How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Barack Obama is president!

Of course, this is a historic moment... As they keep saying in the news. But...

What does this mean for your business?

Only time will tell, but maybe the following could be a little "hint" of what may be to come...

Direct marketing maestro Joseph Sugarman has a theory about presidents and business. The president can have a big effect on your business!

This effect is through how the president affects the psychology of the nation... Joe Sugarman says this in his book, "Marketing Secrets of a Mail Order Maverick".

The USA sees the president as a kind of "father figure". If the president is strong and confident, then the people also tend to feel strong and confident. This boost in people's confidence tends to boost their spending, which in turn helps to boost business.

However, when the president is weak and indecisive, then that people tend to also feel the same way. Their spending drops, which hurts businesses, since businesses make fewer sales.

What will Barack Obama be like?

Only time will tell, of course. But so far, he seems to be a very thoughtful, yet decisive leader. At least that's my impression so far, based on the campaign he's run, and the time between the election and now.

What do you think? How will Barack Obama as a "father figure" for the nation affect business?

I think a change away from Bush - any change - will probably give people a little bit of a confidence boost. At least the idea that something different is being tried, which should work better than what was done before.

One thing I've gathered from Obama's recent talks is a sense that... We have to get together, we're in this together. We have to work together to get ourselves out of this.

I feel this is "right on". We have to work together. We have to help each other. Here at Sowpub, and more widely as well.

The new soon to be "re-launched" SeedZine is a step in that direction too. Gordon and I will work our butts off to give something of what we know, to help as many people out as possible.

We should work together more. Partnerships are powerful.

What are you going to be doing for 2009?

A new year is ahead of us. Many new opportunities. (I'll be writing about some of the new opportunities I see in the near future...)

But this is not about me... It's about you. What will YOU do?

It's a new year, and a new president, and maybe even a new "psychology" of the nation. Let's make the most of it!

Best wishes :)

Dien

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Honestly.. I doubt that Barack Obama will have any effect on my business one way or another.

My business doesn't depend upon him, nor did it depend on Bush.

Even though the economy "appears" to be in the dump, I'm pulling $500-$2000 per week from my little businesses, and there's no signs of it stopping.

Pete

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

The bailout plan does not have explicit effect and it requires time, mayby longer than 6 six months, to see the improvement.

By annoying me with all this "Obama is wonderful" claptrap
 

Why is this an Historic Moment? Because it's the first president born to a teen mom? Because it's Pres 44 and as such there will never be another 44th Pres?


Decisive? Thoughtful? How on earth can you tell Anything of what the man is like when all we've seen is sugary media worshiping? Jesus Dien, it's like when Madonna said she would vote for Wesley Clarke because he Seemed like a nice guy?

How about his policies? What he proposes to do in a realistic way. Not some vague notion of Change.

I'll give you change... total and utter martial law nationwide. That's change.

Unfortunately, this is all the result of the politics of personality and Not ability.


BEWARE, of Anytime someone says WE have to work together, WE are in this together, or any variation on the above. Beware because you're about to be hit in the guts with extra taxes, freedom removals and civil rights infringements, compulsory something or others, and so on. YOU, as the citizen, will be Made to pay for their stuff ups under the Onus of the Working Together piffle.

Here's my prediction... Obama will increase the size of the govt, will increase taxes and take away more freedoms.

Michael Ross

Re: By annoying me with all this "Obama is wonderful" claptrap
 

Michael - you're trying to measure things as good or bad on an inflexible libertarian scale.

If you change your perspective a bit - and try to evaluate... if things will become better or worse than they are right now - you may see things differently.

Imho - overall - things will become much better under Obama than they are right now.

Not everything Obama does will be good. But things will become better than they are right now.

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Like FDR, I think Obama will make the economy WORSE -- while making everyone believe he's making it better (than it otherwise would be).

I'm finding more and more about what FDR's policies + ideas did to our ecomony (contrary to 'conventional wisdom' says happened).

Here's just one example...

"In 1935-36, the Court struck down eight of FDR's New Deal programs, including the National Recovery Act (NRA) and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)."

(source: http://www.archives.gov/education/le...ration-powers/ )

I say beware of this guy.

He's gonna make America more like Europe, etc.

Followers, not leaders. Middle management thinking.

Willingly abdicating our leadership role. The path of least resistance.

-- TW

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Clinton told his AG, Janet Reno, that "Make it easier for people to get mortgages!"

When some banks & mortgage cos didn't, Reno threatened to sue them.

