What is really happening with our economy…these experts offer you their opinion.

This is a very challenging time for projecting financial and economic trends. In a word, we are on uncharted ground and breaking the rules daily, performing  unprecedented strategies,  with the government attempting to intercede and fix the economy with its fiscal policies and actions.  Whew, if only they knew what they were doing, which it seems apparent they do not, but onward they go through the fog, pretending they know what they are doing, when in all reality they have not a clue. Yet onward our government treads, unable to resist satisfying their self determined need to interfere, control and thus fix the economy.

A healthy economy is vital to our way of life. Therefore we are all  very interested in what it all means and what is going to happen in the future. Fortunately there are many economic experts blogging their thoughts and ideas and engaging in discussion with their readers. I will list some of the more popular writers and encourage you to find out more from the experts, not the government, but others qualified to evaluate and interpret as well as project.

Here they are, selected by a recent Wall Street Journal review:

1. Calculated Risk  www.calculatedriskblog.com     Some of the most informative charts on the housing crisis, predicted the problem years in advance, The best blog for discussion on housing.

2. Krugman.blogs.nytimes.com  strident criticism of the GOP this Nobel prize winning Princeton University economist  has a talent for spotting economic problems as they emerge.

3. economistsview.typepad.com some of the most interesting views of the day.

4. delong.typepad.com  University of California professor, an accomplished economic historian.

5. gregmankiw.blogspot.com   a conservative perspective, from Harvard…

6. www.marginalrevolution.com   Tyler Cohen and Alex Taborrok libertarian economists at George Mason University write a wide ranging blog about what’s happening with the economy.

7. baselinescenario.com  Simon Johnson, International Monetary Fund Chief economist, now at MIT. a wide variety of discussions on all aspects of the economy.

8. economistmom.com  Diane Lim Rogers, a retired mother of four who worked in Washington policy circles for 16 years and now ads her view.

9. www.econbrowser.com James Hamilton, University of California writes about energy markets and other topics, readable and understandable.

10. blogs.wsj.com/economics…Wall Street Journal team..Justin Lahart, Phil Izzo, Kelly Evans, Sara Murray, Conor Dougherty and Sudep Reddy…the WSJ team of economists, claim to be he best in the business…they are pretty good. Read and decide.

Logo Graphics….reasonably priced, great results.

Image is important. Marketing begins with your name and logo.

Your logo says much about you and your business. This is a tricky area to navigate successfully as graphic artists can be very expensive and you never know what you are going to get. Unfortunately as happens most often you get what you pay for and if you go for low priced graphics in your local community, chances are you will get inadequate results, as yes most often you do get what you pay for…

So often times the small business owner opts for no graphics, computer generated word graphics for the logo of your business. Not inspiring, no marketing appeal, no upbeat message, no message at all other then you either did not bother, could not afford it, or did not even think of it. All poor results.

There is a way to accomplish the goals with outstanding graphics yet not break the bank.

Recently the Wall Street Journal explored this area and tested four national logo design companies which work off the internet and through telephone, providing quick turnaround services and deliver high quality results.

The companies were: The LogoCompany.net; with packages ranging from $149.-$289.

LogoDesignCreation.com;  with packages ranging from $39.-$152.

LogoDesignGuru.com; with packages ranging from 499. -$1,499.

LogoLoft.com; with packages ranging from $99. -$999.

All four were given the same company name and all four of course submitted four different concepts. All were professionally done and worthy of consideration. All looked as though allot of money was spent. All were good enough to use. It is difficult to pick the best as this is very subjective, according to ones personal taste.

The conclusion being that with quick turnaround and great results, this is an excellent way to go.

There is no need to not have a quality image and an excellent logo.Here are four companies that provide such solutions. Call them, try them out, be happy. Its a win. One more problem off your plate with a great result, affordable and quick turnaround.

I recommend this approach.

Success is based on disciplines practiced daily.

Its true. We may not want to believe it, thinking we all are wild and crazy entrepreneurs with great insight, instinct and vision, capable of seeing into the future and carrying your business to success with energy, commitment and your belief in your mission…but it just ain’t so.

Success in anything is built on a foundation of disciplines. Actions that are repeated on time and developed until mastered and then practiced indefinitely.

Collecting receivables, paying payables  ordering materials, first in first out, or whatever your system is and your discipline requires.

Prospecting for new clients, servicing established clients, training, advertising,  production, servicing complaints, everything everything everything can be reduced to a system controlled by disciplines that result in a cohesive force reaching goals in an organized predictable manner.

A simple example…if you establish a strategy, a system to collect receivables and it consists of calling on the 27th day to remind the client and make certain there are no problems you can solve preventing payment and then getting assurances you will be paid, and if you repeat this every invoice, in a few months your clients will be trained to pay on time. You practiced a discipline without question or variation and succeeded in supporting important action from your clients.  in fact you may even master this discipline which means you are performing with excellence.

