Small Bizdom Web Site - Media Coverage

The Associated Press (appearing on The Washington Post)

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Entrepreneurs looking for ways to boost revenue might want to follow the lead of their successful peers. A survey of nearly 1,100 small business owners by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that owners of the companies that had the highest revenue increases tended to take a similar and forward-looking approach to business.

* Also posted on Yahoo! Small Business, The Washington Examiner and The Orange County Register

New York Times: You’re the Boss

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute identifies six steps for improving revenues.

LifeHealthPro

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Small business owners who increased their revenues over the past two years are more likely than SBOs that had high negative growth during the same period to rely on cash reserves and to borrow capital to get through tough economic times, a study reveals.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, published this finding in a March 2012 report, “Small Business America: Six Steps to Better Performance in the Coming Year." The report, based on data from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute polled 1,070 small business owners.

Entrepreneur.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A recently released study from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute polled owners of both thriving and floundering small businesses about their management habits. The results paint an interesting picture of what owners of high-growth businesses are doing to thrive in this downturn.

*Also posted on MSNBC.com, Reuters and CEO.com

Yahoo! Small Business

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Businesses that are seeing increased revenues during tough economic times have six things in common, according to a survey of nearly 1,100 business owners conducted by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

PBS Nightly Business Report

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

John Krubski is an adviser to small businesses, and he thinks the fact that it’s a presidential election year is increasing anxieties. But he also says many firms simply don’t want to grow in size.

About.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

According to the article, "Business Partners, Till Death Do Us Part", by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, there are approximately 4 million family-owned business in the U.S., with more than 1.4 million of those being run by a husband and wife team.

The Orange County Register

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Six trends will mark the small-business market in 2012, according to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. The institute extrapolated the six trends from surveys of 1,100 owners of businesses of various sizes. The bottom line is that small-business owners need to focus on improving productivity and differentiating their businesses to overcome continuing economic challenges and to compete with larger companies.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

In this Smart Answers column, Karl Schamotta, a senior market strategist for Western Union Business Solutions (WU) in Calgary, and John Krubski, a futurist and research adviser for The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, pinpoint five challenges they foresee facing entrepreneurs in 2012 and offer advice to business owners on how to meet these obstacles to growth, head-on.

CNBC.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

By any account, 2012 is going to be an interesting year and a time for as many opportunities as challenges — particularly for the most nimble and resilient of America’s small business owners. That old adage “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” still rings true — and now is the time to get a move on, as you prepare your business for 2012.

Entrepreneur.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

With Europe now teetering, economic uncertainty will remain the big issue for every small business owner, with 44 percent of owners naming it the "one thing that stands between where you are today and growing your company," a Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute study found. Winners will have flexible long- and short-term plans so they can shift gears quickly.
• Also posted on Business Insider and MSNBC.com

Forbes.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

But does a recession really mean “the end” for your small business? Not so, says John Krubski, research advisor of The Guardian Life Small Business Research, which released its list of trends for small businesses in 2012. “We have had forty-seven recessions over the last two hundred years, that amounts to one in [about] every five years. Everything is good [for small businesses] if you have a [short term and long term business plan] in place,” says Krubski. Knowing this, [small business owners] should plan for the cyclical nature of the economy and “not continue to spend on something that doesn’t generate value.”

The New York Times: You’re the Boss Blog

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute identifies the top trends for small-business owners in 2012.

The Globe and Mail

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

What will small businesses be up against next year? The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute has identified six trends for 2012, with suggestions for actions to deal with them.

LifeHealthPro

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Small business owners must improve productivity and differentiate their businesses to overcome continuing economic challenges and compete with larger companies, according to a new survey. This is a key conclusion of The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, New York, which has identified six trends that small business owners are likely to face in 2012. The Institute extrapolated many of the trends from research the organization fielded in October 2011, which surveyed nearly 1,100 business owners of various sizes.

Examiner.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute of New York City released this week a list of six trends small businesses are likely to encounter in 2012 along with suggestions on how to deal with them. Most of the institute’s assessments were derived from field work in October 2011, in which researchers surveyed almost 1,100 business owners.

BusinessNewsDaily

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute identified stressed small businesses being forced to the brink as one of the top trends that small business owners are likely to face in 2012. Institute researchers surveyed 1,100 business owners in October to gain deeper knowledge and insights about today's small business trends.