Then when 2 Liberals, Chris Dodd & Barney Frank, were put in charge of "Overseeing" Fannie May & Freddie Mac....getting a mortgage was so easy that some mortgages were given to people who had just crossed the border a few weeks before applying.

All based on the "assumption" that home prices would continue to rise.

Dodd & Frank are STILL in charge of "getting us out of the financial mess!"

Yeah, Right!

Obama has said nothing and continues to say nothing ....BUT....he says it well!

His past "actions" (his small voting record) have shown him to be a flaming Socialist. Why would he change now?

"Reforming" HealthCare? Take a look at Canada's Health Care System. We already have "FREE HealthCare". Anyone crossing our borders can get all the FREE Healthcare they want. The "producers" of the country...those who will be Paying The Hospital & Doctor Bills....will have to get in line BEHIND the NON-Payers...for their HealthCare.

"Economy"? Ya wanna be like France? Go live in France where you MUST retire at age 53 and let "The Gummit" take care of you. Yah! Sure!

Obama's had to "change" a few of his views when Bush sat him down and told him what was "Really Happening".....but most of Obama's "advisors" will keep pushing him to the Left.

Let the companies that MISmanaged their businesses file for Bankruptcy. That's why the Bankruptcy laws were instituted. Why should the American people pay for their INCompetance?

GM & Toyota both sold 39 million vehicles in 2007. One Co had a 9 Billion Dollar profit. The other had a 27 Billion Dollar LOSS. Guess which was which!

CIA? Anti-Terrorist Overseer? Let someone who's NEVER been in "Spy Stuff"...a Politician.....someone who's main job experience in Gummit was "putting out fires for Clinton"...Leon Paneta....be in Control! Yah! Sure!

Fasten yer seatbelts folks, Socialism has NEVER worked and it won't work now! We is in for a very BUMPY ride!

Don Alm....stashing Cash & Gold Coins in a Lead Box in the back yard....happy to be out of debt.....following the rule of, "Owe No Man A Thing But To Love Him!"

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

I agree - - - Obama has a way of making everyone feel good . . . at least everyone who doesn't have a clue how a country's economy really works. Those who do are getting a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

Personally, I think his policies will result in wild inflation, the same or worse than Jimmy Carter's double digit days. This is because Obama believes that government is the solution when it's the actually the problem. He believes that the government can stimulate the economy and create jobs, etc., by borrowing and/or printing money and injecting it into government do-good projects and/or by giving it to the unethical financial and industrial wizzards who created the problem in the first place.

The only real solution to the economy is innovation and continually increasing production combined with ethical financial policy (i.e., don't spend more than you make, reward innovation and increased production and penalize non-producers). You'll notice that these factors are missing from government operations, and in fact government does the opposite.

Despite any temporary economic surge that may result from Obama's feel-good soaring rhetoric (which he is admittedly very good at), the government can't continue to borrow and/or print money in the trillions and give it away to people who are criminal and socially irresponsible and expect things to get better. That follows the classic definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result). Otherwise, the government could just give everyone a computer, a printer, a stack of paper and tell them to print up however much they need every morning.

Big government borrowing and printing money is not the answer. Won't work. Never did, never will.

---- Hugh

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Oopppsss.....Sorry....I forgot the main question here about "How will Obama affect my business!"

He ALREADY HAS!

I deal with "Advertising Programs" for Small Businesses and in October, when our Sec of Treasury gave us the "Panic WakeUp Call"....that IF we (the USofA) don't "BailOut" some businesses...they WILL go down and "take the country with it"!.....most of my clients starting pulling back from spending.

Then...when Obama won in Nov....they REALLY pulled back....with the result being....many of my accounts cut WAY BACK on Advertising programs.

So....the result of our country becoming "Obam-ified" will be that MY advertising business will concentrate more on larger businesses and the "Mom and Pops" will have to do the "best they can".

And....one "positive affect" of "Obamination" is that some businesses will spend MORE on programs that "bring customers, clients or patients" thru the door.

Don Alm....Capitalist

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Well, it'll be business as usual for most folks. I have my own 'agenda' that I'm working on...here's hoping I get it going in time to avoid the slings and arrows that are sure to come around us all.

I prefer to take a wait and see attitude. The rhetoric is fine but actions speak louder than words.

As for socialist leaning presidents, he's just one of many, if that proves to be true. This country has been going socialist for a very long time. Nothing new. No wonder it's going down the tube, IMHO. Our forefathers are probably turning in their graves at what we are 'tolerating' and 'allowing' that denies everything they fought for.

