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Survey Says: Will Starting a Business Make You Happy?
Despite a tough economy, entrepreneurs remain quite content with their career paths, according to a new survey.
Posted 6/ 7 11 at 2:30 PM | Business Trends, Money, Leadership, Starting a Business, Home-based Business
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What's the secret to happiness? According to one new survey, becoming a small-business owner. But are you happy enough that you plan to keep working well into your 70s -- or longer? Here's a closer look at some of the latest small-business surveys.Get Happy
The state of the economy hasn't affected how microbusiness owners (those with one to 10 employees) feel about their companies. According to Vistaprint's Small Business Happiness Index, 77 percent of these small-business owners are either "very happy" or "extremely happy" about being their own bosses and the state of their businesses in general. In fact, 35 percent say they would never even consider working for someone else.
The entrepreneurs surveyed have reason to be happy: Fifty-six percent have more customers than at this time last year, 46 percent are on track to make more money in 2011 than they did in 2010, while 35 percent expect to make the same. Not bad for small businesses in a tough economy. I have to add, as a small-business owner myself, I'm feeling pretty happy right now. (Knock wood -- I may be happy, but I'm also superstitious.)
Not So Happy
But the beancounters aren't so content. In a recent Accountemps survey, chief financial officers (CFOs) were asked which coworker behaviors annoy them most in the workplace. "Sloppy work" was the top answer, cited by 41 percent. Also in the running -- gossiping or taking part in office politics (cited by 23 percent of respondents), missing deadlines (18 percent), being perpetually late (12 percent) and presenting other people's ideas as their own (5 percent).
All of those deeds are potentially threatening to your workplace, so it would be a smart move to see what behaviors are troubling your staff.
What, Me Retire?
Some of those annoying workplace behaviors may live on in perpetuity. In the 12th Annual Retirement Survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 39 percent of people say they plan to work past age 70 -- or never retire at all. Only 54 percent say they expect to retire between age 60 and 69. A mere 6 percent expect to call it quits while still in their 50s.
Somewhat surprisingly, 54 percent of Americans say that they plan to keep working even after they "retire." Why aren't employees planning to retire sooner? Forty percent say the recession has affected their finances, forcing them to work longer than they once planned -- up from 28 percent who said the same thing a year ago.
What about you? Do you want to go out with your proverbial boots on?
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 4)
Yeah Right! Your salemanship to the "Sheeple" is running kinda
thin now don't ya think?
Why don't you tell the folks they are being robbed by
Quantitative Easing which is the Gov't printing of money making what
they have and are earning worth less.
Also why don't you list the names of the small businesses that
are doing so well! I'm sure they won't mind right?
My business is down also but coming back slowly. I guess I should be happy that I am still able to pay my bills and make a profit. Finding good-dependable help is tough. Costs are through the roof. So no, I am not satisfied! However, I am not ignorant enough to blame my problems on one man. I blame everyone as a whole. Past presidents, citizens that live above their means, the greedy...etc.
What a crock! My small business is down 45%!!!!!
Okay, I'd like to know who they polled? They most certainly didn't poll me or for that matter all of the small business owners in the U.S. They most likely polled 1-5,000 small business which isn't even a fraction of the small business owners. Surveys are a CROCK. they give these idiotic economists something to justify their positions in the world. Just like a politician, tell the people what they want to hear instead of what the facts truely are. Until they have ALL the facts, these idiots need to kepp their traps shut. I have more faith in the weather report than an economic report; only one difference the weather people can and should keep their jobs when they are wrong, but the economists should be FIRED;! Peoples livlihoods are not something people ; regardless of how educated these idiots are, should play with. BIG BROTHER does enough to screw the little guy!!!!!
This "report" is so twisted! I'll bet these are relatively new small business owners, recently out of work from larger companies. Of course, their early growth percentages are going to be high and few are probably even close to their 60's in age. I have been a successful small business owner all my life and am now 76. I always thought I would work as long as I could, but not now. I want to retire now. The past 3 years my revenues have dropped 35% because of the economy and government intervention, even though my staff is more productive, dedicated and efficient, and my industry is large and I am expanding my marketing. This business is 49 years old and has always grown. From 2000 to 2007, it was growing 40% a year until the government took over businesses. Even though I am profitable, too many regulations and government controls are making business more difficult and less fun. I have wonderful customers and I build loyalty nationally and my staff fully supports this mission. The government needs to get out of the way of small business!
