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Ok, so the economy isn’t what we hoped it would be by now.  I guess the timeline of reality doesn’t always align with our own timelines of convenience and tolerance.

 

And where are we, exactly?

 

By all accounts, our economy at large is still a mess.  At best, we’re entering a “jobless recovery.”  For many, we’ll be scraping along the bottom for a while, with pundits and 24/7 infotainment/news channel “experts” scrambling to jump on each new index and indicator to show us we are, indeed, on the way out of the hole…or on our way into the next hole.   It seems likely that what’s next will not be the “hockey stick” improvement we’ve hoped for.  It seems definite that nobody really knows what the hell comes next (except a few more bank failures and a lot of regulation).

 

For some, the government is doing way too much right now—and none of it good.   For others, the government isn’t doing nearly enough.  No matter which political party you align with, you’re likely not beaming as we start the New Year.  But whatever it is that’s happening in the three-ring circus we used to call Congress, few of us believe it’s going to help, and fewer still believe it’s being designed for our benefit.

 

Depending on the industry in which your business dwells, things probably range from mildly hopeful to downright painful at the moment.  Nobody’s denying the disconnect between “Wall Street” and “Main Street,” but is anybody really doing anything about it? 

 

How about your own business?  Are you too busy reacting these days to act?  Trying to find credit is a bit like searching for a funny line in a Conan O’ Brien monologue these days (I actually like Conan, but just had to pile on.). And without credit…

 

I see a lot of stasis in our society today.  And for whatever it’s worth, I’d argue it has to stop.

 

Don’t like what you see coming out of your government?  It’s still yours, believe it or not.  Get involved.  Write an e-mail.  Or ten.  Make a donation.  Run for local office (the zoning committee or PTA is a good start) or pick a candidate to support.  But above all, please come prepared with your own suggestions/solutions.  It’s easy to tear something down.  It’s much more rewarding and useful to build something.

 

Don’t like what you see in the business world?  Resolve to carry out your career with different priorities.  Adhere to your code of morals and ethics.  Patronize businesses that do more than just deliver the lowest price.  Refuse to do business with businesses that behave in a manner you find reprehensible.  And tell them—and everyone you know—why.

 

And with your own business, I’d argue that now is the worst possible time to be paralyzed by ill-conceived regulation or roiling market.  Maybe I’m being a bit Pollyanna, but now is the time for businesses trapped in a down-cyle to prepare.  Things always improve.   Get to know your customers better.  Get to know your market better.  Figure out where the market is going, and prepare to be there.  Put more glue around your processes and streamline your operation.  And don’t give up on marketing.  Now, more than ever, there’s a multitude of cost-effective options for getting the word out there and winning new customers, and most of them don’t involve plunking down insane amounts of money to a dinosaur trade publication or Web site for a bit of space few look at and fewer still take seriously.  Social media, content marketing and good old fashioned list building are easier to do than ever before.  If you have the time these days, it’s time to look into these things.

 

I’d argue, however, that too many of us seem to have fallen into the trap of waiting for someone else to fix things; someone else to make it all better. It seems to me that the American people have been doing that for a few years now.  But it also seems to me that the more we wait on the sidelines, hoping for some collective Good Samaritan to come along, the worse things get.  2010 may not be a great year if you’re waiting for your government to improve things or for Big Bad Business to find the path to enlightenment and righteousness.  And it may not be a good year if you get your opinions straight from FOX or CNN.  But the least you can do is make sure that’s not your fault.