Sandi Bowman

I thought (past tense) I saw a glimmer of hope....
 

At one point when it was reported that Obama was going to rework NAFTA I saw a glimmer of hope for North America.....but alas that was just campaign rhetoric.

In my humble opinion the only hope for the 2 largest countries on the North American continent is to pullout and squash the free trade agreements......yupper back to all the import and customs duties on goods, but also meaning the rise of Made in U.S., or Made in Canada labels where we support our own countries and not those in other parts of the world.

When the first trade agreement came in, I watched my job disappear, along with 50 others as the plant closed within days of the passing of the agreement...and then it was just a domino affect..that increaded speed when NAFTA was signed.

Industry moved manufacturing to Mexico and that was supposed to be good...all it accomplished was the attrition of thousands of jobs in US and Canada.

This household has a moratorium on all goods produced or coming from Mexico - including food stuffs.

A few years back the news carried a blurb on products crossing the border into the US from Mexico...and there right on the screen and easily readable was a shipment of produce in boxes coming in from Mexico with the boxes marked Product of California.

I find it very aggravating to say the least when I go into a grocery store for a can of mushrooms for example, and the only thing on the shelf is from China...especially when we have a thriviing mushroom industry right here in Canada.....or we are in peak produce season, and the only green onions available are from Mexico.

When Obama made that statement about redoing NAFTA I saw a glimmer of hope for home grown industry to come alive again...for the growth of new companies and local employment once again making the 2 countries strong and stimulating the economy...but guess it just isn't going to happen.

And now the steel industries are closing up....too much competition and imports from overseas...did you ever wonder what is going to happen when say war breaks out with China in the future and these 2 countries of ours have to go back to mass producing war equipment...and there are no steel producing plants on this continent....and we have to ask our enemy - the one we are at war with - if they will please sell us the steel so we can build the ships, planes, tanks, and weapons to use against them.

I would gladly start paying the old customs duties for goods coming into Canada oce again if it meant the end to the free trade agreements.

Will business do well under Obama...I choose to remain optomistic, but in the long run, and in the back of my mind, I see nothing but disaster waiting to happen for the general masses...but being the astute entrepreneurs we should be, we should be changing our game plan accordingly and still be able to survive.

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Right On, Cornell.

I remember the last time a Dem Pres (Carter) and a Dem Congress "Controlled".... our country. The late 70's.

I was living in Colorado and the economy came to a standstill. Interest Rates went to 24% to buy a Car.

Some Americans were taken Hostage. Carter's "attempt" at freeing them was by sending a Rag-Tag group of helicopters (that broke down).

ONLY when Reagan (a CONSERVATIVE Republican) was sworn in did the "Terrorists" RELEASE the American Hostages. WHY? Because they KNEW that Reagan would NOT rely on "Rhetoric" to "Talk" to them. They BELIEVED Reagan would ACT....with REAL Military Force.

Thus....my area, in the Pacific Nortwest, due to Environmental Whackos, aka Left-Wing Libs... has successfully removed "Timber workers" (AND their families) from our magnificent forests (they want our Forests to be "Museums") ....and protected "Owls and their Families".

5,000 people out of work in my Country (Douglas) (Jan 2009)and the new Pres says that GUMMIT is the "Answer" to get these folks "back-to-work" with GUMMIT projects. Ya! Paid for by "Printing Presses Churning out Greenbacks" until those Greenbacks will be worth Zilch.

So....hold onto yer hats folks...Da Libs are coming....only this time they have "Lemmings" (aka "Takers") in the majority...with their hands out, waiting fer da new Gummit to GIVE them "sustenance".

NEVER worked before, in human history, and won't work this time.

Only ONE answer;
BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT....relying on YOURSELF as your source of income.

Easier said than done. I just had a conversation with a neighbor. He lost his job 2 mos ago (Boat Co closed down) When I asked WHAT he was going to do after his UNemployment ran out....he didn't have a clue.

So...ya better get some kind of "Side" income going NOW cause....after da GUMMIT "Bails Out" the first batch of UNemployeds....some Americans may get ticked-off at da Gummit constant printing GreenBacks to "Bail Out" everybody and ACT!

One thing is for sure;
The next year or 2 WILL be VERY INTERESTING!

So....1) Get Outa Debt and 2) Find a way to earn Income OTHER than a "JOB"

Don Alm....SELF-Employed for over 35 years

This says it all...
 

This says it all (sad)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI

The blind leading the blind.....
 

the economy will eventually come out of this cycle... maybe 1 - 2 years... and all the credit will be given to him. He won a popularity contest.

