Stay HOME, save gas, make MONEY in your shorts, it's EASY.

Originally Posted by GordonJ

I don't personally listen to the news or wonder what the media says about our current recession/depression. I have my own yardsticks to measure by.

Me too. I look at the number of new homes being built or existing homes being expanded or upgraded, along with a plethora of "Help Wanted" and "Now Hiring" signs. Both of these obvious signs are visible across Houston where I call on customers once a month as well as back home in Louisiana. I live in the "Rita" zone, where many of the damaged homes have been repaired/rebuilt, and many of the damaged ones have been replaced.

One of my customers commented to me today that one branch of her credit union was closed a couple days this week due to personnel shortages. The Lowe's and Home Depot stores locally have been shutting down their Garden Centers on days when they are too shorthanded to man the extra registers out there. And on my last visit to Houston, I was checked out at the grocery store by a manager, because they were also short of workers. In a city with 6.5 million people in the metro area, many jobs go unfilled, while able-bodies workers complain there's no jobs available.

The new home construction South of NASA around League City is booming a big as ever. Four new subdivisions with signs for new homes in the high $100s to the million+ range are quite common. And dozens of new homes are being completed every day in the area. New businesses are also opening at a fast pace across the area.

So it doesn't appear that the "media-proclaimed" recession has reached either the South Houston market or SW Louisiana.

NOW is a good time to sit around in your underwear, stay at home and NOT use your gasoline...

Not - Now is a better time for me and others to be out calling on businesses who need more promotional advertising. Lots of companies needing employee incentives, customer thank-yous, business gifts, and general handouts for grand openings, new business or product introductions, employee "Casual Friday" shirts, and much more.

While some can and are getting most of this type business online, I built and protect my business by primarily calling on clients face-to-face.

What are YOU seeing in your neck of the woods regarding this "recession" that we aren't really in?

As noted above, many signs of an expanding economy.

And, what do you offer in the way of help to those in need?

I'm constantly introducing new people/entrepreneurs to the wonderful world of promotional advertising. A business that can be worked full or part-time at home or from home. Most of the inquiries come from people outside Louisiana, from people who are looking for a sideline income or something to supplement their retirement. But almost all are looking for being independent, looking to build a business they can call their own.

Having plenty of business from Texas and Louisiana, while assisting others in starting and growing their own safety net - Works for me!

Dennis Bevers