FACT of the MATTER:
Positive attitude vs. pie-in-the-sky thinking

I recently heard of a “group” started by members of the website Linkedin. The group is called the “I Won’t Participate in a Recession!” group. As of this writing, the group has nine members.

While perhaps a noble effort to staunch the bad news hemorrhage plaguing our country, it’s a bit pie-in-the-sky in my estimation to think you can simply “positive attitude” away much of what’s happening today. If you’re a business owner, it’s my opinion you will have to “participate” in some way in today’s recession; the question is not “if" it’s “how.”

As a business owner, each of us has the ability to decide how we will react in the face of difficult times; what we will do about it. I’m an admirer of Sir Winston Churchill. During the dark days of World War II, he’s quoted as saying, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” To me, that’s not only being an optimist, it’s being a realist.

Associated Industries was founded in 1910. We survived – and even thrived – following the “Great Depression” and many upswings and downturns ever since. Next year, we celebrate our 100th year in business. Through the years we have seen that every downturn is followed by an upturn; bad times followed by good times. The current situation is no different. So, we look for and pursue the opportunities the present circumstances create, and we ready ourselves for the next upswing.

As you close out your books on 2009, I encourage you to look forward to the next decade as a time of opportunity for your business. Wishing you the best of the holiday season and a new year of opportunity ahead, I remain sincerely yours,                 Jim DeWalt