As if the economy isn't bad enough, as a business owner I have watched our business go flat, profits go down and expenses rise at a rapid rate. It just seems as though there is no end to it all. Just as I am hoping that business picks up I get letters informing me that our company Health Insurance and Dental Plan rates are going up! 13.5% increase in health and 8% on Dental. Give me a break, pleeeeeze! I can hardly wait until June when I learn how much my liability insurance will go up!
Insurance is confusing, and my agent was trying to explain how "ObamaCare" will directly affect my ability, or rather lack of ability to try and control costs by shopping around for different plans. When Obama announced that people would be able to keep the insurance they currently have, he failed to mention that businesses would not be able to change their plans once they are in place. To me this is ludicrous and an infringement on my ability to run my small business profitably. We have always prided ourselves on being able to pay 100% of our employees insurance, but we will definitely be making some changes this year. What ever happened to free choice and competitiveness? If any business feels that people are locked into their service without the fear of competition, they will gouge and bleed the public.
This is such a dark time in the US economy and I fear where it is all going. All around me cities are going broke, businesses are going dark and employment figures have failed to rise. All in all I am hoping that we are able to find a solution to help everyone who is currently struggling in these desperate times.
Ta Ta for now....
