One day a corporate fellow who bought a sausages from him every day said “Adonis how can you stand out here every day and sell sausages for a living? Are you not worried about the recession?”

“Recession?” asked Adonis. “O yeah” said the young fella businesses cutting back or closing all over the place, definitely a bad time to be in business.”

That night Adonis talked it over with his wife and decided that if the recession was really so bad he had better reduce the amount of sausages that he bought so as not to have so much money tied up in stock.

With fewer sausages to sell Adonis had less money coming in and cut back on his orders even more. Soon his income could no longer support him and his family and he closed down the stand entirely.

After weeks of looking for work Adonis finally got a job in a factory paying him only minimum wage as he was unskilled labor.

That night after supper his wife and he talked about their situation.
“You know” said Adonis, “that young fella really knew what he was talking about when he told me about the recession.”

People today can’t even tell you if they’re happy or successful without first seeing what the latest FOX News survey has to say about people like them.

I think everyone needs to go on a media detox to cleanse their mind and sooth their frazzled nerves.

That ability to lend is what dries up in a recession. And the guys in the red have to sell all their assets. What’s left is dirt cheap resources the savvy guys with positive cash flow can buy up.

Cheap real estate…cheap computer equipment…cheap offices…cheap factories…cheap capital equipment…cheap big screen TV’s…cheap advertising space.

With todays access to info, everything gets magnified about a hundredfold. The ticket is, as you said, trust in yourself. Do your research, put a little logic into the equation, and turn the ‘recession’ into a huge windfall for your endeavors.

Ride safe.

Your advice applies to “recessions” just as much as it does any stressful situation. The only way to keep a clear head is to stay above the fray.

Here’s a quick “proof in the pudding” story:

I focus much of my direct marketing business on the auto dealer industry. Can you imagine a tougher market than SELLING to car salesmen? Talk about a tough audience.

Which makes them ravenous when you strike a nerve.

In recent months, response rates to their direct marketing efforts are plummeting, prospects aren’t converting like they were a year ago, and their showroom traffic is anemic.

So I recently adjusted my value proposition to helping them wring far more sales out of the traffic they ARE getting. I do it for Free, and only charge them if they sell cars from my efforts.

The results?

Just signed five new dealers in the last week. 25,000 more to go.

Since you’re a games kind of guy, you can probably relate to this. When playing on-line games, who are the ones winning (in my case, call of duty 4 on ps3)? It’s not the ones who hide. It’s the ones running around, shooting only when needed, when they’re going for the kill. Sure, they get hurt more too, but at the end, have the highest score.
When you don’t move, you’re an easy target. And, you don’t get to learn. You just get shot and think: where the hell did that come from?
Same goes for business. No pain, no gain. No movement, no way to gain ground. Not in new markets, not on the competition in a shrinking market.

As for the challenge. I have 5 big crosses on the sheet next to my desk. Late start..but first results already there.

all the best from Belgium,

Otto

PS: we’ll be entering the US market for the first time this year. Despite adverse conditions and production in the relatively expensive euro zone., despite selling a luxury product. I am just not the hiding type of guy…

I agree with Greg’s comments. Adapt or perish.

Businesses grow when they bring a product or service to market that is wanted and needed, and if they can perform well enough to build Loyalty. A recession simply puts pressure on marginal business models, selling marginal products to marginal customers. Darwin comes to mind.

Adapt or perish. Innovate or die.