Mike,

Ours is a family owned and operated business that has been around since 1926. We have evolved a lot over the years and will continue to in order to survive. Cash flow is usually our greatest financial obstacle. Either we are waiting on payments that arrive a lot later than they should or are having to chase people down for payment. Add to that a lack of funding at a reasonable rate and it sometimes returns us to "living week to week" scenario. Other common factors include poorly trained electricians to choose employees from, lack of concern locally about proper licenseing, the abundance of "shade tree servicers and an ever increasing tax burden, both local and federal. There are times when I wonder why I am not pumping gas for a living. Unfortunatly I dont play well with others and i am forced to work for myself to keep employment. Just ask my wife and businees partner, Dottie. Seriously though, our company is no different from thousands of other small businesses struggling to stay in business. It is my opinion that small businesses like ours are the backbone of this country and like the farmers need to be acknowledged and help made available to smaller companies. We dont want a handout but a hand up would sure be appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to bring this to light and I look forward to your articles. Your newsletters and website provide us with much needed information.

Norman Slover Slover's Electric Service