NAWBO National Blog

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Last year, a report from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute indicated women-owned businesses are poised to become the economic job-creator for this decade—estimated to generate more than half of the 9.72 million new small business jobs expected to be created between now and 2018, as well as nearly one-third of the projected 15.3 million total new jobs.

NASDAQ.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

According to a recent poll conducted by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute of 1,433 small business owners, views on retirement are a little grim. The study found that one in three small business owners see themselves working to age 70 or never formally retiring at all. Although those findings are focused on small business owners they are probably representative of much of the population. And that should be a call to action!

News-Press

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Research by Guardian Life Small Business Institute shows that by 2018 women entrepreneurs will be responsible for creating between 5 million and 5.5 million new jobs nationwide. That's more than half of the 9.7 million new jobs the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects small businesses to create in that time frame.

Las Vegas Review-Journal

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

This trend doesn't seem to be a blip on the radar; in fact, women entrepreneurs are poised for continued growth over the next few years. Women entrepreneurs in the United States will create more than 5 million new jobs by 2018, which is more than half of the new jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to be created over that time, according to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

Forbes.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

October is Women’s Small Business Month. There are more than 27 million small businesses in the United States, and over 7.7 million of these businesses are owned by women. This is a 20.1% increase from 2002. Women–owned businesses, where women own 51% percent or more of the stock or equity, generated $1.2 trillion in receipts. Women-owned businesses will account for one-third of the new jobs created by 2018, according to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

• Also posted on Yahoo! Finance

FOX Business

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

For small business owners specifically, The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that although many expect to live 20 years into retirement, less than half feel “very” or “fairly” well prepared for life after work. Plus, 4 in 10 small business owners never plan to retire entirely: For them, “retirement” will mean going back and forth between full and part-time work, starting a new business or working full or part-time in another area.

Reuters

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

America’s small business owners create nearly 70 percent of new jobs, account for half our GDP, generate more than seven times as many patents as big business, account for 30 percent of export value overall (and they don’t sell millions of cars to do it) and 63 percent of wholesale export value. This is the sector of America that appears to “get it right” most of the time. Even “failed” entrepreneurs frequently have another go at independence until they end up creating something that works. According to research and insights from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute they also effectively leverage technology, manage fiscally responsible and balanced organizations, and generally “walk the walk” when it comes to balancing energy use and the environment.

Reuters

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Women entrepreneurs are more likely to self-fund their enterprises, less likely to look for loans and more likely to anticipate being rejected if they do apply for credit. That bodes well for our future because, according to the Guardian Life Research Institute, women-owned small businesses will generate more than half of the 9.7 million new small business jobs expected to be created, and roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018.

SCORE Small Business Success Blog

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

These are scary figures. If you’re going to keep working because you love it, that’s great—but if you’re doing it because the alternative is poverty, that’s not so wonderful. In reporting the findings, Mark D. Wolf, Director of the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, says many entrepreneurs plan to keep working in their businesses full- or part-time after traditional retirement age to make up for the recession’s effects on their incomes and assets.

Advertising Age

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Not only do they look to entrepreneurs as role models, but, increasingly, they're starting their own companies, often while still in school. A recent study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that, compared with other generations, millennials were 120% more likely start businesses without previous workplace experience. For men the entrepreneurial impulse is particularly keen.

Baltimore Business Journal

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A recent Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute study projects U.S. women business owners will create more than 5 million new jobs by 2018. Women are starting companies at a faster rate than men.

Business On Main

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Fewer than half of U.S. small-business owners feel "very or fairly well prepared for retirement," according to a new survey of 1,433 small-business owners with more than $500,000 in sales from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.
*Also posted on Entrepreneur.com

Inc.

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Nearly two-thirds of small business owners fear outliving the money they need to retire, according to a poll from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Many of the 1,433 small business owners surveyed expect to live well into their retirement years, with one in three saying they plan to retire older than 70. Less than half (45 percent) felt very or fairly well prepared for retirement. Nearly one in seven plan to work part-time in retirement while 10 percent expect to work full-time.

AMEX Open Forum

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The survey, Small Business Owners Perspectives on Retirement, conducted in December 2010, polled 1,433 small business owners of companies with two to 99 employees. While most expect to live well into their retirement years, one in three say they will wait until after age 70 to retire. Four in 10 plan never to retire to at all. And fewer than 10 percent envision a traditional “retirement” in which they stop working altogether in their mid-60s.

