Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

OK, here's what is on the other guys' lists:

FranNet (a middleman company for the franchise industry) claims the following are "recession proof":
Dry Cleaning -Hair Salons - Residential and Commercial Cleaning -Home Improvement Companies - Temporary Staffing Agencies - IT and Technology Services - Mobile Storage Units - Children's Educational Services/Tutoring -

And they can hook you up with the right franchise. OK.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, the best bets are: Collection Agency, Health Agency, Computer Repair, Resume Services, Vending.

Then there is the current Newsweek picks: Ice Cream, like Ben and Jerry's have little to fear, lipstick and nail salons, GAMES, such as Grand Theft Auto, liquor and carryout stores, funeral parlors, etc., etc.

These are Big NAME outfits, and you can find 1001 other opinions about what is a good business to be in during a recession. I've observed that 99 out 100 of these "lists" are done by writers...not business people who have been through a recession and actually started a business.

Also, many of these "perfect" businesses require huge investments or huge knowledge. Where is the realism? Well, it's gonna be right here in just a moment.

Listen, YOU can start or expand a business in hard economic times. Which ones? Four have been the traditional go-to business are:

1) Real Estate (and maybe if you want, it still can be...but it's not all that easy)
2) Information Publishing
3) Specialty Products sales
4) Specialty Services

For this discussion, I'll skip Real Estate.

ONE specialty service that seems saturated but has plenty of room in it is the dating/love/hookup services. Put people together and make money. SOARS during a recession.

INFORMATION? Whatever helps people save money, make money, save expenses, make money, save money...get it?

Specialty Products. Here is where fortunes are to be made, and you'll see some 70's items come back into vogue (I know, I'm working on a couple of them)... products that help people save money, save energy (which is saving them money).

Also, the easy solutions to weight loss, feel-good, spiritual type things...you'll see a rapid rise in Astrologers, Rune Readers, Palm Readers etc. Anyone who can "peer" into the future and report that all is going to be alright will probably have more business than they can handle.

Escapism, including movies but now more like GAMING, all those things that have stay at home ENTERTAINMENT value are going to be OK. As will EDUCATIONAL products that help people learn a new trade or skill that will help them be wanted in the job markets.

Entertainment, education and ease of life products will be HOT for the next three years.

So, I open the floor for further discussion, including what businesses you probably don't want to be in either.

Is your business recession proof or is it a business that is recession acclerated?

Gordon Jay Alexander

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Hey Gordon,

I've started hitting the "Specialty Services" area, working with local and area business men and women.

There's still a great need in the smaller towns and cities for folks that can help local businesses increase their customer base, and thus their bottom line.

My response rate is currently 1 out of every 5 contacts, so I know that there's a need.

Any time you can show a business the numbers, they'll stop and listen.

Pete

We Say "No" To Bailouts
 

Residential and Commercial Cleaning?

Ask Any cleaning Co what happens when times are tough and getting tougher?

First Expenditure to go is Cleaning. Office staff take it on, people clean their own homes. Same applies to car detailing, High pressure house washing, etc.

Home Improvement?

Yep. When things look tough and job security is questionable, people splurge on home improvement... /s

Didn't know about Mobile Storage until just now - http://www.containaway.com.au

Like you said GJA, written by people who sit in an air conditioned office and have Never been in business for themselves and/or through a recession. Sad thing is, others looking for those few extra bucks or whatever, and who don't know any better, will buy into the misleading info. and get burnt.

More later...

Michael Ross

Re: We Say "No" To Bailouts
 

Michael,


Not true. My wife works for a cleaning company and there work load has increased 500%. It has increased to the point that their company is having a difficult time hiring people willing to work. My wife is paid on a percentage of the job and does 4-5 homes or businesses a day. Average time inside, 1.5 hours.

She makes $41,000 a year and has a company vehicle which is entry level. Company supplies all the equipment and cleaning supplies necessary. She has found that no matter your station in life, rich, poor or middle class, nobody likes to clean up after themselves. That is how she stays employed.

Gordon, Here's my recession argument.
 

Gordon,

What is the fastest way to scare the masses? Start hinting something is wrong in the economy and provide selective case studies. To begin this process you need to use a framework of dialogue that begins to push people's fear buttons. Now if you have some big name high profile companies going under then all the better to push an agenda.

Recession is a word used to terrify the masses and pushes all the right buttons. It is a word the media freely uses to keep the masses tuning back into their particular anchor person daily, so they can get another dose of fear and loathing and be controlled not to go about their daily lives buying what they want to keep the economy flowing.

