December 2008

Feature Article: Marketing During a Downturn

Deane Patterson

Note from the author: “I had originally planned to discuss the business of lead generation in this issue of our newsletter. However, I feel strongly that the dramatic economic changes and the implication for your sales and marketing effort are a more timely topic. I’ll circle back with some helpful information on lead generation in a future issue.”

The Coming Storm
Like you, I have been following the economic news with great concern about the current recession. By now, we are all familiar with the downward spiral initiated by plummeting home values, defaulting subprime mortgages, overleveraged banks/investors and the evaporation of easy credit. Financial markets have lost confidence and we are in the midst of unprecedented governmental actions to prop-up fluidity. Consumer spending is faltering, manufacturing is off, GDP is moving backwards and jobs are being lost at record levels. We have seen the lightning, heard the thunder and now we watch for the coming storm with uncertainty and our resolve to survive.

Good Marketing is Good Business
As we navigate through these difficult times, I want to remind you that effective marketing isn’t only a sales program or an advertising campaign. (Read more…)

Did You Know . . . LIRT Has Arrived!

Joe Gausman

You can join a group of your peers for: “Leadership in Real Time” (LIRT™) – dealing with personal and business issues is an ongoing challenge for the entrepreneur. Grappling with the complexities of their enterprise, assessing options, making critical decisions and dealing with personal issues are often too sensitive to share with others inside their company. Decision Associates offers LIRT™ peer group forums to address this need. Participants get their issues on the table in a confidential, small group setting to tap into the skills, abilities and experiences of their peers…and it works! If you have an interest in participating, call Joe Gausman at 814.528.9405.

From the Desk of the President …

Economic Indicator Survey: Real Answers on the Real Economy from Real Companies in Northwestern PA

Don Moore

I don’t know about you, but we at Decision Associates have been confused by the difference between what we hear about the economy through the national media versus what we hear from local businesses. To get the answers, we decided to do a survey of companies in the 14 counties of Northwestern PA to find out what they are experiencing. The data is fresh: The survey was completed only ten days ago.

For our initial survey, we started with manufacturing companies. Why manufacturing? Simply, it is still the biggest single driver of economic health. This is particularly true in our region where manufacturers represent 15% of all jobs and 25% of all wages¹. (The national average for manufacturing is around 8% of all jobs.) Those wages, in turn, drive a very high percentage of retail and service sector employment. And, local spending on goods and services to support manufacturing is still a higher ratio than for any other form of commerce. The Bottom Line: Manufacturing is still the engine in this economy.

Back to the survey: Our survey focused directly on the indicators that owners use to make their decisions for employment, capital investment, product development and marketing. We asked questions about backlog, order rate, signals from customers, etc.

Now, let’s look at some of the specific questions and what the answers mean:   (Read more…)

Kudos! 
Congratulations to Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center of Hanover Twp., PA, on the launch of their Succession Planning practice.

Congratulations to John Elliott who has been named the new Executive Director for the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County.

What’s on Your Mind…
Send your suggestions for future topics of interest to: SueMoore@DecisionAssociates.net

Coming Next Issue... Workforce Planning: Getting (and staying) ahead of the curve to come. The first key to a great workforce is planning for your needs. Jim Ryan will offer some tips on this process in the February newsletter.