There is a very good article on TechCrunch entitled “Fear Kills Businesses, Dead”. The essence of the article is that due to the fact that we are at the start of the recession many businesses are locking up - they don’t care about getting ahead they are just concerned about survival.
As Brian Solis, the author of the article, outlines, this may not only be the wrong approach but businesses could use the current economic situation to their advantage to become more focused, and I would argue, innovate in a way they would not otherwise be able to. As Brian states “this is the time to strategically cut dispensable expenses, but also invest in growth”
“There’s a distinct difference between mere survival and succeeding in real world business. Many companies may unwittingly lock themselves in an isolated panic room instead of taking strategic steps to evolve and grow the business opportunity that exists today.”
Fear inspires desperate actions. Hope (combined with clarity and inventiveness) galvanizes action and engenders opportunities.
Many of the article themes that Brian touches upon are covered by the whitepaper by Nati Shalom, CTO of GigaSpaces entitled “Survival Guide for IT During the Economic Meltdown”. I suggest you read the TechCrunch article and then register and download the article by Nati. They really do make for an illuminating read.
“Remember, the economy is a yo-yo on an escalator. It might go up and down, and down some more, but eventually, it’s always going up (once we fix it, this time).
It is during these most difficult times when character is truly tested and defined.”