What the masses do not pick up on is the fact that business is still going on all around them. New business, old business, repeat business, additional business, business up starts, business expansions, & simply put business in general is not halted but still conducting transactions.

Now those that see a decline in their business have not followed a simple sow and reap, cause and effect strategy to bring in new customers or not following up to bring in repeat business. That is 100% their own fault and not that of any economy. (The only exception might be a wide spread natural disaster, as we've all seen in recent years such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other such disasters around the globe.) But our focus is on this media/government driven toxin known as a recession.

It doesn't matter what business we list, the bottom line is that people will still buy. It is up to the merchant to stay abreast of his/her client's changing buying habits and be the first to provide them with products that go along with their client's changing tastes, wants, needs and desires. The best model to study is grocery stores or super markets.

Do I believe our economy is off? Yes, but only in certain industries. But there in again, only certain businesses within that industry and not every business related to that industry is struggling. IE. GE, Ford and Chrysler are struggling, but not Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes or Hyundai which are made in the USA.

Do I believe business is off? No, because business trade, especially in the import/export sector continues to rise. If it is rising, that means people are buying and selling.

Do I believe people are more selective now than in the past? No. People have always been selective. Economy doesn't make people selective if it's something they want. Those who feel the biggest pinch in business, are those businesses, that do not watch and adjust to market trends.

Do I believe there are businesses that need to go away? Absolutely! They are a niches, that really had no chance to survive regardless of the economy or they simply have grown complacent and greedy.

Remember before Walmart, was Kmart. Before Kmart, was Kroger. Before Kroger was Sears and so on. If one were to search each industry's history, we would see those that were giants, those that became giants and those that are giants now.

There is an ancient proverb I read that states: "When hay is removed, new growth appears." What we are seeing again is the old outdated businesses finally being removed, making room for new businesses. What I find amusing about the proverb is that the field is still producing hay, which means people still want your type of hay.

Wanna Fight About It?
 

LB,

Thanks for trying to tell me otherwise.

BUT

Seeing as I have been involved in Cleaning in one way or another (owned company, employed other cleaners and have been a cleaner) since 1988 until only the last year or so (that's nearly 20 years), I'll stand by what I said and meant...

In a recession - when money is tight - the first thing to get jettisoned as an expense is cleaning.

Your wife is one single isolated case. I am talking about an Industry. And it's plain old Nuts to plonk down a substantial amount of money for a business that is less in demand when times are tough.

Yes, there are things that always sell - like Rolex Watches. But knowing of those Exceptions doesn't help you when you're getting into a business that targets general people.

Now. If times are not tough, then all bets are off. And whatever the media says is baloney - it's baloney anyway.

BTW, cleaning Always increases prior to Xmas. Always. (For those who might want to make some extra Xmas cash.)

Michael Ross

Wake up, Michael..
 

With all due respect, you DON'T LIVE HERE IN THE U.S.

Certainly! Let's have a go at it.
 

Michael,

I always like a good round of "Fist to Cuff". Keeps men manly. But all kidding aside, cleaning businesses here in the USA are on the rise. Now maybe down in OZ it is not the case. From what you're saying, your country's recessions draw people to do things differently than they do here in the States. Which means neither of us are wrong or right.

As for my wife's business increasing, it's been this way all year, not just during the holidays. Also she is not an owner, only an employee so it is not isolated.

Now I'll give you the reason why cleaning businesses do well here especially during a recession. The cleaning industry is not regulated which allows home owners, renters, and businesses to negotiate lower prices.

If the cleaning people are hungry for business they will have more work than they can handle. Remember, us Americans are to lazy to pick up after ourselves and we don't mind paying someone else to do it.

I don't think so
 

That statement seems to me to be wrong on two counts.

First; I can't think of a single US business that has it's price regulated. Certainly not any service businesses.

Second; In my experience I've never had a home owner or renter even attempt to negotiate a price for anything. The price is either too high and they just go away, or it's an OK price and they accept it.


You're kidding, right? No wait, you just said "all kidding aside". Please don't lump all us Americans into your low opinion. I pick up my own socks, and I do mind paying someone for a crappy job and stealing from me to boot.

Re: Wake up, Michael..
 

Thanks for pointing out the obvious - that I don't live in the US. Your point is?

Ok. I'll just go find my boxing gloves...
 

LB

Thanks.

I know your wife is an Employee. By Isolated I was meaning the Company your wife works for.

See, like Rolexes, there will Always be people who hire cleaners. If their current Cleaner (say a sole owner) doesn't have enough business to stay in business, the client will look elsewhere. So while some businesses loose clients, others gain clients.

