The economy is big news lately. I've seen numerous articles on how businesses are struggling to keep afloat during the current "economic downturn". Some offer sage advice, while others paint an ominous picture of the dark days ahead. But last week, among all the doom and gloom, one sunny news story popped up and made me smile.

The story was about seed companies and garden centers, that are experiencing booming vegetable sales this year. Apparently high gas prices and food costs are driving consumers to grow their own vegetable gardens. Since they're not taking summer vacations, people have time to work on their green thumbs.

Garden centers are not alone. Most businesses can find creative ways to survive and even thrive during economic changes. Are you affected by recent economic shifts? If so, what are you doing about it?

Some companies feature different product lines - such as focusing on vegetable plants rather than ornamental trees. Others can alter their message to fit the current economic climate. For example, if a high-end grocery store finds that their customers concerned about rising food costs, they could offer free seminars on how to shop and cook economically - using quality foods. Businesses that offer value will win over those who try to compete on price alone.

Rather than running around like Chicken Little, waiting for the sky to fall, we need to look up at the sky and find a way to make the current environment work for our businesses. As they say, one man's loss is another man's gain. But, there's no reason why you can't make it a win-win situation and turn your losses into gains.

Good Luck!
Kathy