Read Larry Connors' blog – Short Term Trading Strategies
The inability of a survey team to find many of the 650 small businesses despite diligent efforts was a disturbing finding in the "Flood-Affected Small Business Survey" conducted for the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Task Force.
A survey team called businesses from a comprehensive list of 650 flood-affected businesses developed by the Kirkwood Community College Small Business Development Center. They found that 266 had reopened, 17 had gone out of business and a startling 307 could not be found.
"It's just staggering," said Christian Fong, chairman of the small business task force. He said the effort placed in question earlier indications from surveys that only 15 percent or 20 percent of the businesses flooded last June had gone out of business.
Steve Sprague of the Corridor Small Business Recovery Center at Westdale Mall led the survey effort for the small business development center. He said survey team members went beyond phone numbers to track down the businesses, often going to the business address and talking to neighboring businesses.
"There's undoubtedly a greater number closed than we talked to," said Sprague, center coordinator.
Sprague said some of the missing businesses may be working out of personal homes and others may have moved away or suspended operation. Two new staff members added by the small business development center are trying to find and assist the missing businesses.
The survey team found that the recovery situation is
constantly changing for flood-affected businesses. Some who said in November that they wouldn't reopen had already found a way to reopen by the end of December. Others who planned to reopen could not.
Survey respondents overwhelmingly said funding was the thing needed most to help them reopen. Their biggest concerns about the future was the condition and perception of their neighborhoods, and availability of information and communication for recovery.
Fong said the chamber is working on a Web-based system that will help assistance agencies get information from the flood-affected businesses, and vice versa. It should be operational in early February on the Corridorrecovery.org Web site.
The Corridor Small Business Recovery Center is now focused on helping businesses that lost customersdue to the flooding apply for Small Business Administration disaster loans. The loan application deadline for businesses with physical damage has already passed.
aEUR" Contact the writer: (319) 398-8317 or david.dewitte@gazcomm.com
To see more of The Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gazetteonline.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
More News:
Market Updates |
Stock Alerts |
All Trading News |
Stock Index
About TradingMarkets | Contact | Advertise | Careers | Link to Us | Site Map | Help | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Return Policy | Testimonials | Feedback
The Connors Group, Inc. ("Company") is not an investment advisory service, nor a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer and does not purport to tell or suggest which securities or currencies customers should buy or sell for themselves. The analysts and employees or affiliates of Company may hold positions in the stocks, currencies or industries discussed here. You understand and acknowledge that there is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities and/or currencies. The Company, the authors, the publisher, and all affiliates of Company assume no responsibility or liability for your trading and investment results. Factual statements on the Company's website, or in its publications, are made as of the date stated and are subject to change without notice.
It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable or that they will not result in losses. Past results of any individual trader or trading system published by Company are not indicative of future returns by that trader or system, and are not indicative of future returns which be realized by you. In addition, the indicators, strategies, columns, articles and all other features of Company's products (collectively, the "Information") are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Examples presented on Company's website are for educational purposes only. Such set-ups are not solicitations of any order to buy or sell. Accordingly, you should not rely solely on the Information in making any investment. Rather, you should use the Information only as a starting point for doing additional independent research in order to allow you to form your own opinion regarding investments. You should always check with your licensed financial advisor and tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment.
HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN INHERENT LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING AND MAY NOT BE IMPACTED BY BROKERAGE AND OTHER SLIPPAGE FEES. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT ACTUALLY BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER- OR OVER-COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.
The Connors Group, Inc.
10 Exchange Place, Suite 1800
Jersey City, NJ 07302
© Copyright 2009 The Connors Group, Inc.
