Ohio continues to offer the work-life balance critical to the overall satisfaction professionals have with their lives.
BusinessWeek recently conducted a survey of more than 3,000 educated professionals (men and women) to determine what drives contentment in a “frenetic and distraction-packed life.”
The survey administrators expressed surprise that “there is an incredibly high correlation between people’s happiness and meaning at work and home.” In other words, the ability to be successful in both areas of one’s life is the key to overall happiness.
These findings shouldn’t surprise anyone who lives in Ohio, where executives and their employees have the opportunity and tools to achieve success in both their professional and their personal lives.
The authors of the article spotted several patterns in how survey respondents spend their time and how they feel. A couple of important takeaways included spending time exercising and with people you love and feeling challenged, which is linked to overall satisfaction.
Ohio is known as the State of Perfect Balance, where one has the opportunity to achieve professional success without having to sacrifice personal aspirations. Individuals in Ohio have more time to spend with their loved ones or on leisure activities due to things like shorter commutes and a plethora of options for fun. An engaged and supportive business community allows entrepreneurs and executives alike to take their business in whatever direction they desire.
It’s no wonder companies want to come here and employees want to stay here.
Read more about the BusinessWeek study.
Shannon Swift had planned on working his entire career at General Motors. When he got laid off, he had no idea how he would transition his manufacturing skills into a new line of work to support his wife and five children. Around this time, Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to expand Ohio's technological strengths, was helping Dayton-area Renegade Materials Corporation complete construction of a new facility to bring the next generation of advanced materials for the aerospace and defense industries to market. To recruit labor to handle this new working capacity, Renegade tapped into the pool of displaced workers from the GM plant where Shannon had worked. That’s how he landed a job at Renegade.
After being hired at Renegade, Shannon received on-the-job training to transition his skills to the new technology business. Now, Shannon is working for Renegade’s high temperature polymer business. Essentially, Ohio Third Frontier was the bridge that brought Shannon to work with Renegade. Without Ohio Third Frontier, Shannon says he would still be searching for a career where he could apply the skills that he acquired in the automotive industry. Recently, Shannon spoke to us about his transition into the technology business. Click here to read the complete interview. Click here to read the complete interview.
Instruments, controls and electronics is a high-tech industry consisting of companies that offer goods and services related to the research, development and application of instrumentation, controls and electronics ranging from advanced sensor technology to distributed control systems.
Ohio is home to 159,900 high-tech employees, ranking the state 14th nationally in terms of high-tech employment. In 2007, Ohio's high-tech economy demonstrated its strength in the midst of a global economic downturn by adding 4,700 jobs, the state's 3rd consecutive year of net growth.
The state’s high-tech industry is boasted through support of innovative programs such as Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to expand Ohio's technological strengths and promote commercialization that leads to economic prosperity throughout Ohio. Since its inception, the program has created or capitalized more than 500 companies and has created $6.6 billion in economic impact in Ohio, a 10:1 return on investment.
Ohio's supply chain, workforce, innovative incentives, market access, low business and personal taxes, and work-life balance present a strong value proposition for high-tech companies analyzing potential investment locations. Click here to find out more about Ohio’s high-tech industry.
Jamie McGann is the founder of McGann Media in Columbus, Ohio. With 25 years of industry experience, Jamie knows that the revenue numbers don't lie: the most effective tool to brand a business is advertising. She founded the company on the ideal that advertising is at the core of relationship-building for any business.
By successfully helping clients exceed their goals, McGann Media has grown to seven-figure billing. Jamie says that although the company has a firm focus on business fundamentals (i.e., competitive and consumer research, advertising ROI, etc.), collectively McGann employees are innovative and creative; they work on the philosophy that idealism is a reality away.
Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Jamie about why she thinks Ohio is the state of perfect balance. She told me, “Ohio’s proximity to a number of large cosmopolitan areas is fabulous for business, and also valuable because the cost of owning a business in Ohio is comparatively low! Additionally, the network of dedicated professionals helps businesses work together to meet common goals. The efficiencies in Ohio are great, and, I believe help Ohioans meet the optimal work-life balance.”
I recently spoke with Barbara Kunz, president ofBattelle’s Health and Life Sciences Global Business, about her thoughts on work-life balance in Ohio.
Battelle’s Health and Life Sciences Global Business delivers comprehensive R&D services – solving complex challenges in the biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical and public health sectors. Their location in Ohio proves that scientific discovery thrives in the heart of the Midwest, where practical innovation is hard at work. Ohio offers Battelle renowned hospitals, research centers and manufacturing facilities working together to develop new advances in bioscience.
Barbara believes you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life in Ohio. The state offers excellent career opportunities, while allowing people the time to become involved in various outside activities. For Barbara, she’s able to work with others to grow her business and still has time for personal activities such as gardening. Ohio provides her with the perfect work-life balance.
The state’s 