Should a recession stop progress???

The answer to that question is NO! Recessions post WWII are measured by the unemployment rate. According to the U.S. Department of Labor the unemployment rate as of November 2008 is 6.7% and rising. Analysts predict that it will reach close to 8% before we see a turn around. Compare the 6.7%-8% to the average of 2007 and 2006, 4.6%; yes we are in a horrible downslide like a child who fell off his sled halfway down the hill. However there should be an opportunity seen in the downslide, an opportunity to examine a current place and find where one can become more efficient. Also we are not as bad off as we have been in the recent past…

In 1980-1985 the United States had a similar unemployment issue. The average of those six years was 8.1%. In the years between 1980 and 1985 we saw the rate rise from 7.1% in 1980 and top out at 9.7% in 1982 before finally beginning a descending swing in 1985 with the rate back to 7.2% and falling. During a recession with an unemployment rate the highest it had been since 1948, when the Department of Labor started measuring recessions based on unemployment, one would not find that as the best time to start a new business. However, in 1982, a young Bill Taylor DID start a new business, his FIRST business. The thought of a recession and unemployment never crossed his mind. He saw an opportunity to accomplish a goal and he went for it, in true American fashion.

The point of comparison is that even in today’s slow economy people should not stop what they are doing and hold steady. We should continue to look for opportunities and take care of our needs. The longer we stay stagnate waiting for things to change, we miss these opportunities, and those who did not tread water move directly past us taking our dream.

There will always be needs. Those needs will force struggling markets to regain their position and move the economy back to where it will continue to grow. Growth is something we have seen, even in the recession. Our structured cabling department has continued to grow. Our nurse call products for the healthcare industry have continued to grow. The necessity and growth for more bandwidth, and the decreasing cost of internet connectivity has coupled into a tremendous opportunity for companies to gain the bandwidth needed to do more efficient applications. Some of those applications we are seeing include online billing, online banking, online records, distance learning, hosted computer services, hosted phone systems, IP based video surveillance, government applications, hospitality industry providing internet to guests. These are a few areas that are continually growing and not standing still waiting. If they aren’t standing still why are you??????

Luckily here in the Midwest we have not seen the downturn as predominately as other areas of the country, so maybe it is easier for us to be optimistic about the future. Our message is to keep looking, find new ways to become efficient, use technology to your benefit, and create opportunities for yourself and others. Like the child who lost his sled we will inevitably try to sled again, lets just hope next time it’s a smaller hill, and we have breaks so we can stop and get back to the top more quickly without falling.

This was Michael Martin's latest conversation with Bill Taylor.

Thanks