From the Pub
By Matthew Barnes
Test Drive
You Just Logoed My Facebook
Mar 9, 2010Everybody loves to ride the wave. In just about 20 or so years the world has gone from the lovable...
Editor's Notes
Whiplash
Feb 15, 2010» My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink enough champagne.«
John Maynard Keynes, economist (1883-1946)...
Mike's Blog
Sleuthing with Google Alerts
Feb 23, 2010Well hey everybody, welcome to week two of "Mike talking about handy computer programs." If you missed it last...
Inseams
In a Recession, Dress Up To Cheer Up
Jan 20, 2010A few weeks ago, I had dinner with Executive Apparel's president and its director of product development in Orlando, Florida....
Moving Forward
Wipe your brow and take a deep breath. The toughest economy in three decades is behind us. It’s a new day and a new year. It’s important that we remember the valuable lessons learned from 2009, but it is equally important to start the year inspired and positively motivated.
We can learn from the many cultures that honor New Year’s Day as the most important holiday of the year. It serves as an annual rebirth, a spiritual cleansing. It offers each individual the opportunity to usher in the year pure and uncompromised.
As we approach our businesses, we should enlist the same optimism and energy. Our economy experienced a lot of correction and healing last year, so this year a natural rebirth is inevitable.
For most promotional products firms, 2009 was a challenge—an exhausting, unadulterated struggle. Yet the past year reestablished business disciplines that have been absent for a while. Companies were forced to examine costs more responsibly, to innovate and develop business opportunities more creatively, and were required to adjust throughout the year with definitive conviction. Some decisions were uncomfortable and less satisfying, but every decision was considered carefully and for the betterment of each businesses’ long-term goals. Through it all, most companies will emerge stronger than ever.
It’s important to acknowledge the economic circumstances from a pragmatic perspective. While excessive, the 2008-09 downturn was not an anomaly. Since the Great Depression, our nation has endured a dozen recessions and has recovered from each. Whether it’s math and science or genuine intuition, most people (myself included) expect a recovery. Of course, improvement will be a slower incline than the October ’08 regress. Nonetheless, our overall economy and our industry will rebound and prevail. Salespeople did not forget how to sell, end-buyers did not forget how to buy and promotional products still have value.
As you move into the new year, I encourage you to learn from the challenges of 2009 and remain committed to the disciplines that made your year a success. Stay motivated. Stay inspired. And most of all, usher in the new year with open arms.
I welcome your thoughts on 2010. If you have a moment, drop me a line.
In the meantime, happy selling!
