Gypsy Camp Blog

There is considerable media coverage of large public companies and small mom and pop businesses but very little coverage of mid-market companies that are key players in every sector of the economy. What do we mean by mid-market companies? Well there several indicators of mid-market including: the number of employees, annual sales and market position.

Mid-market companies, also called mid-sized firms, typically have 100-499 employees, according to a study done by Ipso in 2006 in Canada, that found this sector comprises about 2% of Canadian businesses yet they invest in nearly half of all the IT spending in the country.

A study of mid-market companies in the US in June 2008 defined the mid-market as companies with annual sales between $5 million and $100 million. These companies represented 3% of the number of businesses but accounted for 30% of the jobs and 40% of the total annual sales in Indiana according to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

IBM in their 2009 study, defined mid-market companies as having 100 to 1,000 employees while a study by SAP defined mid-market in the US as firms earning between $30 million and $500 million. The SAP study found that mid-market companies comprised 1% of the number of all US companies and generates nearly 30% of corporate revenues.

A more common definition for mid-market companies elsewhere in the world tends to be 50-249 employees, according to the UK Department of Industry and Trade, and these mid-market companies employ about 14% of the workforce and generate 16% of the annual sales yet represent 2% of the total number of companies.

As a rule we find most mid-market companies have 50 to 500 employees and a few go as high as 1,000 employees and most have sales somewhere between $10 million and $100 million with a few going as high as $500 million.

Mid-market companies lack the resources available to large companies who can leverage pricing and supplier discounts in the market as well as offer more incentives to attract and retain talented staff plus secure financing on more attractive terms than mid-market companies.

The smaller companies can also out pace the mid-market companies with faster decision making and lower overhead structures.

Many mid-market companies enjoy a long term view because they have found protected market niches or have been able to find ways to survive by changing slowly. However with the increasing volatility in the global economy, few mid-market companies have the luxury to change slowly. We see a mad scramble by these small mid-market management teams in recent years to find ways to change more quickly to cope with the volume of additional work that market changes have thrust upon them!

Stuart Morley MBA is a recognised authorityin interim management services to mid-sized organizations during their restructuring phase. Go to his website Mid-sized organizations in Trouble for more information including video clips, articles specifically for mid-sizedmarket organizations and order his recently co-authored book (with Gord Griffiths and Morris Slemko) called \”Weather the Storm\” Survival Guide for Mid Market Organizations.

Gay travelers take vacations for a number of reasons, including the opportunity to meet new people, experience new cultures, see exotic places, take a break from the stresses of everyday life and to spend time with people that are special in their lives. Each vacation has some purpose, even if the purpose might simply be to lounge on a sandy beach and take some time away from the cares and worries back home.

In the realm of purposeful travel, gay spirituality vacations are one option that includes the desire to rejuvenate and relax, but goes beyond that to include specific awareness and intentions. Vacations are most often taken with the intent of getting away from it all; however, travelers who opt for spiritual travel actually plan on truly arriving in their destination and partaking in a mutually beneficial exchange with the people, land and energy in the area.

Gay spiritual travel can include couple\’s retreats that focus on parallel growth and reconnection, conscious travel that is undertaken alone, or spiritual journeys in the company of like-minded travelers as part of an organized group to destinations around the world, such as Mexico, the American Southwest, Egypt, Peru, Thailand, India or New Zealand.

Gay spiritual vacations taken as a solo pilgrimage are certainly one option; however, opting for a professionally arranged conscious travel opportunity with a like-minded group of travelers can greatly enhance the experience you have while on your journey, and can enhance the spiritual growth or awakening that occurs. Professional travel groups that organize spiritual travel opportunities have the knowledge and experience necessary to provide a meaningful voyage that will be a truly remarkable experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Conscious travel vacations journey to sacred sites, offer fantastic group activities and organize the logistics of the trip, allowing you to solely focus on the personal journey and spiritual growth you seek. Tour experts have forged strong relationships with locals in various destinations, which allows tour participants to experience and see things that are not available to individual travelers or those on typical vacations.

Participants in gay spiritual travel have the distinct opportunity to connect with like-minded travelers that are also seeking a spiritual awakening, renewal or reconnection. This allows you to participate in shared group activities, learn from each other\’s experiences, share your story with people who have a deeper understanding and ability to relate, discuss experiences that you are having while on this specific journey and forge new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Anyone who is in search of a meaningful journey focused on personal growth, spiritual centering and a truly unique travel experience should consider partaking in conscious travel when they begin to plan their next vacation. A spiritual journey is an excellent self-care measure and will allow you to refocus your life, reorganize your priorities, remind yourself of the things and people that are truly important to you and return home refreshed.

Take the time to reflect on your life and experiences, nourish your soul and participate in a personal voyage that will give you the opportunity to experience spiritual growth and centering. Intentional travel with a spiritual focus can change your life and will continue to benefit you for years to come.

Info by Howie Holben on gay retreats and a gay travel vacation.

Many people have a negative stereotype about sororities, but most of them have not experienced it so they really don\’t know. My freshman year I didn\’t know that many people (because I came from out of state for college) and I decided to join a sorority. I ended up falling in love and have met and since been friends with a ton of the girls. I have always had someone to hang out with and talk to and study with and I have had so many new opportunities I could have never imagined.

I have remained really close with my friends that I have met my freshman year in my sorority over the past 4 years. And I have also had many opportunities with them to help my community and raise awareness for charities that I feel strongly about. We team up with Dove to teach younger girls and teens to feel great about themselves. I have also gotten to work with a children\’s hospital and many other organizations to make a difference with them and in our community around our school.

There are a ton of great things that we get to do each year and one of the best things is pick people to go to a team building a leadership conference. We learn how to work better as a group and also how to get more people in our sorority. Another thing that it helps us do and communicate with the community and get them involved in our events and charities. This way we don\’t just have college students, we have families and schools and even retirement homes as well helping out our cause and driving in awareness to people who may not have known at all in the past.

I was picked to go last year to the convention and it was amazing because we got to take a private jet there. Twenty of us from my chapter went and we got to the airport and we had no idea about the private jet charter so we were surprised when we got there! We took it to headquarters in Texas and then home again after back to school.

We had an amazing time there and I wish I could go again, but unfortunately we are only allowed to go once in order for everyone to get a chance if they want to. We learned so much that we are going to use for the next few years and when we got back we help little group meetings to teach everyone else what we learned and how to use it in our chapter and our next events. Our annual event that we are known for was a huge hit last year and I would like to think it will just keep getting better with the advice we are getting.

If you are planning a getaway for fun you may want to think about chartering a private jet. Private jet charter is fast and much more stress free. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.