Sometimes there are other ways. But sometimes, there are not.

We all wish that we could weather the storm, but the truth is, some of us do not have the capability to take such a loss in the hope that things will get better soon.

Unfortunately, people I have trusted for a long time in financial matters are projecting 3-5 years( at a minimum) before the economy is in decent shape again. Although it makes me sick, I am inclined to trust their judgement.

It is in times like these that businessmen/women cannot afford to overextend themselves. Even with impeccable credit records, my business credit lines are dimishing as we speak. It is the same across the country. After all, there are not many business owners who routinely pay cash for things. That is completely unrealistic. With diminishing credit, businesses just have to pull back what they are spending to accomodate those changes.

In my case, I am actually forced to close a store I just opened 12 months ago. That store employs 11 people with families. I have no choice. That store was running on credit alone. The sales in year one were barely paying the lease on the building. That, in itself, is not unusual for an expansion project. But my company’s credit is no longer in line with my own patience and experience in building a local client base.

Without the ability to borrow money, many businesses cannot sustain themselves at all, and even with credit, there is little guarantee that the loan payments can be made in the next few years.

Again, I don’t know the financial status of your company, but these are not issues that will go away any time soon.

The burdens of command…

I just wish there are other ways. The company I’m with cosidered against pay cut to do the layoff. A relatively small portion of each of our pay will keep everyone employed. The numbers doesn’t add up from my perspective as a lowly employee.

If you will notice, there was a clear reference in the statement from the CEO to “unavoidable acknowledgement of the current bookselling marketplace”.

Translation: Not as many people are buying books right now as compared to the past.

I can identify with that. Our Houston area business is continually showing growth, while our expansions into other markets are taking it on the chin. I have to pull back, otherwise, I’m puttting everyone else in jeopardy at the company as well. It’s a tough decision, and not one made without personal consideration.

Without looking at the financial statements of S&S, I don’t think I can say whether reducing the staff in one area or another was prudent, but people like Carolyn Reidy are hired to make those decisions based upon what’s good for the whole company—not just for one employee, or even one department.

There are people who will inevitably be asked to diversify their responsibilities in certain areas within my company (and likely will little or no additional compensation) for the sake of still having a job at all!

Margaret Clark is apparently being asked to do that at Pocket Books. She is no different from some of the people on my management staff and in the wharehouses, and neither is Marco for that matter. Some of them will have to work harder, and some of them will have to find other jobs to support their families. It sounds cold, but in truth, so is the coming winter of economic trouble.

While I won’t be laying anyone off before Christmas, I already know who the likely casualties are to be. Upon January 1st, 2009, I will give notice to at least eleven more American men and women that their jobs will only pay them for 30 more days! While some of them attend the company New Years Eve bash, I’ll have to look at those faces the night before.

After measuring what impact the coming economic troubles will have upon our Spring season, it may very well be more by mid-April.

I don’t do this to hurt people, but to ensure that I can still pay those who continue to work for me after they are gone. To borrow from Spock, “The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one.”

If Reidy is “stupid” for choosing to eliminate Marco, then I guess I’m stupid too, along with the thousands of other employers who will have to deliver that news in the coming year.

At least the new Trek film guarantees there will continue to be a healthy market for spin-off products.

I wish him the best of Luck for his future.

perhaps a prequel series on the kelvin???