09/30/2005
Business Owner Rises to Challenges of Adversity
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"[NFIB was] doing the right thing for --NFIB/California Member |
Just a few years ago, Jerry Schumacher was the owner of an aerospace engineering firm that did more than $14 million in business annually. That was before Sept. 11, 2001.
"We were devastated by 9/11," he says, noting that business dropped to less than $2 million in less than six months and his employee base went from more than 100 to 20. "I had to find something else to carry the overhead burden."
Schumacher recognized a growing need for temporary laborers and secretarial services in light industrial settings, and he stepped up to fill the gap. In 2002, he established U.S. Temp Services. The business did $9 million in sales in its first year, and that figure has grown to $25 million in 2005.
"This year we'll see $400,000-$600,000 in profit," he says proudly.
That's not to say he doesn't continually face potentially crippling challenges. In fact, just four months after starting U.S. Temp, Schumacher was struggling with issues like workers' compensation, the State Fund and mandates pertaining to medical insurance.
"The proposed legislation would have been terrible because it would have dictated how small-business owners ran their businesses," he notes. "But we were a small company, and I didn't have resources for lobbyists."
When an NFIB sales representative came in and introduced him to the organization, however, Schumacher was immediately interested. "I began attending meetings and found them to be very informative. I was immediately impressed with [NFIB/California State Director] Martyn Hopper and [Assistant Director] Michael Shaw," he says. "They were doing the right thing for small business, and they were doing it better than any other organization I had seen. I saw lots of promise."
Today Schumacher is an active member of NFIB, serving his second year as chair of the Orange County Area Action Council and helping to establish an adopt-a-legislator program among small-business owners in California.
"Small-business owners wear a lot of hats, so it's hard to devote time to outside organizations," he concedes. "I'm trying to help them see how easy it is to get involved and to develop relationships with their legislators."
In an effort to "put a face on NFIB," Schumacher has been trying to visit every Orange County legislator this year, accompanied by members from each of their districts. "We let them know that NFIB is there to support them, especially in their support of small business." Schumacher and his fellow members emphasize NFIB's party neutrality and its openness to dialogue, and they strive for continuity by having members touch base with their representatives periodically.
"All of my visits have been absolutely outstanding," Schumacher asserts. "Members are realizing that it's not that hard to get in touch with their legislators and to visit them, and they're finding that the legislators are very attentive, even when they don't share the same perspective. They all want to keep jobs in their districts."
Workers' compensation and health insurance continue to be priority issues for Schumacher, but his real focus is on diminishing government involvement in business. "The government doesn't need to dictate minimum wage. Supply and demand will drive that. Quality, family-owned businesses will treat their employees well. Businesses can work out problems on their own," Schumacher explains, adding that businesses that don't treat employees fairly will get weeded out along the way.
"I want to put people to work, and there are a lot of people who want to work. I try to talk to my customers as much as I can, and to talk to them about what I learn from NFIB -- about legislation, taking a proactive approach and what's happening at any given time," he continues. "I have a lot to thank NFIB for because it provides me with good, unbiased information. That's why I believe in NFIB. It's a wire to Sacramento."
