UNITED STATES, Mar 09 — Did you know that you can opt out of this recession.That’s right. Refuse to participate. So turn off the TV pity party and figure out how to become mission-critical to the survivors
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id you know that you can opt out of this recession.
That’s right. Refuse to participate.
How? By reframing what you hear to see the opportunity.
Yes, we’re climbing toward a 10% unemployment rate. I know the personal pain of that, since I came out of grad school and looked for a job in mid-1980s Pittsburgh—a very similar economy. But do you realize that even if we reach 10% unemployment that we have 90% employed?
business in America isn’t going to go away. It will become smarter, leaner, and less wasteful, but it’s not packing up and going home. And while there’s business being done, there’s opportunity.
Small business makes up 99.7% of US businesses, and employs over 57.4 million Americans. We create 60 – 80% of new net jobs—and the growth of small business in 2009 is expected to be higher than usual in the aftermath of corporate cuts. We are diverse, with ownership by women, African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Latinos. We contribute over 50% of the US’s Gross Domestic Product.
Big corporate woes aren’t the whole story. WE—small business, solopreneurs, coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, mom-and-pop shops and family companies—are the engine of the USA.
And since the big guys have fumbled the ball, looks like it’s up to us to win the game.
So pull up your big girl panties—or your big boy tighty-whiteys—and let’s get down to business.
If you’re serious about sticking around, then you’d better be marketing. Effective marketing costs time and some money. The more time you can put into it, the less money it costs, and vice versa. Are you good at what you do? Tell people. Can you solve their problem? Shout it from the rooftop.
Don’t sell frills; sell substance. Can you help customers stretch a dollar? Does your product enable them to do more with less? Can you teach them a valuable skills to help them stay in business? Can you show them how to use the full range of features in the product you’ve already sold them so that they get more for their money? Can you repackage your products or services or knowledge to make it affordable by the cup instead of by the barrel?
Smaller purchases and more of them is the ticket right now. Offer payment plans, defer interest, make it bite-sized. Same-old, same-old isn’t selling. Repackage, repurpose, refocus and reposition for success.
How are you marketing right now? If you’re not marketing, you’re preparing to fail. So turn off the TV pity party and figure out how to become mission-critical to the survivors. Small business built this country, and now it’s time for small business to save it.
Communicate directly with Gail Martin, the author of this article. Ask questions, send suggestions, comments, engage in conversation, or perhaps you would like to submit a project.
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