Slowing Times

As the economy continues to shift into a slow period of growth, jobs continue to be slashed in every sector from tech, international construction, shift in choices for spending on alternative energy, and a defening need for the regular consumer, for credit and banking services continues their downturn. It can be disenhartening to know that in California we are a whole 1%+ unemployment as the National Average is 6%+, and California is 7%+. California has a 20% gap in budget capital needed for the upcoming year, #2 next to Arizona, worse than Florida & Nevada. And as this talk of credit not available for the regular consumer, even small business owners, continues to deepen, I can't help but wonder if we'll ever see the days of easy credit, and booming retailers; especially, with the holidays just around the corner. Even after we are able to climb out of the global crisis, and domestic levelling of worries lessens, there are much needed regulatory changes in the financial services arena, inflation may very well become "out of the box", and let's see if ol' monetary policy and control of interest rates will serve it's purpose.

To be completely honest with you, I'm not sure how the U.S. economy will be poised for the future. Free capital markets and U.S. liberty envies countries all over the world, and we must be flexible to the changes, without feeling like someone is putting shoving cold stones up my dairiair (did I spell that right?). Don't know which one would hurt the worst as either way you put it, you're *%$#!!!

What we need to focus on is not only our competitiveness, but position in the global economy. As job continue their stinging losses, taking time off to hone the best skills out there, to truly separate you from the competition should be the goal on every small business owners mind. We have to look at if our competetiveness maintains an ever increasing edge on others as we continue to work with the global economy.

Folks I don't believe there's anyway that we can look but to look foward and to face reality right in the face.