Newsday

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

In fact, less than half of small business owners feel very or fairly well prepared for retirement, according to a recent report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

CNN Money

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

People of this generation are 120% more likely to be business owners without previous workplace experience, according to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. And 21% of 1,000 college students and recent grads in a Young Entrepreneur Council survey started businesses as a result of unemployment.

Entrepreneur

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The New York Times

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A new study from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute reports those born after 1982 are 100 percent more likely to sell their businesses than older entrepreneurs.

The Orange County Register

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A majority (55%) of small-business owners are ill prepared to retire, according to a survey of more than 1,400 people by Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The retirement views of the nation's small business owners are "radically shifting," said a news release about the study conducted by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. The Institute, part of Guardian Life Insurance Co., polled 1,433 small business owners who operate companies with two to 99 employees.

Business Daily News

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The retirement views of the nation's small-business owners are radically shifting, with many seeing themselves working 20 years or longer past so-called retirement age— or never retiring at all, according to a new study by The Guardian Life Insurance Business Research Institute. Less than half of them (45 percent) feel very or even fairly prepared for retirement. And two-thirds of them fear they will eventually outlive their money.

The Wall Street Journal

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Nearly 40% of respondents said they will never fully retire, and 39% expect to go back and forth between periods of work and leisure once they hit the traditional retirement age of 65. Fourteen percent anticipate working part time after becoming so-called retirees. The findings come from a survey released Wednesday by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute division of insurer Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

Entrepreneur

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A new study from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute reports Millennials (the generation born after 1982) are 100 percent more likely to sell their business than older entrepreneurs. In other words, they're sellouts: Owners who aren't so emotionally attached to their business that they wouldn't sell it to a big company or another entrepreneur if the right offer came along.

InformationWeek SMB

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

In a webinar, Guardian research advisor John Krubski and Guardian special academic advisor Patricia Greene shared insights uncovered by the research. According to them, the most successful entrepreneurs/business owners have these four traits in common.

Austin Business Journal

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

According to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, growth-oriented business owners seem to share six key qualities. They tend to be self-fulfilled, future-focused, curious, tech-savvy, action-oriented and the descriptor I’ll focus on here — collaborative.

The Christian Science Monitor

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A recent study from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute looks at something near and dear to my heart -- Millennial Generation small business owners as compared to other generations.

Business Insider

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A recent study from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute looks at something near and dear to my heart – – Millennial Generation small business owners as compared to other generations.

Portfolio.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A new study from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute reveals that Millennials—the generation born in or after 1982—are 100 percent more likely to sell their business than their parents and grandparents.

The San Diego Union-Tribune

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute forecasts that women entrepreneurs will be responsible for creating 5 million new jobs nationwide by 2018. That’s more than half of the 9.7 million new jobs the Bureau of Labor expects small businesses to create.

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Women small business owners will create 5 to 5.5 million new jobs across the U.S. by 2018, according to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Below are additional insights from The Guardian Life Index about women's management style and practical advice for every small business owner.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Now there's new insight on what makes the most successful entrepreneurs tick from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Its recent study uncovered six critical characteristics that the owners of small businesses growing by more than 10 percent a year seem to have in common, and seem to have more of than other business owners.

The Small Business Advocate Show

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

What separates successful entrepreneurs from the also-rans? Dr. Patricia Greene joins Jim Blasingame to reveal success factors demonstrated by break out entrepreneurs, including being collaborative and tech savvy, plus a discussion on gender.
* Also posted on Forbes.com

The Huffington Post

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

A December 2009 report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that women-owned small businesses will generate more than half of the 9.72 million new small -- business jobs expected to be created -- and roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total new jobs anticipated -- by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018.

SmartBusiness

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Last year around this time, a report from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute noted that women-owned businesses were poised to become the economic job-creator for this decade – estimated to generate more than half of the 9.72 million new small business jobs expected to be created between now and 2018, as well as nearly one-third of the projected 15.3 million total new jobs.

The New York Enterprise Report

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

According to a recent survey conducted by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute (smallbizdom.com) there are specific demographics of the small business community that see the value in social media’s opportunities. Female entrepreneurs are three times more likely to engage in social networking than their male counterparts.

