Have you noticed that there has been a shift in business attitudes lately? In the media and in advertising it is becoming more and more evident. For example, the new American Express ad for the Open Forum (which I occasionally will post comments to). Have you seen it? It talks about a world that will never be the same… but yet a light is beginning to shine again… how entrepreneurs will drive change and push their businesses to innovate… showing us the way for the reinvention of business…
This ad is worth watching because it is encouraging all CEOs, company presidents and business owners to be part of the beginning of the business recovery and turnaround in this country. It’s telling business people it’s safe to come out and do business again. That the worst may be over of the Great Recession. The message is one of hope and faith in the future not of doom and gloom like we have witnessed.
On the flip side… Our economy is primarily consumer based and when the consumer has no confidence they don’t spend money. Though the recession may be waning, unemployment is expected to remain high through 2010. This further influences the consumer confidence index and the revival of consumer spending.
But confidence must first begin with business. Doesn’t matter what the size of your business is. This is where the economic rebounds begins… with entrepreneurial and family owned businesses not just the big corporations.
Although the unemployment rate has to come down, when the media and advertisers start selling hope it’s an indication that things are getting better no matter how insignificant the upswing may be. Pay attention to what you are hearing but be careful not to get swept up in the hype. Use good common sense to know what the right thing to do for your business is.
Let’s all hope and pray that we are in the process of a turnaround even though it will take a significant amount of time to get us back to where we were prior to the recession.