10/01: Making of The New Slaves
Institutional or systemic racism is a reality in our society that many of us have learned to live with. Often these measures are put into place for seemingly good reasons, but result in the singling out of a specific group that will inevitably become disadvantaged. Nothing could illustrate this fact more clearly than mandatory minimum sentencing standards implemented in the decades of the 70’s and 80’s. While laws and penalties were crafted to fight the scourge of drugs flooding urban communities, the result has been a disproportionate number of young Black men being incarcerated for crimes, that non-blacks receive far lesser punishment for. However, nothing will compare to the system being crafted now to undermine our economy and its citizens. That system is restrictions on hiring based on the status of your credit!
Although many companies have had strict requirement for credit worthy for years, many others are now finding out that the status of your credit can be used as a “legal and valid” remedy for denying you a job. With unemployment reaching 10% in the general workforce and hovering at rates estimated at 27% in Black communities these restriction could be devastating as our economy is reshaped. It is a widely known fact that Black consumers have had much greater difficulties securing credit. It is also a commonly known fact that, banks, mortgage companies, developers and others economic forces are more likely to “redline” specific communities based on demographics. These factors coupled with an evolving economy and workforce could result in nullifying many of the gains realized by African-Americans over the past four decades.
It is imperative that we start to focus on the long-term ramifications of credit worthiness as a prerequisite for employment. Since there are no clear standards for determining what credit requirements must be met to qualify you for a job the process becomes subjective. If securing a job based on your credit history becomes the rule you can bet it will not be long before segments of the population are considered unemployable. New immigration laws could relegate many of us to those jobs that have traditionally been reserved for illegal immigrants and migrant workers. In effect relegating many of us to our previous positions as menial laborers, domestic workers and field hands.
Although many companies have had strict requirement for credit worthy for years, many others are now finding out that the status of your credit can be used as a “legal and valid” remedy for denying you a job. With unemployment reaching 10% in the general workforce and hovering at rates estimated at 27% in Black communities these restriction could be devastating as our economy is reshaped. It is a widely known fact that Black consumers have had much greater difficulties securing credit. It is also a commonly known fact that, banks, mortgage companies, developers and others economic forces are more likely to “redline” specific communities based on demographics. These factors coupled with an evolving economy and workforce could result in nullifying many of the gains realized by African-Americans over the past four decades.
It is imperative that we start to focus on the long-term ramifications of credit worthiness as a prerequisite for employment. Since there are no clear standards for determining what credit requirements must be met to qualify you for a job the process becomes subjective. If securing a job based on your credit history becomes the rule you can bet it will not be long before segments of the population are considered unemployable. New immigration laws could relegate many of us to those jobs that have traditionally been reserved for illegal immigrants and migrant workers. In effect relegating many of us to our previous positions as menial laborers, domestic workers and field hands.
WHEN FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION
Using Barter to Start, Grow, or Sustain Your Small Business
For millions of laid off, furloughed, outsourced, or otherwise unemployed workers, this current economic climate means making some difficult decisions. Faced with the prospect of retraining for jobs more likely not to be outsourced, depleting your savings while beating the pavement for another job, or trying to make a go of it on your own, this could be just the beginning of what could be a protracted journey. For many however, it is an opportunity to pursue a lifelong goal of owning their own business and for those select few “failure is not an option”. These entrepreneurs need every possible tool in order to get through what is shaping up to become the biggest restructuring of our economy since the industrial revolution. Many are also discovering that much of what was considered traditional financing for business is not nearly as available as it once was. The same can be said for venture capital and other non traditional sources of funding. There is however one method of financing that has proven time after time, since the beginning of time, resilient no matter the state of an economy. That method of financing happens to be barter!
For those individuals seeking a means of financing a new start-up business, in most cases the only true asset they may possess is their skill. Using that skill to acquire the products and services needed to start a business is a valuable commodity. You might consider bartering (trading) your skill for items like a Business Plan, office equipment, legal services, printing and advertising. The same principal applies for existing businesses trying to navigate their way through these economic times. When cash paying customers are at a premium, trading with other businesses for the product and services you need can preserve precious cash resources. It is also an excellent way to market your business and expand your existing customer base through referrals. Likewise established businesses need to continue supporting their current customers, while maintaining as much financial discipline as possible. Bartering can reduce current cash expenditures and preserve cash.
