Susan Goyer, owner of the human resources firm, tells us how she deals with the business climate in Tennessee as a member of the NFIB Leadership Council and how she became a business owner.
How did you become a small business owner and why?
This is my third business, and we are in our 30th year of business. My husband and I started this business in 1985. It was a good model. He read about the concept in Entrepreneur Magazine and decided it was for us.
What do you attribute to your business’ longevity?
Survival. Not so much being proactive, but just survival and trying to stay on top of everything. It’s a great concept, and, with every new government regulation, it just makes it even more important.
What is the best part of your day?
I’d say the best part of my day is when I’m able to help a client out of a situation that they just don’t know how to handle. It’s very rewarding to me to know that we have helped and in many cases helped them save a lot of money.
What makes Tennessee a good place for your business?
Tennessee is thriving. We have so many new companies that have come in, and many are very large companies. It’s a mix of people. You do have a fair amount of locals that have been here all their lives, but for the most part when you’re doing business, I think you find people from all over the country. That really makes it a very good climate.
What state-level policy issues concern you most?
A combination of federal and state issues–the regulations. The government regulations are just over the top. It’s the worst I’ve seen in 30 years, as long as I’ve been in business. It’s like with every turn your hands are tied and there’s something you can’t do because there’s some regulation out there. It’s very disturbing for every business owner.
How do you keep up with changing regulations?
Because that really is a huge part of my job, I probably spend a minimum of three hours a day reading updates from various industries, attorneys, and so on. And that is how I keep up. And then of course we pass most of that on to our clients.
Why did you join NFIB?
As a small business owner, the government regulations are just crippling at times. And you know you can’t just sit around and gripe about some of these things. You feel like you have to participate, but don’t have the money to participate in the way that you would like. And by combining all those small businesses, I feel like we truly have a voice out there. Ordinarily, without NFIB, by myself, I would not have that voice. It certainly wouldn’t be as loud.
