"Hard times" also bring opportunities... Like this example!
 

With economic downturns, the media tends to mostly focus on those doing poorly. However, with any change, there are ALWAYS also "winners" as well...

Change ALWAYS means opportunities! It just means what worked before, may not work now - so you gotta do a little creative thinking...

Here's one guy doing just that...

Retail space is easy to come by now. Traditionally, in New York City, you could only get retail space by renting it with a 5-year or 10-year lease. Now, you can rent retail space in NYC for just a few months.

With that in mind, he opened a couple stores in New York City - designed to be open just for the couple of months before Christmas. That's something he could never have done before...

What other opportunities is the economic downturn creating? The opportunities are there... You've just gotta keep your eyes peeled, and your mind open... What has changed about what's now possible? And how can you take advantage of it?

Here's the article...

The Pop-Up Store: A Smart Idea for Frugal Times
http://www.entrepreneur.com/foxbusiness/224.html

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: "Hard times" also bring opportunities... Like this example!
 

With all the Homeless and Housing problems world-wide...

And the whole less is more Green thinking these days...

Consider getting into the Tiny house Niche building industry...

Whether as a builder, Tiny house Hotsheets... Marketing, re-selling... Maybe a Tiny house real estate brokerage network etc. etc...

Be prepared because the need is only going to Grow...

Innovation on the idea will continue to Evolve into a Big money making opportunity for those that get into Things nice and early... ;)

Definitely, a Trend to watch...

Laneway houses...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...Search& meta=

Tiny houses...
http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/tiny_houses.html
http://tinyhouseblog.com/
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Shipping container housing...
http://www.buildinggreentv.com/keywo...ontainers/3495
http://www.shipping-container-housing.com/

Shipping containers provide home in a box
http://realestate.msn.com/article.as...entid=13107865

Phil

Minimalism Rocks
 

Phil,

Thanks for the memory jog.

I worked with a guy who'd done work on the Islands near Oz. He was on a Construction site and said while he was treated well (provided for) the locals are not. Something as simple as a plastic pail that once had plaster gage in it or an empty plastic heavy duty pail, would be taken by the locals. Because they were too expensive to buy.

He said one guy asked him if he could take a few formwork ply sheets home. Sure, what are you building?
A BIG house?
How big is Big?
6 meters square.

He said, inside is really just for when it rains and sleeping. Otherwise, they are out of the house working.

Years ago I lived in a 6m x 6m 2 bed apartment that contained a laundry as well as the 2 bedrooms, lounge and kitchen. And it's so cool to be able to get up and Bang you're in the main living area.

What I noticed when we moved to a Bigger place was... everything was so far away. Just to walk to the toilet seemed like a needed a packed lunch, some dogs and a tracker.

Of course, you can only go small if you can rid yourself of most of your useless Stuff.

Onward.

In Poland a new Condo Complex was built in a single weekend. It was ALL Modular. Pre built in the factory. A crane set up and unloaded the tracks and placed the modules as they came in. Each module was already carpeted, tiled, kitchen built, the works. Small apartments.

Simplified from stuff is best. Minimalism rocks.

Michael Ross