TheStreet.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

"For companies that have between 10 to 24 employees, the focus moves more from the owner to the business," says Mark Wolf, director of The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Wolf cited findings from an April study gauging the mindset of small-business owners depending on the firm's size.
*Also posted on MainStreet.com

VentureBeat

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

In a nutshell, our research (part of The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America’s Small Business Owners) reveals that “small is not big.” The reality and expectations of small business owners are very different from those of big business executives and, in many cases, government policymakers who create programs intended to help small businesses.
*Also posted on Bloomberg BusinessWeek and USA Today

PCWorld

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Joshua Bixby of Web acceleration firm Strangeloop predicts that next year, 15 percent of all sales will come via social media and mobile apps. Even so, The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found in a new study that, for small businesses, their Websites were more important as sales-generation tools than any social media strategy.
*Also posted on Entrepreneur.com

WomenEntrepreneur.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

*Article no longer available online
Women entrepreneurs are quick to embrace new online tools and they value social media three times as much as their male counterparts, according to the latest study by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, which measures small business's relationship with technology.
*Also posted on Jacksonville Small Business Advantage

Business Journal of Central New York

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The nation's small business owners still value business software and their company websites more than social media sites. However, specific segments within the small business community are starting to embrace social media as a communications and business building resource. Those findings are part of new research from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. The Institute is part of the New York City-based Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America.

InformationWeek SMB

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, right? On Venus, there's allegedly a lot more touchy-feely, emotional stuff going on…you know, talking, crying, connecting. Well, according to a study by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, there's a lot more of something else going on too: social networking.

Forbes.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Most available research on small business in America compounds the problem, viewing these companies as a monolithic sector of the economy, often through the lens of their big-business counterparts. However, a recent study by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute of 1,100 small-business owners segmented companies into four categories by size: two to nine employees; 10 to 24 employees; 25 to 49 employees; and 50 to 99 employees--and examined the challenges small-business owners face as their organizations evolve from tiny entities to sizable enterprises.

Best’s Review

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

*Article no longer available online
"Women-owned businesses have a faster growth rate than male-owned businesses, there are more female college graduates over the past 15 years, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that industry sectors projected to grow the most over the next decade typically have more women owners than men," said Mark D. Wolf, director of The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. The Institute, an intellectual resource devoted to better understanding America's small-business owners, resides within the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

Gulf Coast Business Review

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute recently released new research showing that 49% of small business owners statewide anticipate higher revenues in 2010, compared to only 31% the year before. This is significant, the institute says, since its study was conducted in June based on only the first half of this year.

Crain’s New York Business

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Many entrepreneurs spend a lot of their time winning clients and pulling out all the stops to please them. A survey called The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America's Small Business Owners, conducted in late 2009, found that customers are the No. 1 priority for small business owners—above their employees and themselves. They also care a lot about having clients appreciate their work.

KUHF Business News

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

More small businesses in Texas plan to maintain business as usual in the coming months, compared to the rest of the nation. That's according to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, which surveyed 1,200 small business owners with fewer than 100 employees across 12 key industry sectors. Mark Wolf is director of The Institute.

New York Times: You’re The Boss

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

WE’RE BACK TO NORMAL! Guess what? Business owners will be thrilled to learn that a popular index out last week says that United States financial conditions are “back to normal.” National retailers are adjusting to the “new normal” … at the expense of mom-and-pop stores. Feeling the effects? Guardian Life Insurance issued a report finding that 51 percent of small-business owners anticipated their revenues in 2010 would exceed those in 2009.

Entrepreneur.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

Over at The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, recent data shows owners are considerably more optimistic than they were a year ago. The National Federation of Independent Business Owners, however, finds the level of owner optimism more or less flat. More owners reported to NFIB that they plan to cut staff.

The Orange County Register

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

51% of small-business owners anticipate higher revenues in 2010, says The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, the most optimistic of the reports.

WomenEntrepreneur.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

*Article no longer available online
Some rare good news on the economic front: A survey by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute finds that the majority of America's small-business owners are considerably more optimistic about the financial performance of their businesses than they were just one year ago.

The Cross Timbers Gazette

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

With all the benefits for the woman herself, women are effective contributors to the economy by successfully owning and operating businesses better than any other time in history. "Women-owned businesses are more often self-funded than male owned firms and are therefore less reliant on bank financing at a time when many say small business lending practices are more restricted," said Mark Wolf, Director of Market Research at The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.

California Broker

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

America’s small business owners are considerably more upbeat about the financial performance of their businesses compared to a year ago, according to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. Fifty-one percent of small business owners, surveyed in June, expect 2010 revenues to exceed 2009 sales. A year ago, only 32% expected better financial performance.

