Thursday, January 1, 2009

Surviving an Economic Recession

By Jan Shimano

There is no doubt about the fact that an economic recession is upon us. The question we are all now asking ourselves is how best to get through this.

Basically, there are three possible outcomes. We could fall apart, we could perhaps not be overly affected or we could actually prosper. If you are like me, you are hoping for the latter. Yes, we all want to prosper regardless of the times we are living in. The big question is, how can we do it when all we see around us is doom and gloom?

If we look back in time, we will see that the economy is constantly fluctuating. Right now we find ourselves in a recession, but it wasn't too long ago that we were riding high and there was immense economic growth. We have also experienced periods of time where the economy was fairly stable.

We do not have to be frightened by this economic recession. There is so much hype in the media that sometimes it puts people in panic mode. It would be a good idea to get a little education on the causes of recessions and how to cope with them. I highly recommend a book by William Bonner entitled "Financial Reckoning Day: Surviving the Soft Depression of the 21st Century". Perhaps you can find a copy at your local library. Most libraries will order a book if it is not yet part of their inventory.

There are a few common sense things that we can all do. Certainly we would want to minimize our spending and even though it might be difficult, we should attempt to save money for the possibility of even tighter times ahead. Now is not the time to buy anything other than necessities, such as food and gas. We still need to eat and to drive our vehicles to work.

Right now the cost of vehicles has come right down. The automakers are really hurting and are offering some great deals. It would not be wise to be sucked in. Maybe we can afford that shiny, new car this month but what if we lose our job in a few months time -- what is going to happen to our ability to pay our car loan then?

Do a little brainstorming and think of ways to earn extra income. Do you have a few rooms in your basement that you could fix up and rent out? There is a huge demand for inexpensive accommodation right now with so many people losing their homes.

Another viable option is to start a home-based business. It has been reported that this is possibly the best time in 70 years to build a profitable business. A study done by McGraw-Hill Research found that those companies that maintained or increased their marketing throughout the 1981-82 recession saw an average sales growth over the next five years of 275%. Companies who cut their marketing saw a minimal increase of only 19% over the same five year period.

This is fabulous news!

I am sure we realize that these fluctuations in the economy are inevitable, but they do not have to adversely affect us if we make smart decisions and take a few very specific actions. Internet Marketing is where millionaires are being created right now. People are doing this from the comfort of their own home. Did you know that Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump have both said that if this way of doing business had been available to them earlier on in their lives, they would have definitely made their millions networking over the Internet.

The future can be very positive if we just take the proper actions. I wish you every success in your endeavours during this economic recession. We can all succeed! - 16759

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