Pure and simple.

The USA will pay dearly.

What company in the USA would have hired him as a CEO with his experience?

What a bunch of dumb A$$$es we have in AMERICA!

Pappy

Barack Obama... And the POWER of Positive Thinking...
 

Ok... Obviously not many Obama lovers on SowPubs... :)

But putting politics aside for a moment...

Hey our current Canadian Gov't political party problems regarding budget issues has our exchange rate back up at about 20% when purchasing goods in USD...

Importing goods from you guys is costing me a fortune!

Hopefully, political issues on all sides will improve as quickly as possible....

Obama and company might just Surprise some of the naysayers of this world... 2009 to 2013 here we come...

Great simple message in the Etsy forum today...

The POWER of Positive Thinking...
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6007460

Keep in mind... Just the Obama merchandise industry alone has already seen sales reach $300 million...

Obama marketing tactics... And dozens of Obama related business ideas are popping up all over the web if you Google around...

With the right Focus on Obama we can all Prosper very nicely!

A few quick examples...

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/rich...ck-obamas-soci

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/0...o-be-thriving/
http://jonasroel.com/joomla/content/view/57/1/
http://www.springwise.com/food_bever...d_coffee_love/
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...bay&id=6618260

There's also been some interesting recent features in the Media lately regarding the Library of Congress... Opportunities galore using the Good ol' Public Domain... ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
http://www.loc.gov/index.html
http://www.loc.gov/about/sitemap/

Interesting! That a few other Media networks have picked up in using the term HOTSHEET...
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/poli...in503544.shtml

Phil

Obama's marketing problem ...
 

Do you believe in testing?

Do you believe in making an offer to your market and getting a response, establishing a "control" ... and then making another offer, different from the first in some way ... testing #2 v #1?

Do you believe in testing?

How much do you believe? Do you believe enough to think that 90% of everyone who run a business MUST eventually fail if they don't test? Don't all of us here know that bankruptcy awaits those who do not know and heed their market?

But guess what? Barack Obama does not believe in testing. John McCain does not believe in testing. Nancy Pelosi does not believe in testing.

They believe in putting a gun to your head and taking your money and using it for whatever THEY want, whether anybody else wants it or not. Many of them ... especially those on the left ... have pretty strong disdain for even the idea of profit.

They totally don't understand the concept of testing one idea against another, to find what the market really wants and will pay for and use and value. Nor do they care. Nor do they need to care.

Barack Obama has a gun, almost no experience, and certainly no inclination to find out what anybody else wants and actually deliver it ... no matter what he may say ... no matter what you may think or wish.

It astonishes me when marketers who live & die by testing act as if government is a totally different critter that can get the results people want without ever testing any idea ... ever.

How can you get the results people want when you do not know ... or have any way of finding out ... what people want?

One of these clown marketers - pardon me, but they absolutely are clowns - someone whose name has been spoken here, often, with great reverence, wrote a long blog post a few months ago about how happy and proud he is to pay taxes and why we all should feel the same way.

This is a man who claims to believe in testing. He certainly tells his clients to do it. Why on earth would anyone ever be happy and proud to give their money to an entity that does not have a clue what their market actually wants ... and does not care ... and will never test anything ever? What do you call someone who is happy and proud to give their money to the guy who has a gun pointed at their head?

Not testing is the road to oblivion. A Republican here and there may have some inkling of that ... some of them actually have run a business. No Democrat anywhere has even the slightest idea ever of testing one idea against another with their market. Most are proud of the fact they have never ever worked for a living, let alone ever run a business. They don't care what the market wants, because they are smarter than the market.

As for our recent election, well ... the Republicans nominated a socialist. And the guy who beat him is one click to the left of that. As someone else said, just look at his voting record.

The U.S. is led by arrogant people who are going to give the public what THEY (the politicians) want. They do not care what the public wants and do not care how much money they spend or how they spend it. Bankruptcy? HAH! They can always take more money from you. Or just print it, for pete's sake.

I guess maybe that clown marketer is right. The laws of marketing don't apply when the money is free.

Richard Dennis

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Hey Dennis,

Thanks for the rant. Couldn't agree with you more.

However, I've been thinking this over, and I think I have come up with the perfect world-class financial solution. See, the gummit . . . as a certain SOWPub celebrity might say . . . instinctively knows that borrowing/printing money is THE solution to all problems in the country. Well, then, why not . . .