National Underwriter

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

U.S. small business owners seemed to be more optimistic about their businesses in June than they were 12 months earlier. The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, an affiliate of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, has reported that finding in a summary of results from a survey of 1,200 U.S. employers with 2 to 99 employees. Guardian also conducted a similar survey in 2009.

Portfolio.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

That's shouldn't be much of a surprise. The National Bureau of Economic Research, the body that determines when recessions officially begin and end, said this month that the post-financial crisis recession officially ended in June 2009, just as the last Guardian Life survey was being conducted. Given that the recovery still feels more like wishful thinking to many people, it's understandable why they thought that last year that the world was coming to an end. The improvement is welcome, although 51 percent still seems like an alarmingly low level.

NorthJersey.com

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

The owners possess many of the traits associated with success-focused business owners found in The Guardian Life Index, a survey of 1,100 small businesses by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

Broker World

HELCGXC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:28:04 UTC

*Article no longer available online
Recent surveys by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute asked small business owners to rate their goals/beliefs by intensity level (ie, how passionately they felt about them), and the results were intriguing. Employee benefits are just one component of total compensation, the largest being cash compensation. The survey also shows the value and opportunity presented by voluntary (employee-paid) benefits. Insurance carriers recognize the vital role smaller enterprises are playing in the nation's ongoing economic turnaround.

The Small Business Advocate Show

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

What are the key traits of successful small business owners? Patricia Green joins Jim Blasingame to identify the six key characteristics that success-oriented small business owners consistently demonstrate.

Los Angeles Times

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

Six attitudinal factors seem to characterize successful entrepreneurs. They are collaborative, self-fulfilled, future focused, tech savvy, curious and action oriented, according to a survey by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. The institute surveyed small-business owners whose companies expanded even during the recession.

AMEX OPEN Forum

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

It can be scary to realize how much your customers and your employees all rely on your business – it’s a weighty responsibility. On the other hand, reflecting on that can also renew your sense of purpose. According to the Guardian Life “What Matters Most Index”, the top three things that matter most to small business owners are: customers who appreciate what we do, keeping customers we have from leaving and my employees.

The Business Insider

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“Every small business is different. But a large scale study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that there were certain traits that stood out among the most successful ventures.”

Washington Post

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:32:50 UTC

“In an era when such high-profile female business executives as Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman have entered politics, an increasing share of U.S. businesses are run by women. A study published last year by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projected that small businesses run by women will create one-third of all new jobs.”

Washington Post

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“A study published earlier this year by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projected that small businesses run by women will create one third of all new jobs in the upcoming decade.”

Guardian Trinidad and Tobago

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute in the USA got to the bottom of what makes small-business owners more success-oriented than others. Here, we tick off the inverse: six personality traits to get out of your system if you ever want your small business to leave the ground.”

Entrepreneur.com

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“The study, from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, is The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America's Small Business Owners. The survey of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs with between two and 99 workers first identified 60 critical factors for business success. These were then boiled down to six important skills that were common to successful business owners.”

BusinessFuel

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“The drive to continually improve is a trait shared by many small business owners. A recent study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that maintaining a long-term growth strategy is an important characteristic of a successful entrepreneur.”

Business Journal Central New York

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“Six characteristics typify small business owners who projected revenue increases and business expansion even as the recession peaked. That’s according to a new research report from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.”

Women Entrepreneur

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“What makes a truly successful entrepreneur? The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute believes it has the answer. The latest study in the research series, ‘The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to Small Business Owners,’ identifies six characteristics common to small-business owners who increase their revenue and expand their companies even in recessionary times.”

Inc.

HELCLXC — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:29:48 UTC

“The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute report hopes to explain why only 1 in 2 small businesses will survive more than five years, according to Small Business Administration figures. The study - called Six Dimensions That Characterize Success-Oriented Small Business Owners - is based on analysis of a survey of 1,100 small businesses with between 2 and 99 employees. (The Institute is run by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, and it conducts ongoing research on what it calls ‘the Index of What Matters Most’ to small businesses.)”

The Entrepreneurial Mind

HELCLXC — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:29:48 UTC

“Guardian Life has a new index that identifies the characteristics of small business owners who exhibit a strong success orientation. Success orientation is defined by their desire to enjoy longevity in their businesses, expand revenues and grow the size of their companies.”

