2005 was very much a lukewarm, kind of tread-water year for small businesses. That has to do with the challenges facing small businesses: Costs went way up during the year, health care is up double digits, fuel, raw materials, oil for delivery trucks, all that was significantly higher than it was in the past. On top of that is uncertainty in the marketplace. Are we in a recession or in growth mode? Ask four different economists and you'll get four different answers. And as an owner of a business, it's very difficult to figure out how to operate in an uncertain marketplace.
Michael Alter