The bright side of a recession
I love that scene from Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life” where a bunch of guys are tied to crucifixes, and suddenly Eric Idle launches into the song, “Always look on the bright side of life.”
Here’s one of my favorite parts of the song:
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.
And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...
Who’s singing in today’s economy?
Bad economic times don’t always have to spell doom for small business owners. Sometimes a bumpy road can be a boon for business.
Let’s think outside the box for a second. What type of companies will do well in a recession?
First one that comes to mind – pawnshops.
OK, I admit it. I once used the services of my friendly, local pawnshop when I was a young struggling journalist.
It’s not that these businesses are taking advantage of bad times. It’s just that people turn to them during the rough spots. That’s why liquor stores tend to do well.
Also, collection agencies coming after deadbeats probably see an uptick in business. And I would think movie rental shops see more customers since no one can afford to eat out.
I recently got an email about a small business that is prepared to make a killing now that the bottom seems to have dropped out of the economy.
Speedemissions, a vehicle emissions testing and a safety inspection company with 38 emissions service centers in Georgia, Texas, Utah and Missouri.
I know, you’re all probably scratching your heads, but listen to this logic.
In tough times consumers tend not to buy new cars so…
“The longer consumers hold on to their aging cars, the more it literally drives business to my emission centers,” says Richard Parlontieri, CEO of
Speedemissions, based in Tyrone, Georgia. “New cars won’t help my business. They don’t need to be inspected. The older the car, the greater the need for mandated emissions testing.”
Based on Parlontieri’s numbers there are 239 million cars and light trucks in the US, 71.7-million of them, or 30 percent, were made prior to the year 1996. What does that mean? Big time polluters, he says. Supposedly cars and trucks that have been on the road 11 plus years are the biggest culprits, he adds.
“Older cars help drive my business,” says Parlontieri.
So, what’s driving your business during this recessionary period? Come on, let’s look on the bright side, or should I say the polluted bright side, like Parlontieri is.
