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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, June 5th, 2006

For more information contact: info@sysgeninc.com

"On Demand Freedom" Campaign to Reverse America's Tailspin

NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS - American family life has plunged into a tailspin.  Skyrocketing health insurance premiums, gasoline prices, and other factors are rapidly stressing American families to the limit.  Irv Segal, President and CEO of SysGen, Inc. believes that small business owners can lead us out of this tailspin by implementing the On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model featured in his new book Small Business Success: On Demand (BookSurge Publishing).

"It's a powerful strategy that many small business owners can, and should, take advantage of," Segal says.  "By using our model small businesses can operate more profitably.  But more importantly, it give business owners and employees the freedom to control their time on demand, which means they can better blend their personal and career lives, without sacrificing either."

"I was astounded when I realized the by-products our operating model produces that benefit small businesses and the American families that depend on them, "Segal admits.

"Skyrocketing gasoline prices are making it more expensive to commute to work, leaving less money to pay the family bills.  Health insurance premiums have become a major monthly expense.  This escalating financial stress can't help but drive the rate of divorced couples even higher and wreak even more havoc on divorced family budgets and their children.  High crime rates are further fueled by children of divorced families who are prone to a life of crime.  Poorer families and escalating criminal behavior result in higher tax burdens and even higher medical expenses further eroding the family net income and harmony.  The global economy and outsourcing trends are forcing those fortunate enough to have jobs to worker longer hours for less and less disposable income.  This leaves less time and money for the family and further strains relationships at home."

"How did we slip into this tailspin?  That may be a question historians will ponder for years to come," says Segal, "but the more pressing question is, how do we pull out of it before we crash?"

"We believe our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model is the answer", says Segal,.

"Implementing our operating model gives small businesses many huge benefits, including; operating a virtual office without foregoing the benefits of a traditional one; hiring and retaining top talent for less money, and; giving employees and owners the freedom to work from any location and to make their own hours.  These go a long way toward minimizing or eliminating the burden of physical and time constraints business owners and managers traditionally place on their employees, and themselves.  In my book I explain what these constraints are, how they add no value for the business or the employee, and how eliminating them can reverse our tailspin."

"To give you an idea of how powerful our model is," Segal explains, "just look at a few of the ways a properly operated virtual office helps pull American families out of this tailspin.  It eliminates the need to burn gasoline to commute to work every day.  That puts more money in the employees pocket without costing the employer a dime, and less time commuting means more time to spend with family.  More time with family leads to stronger marriages and emotionally stronger children.  Fewer people on the road translates into fewer auto accidents which can lead to reduced auto and health insurance premiums." 

"The sum total of the benefits to the employee and the business are astounding," Segal claims. 

In his book Segal details each of many benefits of using his On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model in the hopes these potential rewards will entice small business owners to take action.

"These are not new concepts," Segal admits.  "But they have yet to be widely embraced by the business community and are doomed to fail without the proper knowledge, foresight, and tools to make them work.  That's why we launched our SMB One^SM venture.  We offer the educational resources business owners need and back that up with the tools to successfully implement our operating model."

"We believe the responsibility, and capability, to implement our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model is within the grasp of many of the 25 million American small businesses," Segal claims.

Segal may be right on the money by targeting small business owners with his message.  According to statistics cited by the Small Business Administration (SBA) small businesses provide 75 percent of the net new jobs and represent 99.7 percent of all employers.

Segal adds, "Small business owners are typically more open to new ideas and are able to implement them faster than their big business counterparts."

Segal doesn't just preach these ideas, he puts his money -- and his business -- where his mouth is.  He operates SysGen, Inc. using his On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model, and his firm is the primary sponsor of the "On Demand Freedom" Campaign.

"In the past ten years we've seen technological and other advances that have the raw power to be used advantageously by small business owners to operate their businesses more profitably and gain more control of their time.  But nobody has pulled it all together and wrapped it up in an easy to open package that business owners can understand and easily implement.  The early adopter market has started embracing these concepts but mainstream business owners aren't the type to research and implement new things the way an early adopter would."

"We feel that America is at the tipping point of making this power available to mainstream American small business owners.  That's the idea behind our campaign.  We want to encourage small business owners to learn our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model, implement it, and then tell others about it.  If we can influence even a small fraction of the 25 million small business owners out there, we can make a major impact on reversing this tailspin."

Segal's firm provides a variety of resources via it's SMB One^SM venture including his recently published book, Small Business Success: On Demand, a FREE webinar and e-Course, and through public speaking engagements, seminars, and workshops.

Whether small business owners will follow Segal's advice in droves remains to be seen.  But if something isn't done soon, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for a crash landing.

