In 2009, there will be a lot of people with negative thinking. Morale will be at record low. People will begin to feel hopeless as their world comes crumbling down due to retrenchments and bankruptcy.

But is it really that hopeless? Maybe it is, but we shouldn’t let that bring us down and ruin our 2009.

Very meaningful quote from Henry Ford

In my opinion, now is already too late for any ‘fixes’. If anyone tells you they are trying to implement some fixes to improve their business, it’s a lie. I would say that it’s not a fix to improve their business, but a fix to survive. Retrenchments, pay cuts or any cost cutting measures are not meant for ‘improving business’. Quite the contrary. These things are done so that a business can still survive.

That is why I think there are 2 things which every person and every business should do in 2009.

• Survive
• Prepare

The first point is to survive. If we’re not able to survive this cruel 2009 (and probably 2010), then any preparations or improvements will mean nothing. For example, you will need a job and the salary to survive. If you’re jobless now, your priority should not be to improve yourselves or to go for trainings….it should be how you can survive for the next few months. It’s either you get a full time job, or you get a part time job or earn some side income. The objective here is the only and only “to survive”.

The second point comes after you’ve ensured you can survive. It is to prepare yourselves in terms of finance and knowledge. Lead a frugal life and keep as much money as you possible can, and put it as a reserve somewhere. Invest them if you want but never spend it on your WANTs even though there are plenty of promotions and sales this year. You will need that fund to push you to another level once the economy recovers. As for the knowledge, try to improve your skills and exposures by attending trainings, self-studying, doing freelance, networking, etc. The people you know and the skills you’ve acquired now will be very important when the economy recovers. In fact, these might actually be the deciding factor to see whether you are prepared for the next level, or not.

To be honest, most people will spend their time in 2009 and 2010 doing the first thing. These people are actually those who are slightly motivated. Those who are less motivated will just sit there complaining and do nothing. So by doing the first and then the second, you are actually putting yourselves or your business in a very good position to challenge for the top spot when the economy recovers (when companies are hiring again, and when people are willing to spend their money again).

Those are the 2 things that I would advise people to do, and also the things which I myself will do. Because the last thing I want is to miss out on this golden opportunity to make myself known to other people. I don’t think I want to enter the newly recovered economy as a nobody.

Hope it helps.

P/S…….Feel free to check out this useful article from Seth Godin – Slack.

Are you going to attend an interview soon? Or are you actually planning to apply for a job in a certain company? One way or the other, it is very important for you to find out about the new company.

Why?

2 reasons.

• Worth a try? You need to know whether the company’s financial result is okay in order to decide whether it’s worth it. No point jumping into a company with serious cashflow problem. Besides that, you also need to know whether the company’s culture is suitable for you. What’s the point of joining a company with a culture which does not suit your personality? For example, if you know the company will make you work 12 hours a day but you don’t fancy such working culture, then no point wasting your time going for the job.
• Information for interview? By knowing the company profile, their history and what they do, you can actually use the information to your advantage during the interview. Nearly all the interviews I’ve been to (especially the big companies) will ask what do I know about their company. And if you’re able to impress them by saying something they don’t know (like saying the Fortune ranking of the parent company in US), you will most likely impress the interviewers. It also shows that you know the reason you want to join the company. You’ll be surprised that some people just go for the interview without knowing what the company is doing.

That’s why before you go for an interview (or even before you apply for the job), always find out about the company. It is one of the most important things to do.

Remember that to join the wrong company and then quit few weeks later, is a very bad record for you especially if you do that too often.

All the best and hope it helps.