If you are thinking, “what if I don’t know anybody that has what I need”…don’t! Organized barter exchanges have been created to act as a clearing house for everything you might need to enhance your business or personal life. These are groups of likeminded businesses, willing to trade with other businesses and yes entrepreneurs for the thing they may need to start, grow or sustain a business. Businesses are paid using an alternative form of currency that can be spent just like cash with other members of the exchange. The bottom line is you don’t need cash to get the things that you want or need. To learn more about organized bartering and how it could help you start, grow, or sustain a small business please visit www.GoBarterLink.com for more information.
Using Barter to Start, Grow, or Sustain Your Small Business
For millions of laid off, furloughed, outsourced, or otherwise unemployed workers, this current economic climate means making some difficult decisions. Faced with the prospect of retraining for jobs more likely not to be outsourced, depleting your savings while beating the pavement for another job, or trying to make a go of it on your own, this could be just the beginning of what could be a protracted journey. For many however, it is an opportunity to pursue a lifelong goal of owning their own business and for those select few “failure is not an option”. These entrepreneurs need every possible tool in order to get through what is shaping up to become the biggest restructuring of our economy since the industrial revolution. Many are also discovering that much of what was considered traditional financing for business is not nearly as available as it once was. The same can be said for venture capital and other non traditional sources of funding. There is however one method of financing that has proven time after time, since the beginning of time, resilient no matter the state of an economy. That method of financing happens to be barter!
For those individuals seeking a means of financing a new start-up business, in most cases the only true asset they may possess is their skill. Using that skill to acquire the products and services needed to start a business is a valuable commodity. You might consider bartering (trading) your skill for items like a Business Plan, office equipment, legal services, printing and advertising. The same principal applies for existing businesses trying to navigate their way through these economic times. When cash paying customers are at a premium, trading with other businesses for the product and services you need can preserve precious cash resources. It is also an excellent way to market your business and expand your existing customer base through referrals. Likewise established businesses need to continue supporting their current customers, while maintaining as much financial discipline as possible. Bartering can reduce current cash expenditures and preserve cash.
If you are thinking, “what if I don’t know anybody that has what I need”…don’t! Organized barter exchanges have been created to act as a clearing house for everything you might need to enhance your business or personal life. These are groups of likeminded businesses, willing to trade with other businesses and yes entrepreneurs for the thing they may need to start, grow or sustain a business. Businesses are paid using an alternative form of currency that can be spent just like cash with other members of the exchange. The bottom line is you don’t need cash to get the things that you want or need. To learn more about organized bartering and how it could help you start, grow, or sustain a small business please visit www.GoBarterLink.com for more information.
09/06: The Perils of Multitasking
The computer age has brought many changes to human society including many adaptations of our language to incorporate computer terminology. The term multitasking was conceived by technicians seeking a way to describe the capabilities of computers. Yet in modern society we seem to have accepted it as a way of life and in many cases the depiction of effectiveness. Employers these days want people that can multitask, as individuals we seem to believe that multitasking is a necessity just to get through our lives. Whew, makes me tired just thinking about it.
Research shows that multitasking is not as good as many of us think. A series of studies has revealed that a continuing practice of multitasking results in less effectiveness and a general lost in productivity. This sounds eerily similar to what I hear from many of my clients every day. Comments like “my schedule seems to be backing up today”, or “there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done”, are common among most small business owners. Our growing obsession with trying to get a little bit of something done with everything, results in our not being able to finish anything. What’s more relevant is the fact we have adjusted our lives to believe that not finishing is acceptable.
In order to be more effective in our daily lives and in business, it is necessary to have controlled and concentrated focus. That means what we learned before we started trying to turn ourselves into computers was right all along. We heard it a million times while growing up “you can’t do but one thing at a time”. In his book The Master Key System author Charles Haanel suggest that concentrated thought and focus is the door to unlimited success. When a congruency of activity converges on the brain, they create a bottle neck that prevents complete and accurate actions.
