The Countdown Has Begun / Online Marketing

The Countdown Has Begun / Online Marketing

It is obvious if you are paying attention to what has been and continues to happen within our consumer based culture. The 08/09 downturn is still holding us back as individuals, as workers, and members of our society. This article will define four current Trends that are continuing to impact your and my daily lives. You will find online business ideas that hopefully wake you to action and help you seek a balance of what used to be taken for granted in our consumer based society.

I have spent 45 years working inside the Professional Beauty Industry that is a barometer of consumer confidence and spending habits. It has become painfully obvious that consumers today are still crippled mentally since the downturn and do not spend money the way they used to. It is a more selective process controlled by budgets more so than free spending which used to be the dominant way of spending money. At one time we all had countless credit cards that were easy to get and use. Unfortunately that ended almost overnight since the downturn and today with less jobs available, with working salaries stripped to the bone, with virtually no benefits from companies; no wonder that we are more cautious in what we have to spend and how we spend it.
The four trends that I am about to share with you are so prominent that the company I represent uses them to drive the same point that I consistently make with my writing and that is that today more than ever, you have to take charge of your life as it has become harshly evident that unless you take complete responsibility for your life, no one else is. It is harsh to accept these changes to our everyday life, but it is as real as it gets. You cannot plan on someone else taking care of you as an adult and the reason the four trends that I am about to describe have spawned an even larger Mega trend, which will impact the nation at every level.

The first trend is a massive shift to online buying. It has been happening for decades and unless you were part of the internet with a business position, probably was not aware that it could impact your daily life. It is easy to see and understand the shift from traditional brick and mortar businesses that depend heavily on foot traffic through their doors for their cash flow. With the advent of the internet and its ability to allow you to generate reams of information on any given subject, to contact people globally in an instant, to start your internet based business with a lot less investment than traditional companies, it is easy to see why this trend will continue to evolve and hold companies hostage that continue to try to fight the last stand in their brick and mortar businesses, with all the traditional costs of doing business.

Consumers today want convenience. They don’t want to jump in their car anymore that is traveling on $ 5 a gallon gas to fight crowds and traffic, to find that the same item could have easily been researched online and purchased online, many times with free shipping and great return policies. This shift to online buying continues to grow. Today it is stated that ½ of all purchases are now coming from online sources and growing. I know on a personal level that I fit this trend, as I do like the convenience factor and find that any item that I could have purchased in a brick and mortar store, is also online…with the convenience I expect and deserve. This trend is great for all of us that are working a business online, as the internet is where the next great surge of small business openings will take place in the 21st century.

The next trend leading us into the Mega trend I mentioned earlier is People are making less money. I can easily support this as I have been working for 55 years and have seen the value and power of our dollar decline consistently since the early 80’s. I remember being able to purchase nice homes in the 70’s for $ 20,000 +, new cars for less than $ 5,000, and being able to secure my Bachelor’s degree strictly with my GI Bill. I remember gas at $ .25 a gallon and most of life’s necessities in the same range of affordability. So what happened? Inflation, for one, has devalued the dollar to a point where it is almost worthless. The government prints money at will, adding to the de-valuation.

People are still working and being paid, but with a lot benefits and support by the company they work for devalued or gone. I use myself as an example of this trend, as I have been blessed in generating six figures since the late 80’s, but the amount has consistently gone down by two thirds since those days. Today we are all wearing way too many hats and expected to accept whatever challenges and pay come with the territory. Take it or leave it is the new mantra at corporate level. With this trend firmly in place, many people are now dependent on two incomes for their lifestyle or are looking for part time or an online business to offset their regular check(s). Online businesses will continue to grow and develop. That is why it takes your due diligence to find the right opportunity, as there are countless scams that promise you the world and deliver nothing. We mentioned earlier why the internet is such a godsend for anyone looking for extra work or income. Just beware and go through a serious analysis of what you are buying before you get too deep and realize that it was nothing but a scam.

The third trend is Massive government debt and deficits. We are seeing firsthand how this trend affects our daily lives. We know as a country that we cannot continue running business as we have and at some point have to evaluate how the government handles this crisis. Luckily we are out of war at the moment, but we both know how we like to be in other people’s business and it is only a matter of time before we are back trying to save some country around the world with its costs in resources and lives. With a cost cutting agenda at some future point, when more of the social programs are affected, we are going to be directly challenged to find a better and more direct way to take further responsibility for how we are able to earn and support ourselves. Bottom line, we are being challenged to look at the big picture to find ourselves in it, with out of the box solutions to our future successes.

The fourth trend is Baby Boomers continue to get older. 20 million Boomers have already turned 50, and the rest of the category, another 58 million is coming up to retirement fast. I am one of these and will tell you, as well as I thought I had planned for retirement, I am nowhere near to being secure in being able to do so. I make the statement, “What got you here, will not get you there.”, as all of your past thinking is being negated by market conditions. If you are coming up on retirement or at that point, it is obvious that we are living longer and the amount of retirement funding will not last you as long as expected. That is one of the reasons that I jumped into the opportunity I am currently working, as it is clearly evident that I cannot retire any time soon. Luckily there are many financial opportunities that offer their services to help people like myself. I warn you again though, please do your due diligence, as there are many people online trying to take your money with no return. Look for solid companies that have tenure in the market, a well thought out sales funnel with “things” to sell and the opportunity to make a solid monthly income with their programs with a well developed support program.

This leads me right into the Mega Trend that I have mentioned several times throughout this article. The four trends that set this up are all driving this mega trend in many ways, as they have solidified to create this trend. That mega trend is The Age of the Entrepreneur. Since it has become obvious that we cannot depend any longer on companies or the government driving our daily and long term positions in the market, it is up to us to make it happen. We are literally being driven to this trend as we continue to find less jobs with lower pay and the safety net companies used to give us is now gone.

I personally like the movement the trend is driving, as I have always believed in myself and know that the hardest step in becoming financially secure, even into retirement, will come from finding the right company to support. The key for long term success is having someone by your side that has already experienced what you are about to go through. That is the mentoring process that I find key to my long term success online.

So for all of those like myself that woke up one day and realized that you were not set up for retirement, there is hope. I would like to see you research the company I represent to see if it matches your criteria for what you feel has to be there for you to succeed online.

Let me be clear in closing. The market today is nothing like it has ever been. If you are still thinking that you are safe and covered with your current company and lifestyle, let me shine some light on the facts. The facts all add up to major change continuing to happen in the market place and if you are not willing to evaluate the changing trends now, you may find yourself behind the eight ball with nowhere to go.

The Countdown has begun for online marketing and activity. Don’t be left behind.

James Hobart, an industry leader in the Professional Beauty Industry for more than 40 years at every level, has certification in hypnotherapy. His insight and experience have helped many companies and individuals with their growth and development over the years. His book, Happiness Is Your Birthright, supports his philosophy on life and is a practical handbook to create positive change throughout one’s life.