climate. The first thought that comes to my mind when the economic crisis is mentioned is opportunity. Does this mean that I am an eternal optimist or in denial? My world view certainly does not have a doomsday prediction for the near future. Given that a lot of people are reverting to defensive stances opens up a world of possibilities for those who are more aggressive.

If you are a poker player this is a common reaction by players who either try to limit their losses or have lost confidence in their abilities. At this point the aggressive player on the table takes note of this tendency and begins to run the meeker opponents over. The scenario these days is not very different. As aspiring entrepreneurs choose the safer path and get a 9-5 job, we effectively have less competition. When our competition begins to scale back on their marketing and expansion plans they leave themselves open to attacks on multiple fronts.

Do not get me wrong, this is not the time for reckless aggression. Quite the contrary actually. It requires us to find new ways to become leaner, recruit our stars daily and provide even greater value to our loyal customers. The economic crisis is going to be here for a while, how we react to the situation will have a lasting impact on how the next decade of our lives plays out.

What are your views on the economic crisis? How are you reacting? What would be your advice to entrepreneurs who are starting up?