ForbesWoman

HELCLXC — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:29:48 UTC

“Now a study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, comparing key traits of small-business owners, provides an insider's view of what qualities set the success-oriented ones apart from their less ambitious peers.”

AllBusiness.com

HELCLXC — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:35:38 UTC

“Do you know what you need to succeed as an entrepreneur? If you answered, “Cheap beer, pork cracklins and a gun behind the counter,” then there’s a business opportunity in our neighborhood you should look into. But if your ambitions are loftier than that, check out this new report from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. It claims to identify the six personality traits that separate the winners from the rest of the pack. Guardian Life surveyed 1,100 small-business owners and discovered that those who succeed are: collaborative, self-fulfilled, future-focused, curious, tech-savvy and action-oriented.”

Smart Women’s Institute of Entrepreneurial Learning

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting that by 2018, 15.3 million new jobs will be created. Do you want to know the best part? According to a new report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, women will create one-third, or 5.5 million, new jobs! Not only will women create these jobs, but the report predicts that women will also be responsible for transforming the workplace from the male-dominated, hierarchical, exclusive ‘good ole boys’ club of yesterday into a more ‘inclusive, horizontally-managed environment.’”

The New York Enterprise Report

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“New research conducted by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that maintaining productivity among employees as the company grows is a common challenge. Businesses with 2 to 9 employees tend to revolve around the owner and typically generate far higher revenues per employee than ones with 50 to 99 employees—between 100 percent and 400 percent higher on average, according to The Guardian Life Index.”

Chicago Tribune

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The changing corporate world has encouraged interest in entrepreneurship, and that could help the economy recover. Women start businesses at twice the rate of men, and these companies will account for 5.5 million new U.S. jobs by 2018, according to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.”

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The business challenges that small business owners focus on varies with the number of employees in the company. The Guardian Life study showed that employees become a more important focus of small business owners' attention as companies become larger.”

Employee Benefit Advisor

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Recent surveys by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute asked small-business owners to rate their goals/beliefs by intensity level (i.e. how passionately they felt about them). They rated ‘taking care of employees’ to be more critical than ‘being able to make my own decisions,’ ‘setting my business apart from our competitors’ and ‘figuring out ways to take advantage of any economic condition.’”

WomenEntrepreneur.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Surprise. Being an entrepreneur with 50 to 99 employees is not the same as being an entrepreneur with two to nine employees.”

“That's the conclusion of a study conducted by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, an outgrowth of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.”

Portfolio.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“But new research shows that personal freedom and work-life balancing typically get pushed aside when a small business grows. In fact, the bigger a small business, the more likely it is that these ideals fall by the wayside, according to a new report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute.”

NAWBO.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Although women-owned small businesses currently account for less than a fifth of employment, The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projects that women-owned business will by account for one-third of the new jobs created by 2018.”

Denver Business Journal

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“A study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute in New York predicted women who leave the corporate work force and start their own businesses are expected to create more than 5 million new jobs by 2018.”

Entrepreneur

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“According to a recent study by Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, women-led companies will account for as many as 5.5 million new U.S. jobs by 2018. Good jobs, too. Women business owners care more about creating opportunities for the people who work for them, says Mark Wolf, institute director.”

FOX Business

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“That research, recently released by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, also shows that characteristics such as being more customer-focused, more likely to incorporate community into their business plans, and more adept at creating opportunities for others are helping women excel in 1) running a business 2) keeping employees driven and productive and 3) building a loyal customer base.”

AllBusiness.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“In one way, Texans in small business have a little more ambitious outlook than the rest of the nation. Only 51 percent of the owners surveyed in Texas believe they'll maintain "business as usual" over the next 12 to 24 months, compared with 54 percent nationally according to ‘The Guardian Life Index.’”

Work blog (The Orange County Register)

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Confirming those perceptions about the state’s surfer-dude persona, a new survey suggests that California small business owners are more laid back than others in the U.S.”

“The report by the Guardian Life Insurance Co., called “What Matters Most to America’s Small Business Owners,” shows that California small business owners are more relaxed when it comes to operating their companies compared to those in other states.”

Fresnobee.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The chances that the boss could be a woman are rising.”

“The New York-based Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute report called its projection ‘striking,’ since jobs at businesses owned by women currently make up 16% of the total.”

“The institute looked at the 15 million new jobs that the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics anticipates will be created by 2018. It also predicted that of jobs created by small businesses, more than half are expected to be created by businesses owned by women.”

