A Double-Dip Recession? No, Thank You.

[elleng]

As a small-business owner, I’m trying to figure out how to react to this talk of a double dip. . .

When the economy goes into recession, small-business owners cut expenses, take a harder look at staffing and make some difficult decisions they probably should have made even without a bad economy. When a potential second round comes, there’s not much left to do. Unfortunately, the one thing a lot of owners probably won’t do is hire more staff — even if they need them. That in turn keeps the unemployment numbers high, which gives the predictors of gloom something else to crow about. It is a vicious cycle.

And the 24/7 news cycle doesn’t help either. At any given moment you can find someone screaming about a new disaster, a potential disaster, an old disaster, or a made-up disaster. There is a lot of money to be made in making up disasters, whether to sell books, gold, politics, or stock-market strategies. It has been a long two years. As with any bad economy, many companies have gotten leaner and more focused; others have gone out of business.

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/a-double-dip-recession-no-thank-you/

[ixion]

1. react by preparing for the worst

That is my advice.

[lib2DaBone]

2. Health care costs are still driving the country into depression...

Small business owners would rather not hire people.. than deal with the unfunded mandates and paperwork.

The Health Care Reform Bill is a disater.

[paparush]

5. Aided by the Trillion Dollar Military Budget.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/9aajaai-e0vOPzDuimaW20pXUmvbHf_ULl4J66aQCOlHixJuD0Ev2x7I0Fc5bvz6tZJ0H-VKLLZik4QvJKPTp0u1jA=s512

[CLANG]

3. And if the republicans take control it will dip into a depression

It may do so anyway what with the Party of NO requiring a filibuster for every important initiative.

[Donnachaidh]

4. some of us believe we ARE in a depression NOW

and quite frankly giggle over all this hand wringing about double dip anything. Those folks in tent cities, those folks getting evicted and foreclosed on, those folks standing in line at a food bank to feed their kids, those people being called lazy because they can't find a job ANYWHERE -- those folks KNOW we are in a BIG "D" Depression.

It hasn't caught up to the elites yet, but it's HERE.

[CLANG]

6. Well, you're certainly correct there.

You don't feel it personally so much if you still have a job.

[Donnachaidh]

8. Does it have to be felt *personally* to get people to do something to help?

Have we turned into such callous a-holes that the only way we work for justice and REAL change is if we are personally touched by this? I'm just amazed at how people are so quick to spout numbers about *recovery* when millions are in REAL trouble.

[CLANG]

9. I hope you are not referring to me - I'm a liberal as you can get.

There are a lot of people that only care about their own lives. They are mostly republicans as far as i can tell.

[Donnachaidh]

10. no -- just ranting.

And (not to argue) I've met plenty of Dems who don't give a rat's ass about others. They generally make a comfortable living. I don't think this is a party thing - it's class warfare.

[DaveJ]

7. Never stop innovating

Staying on the cutting edge of your industry, no matter what it is, should assure success. (That's my totally non-expert opinion anyways)

But anyway, yeah I think the entire system in the U.S. is orchestrated to keep our anxiety levels up and to keep us poor at the same time, so we are always working, chasing after that carrot. Frankly, I think that the future is based on innovative small businesses. The corporate culture is now international, not so special anymore. Independent ventures are in. Sadly, I think you do have to be lean and mean though, and don't give anything away, since you're not running a charity after all.

[Daveparts still]

11. This Guy

is a small businessman like Eric Cantor is a small businessman. His business is head quartered in $Lincoln Park$ He owns five businesses and is a motivational speaker for business. More and more the New York Times is just a propaganda rag. Come on everybody! If we think positively the depression will just go away!

[Demeter]

12. +1000

[Bluenorthwest]

13. The author owns 5 businesses in Chicago

And writes as if he owns just one, for a reason.