bought it from them, they accepted your money and they are the ones who make good on the warranty! This is done to make it impossible for you to get what was promised! They can then return the product to their supplier and get a refund or replacement from him. The Chinese products have a huge mark-up and that is why the retailers are willing to sell the crap and take the risk that a lot of them are returned! It is better to sell good quality at a lower mark-up than to lose business by selling CRAP!
The Constitution lists reasons for the impeachment and removal of the president from office. (U.S. Constitution ARTICLE II, Section 4.) What has he done to warrant impeachment?
What the hell! It wasn't Obama that gave all these ---corporations the green light to start shipping all our jobs offshore...It was the Republicans that did this to us, So now they make a come back like their some white knight here to the rescue. They're like a fireman starting a fire just so he can rush back to say, he's saving a burning building.
the survey i think that is more important is the one that says now that the republicans own the house, the first order of business should be the impeachment of borat obama
I own a small classic car restoration business - and almost without exception the after-market parts made in china dont fit, dont work or are so inferior to the original part (chrome platting especially) that I would never use them. Sure the stuff is cheaper - but there is a reason for that - it sucks.
That may be true, but what you don't know is this. The corporations don't want to hire American, and they don't even advertise all the jobs they have here in this country. You can find them posted on all these H1B Visa websites trolling for more and more of these Esst Indian contract engineers. Corporations that keek saying they can't find enough qualified American engineers to fill all the positions they have, sure are not searching all our unemployment lines when they sent them in the first place. - - 'n Silicon Valley, CA looks more like Mumbai today thanks to this - - -
I heard this story a few years ago, about one brilliant American gentlemean, who employed, (and probably still does employ) computer programmers. He wanted deseprately to keep his business, and his jobs, in the USA -- but could not afford to pay the $70,000 + salaries that USA computer programmers usually make. His ingenius solution? He advertised in USA newspapers for computer programming jobs. He offered to pay what other computer programmer employers were paying their overseas employees -- $20,000 - $25,000 a year. He received plenty of
applications from computer programmers within the USA who wanted to work in the USA -- even at these wages. A win for employer, employees...and for rhe USA! I wish other employers, in every business still left in the USA, would at least do as much as this gentleman did.
...U.S.A.................A L L......... ..THE WAY................. : )
Good luck finding American items for sale! I have been on the Buy American wagon for at least 35 years, ever since I saw my first made in China shirt. The American people, with the great help of our government and big business, have sold their country out. This country once made the best of almost everything, now you are lucky to find simple items made here.
I also prefer American made goods. There is not alot left. Remember your 2nd amendment right . Buy American made fire arms . God Bless America
It is almost impossible to find American-made products anywhere these days. You really have to search which is sad. The other day I was talking with some co-workers about this very same issue and we went around the room checking the tags on our shirts. Not one was made in the United States. It is hard to buy USA manufactured items at all these days because you CANNOT find them.
If our bull crap representatives in Washington would make OSHA and the EPA to loosen up just a little bit. American manufactures could compete with anyone.Some of their restrictons are truley crazy and cost our manufactures millions,if not billions a year and that money has to go into cost of goods.If you don't believe me go to their websites and check them out!!
Buy American - Help Save overselves!0
Imports also refer to automobiles. A car assembled in the USA with all imported parts is not buying American. The profits for the auto company as well as those of the suppliers does not stay here.
Have you notices that the vast majority of immigrants drive foreign cars?
Also, if you shop at places like "Toys are Us" you will be very hard pressed to find anything made in the USA.
I buy American at all cost.
Let the government mandate that all products have the country of origin clearly on the from of all product packaging.
I've seen this time and agan, Labels that say American made product, yet turn that product to look at other hidden inside labels you'd be finding another one..Made in China. Go see this for yourself in many of these mall stores selling brand name hats today. Nothing much is made in USA anymore!
This is another reason I've been against most of these stimulus projects, It's because the materials needed to build them are not being made in this country...Again, these products are shipped in here from China too. Oh, Hell NO!
Even Nestles products are being made over in India today. Drink up!
Enjoy a nice cup of GOK's "Whats in it"....Yuk! Do you feel lucky?