Thriving in an Economic Downturn

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There will always be those that see the glass half-empty, but when things aren’t going well it takes someone with a lot of optimism to see the glass half-full. Even during times of distress, if you look for opportunities, you can find them. This is true in almost every situation including an economic downturn.

“There always is a silver lining for people who choose to look past the doom and gloom and find one,” says Robyn Feldberg, president of the National Résumé Writers’ Association, which represents an industry that’s bucking the overall trend. “In adversity, there is always potential for innovation.”

There are a few companies that seem to be doing well right now. Some are in sectors that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be doing well, while others seem to have been created for a time like this. U.S. News and World Report, lists 10 Winners in the Recession. Here are a few that I thought were very telling:

Home Gardening - vegetable seed sales at Park Seed are up 20 percent from 2008
Resume’ Editing - people looking for a new (more secure) job are trying to get an advantage in the dwindling job market
Public Universities - the cost of public versus private college has never been more evident than right now
McDonald’s – sales this year are up almost 7% from last year…thank you Dollar Menu.
At-Home Coffee – $4 for a flavored coffee is just too much

What about you? Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Are you looking for opportunities to win or opportunities to whine? If you are concerned about losing your job, then you need to take the steps required to start a new career. Whether that means taking a few vocational classes or going back to school to finish up your college degree. Don’t let this time keep you from being who God wants you to be. He gave you a special gift make sure you are using it.