WWL-TV

Wall Street is a long way from St. Bernard parish, but at the Flooring Showcase in Chalmette, owner Chuck Williams says his attention is divided between business and the stock market. He has literally been watching his fortunes fluctuate as the market gyrates.

"It's been very frightening,” he said.  “You don't know from one day to the next whether you're going to be up or down, whether your stocks are going to be like completely at the bottom or go up a few dollars here or there. It's been really scary,” adding that his 401K is down about 35 percent.

Williams believes the stock market has reached the lowest point in its free fall, and is soon due to start climbing. But he knows the climb could be slow, taking a year or more, and that triggers his second worry, the impact of the sagging national economy on his customers.

"We've seen some slow down over the last few weeks, but it comes in spurts. People in this area, they get Road Home money, and all of a sudden they spend it. Then you might not see an influx of that for a month or two," he said.

Williams has been in business for 22 years, but he knows an economic downturn that hurts customers could hurt him.

“Flooring sometimes, and rugs, we sell area rugs and lamps, and things like that, and you don't have to buy those things, they're not necessities, so people will sometimes slow down in buying things they don't have to have. So yes, it is a concern,” he said.

Williams knows this is chancy time to be in business, but he points out it is a matter of riding out this economic downturn, and as far as the future, he's still confident.

"We've been here for 22 years, and I think we'll be here 22 more years, so I'm not worried about it in the long run. It'll eventually come back,” he said.

In the short run, Chuck Williams is hoping hurricane repairs will help his business, as families work to get their homes fixed in time for the holidays.