Now despite my living in the arsehole end of the world, people who lack funds are the same the world over. They jettison unnecessary spending - generally speaking. So please explain why/how Cleaning (the industry as a whole) is not negatively effected by a recession - and - how during a recession people in the US Now decide to get cleaning done when their dollars are tight and jobs are being lost.

Look at the motor car market. GM wants bailout money. I say, screw 'em. Toyota, Honda, et al don't need it. So obviously, GM isn't competitive enough and if they scale back operations and manufacturing, people will turn to other makes of cars. GM loses, Toyota increases. GM screams recession, Toyota asks What Recession.

Michael Ross

Re: Wake up, Michael..
 

The point is, you seem to feel that because something is so in OZ, it's the same all over. It's not.

It's just like the real estate market. Sure, it sucks in some parts of the country, but here in my area there's money available, folks are working, and there's plenty of properties being bought and sold.

In fact, right across the road from me they've cleared two 200x330 foot lots this week for new, high-dollar homes.

In L.A. or Miami, you probably can't give property away. (At least that's what they'd have you believe.)

Pete

Re: Ok. I'll just go find my boxing gloves...
 

Not possible. My wife works for a national chain. They've been in business over 25 years and are recognized as one of the top 500 Franchises in America.

A few more things that boom during a recession...
 

Thanks Gordon - great post!

A few more things sell well during a recession...

Sales of chocolate, alcohol, and cigarettes go up during recessions, and have gone up recently, according to some articles I read.

In addition, "stay-in and have fun rather than go out" type of items are increasing in sales - like tea light candles, indoor slippers and dressing gowns...

Here are a few articles about it...

RECESSION PROOF - Alcohol, cigarette, chocolate sales thrive in hard times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...cession-proof/

Economic slump sends condom sales soaring in UK! (also increasing sales of pregnancy tests, tea light candles, slippers, and dressing gowns)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/...100126657.html

Cheap thrills to beat crisis (Similar rises for these kinds of items in Asia)
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_306189.html

Hmm... Reading this makes me want to have some chocolate! :)

Best wishes,

Dien

I'm Still Sleeping
 

Pete,

Thanks for elaborating.

I know Some Things are different between our countries. Which is why, when Gordon asked about what we See around us I saw a BOOM and reported as such, while he saw recession.

But I'm certain (based on nearly 20 experience and rational thought) that, when money is tight, sales are down, profits declining, people losing jobs left right and center, people developing retraction spending habits, etc. When that happens (recession), apart from laying people off to Save Money, businesses jettison hired in cleaning. Homes stop paying out money for cleaning.

They also restrict other extraneous spending - like Vacations. Airline trips and bookings decline. Other new and large purchases also decline.

What I am being told is... that in the USA, when all these bad times are around, people do NOT get rid of cleaners. Businesses, will lay off staff but keep a cleaner. Homes will restrict their spending but keep a cleaner. And worse, going by LB, that as their money becomes tighter and profits fall, they will Then spend money on cleaning whereas before when times were good they did not.

You say that's the way it is over there. Fine. And so I ask, why/how does this happen? What makes a business with falling profits to Now decide to be even less profitable and hire a cleaner? What makes a home with a shortage of money to have less money and Now hire a cleaner?

I'm not talking about a Specific Company doing well - even nationally. I am talking about the Industry as a whole.

Michael Ross

Re: Ok. I'll just go find my boxing gloves...
 

LB,

A single company - even national - is NOT the industry as a whole.

Michael Ross

Recessions... And Get ready for the Economic recovery, Hopefully around 2012 or so...
 

Some Good reading and ideas regarding the Recession times...

The RECESSION of 08, 09, 2010, '11...not much of a limb, but I'll go out on it...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthre...ght=recessions

Marketing Your Way Through a Recession
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5878.html

Good little story... One step at a time and a Million dollars later...
http://www.erica.biz/about-erica/

Along with a few more good ideas... Three Business Ideas That Will Thrive In A Recession...
http://www.erica.biz/2008/three-busi...g-a-recession/

Some recent Recession related posts worth reading and thinking about a little down the page...
http://copywritersroundtable.com/

Here's a simple low cost Not so new idea, perfect for these times... And be ready for the next Economic Boom!

Re-introduce the Tons of endless misc. public domain Focusing on relevant Niche topics and ideas still applicable & in demand in Today's world...