And on what planet did you take this survey? Such BS. My business is off over 50% from three years ago. Inflation is rampant and the banks are not loaning any money. So much for hope and change!
Small businesmen: economy got you down? Business suck? Stop reading and contributing to these moronic blogs and GO BACK TO WORK!
VERY TRUE............WELL PUT.........A Painting Contractor.......
I agree with 'hardensound'. The percentage of small businesses in the 25-500 employee range are the one's you are probably quoting. You never mentioned the large increases small independant businesses (self employed, d/b/a's) have had to face in tax increases not only with the Federal Government, but the State government as well. It makes it impossible to hire additional employees, at the same time stop reinvesting in their businesses for growth.
You also didn't mention how many of these small businesses are 'dumping' their employee benefit packages or severely cutting them.
Taking these factors into consideration your numbers would read quite a bit different than you are purporting.
keep in mind that 85% of d/b/a small businesses make up the largest percentage of what truly is "small business" in this country and generally have less than 5 employees.
they must have only poled areas that are not in had times, pole california see what happens, one big negative,
Im at worke Ahole. With business down 65% thank god for blogs. Anyway sounds like Obama gearing up for 2012 with more Bull SHHHHHHHHHHH
why don't you also post the percentage of LLC's that are now included in this report. You can't. Why? Because they have been Lobbying the Fed's and their State's to not be included and thus will not face the increases the rest of us have had too. Our representatives do not "really" listen to the people, they only listen to Lobbyists and those who bankroll them. Ugh!.....Change the tax system.
I'm a sole prprietor with one employee. I'm a tax prctitioner with 43 years experiece doing income tax returns for individuals and small businesses. My business is down last year and this year looks like it will be worse. I sure wasn't interviewed for this survey. And I don't think any of my clients were either.
Who is writing this pap? I have never heard such a crock in my life.
My business is off 75%
2007 --17 employees
2008 -- 11 employees
2009 -- 7 employees
2010- 3 employees
2011- I work by myself from a home office.
WHO WROTE THIS, …. “OBAMA’S DEPARTMENT OF HYPE-NOSIS?
I’ve been self employed since 1977. The last 12 years we have been focused on construction and real estate sales.
And as a part time business, I also sell vintage collectables online since 1998.
This is the worst economic slowdown I have experienced in over 30 years. For us, we started to feel the decline in 2007 and it’s gotten steadily worse since then. And everyone I talk to in dozens of other businesses is either going broke or barley making ends meet. I’d say only about 2 out of 10 businesses in my area consider their business fair to good.
Alternately, people I know with government jobs such as TSA, USPS etc., couldn’t be happier while big unions and corrupt political hacks insure they live at the top of the market with golden parachute retirements and cost of living increases. In the process they are killing the private sector that lays the golden eggs.
“It’s the government stupid”. The bigger government gets the more it hurts the wealth builders like small business and the middleclass that depend on them for jobs.. State and Federal governments are running out of private sector people to pay for its extravagance.
Eventually the government will be forced to revert back to a nation of the self reliant and not the current trend of government entitled.
I am worried that this year may not be as good as I wanted it to be as a small business owner .I recently took advantage of an SBA loan to buy a building of my own however, business has not improved for me either. I really don't see how small business owners are cheering profit. Not at this time!
They sure didn't poll me. I am not happy at all with the business atmosphere in this country. I cannot hire anyone, hard enough to support myself.
THE GOVERNMENT ONLY CARES ABOUT GETTING RE-ELECTED.........MY BUSINESS IS OFF ABOUT 62% AND I DO NOT LIKE WHAT I HEAR AND SEE.....ALL FOR THE POLITICIANS AND NOTHING FOR THE PEOPLE.......WHAT HAPPENED TO.........
" THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE "
LET'S CLOSE OUR BORDERS AND SEE HOW BUSINESS WILL PICKUP....
THANKS FOR READING.......
I dont know where they get there stories from but i owned 9 stores and in the past 4yrs i closed down 6 ..
this is nothing but lie, the company who did pool is lier and kissing government. I have not a single friend who own business they are happy, many of them close and looking for job or start working some where else