BusinessWeek survey shows satisfaction at home and work are closely tied

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.

Renier Construction Celebrates 30 Years of Thriving Business in Ohio

Bill Heifner, president of Renier Construction Corporation in Columbus, Ohio, founded the company in 1980 as a one-man operation, specializing in industrial and commercial construction. Today, Renier's long list of clients includes Germain Motor Company, Ross Laboratories and Dayton Freight Lines. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Bill about what has led to the company’s steady growth and overall success.

Bill attributed much of his company’s success to Ohio’s transportation infrastructure, providing Renier with superior market access. Heifner said, “Forward thinking by local and state leaders several decades ago laid the foundation for a transportation infrastructure that has Ohio well positioned for growth and efficiency.”

He also spoke with me about the Ohio Promise, which is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life.  Bill believes that Ohio offers a fulfilling, meaningful lifestyle with robust cultural and entertainment options, extensive green space and sports, and excellent schools and universities. Coupled with a business environment that is open and welcoming to newcomers and emerging leaders, Bill says, Ohio delivers on its promise.

Click here to read my complete interview with Bill.

Executive Talks About Ohio As Perfect Location For Entrepreneurs

In 2001, Barbara Wayman, APR, founded BlueTree Media, LLC in Dublin, Ohio. Her company specializes in helping brands identify and deliver consistent messages with the goal of building awareness and increasing market share.

When asked why she chose to start and grow her business in Ohio, Barbara told me, “Ohio has a low cost of living which helps businesses and families grow and prosper here, also lending itself to a solid return on investment over time.” Ohio provides Barbara with the perfect work-life balance.

Before founding BlueTree Media, Barbara worked on a number of award-winning campaigns for products such as Cracker Jack, Creamettes Pasta and ReaLemon. A Columbus Business First 40 Under Forty recipient, Barbara holds a master’s in journalism and a bachelor’s in communications from The Ohio State University.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Barbara about why she considers Ohio as a choice location for entrepreneurs and her thoughts on work-life balance.

Click here to read more about Barbara’s story.

Ohio Leads the Pack in Number of Fast-Growing Private Companies

Nearly 200 Ohio companies are featured on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies, more than most of Ohio’s neighboring states throughout the Midwest. Ohio is home to more companies listed on the publication’s fastest growing companies rankings than Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Only Illinois had more companies on the list with 222.

The fact that Ohio continues to be recognized by some of the nation’s leading business publications is evidence that our economic development strategies for creating a healthy business development climate in the state are working. This further proves that Ohio should be on every CEO’s list of location options.

When executives grow their business in Ohio they not only find a nurturing business environment, but are also able to profit from the bottom-line benefits of better work-life balance for their employees. Ohio’s low-cost, low-stress communities and combination of micropolitan and metropolitan cities and short commutes provides executives and employees the resources and time to make any ambition achievable. Ohio truly is the state of perfect balance.

Click here to find out more about Ohio’s business environment and benefits of work-life balance.

New Audubon Nature Center Takes Flight in Ohio

In Ohio, you can achieve both your professional and personal aspirations without sacrificing one for the other. The Grange Insurance Audubon Center is the latest example of public-private investment supporting creative recreation destinations in Ohio for those who enjoy recreational activities during their personal time.

Located in Columbus, Ohio, the 18,000-square-foot Grange Insurance Audubon Center is the culmination of efforts by the city of Columbus, Metro Parks and Audubon Ohio to successfully execute a brownfield redevelopment project on the Whittier Peninsula, a former industrial dumping ground. The site is now home to a 72-acre park on Columbus’ Scioto River.

Private-public partnership has been instrumental to making downtown Ohio cities around-the-clock destinations. Private investment played a key role in the development of the Audubon Center on public park land in Columbus, and is also a major contributor to additional Riverfront-area development including future Scioto Mile and Columbus Commons development, the Lazarus building, Huntington Park and the Arena District and numerous urban condo projects. Similar developments in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton and Akron demonstrate Ohio’s commitment to its urban centers.

The Audubon Center is a major component of the investment in Ohio urban downtowns to be welcoming environments providing weeklong recreation and entertainment opportunities, retaining downtown workers after work and providing a destination for all residents beyond 9-to-5. It combines a world-class asset that enriches the lives of local residents and will draw visitors from around the country, with the ingenious reinvention of a brown-field site that was, literally, a dump.

World-class creative recreation amenities like the Grange Insurance Aububon Center are a testament to the quality of life and opportunities for work:life balance found throughout Ohio. Ohio truly is the State of Perfect Balance.