New and events of the Philadelphia Bar Asso.
Issue link: https://thephiladelphialawyer.epubxp.com/i/434516
A mid a mixed outlook for sales and profits during the next six months, U.S. women business owners plan to focus on cash flow, improved efficiency and customer experience. The PNC Women Business Owners Survey found 44 percent expect their sales to increase and 47 percent expect them to remain the same. As for profits, 35 percent forecast an increase while 47 percent foresee no change, according to the findings announced in conjunction with National Women's Small Business Month. This caution is driven by uncertainty about the U.S. economy as 54 percent are optimistic about the performance of the national economy in the next six months while 43 percent are pessimistic. On the hiring front, three out of four say their number of full-time employees will remain the same, while only 9 percent plan to hire and 5 percent expect to reduce staff in the next six months. Their focus is on increased efficiency and using technology to improve customer experiences. Among those not hiring, one in three choose to do more work with fewer employees. Further, when asked about the role of technology in their business, they are most focused on improving their company's online presence (29 percent) and customer experience (23 percent). THREE LIKELY ACTIONS The three actions women owners are most likely to take in the next six months are: • Focus on ways to improve cash flow (68 percent) • Upgrade technology to improve efficiency (48 percent) the philadelphia lawyer Winter 2015 7 Cautious Women Business Owners Focus on Effciency FTC Rules Protect Consumers Who Receive Gift Cards Dante Mattioni May 5, 2014, Age 83 Howard M. Goldsmith Aug. 15, 2014, Age 69 William T. Windsor Jr. Sept. 8, 2014, Age 87 Judge Meyer C. Rose Oct. 1, 2014, Age 96 Marilyn L. Walder Oct. 7, 2014, Age 69 William H. Buckman Oct. 14, 2014, Age 61 Brandi Brice Oct. 16, 2014, Age 37 Gloria Casarez Oct. 18, 2014, Age 42 Andrew Touchstone Oct. 21, 2014, Age 51 Margaret Mary Flores Oct. 29, 2014, Age 43 ■ i n M e M o r i a M ■ Please send In Memoriam notices to tplmag@philabar.org. Have you considered a contribution to the Philadelphia Bar Foundation in memory of a de ceased colleague? For information, call Jessica Hilburn-Holmes, Executive Director, at 215-238-6347. M ore people are getting gift cards, particularly over the holiday season. Gift cards are purchased from retailers, restaurants, and banks or other financial institutions. In response to various abuses, the Federal Trade Commission passed rules more than three years ago to protect consumers. These are worthwhile revisiting this time of year. • Money on a gift card cannot expire for at least five years from the date the card was purchased, or the date additional money was loaded onto the card. • The expiration date of the gift card must be clearly disclosed on the card or its packaging. • A fee can be charged for the purchase of a card, which amount must also be disclosed on the card or its packaging. • An "inactivity" fee can be charged, nor more than once a month, if a card has not been used for a year. • States may add their own rules but Pennsylvania has not done so. Note that these rules do not apply to loyalty, reward or promotional cards issued directly to a consumer, such as those based on frequent customer or points status. – By David I. Grunfeld