One of the truths of private sector business is that not all of the effects of a recession are bad. It allows businesses to "trim the fat." The owner's nephew that shows up late once a month for the last three years will be let go. Employees that aren't hard working, reliable or trustworthy are downsized. Companies will look everywhere for ideas on cutting back on expenses and spending. Employees are cross trained and will end up doing more work with fewer resources. Companies will necessarily purge redundancies in order to save money, enhance margins and grow profits.
A September research report by Ceres, a Boston-based business sustainability advocacy organization, was eerily prescient. Ceres published the white paper titled, "Stormy Future for U.S. Property/Casualty Insurers: The Growing Costs and Risks of Extreme Weather Events."
Clearly, there are dumb investments from a financial point of view. Buying an ATV just because it's cheap doesn't mean you'll ever recoup the cost, but if you want one, now is probably the time to pounce. But as for other "frivolous" purchases, maybe they're not so crazy after all.
The recession really is over, even if our collective funk lingers on and the pace of recovery is not what we all would like. Somebody please pass the word.
Pres. Obama’s just-concluded trip to East Asia did not result in major accords but was noteworthy nonetheless, for reasons overlooked in much media commentary. Highlighting economic frictions neglects underlying mutual interests, which ...
Forty Days and Forty Nights of 40
This year I am turning 40. As a matter of fact, I’m turning 40 in exactly 20 days.
Let me start by saying, I’m not really freaked out about it, but it is one of those milestone birthdays that used to make people sit up and take notic...
Don't act like you're not jealous. I just got back from my FREE trip to D.C., courtesy of OnMilwaukee.com and AirTran! While I was in DC, one of my college roommates was the perfect tour-guide. Being that she is the most politically minded and organized person I know, she had an agenda for e...
The meeting this week near London of finance ministers of the Group of 20 (G-20) nations underscores the great seriousness of the global recession. For months, the world economy has witnessed steadily declining equities and frozen credit markets. The recession is now clearly comprehensive in glob...
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