You should find a method of conducting business that will results in completing task. I have found that a “One Touch” system works well for me and would recommend it highly. The “One Touch System” requires that any and every item you touch must be dealt with through completion or results in action being taken by someone else. By employing this system you will find that things will get done. Work does not pile up and you can begin new projects and task that keep you business moving forward. Whatever you do don’t fall victim to the false assumption that multitasking is an effective way to run your business.
Research shows that multitasking is not as good as many of us think. A series of studies has revealed that a continuing practice of multitasking results in less effectiveness and a general lost in productivity. This sounds eerily similar to what I hear from many of my clients every day. Comments like “my schedule seems to be backing up today”, or “there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done”, are common among most small business owners. Our growing obsession with trying to get a little bit of something done with everything, results in our not being able to finish anything. What’s more relevant is the fact we have adjusted our lives to believe that not finishing is acceptable.
In order to be more effective in our daily lives and in business, it is necessary to have controlled and concentrated focus. That means what we learned before we started trying to turn ourselves into computers was right all along. We heard it a million times while growing up “you can’t do but one thing at a time”. In his book The Master Key System author Charles Haanel suggest that concentrated thought and focus is the door to unlimited success. When a congruency of activity converges on the brain, they create a bottle neck that prevents complete and accurate actions.
You should find a method of conducting business that will results in completing task. I have found that a “One Touch” system works well for me and would recommend it highly. The “One Touch System” requires that any and every item you touch must be dealt with through completion or results in action being taken by someone else. By employing this system you will find that things will get done. Work does not pile up and you can begin new projects and task that keep you business moving forward. Whatever you do don’t fall victim to the false assumption that multitasking is an effective way to run your business.
Whatever happened to good customer service? Many of the current readers of this Blog may be too young to remember but, you use to be able to go grocery shopping and could have your groceries bagged and carried to your car. There use to be a time when you went to the gas station and an attendant would fill your car, wash your windows, check your oil and tires and collect your money from the car window. People and businesses were rewarded for their good customer service and being kind to others was not only a sign of courtesy, but a reflection of your good home training as well. We all placed significant value on good customer service simply because it reflected our understanding of the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Times however have changed and it seems as though good customer service is no longer considered relevant. We have become a self serve, disposable, individualistic and to our detriment impersonal society. Technology has eliminated our need for personal interaction and in many ways reduced us to bits and bytes within a matrix, trying to choose between the green or red pill. It is no longer possible to call a business and speak to a live person. Instead we are asked to listen to a “menu” because the features of an automated call device may have recently been changed. We should however remember that we live in a causal effect universe. For every action (or non action) there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you eliminate personal interactions, people become impersonal. When you choose to be rude people will likewise be rude to you.
At BarterLink we believe that courteous, professional and personal service is essential. These elements of our business will not be compromised. Businesses would be well served by rethinking their customer service components. You might be surprised how your business will change when you start to “do unto your customers as you would have them do unto you”.
Times however have changed and it seems as though good customer service is no longer considered relevant. We have become a self serve, disposable, individualistic and to our detriment impersonal society. Technology has eliminated our need for personal interaction and in many ways reduced us to bits and bytes within a matrix, trying to choose between the green or red pill. It is no longer possible to call a business and speak to a live person. Instead we are asked to listen to a “menu” because the features of an automated call device may have recently been changed. We should however remember that we live in a causal effect universe. For every action (or non action) there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you eliminate personal interactions, people become impersonal. When you choose to be rude people will likewise be rude to you.
At BarterLink we believe that courteous, professional and personal service is essential. These elements of our business will not be compromised. Businesses would be well served by rethinking their customer service components. You might be surprised how your business will change when you start to “do unto your customers as you would have them do unto you”.
28/04: Anatomy of a Barter Trade
In the course of conducting business I am often met with the question, “what if the business I am trading with does not have what I am looking for in return”. Must people seem to think that bartering is a “one-on-one” trade, where it is necessary to find someone with an item you want or need in return. While this scenario does describe a barter transaction, it is in fact not the way organized bartering works. When participating in organized bartering or as a member of a barter exchange, members actually trade their excess labor, capacity, or inventory for barter credits that can be spent just like cash. By utilizing this cash alternative businesses can maximize the value of their product or service while preserving their cash. This means that if your service business has unbilled hours, or if your retail business is left with unsold merchandise, each of these commodities can be traded at full value.