NFIB SmartBrief

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Rieva Lesonsky, founder of GrowBiz Media, is not surprised by last week's report from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, which predicted that women-owned small businesses will lead job creation. ‘While women business owners still face some obstacles, overall the absence of a glass ceiling makes entrepreneurship more appealing than climbing the ever-shrinking corporate ladder,’ she writes.”

The New York Enterprise Report

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Women small business owners will generate more than five million new jobs in the next eight years, meaning that more than half of the 9,720,000 new small business jobs expected to be formed by 2018 (predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) will be from women-owned small businesses. John Krubski, a research advisor to The Guardian Life Small Business Institute, which released this projection, says, ‘Women small business owners will ultimately create more opportunities for employees to grow in their jobs and inspire others to start their own small business—all while providing customers superior service.’”

SmallBizTrends.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Well, according to new data projections from The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, future job growth will be created primarily by women-owned small businesses. Guardian’s research shows that by 2018 women entrepreneurs will be responsible for creating between 5 million and 5.5 million new jobs nationwide.”

SmallBizLabs.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Anyway, yesterday I stumbled across a new, or at least new to me, small business research institute. It is from Guardian Life, who describe their Small Business Institute as "an intellectual resource devoted to better understanding America’s small business owners."

ForbesWoman.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“A newly published report by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projects that female-owned small businesses, & now just 16% of total U.S. employment, will be responsible for creating one-third of the 15.3 million new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018.”

American Express OPEN

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects small business to create almost 10 million new jobs by 2018. And according to the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, just about half of those will be created by women-owned businesses (striking, since they make up only 16% of U.S. employment.)”

Examiner.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Further research conducted by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute projects that women-owned businesses will create an additional 5+ million jobs by 2018. This prediction has far-reaching effects for both of our economy and for organizational culture.”

American Express OPEN

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The number one factor that matters most to business owners is “customers who appreciate what we do.” This insight comes from The Guardian Life “Index of What Matter Most.” It is an ongoing research initiative that says it “provides a better way to understand how America’s small business owners think and act, based on a new, proprietary research methodology.”

TheWomenAblerBlog.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Guardian’s Small Business Research Institute made this announcement in a news release just the other day, saying that these projections are based on a “rigorous analysis of converging factors.” The release goes on to say that these firms will transform the workplace due to women business owners being less hierarchical and more customer-focused.”

ESCAPEFromCorporateAmerica.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Based on the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute’s projections, women-owned small businesses will generate more than half of the 9.72 million new small business jobs expected to be created, and roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2018. This projection is striking, given that women-owned businesses currently account for just 16 percent of total U.S. employment.”

WomenEntrepreneur.com

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“It's hardly news that women are a potent force in the U.S. economy, starting new businesses at twice the rate of their male counterparts. But a new study by Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute indicates that women-owned companies will account for as many as 5.5 million new U.S. jobs by the year 2018.”

American Express’ Small Business Open Forum

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“According to a recent study commissioned by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, during the next 12 to 24 months small business owners will emerge from the recession strong and well positioned for growth during the next decade, leading the U.S. to economic recovery. There are three specific reasons why small businesses will succeed: their customers, their employees and their own self dependence, according to the report.”

ACA International

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Even in the face of the significant challenges of the economic downturn, the fundamental optimism demonstrated by small business owners is the result of their passionate, confident focus on three core pillars of business success—their customers, their employees and their own self-dependence, according to the study, which was commissioned by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute and fielded in May 2009.”

NFIB Magazine

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Who says small business owners are feeling down and out? According to a recent poll conducted by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute and posted by Reuters, the majority of owners surveyed say they will emerge from the recession stronger than ever and well-positioned for growth. In the survey, 92 percent of small business owners expressed optimism about their enterprises, with 54 percent expecting to maintain business as usual and 38 percent confidently looking forward to expanding their businesses over the next 12 to 24 months.”

Investor’s Business Daily

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“The study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that 92% of owners expressed optimism about their enterprises, with 54% expecting to maintain business as usual. Thirty-eight percent were looking forward to expanding their business in the next 12 to 24 months.”

National Underwriter Online News Service

NDSENXK — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:57 UTC

“Typical small business owners feel almost as passionate about their workers as they do about their customers. Market researchers at Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, have reported that finding in a summary of the results from a May Web survey of about 1,100 U.S. small business owners.”