The government bailout doesn’t seem to really have a plan.  Over the past few months since Congress approved the bailout, the government keeps attempting to try something different in order to get the economy moving again.  First it was buying up bad mortgages.  Then instead of buying bad mortgages they gave banks huge sums of money that the banks were going to lend to businesses and individuals.  Because there were no strings attached to the loans, the banks didn’t lend the money and even used it for purposes other than lending.  As a matter of fact, one of the banks even invested in a bank in China!  It seems the government really doesn’t know what to do to fix the economic mess they created.

The bailout and stimulus agendas just keep going from one attempt to another.  The government says they are getting their information from the top economists in the country.  But what they should be doing is finding the most successful intelligent business leaders who understand business and ask them for their advice.  President Obama needs more than just Warren Buffet, the consummate businessman, as an advisor to get things moving again.  There should be an entire panel of well respected, successful corporate and entrepreneurial business people providing input in order to regain prosperity in our nation.  We need to let capitalism work.

The proposed stimulus package includes investments in roads, schools, bridges and other construction and building projects around the country.  It is a grand plan but it won’t get the job done of repairing the economy in the short term.  Back in the days of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, when a bridge was repaired or a road constructed it took many hundreds of people to get the job done.  Today because of the equipment and innovation available it takes many fewer people to do the same jobs.  In any kind of construction, it takes a long time to get a project ramped up.  So over a period of time it will create jobs but what we need is something that will work now.  This plan will also create jobs in steel, concrete and construction materials and many other support industries.  But the ramp up time will still be slow.  And there is nothing in the plan to help the tens of thousands of white collar workers that have lost their jobs. 

We need a stimulus package that will encourage us there is indeed a brighter tomorrow to look forward to within our homes and where we work. 

Mr. President, I encourage you to go across party lines and start talking to people who understand business and ask them to help you develop a solid plan that will help us get out of this economic mess. 

In the meantime, as business people, we can’t wait for the government nor should we depend on the government to help us.  As business people, we need to come together and help each other to prosper, individually and collectively.  

One of the first places you, the CEO, company president or business owner, can start is by looking at the business plan you have for your company.  Do you even have a well thought out and up-to-date business plan?  If you don’t you need to immediately formulate a business plan. 

If you are coming into work each day and making it up as you go, this sort of daily action in this unforgiving, brutal business environment, simply won’t sustain you or your business for very long.  You will soon be hanging the “out of business” sign on the door.  You need a plan for how to run your business today, this week, for the month and the quarter, for the year.  You need to have business goals that are attainable for everyone in the company.  You need a business plan that builds in flexibility and adaptability for when plans need to change or be adjusted in order for the plan to work effectively.  Each person in the company needs to be accountable, including you.  Everyone needs to be motivated to be in this together for not just the good of the company but the good of everyone working at your company. 

So take a good, hard, realistic look at your business.  Formulate a plan everyone can support and work towards.  Celebrate the small victories as well as the big victories along the way to business success and prosperity.  You and your company team can do it.

Just because the government doesn’t have a plan that works doesn’t mean you should follow in the government’s footsteps.  Get a plan.  Work the plan every business day.  Surround yourself with the best people you can find. Get the right business advice you need from outside sources.  Make every business day count towards achieving your goals.

Now let’s get to work.  It’s good for your business and the economy.