Another advantage of becoming an active participant in an organized barter exchange is the introduction of your product or service to what for many businesses is a new market. Selling to other businesses can not only increase your business-to-business sales, but will help you to attract new cash paying customers through referrals. In many instances the increase in referral business has resulted in both increased cash sales and expansion of a business’s existing customer base. Although you may think that organized bartering is not for your small business, statistics show that most businesses operate at less than 100% capacity. There is no reason why you would not consider converting those unused commodities into a valued asset.
Organized bartering does not replace your current cash business. It is instead used to augment your cash business by creating value from your unused assets. You do not have to find another business that has what you want or need to trade. Your barter exchange should work with you to determine how you can best apply your dormant assets and create new value for your business. The exchange should also act as a marketing partner to promote your product or service to other members of the exchange. Before you conclude that barter will not work for your business, you should take a closer look at organized barter trade.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
“This is the perfect time to build your own personal fortune”
Many of us are wondering what will happen if the country goes into another economic downturn like the Great Depression of the 1930’s. What few of us know however is that more millionaires were created during the Great Depression than at any time in Americas’ history. You should know that the Great Depression actually began several years before the 1929 stock market crash and lasted until World War II brought the country out of depression. Not unlike today’s economic downturn, individuals and companies ran up large amounts of credit debt. When banks were no longer able to extend credit and businesses were unable to pay their debts, businesses closed resulting in massive lay-offs and business failures. In the artful words of Yogi Beira “ it’s like Déjà Vu all over again”.
Many people believe (me among them) that the best possible time to build an incredible fortune is during the worst of times. Not only are more people in need of products and services that cannot afford them, but the playing field is much more level because everyone is doing without. During these times insightful individuals can use the power of their creativity to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many. That is in fact the driving force behind a successful business; find a product or service that the masses need and offer it in a practical cost effective way. During the depression many of the businesses that were unable to maintain, were bought up by those with liquid assets. The number of businesses that changed hands are too numerous to mention, but needless to say those that produced products in support of the war effort became some of Americas biggest companies and their owners became some of Americas richest people. Those products and services included; iron, steel, clothing, hats, cots, petroleum products, shipping containers, back packs, ammunitions, ready packaged foods and the list goes on.
This begs the question what is your plan for capitalizing on the current economic recession. If you are thinking business as usual you may want to rethink your current plan. Concentrate on modifying your business to accommodate the needs of today’s current consumer. Not the consumer that could acquire your product or service before with cash or credit, but the ones now that are without work, homeless, or on the verge of foreclosure. One thing that you can count on is that the value of your product or service will not change just because consumers cannot afford to pay cash for it. You may want to consider a means of offering that product or service, for equal value for the things you need to get through these tough times yourself. You might want to consider organized barter trade!
“This is the perfect time to build your own personal fortune”
Many of us are wondering what will happen if the country goes into another economic downturn like the Great Depression of the 1930’s. What few of us know however is that more millionaires were created during the Great Depression than at any time in Americas’ history. You should know that the Great Depression actually began several years before the 1929 stock market crash and lasted until World War II brought the country out of depression. Not unlike today’s economic downturn, individuals and companies ran up large amounts of credit debt. When banks were no longer able to extend credit and businesses were unable to pay their debts, businesses closed resulting in massive lay-offs and business failures. In the artful words of Yogi Beira “ it’s like Déjà Vu all over again”.
Many people believe (me among them) that the best possible time to build an incredible fortune is during the worst of times. Not only are more people in need of products and services that cannot afford them, but the playing field is much more level because everyone is doing without. During these times insightful individuals can use the power of their creativity to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many. That is in fact the driving force behind a successful business; find a product or service that the masses need and offer it in a practical cost effective way. During the depression many of the businesses that were unable to maintain, were bought up by those with liquid assets. The number of businesses that changed hands are too numerous to mention, but needless to say those that produced products in support of the war effort became some of Americas biggest companies and their owners became some of Americas richest people. Those products and services included; iron, steel, clothing, hats, cots, petroleum products, shipping containers, back packs, ammunitions, ready packaged foods and the list goes on.
