For Florida's professional employer organizations (PEOs), these are the worst of times – and the best of times. The faltering economy means many of the small firms the PEOs usually count on for business are feeling the pinch and can't afford to hire PEOs. But the poor economy is also motivating other businesses to give PEOs a try in an effort to cut costs.

"It's really a mixed bag," said Mark Perlberg, president and chief executive officer of Oasis Outsourcing, a PEO based in West Palm Beach. "You can definitely see the pain of the economy in our client base, where more than a usual number of customers are going out of business or not growing and hiring," he said.

But Perlberg sees a bright side to the tough times as well. "There is a robust sales environment for PEOs, as we can be particularly appealing to companies looking to save costs in certain areas," he said. "Amazingly, 2008 will be one of the best sales years in our history."