I live and work in the rather sickly Detroit metropolitan
market. Every time I drive by a flooring store, granite shop, plumbing showroom
or contractor’s truck, I wonder how they are doing. What steps have they taken
to cut costs? How long can they keep going if conditions don’t
improve?
I had heard that Las Vegas construction was in huge trouble.
According to the reports, the financial meltdown had broken the city’s back.
The cranes were idle, the jackhammers silent and the workers sent packing. Put
a fork in all those huge building projects - they're dead. Or are they?
Living in Michigan has many perks. Unfortunately, I can’t
think of any right now. I’ve cleared my driveway for the 200th time this winter (OK,
it just seems like 200 times) only to have it recovered with a fresh blanket of
snow before I drive away. I am hoping my pain translates into good news for
construction, service and maintenance professionals.
Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, you
are likely looking forward to a change in Washington. If you are a business
owner or manager, you are especially excited by the prospects of a new cadre of
leaders generating optimism among consumers. I am right there with you. Consumer confidence is the
lynchpin to fixing our broken economy.
For the last few years, anything green has received
incredible attention. The high price of oil, the threat of global warming, and
a strong economy have caused us to view the world through green-tinted glasses. Fast forward to today. Oil is cheap, icy weather engulfs the
U.S. (global cooling?), and our economy stinks. Could the vast green sea become
a puddle?
The recent spate of mergers caused me to wonder why we - the valued
customers of these companies - were not consulted about their unions. I know we
could pick better partners. So at the top of my 2008 Christmas list, I asked
for mergers that will bring a smile to the face of every employee, customer and
even those not-so-lovable boardroom Scrooges.
The construction
market stinks. The stock market brings constant pain. The financial bailouts
grow more insane by the day. Manufacturers are struggling. Nonprofits are
laying off staff. Retailers are filing for bankruptcy. To all of this I want complain loudly and shout, “Bah humbug.” But I can’t.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have a few weeks before
the Christmas spirit peaks and we have to be nice to people. Now is the perfect
time to take advantage of people and make some easy money for your company. Here’s how to do it...
Earlier this week the U.S. Commerce Department released
October stats indicating that new home and apartment construction have dropped
to an annual rate of 791,000 units, a 4.5% decrease from
September. Certain to receive unwanted focus is the fact that this
total is the lowest national annualized rate since 1959, or nearly a
half-century.
In business, I subscribe to the theory that you
provide the best products and services and let the market dictate who wins or
loses. But it’s also wise to know your competition in order to articulate your
advantages to the market.