Question about recession..

[deMarks Music]

The Federal Reserve says that the recession is over. Two questions for you.
Is the recession over for you?
If it's not, what has to happen in your life or business for you to know that the recession is truly over?

[Joyce Johnson-Stovall]

The recession is far from over. Today, all of the news stations reported that the unemployment rate was above 10% nationally and is the highest unemployment rate since Carter was President.

News like that forces the cautious consumers to put their money back in their pockets and not in the hands of merchants who are suffering from the "non-spending cycle" and churches who are suffering because the parish or ward does not have the money to contribute.

And so the recession will deepen, because it is cyclic. The institutions most severely suffering from the recession are the famlies and charitable organizations. People have given all that they have in both areas and marriages are failing at a rate equal to or above charitable organizations. More families are deciding to split apart and go it alone. More churches are closing their doors because of mortgage foreclosures.

If you drive by a small strip mall, you will see lease availability on nearly every block because merchants have been forced to abandon their leases because they do not have customers who have money or credit to shop. Banks are suffering from a lack of deposits and reserve requirements which are too high to extend credit. When people have jobs which take care of the basic needs like food, utilities and housing, I will know that the recession is over. We aren't there yet... the unemployment rate tells me we are a long way away.

But the upside is that this is the age for the entrepenure. The individual marketing person, who manages to sell a product or service without the high overhead associated with the large business entity will be in a far superior position to gain rewards and success stories ... even in the age of recession. This is your time if you are an independant marketer with an appetite for risk and a desire for rewards. Keep plugging. You are the answer to the recession.