High Cost of Gasoline

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration the average price of gasoline has nearly tripled since 1990.

A U.S. Census Bureau study in 2003 revealed that the average American spends 100 hours commuting to work each year.  In major cities the average commute was even higher.  Commutes to work typically occur in stop and go rush hour traffic, which results in the worst gasoline mileage possible.  The Texas Transportation Institute 2005 Urban Mobility Report consludes that the hours commuters spend in rush hour traffic annually costs $63.1 billion for Americans in time and gasoline.

"America's strategy for minimizing the devastating impact of high gasoline prices on American families should include a plan for reducing our dependency not just on foreign oil, but on gasoline in general," says Irv Segal, President and CEO of SysGen, Inc..  "The best way to do that is to reduce our overall need for energy consumption."

"To illustrate the positive impact this can have, imagine if there were a way to reduce the need for gasoline consumption by just 25%.  According to the figures from the Texas Transportation Institute 2005 Urban Mobility Report that would translate to nearly $16 billion in annual savings for American workers."

"Commuters would also save on tolls and traffic tickets.  Cars would be driven less and would therefore last longer, creating even more wealth for savings, investments, charity,  or economic growth." 

"One way this could be accomplished is for more business owners to implement a virtual office as part of their infrastructure," says Segal.  "That would allow them to offer work at home policies, thereby eliminating their employees need to commute to work every day."

"If the work can be done from home," Segal adds, "the gasoline consumed  commuting to work is a complete waste.  It adds no value for the employee or the business."

"Implementing a virtual office is not as simple as sending everyone home and communicating via email and cell phones," Segal cautions.  "Businesses that try that approach often fail miserably.  The key is to operate your virtual office with the proper planning, policies, and resources.  Fortune 500 companies have had access to the resources necessary for successful work at home implementations, but have been slow to act.  We feel that small businesses are best suited to spearhead the move toward virtual offices.  That's why we developed our SMB One^SM educational resources and membership plans for small businesses, to help them get the Fortune 500 resources they need on demand, and at a price that makes economic sense."

"But that's just the beginning," says Segal.  "When you really start to think about it, the economic benefits are astounding.  If we could get more people working from home, think of the millions of gallons of gasoline that would no longer be needed to commute.  Not only would this save employees money they could save or spend to further expand the economy, but would also lower our dependency on foreign oil.  Think of the billions of dollars spent annually to repair, replace, and expand our roads and expressways.  If we could significantly reduce the number of cars traveling those roads, imagine how much money that would save in tax dollars that could be put to better use."

The list of potential benefits goes even further.  According to Allstate, there are 6 million car accidents every year.  By having fewer commuters on the road, there would less accident related injuries to be treated and paid for by insurance companies, which could result in lower or more stable insurance premiums.

"Virtual offices and work at home policies will go a long way to help address skyrocketing gasoline costs, and employers savvy enough to implement these strategies will be able to attract and retain top talent for less money.  Everybody wins," Segal suggests.

For more information about operating a virtual office visit SMB One^SM and www.7elementsondemand.com.

Skyrocketing Health Insurance Costs

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history.  In 2004 total national health expenditures rose 7.9 percent -- over three times the rate of inflation, and U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade.  Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for many employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will overtake profits by 2008.

"The good news is that employers can help solve this problem by implementing work at home and flex hour policies," says Irv Segal, President/CEO of SysGen, Inc.  "Forcing employees to commute to work every day and to adhere to an arbitrary schedule adds no value to the employee’s life, nor to the business.  It is simply a waste of time and money, and unnecessarily adds stress."

"Let's examine some of the ways work at home and flex hour policies can help address spiraling insurance costs."

"According to Allstate, there are 6 million car accidents every year.  Fewer commuters on the road each day also means less traffic accidents, which would reduce medical and car insurance claims.  Lower claims can result in lower or more stable insurance premiums."

"Also, with fewer commuters on the road, there is less pollution and damage to ozone.  That translates into fewer air quality-related illnesses needing to be treated and paid for by insurance companies, which can further result in more stable or lower premiums."

Another contributor to high health insurance premiums is the number of stress-related claims.   As part of its mandate the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is directed by Congress to study the psychological aspects of occupational safety and health, including stress at work. NIOSH works in collaboration with industry, labor, and universities to better understand the stress of modern work, the effects of stress on worker safety and health, and ways to reduce stress in the workplace.

Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to Cardiovascular Disease, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Psychological Disorders, Workplace Injury, Suicide, Cancer, Ulcers, and Impaired Immune Function.

Segal adds, "One of the key recommendations NIOSH made to address job stress is to establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job."