This begs the question what is your plan for capitalizing on the current economic recession. If you are thinking business as usual you may want to rethink your current plan. Concentrate on modifying your business to accommodate the needs of today’s current consumer. Not the consumer that could acquire your product or service before with cash or credit, but the ones now that are without work, homeless, or on the verge of foreclosure. One thing that you can count on is that the value of your product or service will not change just because consumers cannot afford to pay cash for it. You may want to consider a means of offering that product or service, for equal value for the things you need to get through these tough times yourself. You might want to consider organized barter trade!
EVOLUTION OF THE HOME OFFICE
It's not where you work, it's what you do...
The current state of our economy has resulted in great change for American business. It has also meant a change in the fundamentals of business operation. The Home Office, once identified as a place for new start-ups and cottage industry type business, has grown to now include corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike. Home offices have become less of a convenience and more often a necessity.
The Internet, video conferencing, picture mail and other new technology, have made it possible to accomplish as much from a home office as can be accomplished from any corporate facility. Many structured costs for operating a business have proven to be a financial drain on both employer and employee alike. As more businesses look to reduce overhead in order to bring operating costs in line with shrinking revenues, home offices have become a feasible option for many businesses. As a result spare bedrooms, basements or designated work areas are becoming the norm. Evolution of the home office is another sign that businesses are re-thinking their model, with an eye on practical use of cash resources in contrast to the free spending approaches of the past.
This and similar trends are projected to continue as the American and world economy reconfigures itself to accommodate the realities of a 21st century economy. Today’s businesses are rethinking fixed and discretionary costs while searching for alternatives in capital management. Many businesses have discovered that by reducing their fixed costs, such as office space, along with other practices like organized barter they can be both profitable and successful.
By establishing a barter account, businesses are able to target and reduce specific costs associated with operating a business, but for many it has proven to be the saving grace as well by freeing up dwindling capital. Barter is the perfect way to trade service for service or product for product without spending cash. You can establish a trade account wherein you can trade for office supplies, printing costs, marketing, legal support or many other services your company spends cash on monthly. No matter what type of business you are engaged in, barter just makes good sense.
It's not where you work, it's what you do...
The current state of our economy has resulted in great change for American business. It has also meant a change in the fundamentals of business operation. The Home Office, once identified as a place for new start-ups and cottage industry type business, has grown to now include corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike. Home offices have become less of a convenience and more often a necessity.
The Internet, video conferencing, picture mail and other new technology, have made it possible to accomplish as much from a home office as can be accomplished from any corporate facility. Many structured costs for operating a business have proven to be a financial drain on both employer and employee alike. As more businesses look to reduce overhead in order to bring operating costs in line with shrinking revenues, home offices have become a feasible option for many businesses. As a result spare bedrooms, basements or designated work areas are becoming the norm. Evolution of the home office is another sign that businesses are re-thinking their model, with an eye on practical use of cash resources in contrast to the free spending approaches of the past.
This and similar trends are projected to continue as the American and world economy reconfigures itself to accommodate the realities of a 21st century economy. Today’s businesses are rethinking fixed and discretionary costs while searching for alternatives in capital management. Many businesses have discovered that by reducing their fixed costs, such as office space, along with other practices like organized barter they can be both profitable and successful.
By establishing a barter account, businesses are able to target and reduce specific costs associated with operating a business, but for many it has proven to be the saving grace as well by freeing up dwindling capital. Barter is the perfect way to trade service for service or product for product without spending cash. You can establish a trade account wherein you can trade for office supplies, printing costs, marketing, legal support or many other services your company spends cash on monthly. No matter what type of business you are engaged in, barter just makes good sense.
16/03: Something to Think About
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
There are times when the next step in both life and business is obvious. Other times we haven’t a clue. Or if we know where we’re going, we don’t know how to get there. As you mull over plans for the future, consider the following:
1)
Pushing past your comfort zone takes practice. Write down five small things you’d ordinarily be scared to try. Pick one and commit to doing it this week. Once you’ve done that, work your way down the list. By the time you reach number five, risk taking should be second nature.
2)
Are you convinced your future lies in your past? Before you look up an old boyfriend, an ex-boss, or high school music teacher, examine your intentions and expectations. Why are you trying to connect with this person now? Is it possible that someone in your life today might be able to offer you what you need?
