Small business owners have a different set of fears. Rosie DeRosa and Alice Roque-Velasco say their fears center on hiring. Five years ago, the women launched an online marketing/advertising platform targeted to South Miami residents and businesses called myCotorra.com. Now, they realize they need to hire a sales force to grow, but they don’t feel sufficiently confident that sales will support it: “We’re just not certain of the market right now,” DeRosa said. “We are worried that during the holiday season, people will not be buying like they should be.” For now, the two are getting creative, coming up with new marketing strategies by partnering with school PTAs to generate sales for their advertisers.

Going forward, DeRosa says she and her partner, like many business owners, must balance their fear of hiring with their ability to handle the workload. “We are both doing the work of five or six people because we want to stay lean. But we are starting to ask ‘how much more can I do myself?’ ”

William Holly, president of Pointe Group Advisors in Miami, says DeRosa’s fear of hiring is widespread. “Business people feel like they are looking into a fog and don’t know what’s around the corner. Some of them know they need to hire but they are afraid of any kind of expansion.” Holly says this have become particularly apparent in his business of leasing office space, which has yet to fully recover.

Workplace expert Joyce Goia of The Herman Group says one of the most effective fear beaters is preparation. Workers should prepare to scout for opportunities and managers should prepare for the churning of talent. “The economy may come back in pockets, but in those pockets you will see people changing jobs.” Goia says employers tell her they are afraid to spend money on training but when employees jump ship, she believes they will find themselves without a safety net. “The wisest employers will put back their grow-your-own programs because they have to,” she says. “They need to shake off that fear and make their moves right now to build their talent pipelines.”

Cindy Krischer Goodman is CEO of BalanceGal LLC, a provider of news and advice on how to balance work and life. She can be reached at balancegal@gmail.com. Read more at hhttp://worklifebalancingact.com/.