If you watch the news, read the paper, or talk to people you’re well aware that the end of the world is near. In fact you may as well not even get out of bed today. Certainly your efforts to build a successful business will be fruitless in this economy.
Our country sensationalizes everything from Britney Spears to the economy. So it’s no surprise that current recession is forecasted as an inevitable full blown depression. The sad part is that the media is doing such a great job convincing Americans that it may become a self fulfilling prophesy.
The good news is the RECESSION IS NOT MANDATORY. You can make the choice right now, not to participate. I firmly believe there are two types of people in the world: Ones that the world does things to and the ones that do things to the world. Which one are you? Are you waiting around for your own government bailout? Perhaps some sort of stimulus package will help you along. Are you blaming the economy for the recent slump in sales?
Or did you read the title of this article, and felt a little fire in your belly that said, “Nobody can tell me that!” If that’s the case there still is hope. That same fire that urged you to start your own business is still there. You still can be someone that does things to the world. It’s not too late.
So kill your TV, quit reading the paper, and surround yourself with positive people. Seek out the news you need to make good business decision and let the rest of it drag someone else down. You have more important things to worry about. You have a business to run!
And right now is an opportunity of a lifetime. Opportunities like never before are right in front of your eyes if you are looking for them.
Don’t believe me? Look at the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It includes thirty of the most widely held public companies in the US. Sixteen of those companies were born in a recession.
Apparently Walt Disney didn’t get the memo that you shouldn’t start a cartoon company during the depression. Maybe Bill Gates was too busy tooling around in his garage in 1975 to realize that oil prices were soaring and bankruptcies were at an all time high.
Walt Disney and Bill Gates were fanatical about differentiating themselves from the pack. They saw the weaknesses in the market and exploited them with a better offering. While others were holding back and waiting they were charging forward.
When the competition is tentative - it is time to attack. I learned this when I was seven years old. It was in my fist full contact football scrimmage. I played defensive end and had an opportunity to make my first tackle. I wasn’t sure what the impact would feel like so I retracted and braced myself. The full back, Jose Ortega, hit me harder than I have ever been hit in my life. I did learn one thing - I was not going to let that happen again. I played football for the next ten years. I always charged harder than the guy running into me. It seemed quite simple to me. I wasn’t the best player, but was always know as the hardest hitter, and never once got hurt.
In business now is the time to attack. Your competition is retracting. They are hunkering down, hoarding cash, letting people go, and halting new initiatives. It’s time to pick a battle that you can win. It’s the perfect time to stand and fight because the odds are in your favor. Find your competitive advantage and start charging hard.
There is an old African quote:
“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”
The choice is yours, but rest assured when the sun comes up tomorrow, I’ll be running.
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