Install a special mint-quality printer in every household, and supply everyone with a stack of special money-quality paper too. Then, every morning when us ordinary citizens get up, all we have to do is fire up our mint-quality printers and print up as much money as we need for the day.

End of money problems for the whole country! Instantly!

The poor, the middle class, even the rich . . . EVERYONE will have enough money to take care of their daily needs.

And the markets? Commerce? Why, it might take a little time, but they'll eventually go through the roof! Once people realize they can buy anything they NEED, they'll naturally start WANTING things they previously thought they couldn't afford. And, following the gummit's sterling example, they'll start printing enough money to start buying the things they really want in addition to just what they need.

Want some Apple stock? IBM? Google? No problem!

Big screen TV? iPod? iPhone? New car? New house? College tuition? No problem!

Taxes? No problem! The gummit can tax as much as they want as often as they want . . . we just print up enough to cover all the taxes for the day, the week, the year . . . whatever!

Want to save some money? No problem! Print up however much you want to save and go put it in the bank. No need to bail them out, the banks will make out like bandits!

The rising price of gas? No problem! If it goes up today, just print yourself a little more for tomorrow.

Illegal aliens? No problem! We'll give them mint-quality printers too! Heck, we'll even send printers to their relatives back home. That way the illegals won't have to send their hard-earned cash out of the US, and that, of course, will help boom the economy because they’ll spend it here.

Obviously, this really IS the ultimate financial solution, and there is no doubt in my mind that once we implement it here in the US, it will spread like wildfire all over the planet. Just think:

All people everywhere will be happy!

War will end!

All merchants everywhere will be happy!

Prosperity will abound!

All gummits everywhere will be happy!

They can raise taxes as high as they want!

Everyone . . . and I mean EVERYONE wins!

Wheeeeeee!!!!!!!

---- Hugh

P.S. Remember, it is not MONEY that is the root of all evil. It is the LACK OF MONEY that causes poverty and crime. Wow! This solves crime too! When criminals can print their own money, they naturally lose their desire to steal it from others. And then people won't have to buy guns to protect themselves from the criminals, and they'll stop accidentally shooting each other like they do now. Man, I'm REALLY getting excited now!!! The benefits of this program just don't end!

P.P.S. Now Dennis, lookie-here. I know what you're thinking. But don't go getting technical on me. Sure, I know testing is important. And yea, sure, money should be backed by gold or something like that, but you must understand . . . we have a financial CRISIS here . . . we must take BOLD steps . . . we must act FAST . . . we all must SACRIFICE. If we take the time to test this idea before we implement it broadly, why, the whole country could be lost. The WORLD even! I'm SERIOUS, man. We gotta push this though Congress NOW!!!! I mean, are you tracking with me on this or are you some kind of a fiscal-conservative nut-case stuck in some long-gone people-have-to-earn-it-the-hard-way yesterday?

P.P.P.S. I don't know for sure . . . I'm not an eco-scientist or even a quazi-wacko environmentalist . . . but I think this might even solve global warming.

PEACE, BROTHER! : )

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Don,
I'm a 27 year old who wants to get back into Advertising for Small Businesses (I once sold ads to Restaurants for Coupon Booklet mailers) I'm not sure what type is best in this economy. The TV Channel Guide in Hotels looks promising. Is that business still good in these times?

Bill

Re: How will Barack Obama as president affect YOUR business?
 

Hi.....yup...."Pizza Delivery" businesses haven't "yet" been shut down by da Gummit. They are STILL....VERY interested in paying for a program that can bring them am extra 5 to 10 pizza orders a day, at $18 per pizza....which is what the "TV Channel Stands" will do....sitting in a bunch of hotel/motel rooms.

Hotel/Motel guests arrive in their rooms with no food and do 3 things;
1) Bring in their baggage
2) Go Potty
3) Pick up the Remote Control, turn on the tv and start flipping thru the channels and when they can't find their favorite channels (it's a different cable system than theirs at home).....they look around for the "TV Channel Guide"....then....they see a small plastic stand sitting near the tv with a colorful Label that says; "TV CHANNEL GUIDE"

So....they NOW can find their favorite channels AND....right there, next to the list of tv channels...is a full color picture of a mouth-watering PIZZA with a number to call to have it delivered to their room.

WHALA!

This is a wonderful money-maker. It gives me a GREAT income for my time PLUS....FREE Hotel rooms so I can take my wife with me and have mini-vacations.

Don Alm

Re: The blind leading the blind.....
 

Each is entitled to his own opinion. A lot would say that they've done the right thing by voting him but that remains to be seen in the later years. They may get disappointed or not. But who knows?