3)
Is your dream achievable, given where you are today? Ask yourself: Could I reach this goal within three to five years? Do I have the emotional, financial and practical support I need to pursue this goal? What needs to happen to make the conditions right?
4)
Imagine you have a paid leave for six months. What will you do? Where will you go? Whom will you be with?
5)
Are there any ways in which you could sync up your life today with your dream? For instance, if you want to travel to Greece and see the Parthenon but don’t have the vacation days, you might take an art history class, try a Greek restaurant, or go online to research a trip for when you do have time.
There are times when the next step in both life and business is obvious. Other times we haven’t a clue. Or if we know where we’re going, we don’t know how to get there. As you mull over plans for the future, consider the following:
1)
Pushing past your comfort zone takes practice. Write down five small things you’d ordinarily be scared to try. Pick one and commit to doing it this week. Once you’ve done that, work your way down the list. By the time you reach number five, risk taking should be second nature.
2)
Are you convinced your future lies in your past? Before you look up an old boyfriend, an ex-boss, or high school music teacher, examine your intentions and expectations. Why are you trying to connect with this person now? Is it possible that someone in your life today might be able to offer you what you need?
3)
Is your dream achievable, given where you are today? Ask yourself: Could I reach this goal within three to five years? Do I have the emotional, financial and practical support I need to pursue this goal? What needs to happen to make the conditions right?
4)
Imagine you have a paid leave for six months. What will you do? Where will you go? Whom will you be with?
5)
Are there any ways in which you could sync up your life today with your dream? For instance, if you want to travel to Greece and see the Parthenon but don’t have the vacation days, you might take an art history class, try a Greek restaurant, or go online to research a trip for when you do have time.
Businesses looking for a way to stave off the effects of a deepening recession need look no further than organized barter. With an ever increasing number of businesses finding consumer shopping at an all time low, barter trade has become a viable weapon against lagging sales, overstocked merchandise and unused labor. Participation in a barter exchange can also produce new cash paying customers resulting from referrals generated by other exchange members. The barter industry’s largest trade organization The International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA) estimates that the number of businesses using barter, as well as commercial barter exchanges continues to grow as the recession takes hold. Current figures of 450,000 active barter traders are expected to swell as more businesses look for some means of turning the tide.
Barter considered the oldest means of commerce known to man, is a process used to exchange one product or service for another without the use of cash. While a traditional barter transaction would involve only 2 individuals or businesses, organized barter allows these traders to collect points or barter credits that can be spent with any member of the barter exchange. This process gives individuals and business owners access to literally thousands of businesses trading products and services of every kind. A business trades their excess inventory, capacity, or labor at full price earning “Barter Bucks” instead of cash. Barter Bucks are then credited to the businesses account just like cash to a regular checking account. The exchange is charged with the responsibility of maintaining account records, providing tax reports and monitoring trades among its members.
At a time when retail customers are becoming harder to find and businesses are suffering as a result, every business should take a closer look at bartering. After all it makes no difference if you sell your product for cash in order to feed you and your family, or trade it for a five course meal at a restaurant; the end result is that your family eats. Before you consider spending cash for your next purchase I suggest you take a look at what is available through trade. You may just be surprised at how much cash you can save, how many new cash paying customers you can attract and how to sustain your business during these tuff economic times.
Barter considered the oldest means of commerce known to man, is a process used to exchange one product or service for another without the use of cash. While a traditional barter transaction would involve only 2 individuals or businesses, organized barter allows these traders to collect points or barter credits that can be spent with any member of the barter exchange. This process gives individuals and business owners access to literally thousands of businesses trading products and services of every kind. A business trades their excess inventory, capacity, or labor at full price earning “Barter Bucks” instead of cash. Barter Bucks are then credited to the businesses account just like cash to a regular checking account. The exchange is charged with the responsibility of maintaining account records, providing tax reports and monitoring trades among its members.