Get yourself the Must have Bible on public domain, preferably the most recent 4th edition in book form for easy referencing...
http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/Obje...F99DB505D/310/

Develop your own public domain Niche blog network... Along with Specialized product creation using multiple media formats, ideas, print services etc. etc...

Try Googling a few of these related keywords and Develop your own Money making business model(s)... ;)
public domain music,public domain images,public domain movies,public domain photos,public domain books,public domain pictures,public domain songs,public domain video,public domain software,public domain films,public domain posters...

Phil

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Hi Phil,

LindaC here.

Congralations...1,000 post.

Thanks for all the excellent information you share with everyone on this forum.

It is appreciated.

My Best 2 U,

LindaC

<>------<>

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Hi Linda,

Thank you very much! Glad to know a few are reading... :)

Here's some Free business entertainment with some interesting Golden nuggets...

A blast from the past 2003...

6-hours of Frank Kern & John Reese, legendary ad man Gary Halbert unfortunately couldn’t make it...

If you can Find some time over the Holidays, a rainy day... Spend sometime Listening even while you're doing something else...

Afterall, a 6 hour live conference call has got to be a record of some kind...

Keep in mind, some of the Best business marketing and advertising information out there is way more than just 5 years old...

Enjoy...
http://masscontrolsite.com/blog/?p=46

As per my previous post on Public Domain opportunities...

Here's another Great example... Go make some Money... ;)
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcolle...owse/printlit/

Phil

Personal experience
 

OK, this is purely personal. Not everyone thinks like me, but...

Last Friday I was laid off my day-job at an I.T. consulting firm due to lack of work. Found out at 5 pm. By 5:15 I called our cleaning lady and told her that we were sorry, but we were going to have to do it ourselves until I was back to a normal income.

I live in the U.S. - Illinois (home of the wonderful Governor Blagojevich and many more of the most corrupt politicians on the planet).

Again, this is just one piece of anecdotal evidence. But my reaction seems to be the sensible - and normal one.

Kevin P.

Re: Personal experience
 

hi guys ....long time no see

keep hearing all these comments about how Honda, Toyaota, Nissan etc. have NO need fo rthe bail out money ....they have all ready recd theirs ...up front ....google honda factory in ____ and see how much money they get PAID to open their factories...which is all bs

they nissan plant here cost the taxpayers 200 MILLION...up front ....plus concessions ....theoritically the average wage was going to be 33 bux an hour ...in truth , it is closer to 13....

honda the same . dont know about ALL of them and certainly am not takin gup for the ford gm idiots...the board of all these should be replaced with average American s ..like me ...at their inflated salaries and perks...

see yall ...

sstill cant type

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Hi Phil

Thanks for those links, I can make good use of these. Especially: Go Make Money, Great Idea.
Kind of goes under the Heading: If something works, don't fix it.

Sincerely

Monika

This Lady Sold 46 Million $ of Piano's - She's Recession PROOF
 

Dear Dien,

Thanks.

While adding BONUS material to a book I wrote, "101 WEIRD ways to make Munny".

I came across this 39 yr old Super Saleswoman.

a - She grew up in a house containing 26 pianos. (Her mom was an Uber piano teacher)

b - She sells By-Referral-Only

c - Her ability to know the personalities of all 400 handmade pianos at the Steinway store in Manhattan... allows her to match YOUR personality with the perfect piano.

She calls herself a MATCHMAKER!

d - She reprints all the articles written about her. And mails them to prospects. TV video interviews of her links are sent too.

I learned a lot
watching a "Live" sale.

The husband and wife tried out the piano's she matched them with. 20K each.

Then asked to try the most expensive piano among the 400 in the store - to compare.

Ellen got all excited. Talked about how "IN LOVE" she was with this handmade Baby Grand. A perfect MATCH for the wife.

Then she left them alone to "DECIDE."

The ordered the 52,000.00 BABY GRAND!

Amazing.

Affluent people always have money. Since all her sales are from one rich family to the next. Her business is recession-proof.

AND since she started doing Corporate TEAM BUILDING using her (She got a patent) 1 Day to read music and play the piano shortcut Method...

Her referral base is Expanding - rapidly.

Thanks,
Glenn

P.S. - For More About Ellen - Here's a Link to my E-bay auction for the "101 WEIRD Ways to Make Munny" E-book...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120350866108

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Great forum. When it comes to making money online there are many many options. Finding the best source is very hard. Online business opportunity brings riches home.

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Nice tip. Finding the source is important. Marketers these days have given up on using email marketing as a form of advertising to get the word out on their product or service. Many people often choose to work from home for a variety of reasons.