By:  Bruce S. Berton

There are so many variables in the business world today that it is mind boggling.

• Will quotas be eliminated for textile/apparel on January 1, 2005?

• Who will be the President of the United States of America?

• If it is a new administration, will the Free Trade Agreements be changed drastically?

• Will the consolidation of the retailers make it more difficult for new vendors to enter the marketplace?

• Will the consolidation of the factors make credit more difficult to obtain?

• Will the bilateral agreements allow us to export more of our product after January 1, 2005?

• Will the delays of containers for security reasons cause havoc with chargebacks?

• Will the new California minimum wage of $7.25 cause high costs of goods?

• Will the worker's compensation program be further revised in time to save businesses?

• Will the buyouts of very famous brands at all levels compromise consumer acceptance?

• Will the California Labor Compliance Bill AB633 be monitored fairly?

• Will interest rates start to rise and will the cost of money become an important variable?

• What effect will the No Quota issue have on other countries economies?

• What will be the true cost of goods if quota is eliminated?

• How does one plan for the coming seasons?

• Will the large U.S. manufacturers start concentrating and consolidating their offshore suppliers?

• Will the new factories in China have high quality standards on which you can base your business?

• Will the EU continue to apply penalty duties on apparel exporters?

• Will you be able to finance your business as you did previously?

• Will the insurance rates in all areas of business start to climb due to terrorism?

• Will human resource harassment or equal pay situations be a litigation heaven for attorneys at the small business level?

• Will the economy continue to be on the upswing?

• How does one get the facts?

• How does one plan and how far out?

• What does one need to execute the plan?

• What systems or infrastructure does one need to supervise the plans?

These are just a few questions that affect your textile/apparel business daily.

We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have over 100 years of experience in the textile/apparel industry. We can guide you and help you reach your goals and objectives. We have the Yankee Ingenuity and know how resulting from hands-on experience.

However, as the saying goes, we have the professional expertise to guide you to water, but we cannot make you drink.

It will have to be a team effort to set the priorities and implement the plans, knowing all of the risk factors, to enable you to survive and prosper in 2005.