At a time when retail customers are becoming harder to find and businesses are suffering as a result, every business should take a closer look at bartering. After all it makes no difference if you sell your product for cash in order to feed you and your family, or trade it for a five course meal at a restaurant; the end result is that your family eats. Before you consider spending cash for your next purchase I suggest you take a look at what is available through trade. You may just be surprised at how much cash you can save, how many new cash paying customers you can attract and how to sustain your business during these tuff economic times.
PREPARING FOR THE SECOND WAVE
The current economic meltdown has largely been attributed to decline of the housing market brought on by sub-prime lending, leading to foreclosures unprecedented since the great depression. As markets have continued to tumble, the downturn has revealed deeper more severe problems with the American economic system centered on poor management and simple greed. As with most economic recessions, the first to be effected are those at the bottom of the economic ladder who can least afford to lose their job, financially sustain through tough economic times and those on limited or fixed incomes. To-date of the more than 3 million jobs lost, most have been confined to low and middle income families, single parents, and those working in sectors of the economy providing basic lifestyle services and employer support. However, we have only seen the beginning of what is destine to happen over the next 12 to 18 months.
The continued meltdown of our country’s financial sector, coupled with major layoffs in the industrial and government sectors will mean a new round of layoffs and cutbacks as the economy continues to contract. As business failures accelerate the types and numbers of unemployed will rapidly creep into the neighborhoods of the upper middle class, executives in middle management and the so called financial elite. Already we are beginning to see the result of these cut backs in the financial, automotive and retail sectors, but most economists believe the worst is yet to come. Bank consolidation and failures, a depressed housing market, frozen credit markets and record foreclosures will lead to massive layoffs in multiple areas of the economy resulting in even more cuts. So, how are you preparing for the second wave?
Businesses and skilled professionals may want to revisit the practical benefits of organized trade and consider just how they can apply these methods for not only their current but future survival. In this climate of change, many of the old methods of doing business and maintaining a reasonable standard of life are again in vogue. Although the flow of currency drives our economy and is at the center of our capitalistic system, smart businesses and consumers are finding that maintaining the value of their product or service through barter within an organized trade exchange has meant the difference between closing their business and sustaining through these perilous times. A concerted effort on the part of small businesses to move surplus merchandise, or utilize excess labor and capacity through barter could be the lifeline your business needs! As we prepare for the “second wave” businesses should not overlook the prospects of bartering in lieu of spending cash as one means of navigating through these or any times.
The current economic meltdown has largely been attributed to decline of the housing market brought on by sub-prime lending, leading to foreclosures unprecedented since the great depression. As markets have continued to tumble, the downturn has revealed deeper more severe problems with the American economic system centered on poor management and simple greed. As with most economic recessions, the first to be effected are those at the bottom of the economic ladder who can least afford to lose their job, financially sustain through tough economic times and those on limited or fixed incomes. To-date of the more than 3 million jobs lost, most have been confined to low and middle income families, single parents, and those working in sectors of the economy providing basic lifestyle services and employer support. However, we have only seen the beginning of what is destine to happen over the next 12 to 18 months.
The continued meltdown of our country’s financial sector, coupled with major layoffs in the industrial and government sectors will mean a new round of layoffs and cutbacks as the economy continues to contract. As business failures accelerate the types and numbers of unemployed will rapidly creep into the neighborhoods of the upper middle class, executives in middle management and the so called financial elite. Already we are beginning to see the result of these cut backs in the financial, automotive and retail sectors, but most economists believe the worst is yet to come. Bank consolidation and failures, a depressed housing market, frozen credit markets and record foreclosures will lead to massive layoffs in multiple areas of the economy resulting in even more cuts. So, how are you preparing for the second wave?
Businesses and skilled professionals may want to revisit the practical benefits of organized trade and consider just how they can apply these methods for not only their current but future survival. In this climate of change, many of the old methods of doing business and maintaining a reasonable standard of life are again in vogue. Although the flow of currency drives our economy and is at the center of our capitalistic system, smart businesses and consumers are finding that maintaining the value of their product or service through barter within an organized trade exchange has meant the difference between closing their business and sustaining through these perilous times. A concerted effort on the part of small businesses to move surplus merchandise, or utilize excess labor and capacity through barter could be the lifeline your business needs! As we prepare for the “second wave” businesses should not overlook the prospects of bartering in lieu of spending cash as one means of navigating through these or any times.
