A year ago, most of the people I spoke with were tightening their belts, hunkering down, and waiting for the good times to return. More recently I’m finding fewer and fewer folks who think we are going to return to times of old. Most people that I speak with now believe that too much has changed. That the ways in which we relate to one another, the basic tenets of how we do business, the foundations of our economy, and the impact of government on our daily lives, has all changed and continues to change. Many people seem to feel that simply riding it out isn’t going to work any more, that some form of adaptation is required.
So what do you think? Are we heading toward a future that is going to be radically different from the past? Are there new skills, techniques, or mindsets that are going to be required to be successful? And if so, what are they and where would one obtain them? What are you personally doing to prepare for the future?
I think hunkering down is a mistake in any kind of downturn, especially this one where the causes are clearly not market-based. This is the beginning of a very different economy where those who do hunker down for long will not recognize the economy when they come out again.
Gone is the day when you could run advertising that didn’t say any more than, “Hey, we just opened a new ______ down on Main Street, Come and see us.” Busnesses will need to define themselves much more tightly so they can target clients much more precisly.
I even see it in my target market of non-profits. None of them can expect support just because they exist; even if they are serving a high need purpose. They need to refine their client message and their donor message just like a for-profit business.
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