Panic-Driven News Offers No Solution
Posted on January 29, 2009 | Tags: Commentary
I subscribe to Dan Kennedy’s marketing newsletter each month. For those who don’t’ know him, Dan’s the author of many books on marketing, sales and business. This month’s issue opened with a partial list of retail store closings slated for this year. Ann Taylor, 117 stores; Gap 85 stores, Foot Locker 140 stores, Bombay 384 stores. And the list goes on, totalling nearly 2,000.
However, in the spirit of American entrepreneurship that Dan embodies, he points out the opportunities presented by this news.
First, Dan predicts a “renaissance of the independently owned, local business.” Secondly, the epic shift of retail distribution to ecommerce will simply accelerate, presenting massive opportunity for online retailers (affiliates?)
Rather than react to the constant diet of bad news offered by mainstream media, Kennedy offers a different perspective to the entrepreneur-minded. After all, before the days of easy credit weren’t we all just a bit tougher? Toughness, and ability to sell and seize opportunity rather than wallow in defeat is the American entrepreneurial mindset that that is the backbone of our economy. Listening exclusively to the mainstream media exclusively would defeat that mindset.
If the news reports are to be believed, there’s just no hope and we’re heading for bread lines. But wait: aren’t these the same folks who stood by and said nothing while subprime mortgages were handed out like candy at Halloween? Aren’t these the same folks who supported the administration’s march into war with nary a word of question? And aren’t these are the same folks who exhaustively covered escalating gas prices and then ignored gas prices as a story when the plummeted?
True journalism no longer exists in most mainstream media coverage. So, like the “friend”, family member or employee who constantly relays bad news, news media should be taken with a grain of salt. There’s no denying the statistics of layoffs, unemployment and tougher economic times. But a steady diet of bad news only creates panic. Panicked individuals own businesses and make bad decisions.
Fortunately, there are CEOs and small business owners who choose to find solutions rather than panic. My friend, Joy Gendusa, CEO and founder of the Inc 500 company PostcardMania, is one such business owner. With over 160 employees, rather than panic, Joy has retooled her services in order to better compete and not laid off employees.
Shouldn’t stories like Joy’s be covered as well as the bad news?
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The Seven Traits of an Expert
Posted on January 22, 2009 | Tags: Commentary
As someone who has worked with more than five hundred experts, authors, CEOs and opinion leaders from all industries, I’ve rubbed elbows with every type of expert and pr personality. Over the years I’ve observed them all to share some fundamental traits. You’ll find these traits summarized below. Read more
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