"The average worker faces a host of time sensitive pressures that tear them between family and work obligations.  Caring for a sick child or an elderly parent, attending a child's school play, doctor visits, and other household maintenance like waiting for a repair technician, appliance delivery, etc.  All these things pile up to a huge bundle of stress when work schedules don't accommodate these needs."

"Work at home and flex hour policies work best when the business has a virtual office as part of their infrastructure," says Segal.  "But implementing a virtual office is not as simple as sending everyone home and communicating via email and cell phones," Segal cautions.  "Businesses that try that approach often fail miserably.  The key is to operate your virtual office with the proper planning, policies, and resources.  Fortune 500 companies have had access to the resources necessary for successful work at home implementations, but have been slow to act.  We feel that small businesses are best suited to spearhead the move toward virtual offices.  That's why we developed our SMB One^SM educational resources and membership plans for small businesses, to help them get the Fortune 500 resources they need on demand, and at a price that makes economic sense."

In the long run work at home and flex hour policies will go a long way to help address skyrocketing health insurance premiums, and employers savvy enough to offer these benefits will be able to attract and retain top talent for less money.  Everybody wins," Segal suggests.

For more information about operating a virtual office visit SMB One^SM and www.7elementsondemand.com.

Skyrocketing Divorce Rate

According to the most recent Marital Status and Living Arrangments Study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census the number of divorced people more than quadrupled from 4.3 million in 1970 to 18.3 million in 1996.

A recent study by the Creighton University Center for Marriage and Family suggests that the concerns of balancing job and family is one of the top three causes of divorce.

According to the Heritage Foundation you can actually use the divorce rate in a given area to predict its level of crime, according to University of Chicago sociology professor Robert Sampson, who studied 171 U.S. cities with populations above 100,000 and found that the lower a city’s divorce rate, the lower its crime rate.

Another study tracked 6,400 boys over 20 years and found those who grew up without fathers in the home were two to three times more likely to commit crimes. In Wisconsin (the only state to release government data on the link between divorce and crime), children of divorced parents are 12 times more likely to serve time in jail than are children from intact, two-parent families. 

Then there’s the connection between divorce and poverty. According to Mary Corcoran, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, household income for children living with two parents averaged $43,600. It dropped to $25,300 following a divorce.

"If we could help reduce the rate of divorce, imagine the positive impact that would have," says Irv Segal, President/CEO of SysGen, Inc.  "That's one of the reasons we encourage business owners to operate with a virtual office and to allow their employees to make their own hours.  This creates the opportunity for people to spend more time with their spouses and families.  It gives them the power to blend their family life with work obligations without detracting from either.  That reduces the strain placed on married couples which could significantly reduce the divorce crime, and poverty rates.  Not only would this improve the quality of life, but would increase the ability for families to spend and further expand the economy."

"Less crime also allows businesses to save money on things like vandalism, pilferage, and shoplifting, which contribute to higher insurance premiums.  If businesses don't have to pay for those things, they could keep their prices low, still make a profit, and further stimulate the economy," Segal claims.

"Work at home and flex hour policies work best when the business has a virtual office as part of their infrastructure," says Segal.  "But implementing a virtual office is not as simple as sending everyone home and communicating via email and cell phones," Segal cautions.  "Businesses that try that approach often fail miserably.  The key is to operate your virtual office with the proper planning, policies, and resources.  Fortune 500 companies have had access to the resources necessary for successful work at home implementations, but have been slow to act.  We feel that small businesses are best suited to spearhead the move toward virtual offices.  That's why we developed our SMB One^SM educational resources and membership plans for small businesses, to help them get the Fortune 500 resources they need on demand, and at a price that makes economic sense."

In the long run work at home and flex hour policies will go a long way to help address the divorce rate, and employers savvy enough to offer these benefits will be able to attract and retain top talent for less money.  Everybody wins.

For more information about the divorce rate and its impact on American families, visit the National Center for Health Statistics.

For more information about operating a virtual office visit SMB One^SM and www.7elementsondemand.com.

Our "On Demand Freedom" Campaign is about the small business community helping itself.  We want small business leaders to help other small business owners, and their employees, get on demand control of their time.

Start by enrolling in our FREE e-Course to learn how to implement our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model in your own business. 

Take advantage of our FREE webinar  and our book Small Business Success: On Demand (BookSurge Publishing).

Visit our SMB One^SM web site for information about how to get many of the resources you need to implement our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model under one simple membership plan.

After that, it's up to you to spread the word by telling other small business owners about our On Demand Small Business^SM Operating Model.  Send them a link to this web site so they can begin to learn more.  If you are looking for a speaker consider requesting Irv Segal to address your group.

Yes! Count me in.