Paying attention is the most important discipline a business man can acquire. By paying attention to what we do, what we say we are going to do we can learn much and perform much more effectively. Practice paying attention, it is a discipline.

Paying attention requires us to detach our egos so we can be honest and accurate. Performing disciplines helps us achieve this goal. Start with simple disciplines and after 60-90 days of repeating it, you may become good at it and then can continue with less burden if you pay attention and do not allow your ego to interfere telling you that you no longer have to do this.

Succeeding at small disciplines leads to success with larger more difficult more important disciplines. It is a powerful path that will result in your achieving your goals and becoming successful. It begins and ends with disciplines designed to support your reaching your goals, if only you pay attention to it and do it.

Minimum wages up to $7.25, July 24. If that hurts, don’t worry, you won’t survive anyways.

The recession or downturn or meltdown, whatever you want to call it has been with us long enough for us to deduce a few basic observations and then to strategize accordingly. ‘The times they are a changin’, (Bob Dylan), and we must change too…or be left behind.

So here is the deal: Most of the small business owners I speak with are all suffering from declining revenues.From 15% to 60% loss of revenue. Impossible to deal with they say, but not so,  of course it can be dealt with, here is the recipe;

1. Downsize greater then you believe you need too.

2. Increase productivity with incentives, team org,  training, reviews, etc.

3.Workout debt, eliminate or drastically reduce.

4. Manage with a key indicator system.

5. Emphasize quality and the highest customer service

6. Be the most of something.

7. Force profitability with a pencil and eraser and then implement.

Failure to follow the above requirements renders you unprofitable and losing money and it will be just a matter of time before you are out of business, so what difference does it make if the minimum wage goes up ? No effect whatsoever. The real issue as every business owner must force profitability by practising the above strategies.

We can no longer rely on an ever growing   economy with  compulsive spending. supported by easy credit.

Now, small business owners must learn to make a bigger profit on lower gross  volume with increased expenses and costs of production, by doing their job more efficiently and effectively and thus yielding more out of less. That’s the path, that’s the answer in a declining economy.

Get smaller…get better….or perish. No room for sloppiness, ineptness, guesswork, lack of effective management. Only the good business managers will survive and many will expand again.

Which one are you? If the increase in minimum wages effects you, you are already in enough trouble. You are unlikely to survive much longer anyways, so don’t worry, it will all be over soon.

If you are losing money or even breaking even, if you are not taking a pay check, if you have no retained earnings, re-evaluate your management style and make the changes required to force and sustain profitable business. If it cannot perform adequately shut it down and re-apply the capital elsewhere.

For those who have made the downsize transition and tightened up their bsiness practises, systems and strategies, nice work…good job. Enjoy your success.

Ok, your small business has ended and you have to get a job, how do you do that?

Its called invent your position. Do not just  take what is available and apply as if the job

Consider all your unique and valuable skills, they are enormously rare, focused and appropriate to a handful of business you either competed with, bought from and represented, or sold to. That is your target.Where ever they may be located. Even if you must relocate or travel.

You know strategies and information that few can duplicate that some of your buyers, clients and competitors would value quite highly.

Even if it is clear that your tenure would not be what we consider long term, even if it is unlikely you will be on a career path within the company, although it is quite possible. But you could create such significant value that there may be a place for you designing and implementing a  new developmental department only you could accomplish which you may want to stay with indefinitely. Senior sales manager, long term planning and growth,  vertical or horizontal expansion, mergers and acquisitions, whatever and wherever your skills allow you to add intrinsic value to your targets position, that is what you sell  and that is where you may work.

Its called turning your perceived disadvantages into a real advantage. Creating an entrepreneurial opportunity within a target company satisfying both you and your employer. You can create a compensation package based on the success of your program and be prepared to enter into non competes, non circumvention and non disclosure agreements, after all you are an entrepreneur.

What does this look like? Determine what your target company wants or needs, and then see how your skills and experience can deliver that objective. If you find a match, want to do it, and agree on terms and conditions that are favorable…sell the entire package. If not move on to another ‘buyer’.

Value added job creation, based on keenly developed skills and capabilities. Agree to a base pay and significant rewards for successful implementation. However be certain you clearly describe the results you intend to deliver, make them measurable, and the rewards you will receive based on success…make these measurable also. Put it into writing, have a thirty day ending clause, canceling all obligations not yet earned and off you go.

It is difficult to get a job in the normal meaning of the word,  as competition is younger, highly educated and cheaper…a tough package to compete with if you are an entreprenmeur. You come with too much baggage. But if you create a new situation to plug into,  one no one could possibly compete with because of your unique experience and skills, you may just create the job you want designed by you just for you.

Think about it, and then try it out by doing it. Target your focus and land a relationship.